Angela Mcrobbie Theory

Angela McRobbie and Agent CarterMcRobbie was born in 1951 in the UKShe is still a British cultural Theorist She did her post graduate degree at the University of BirminghamShe then went onto teach in London then to teach at Loughborough UniversityShe is now currently is a Professor of Communication at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her media theory is a well known one, based on the study of magazine covers.

The TheoryMcRobbie mainly looks at the way in which gender roles are represented within different media texts. So: what does the media say that males and females do?She ultimately feels that, by doing this, the media influences us as humans into what we should and should not do. Media texts socialize us into our gender roles. This suggests that humans behave like they do because of what the media tells them to how to behave and what to do with their lives. It leads back to an older media question: does the media mirror society or does society mirror the media?

How are we supposed to behave as men/women according to these?Consider:The male/female characters?The male/female audience?

How men are portrayed in the mediaMcRobbie believes that in most media texts; men are portrayed as having the following characteristics:

MasculineAggressivePowerfulActiveDominant (sexually and otherwise)

So basically saying the media portrays them in an extreme stereotypical manner.

How women are portrayed in the mediaMcRobbie believes that in most media texts, women are portrayed as having the following characteristics:

WeakPassiveSubservient to men Traditional roles (mother, nurse)Pleasing to the male eye

So again basically saying media portray them in an extreme stereotypical manner

Opposition/connectionsMcRobbie, however, does accept that within some media texts, women are shown in more powerful sexual roles and she suggests this could be a good thing. This is where controversy aroused as other feminists argue as they believe that that the suggestion is demeaning to women. However Angela McRobbie believes that some representations empower women as sexually powerful. McRobbie uses Laura Mulveys older male gaze theory in that she shows that female characters that do not conform to her theory those that are dominant, active or aggressive (sexual or otherwise) - are often shown as being deviant/suspicious. Indeed, they are masculinized, i.e. physically and/or mentally man-like, and therefore not conform to Male gaze either.

Marvels Agent CarterAgent Carter takes the non-conformist princess character from Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) British 30-something Peggy Carter - and gives her her own series where she is an agent of American spook operation the SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve).Her treatment by male counterparts represents her as conforming to McRobbie: she is expected to stay in the office, answer phones, take notes and make coffee. However, she goes rogue and takes an active often violent role in solving cases/catching villains, thus challenging the theory.In doing this, however, she maintains her femininity in terms of both looks and personality though when all is revealed her colleagues do consider her deviant

Take notes and answer the questionHow are men and women represented in the text?