Bell Hooks | Masteringmedia

bell hooks - Race and Feminism

bell hooks was a pioneering feminist scholar whose work explored the intersectionality of race, gender, and class, particularly in media representation. She argued that mainstream media often reinforces patriarchal and racial power structures, positioning women—and particularly women of color—as passive objects within these systems. According to hooks, these representations perpetuate a narrow view of both women’s roles and the experiences of marginalized groups. In The Will to Change (2004), hooks asserts: “Patriarchy has no gender. It is a political-social system that insists that males are inherently dominating, superior to everything and everyone deemed weak, especially women, and endowed with the right to dominate and rule over the weak.”

A critical aspect of hooks’ theory is her critique of the objectification of women in media, especially through the male gaze. She highlights how women, particularly women of color, are often reduced to their physicality or stereotyped roles, thereby diminishing their agency. In her essay The Oppositional Gaze (1992), hooks writes: “The representation of black womanhood in mainstream media continues to reflect a legacy of racist and sexist stereotypes…white patriarchal structures attempt to render black women as voiceless objects of desire.” This critique challenges the typical portrayal of women, especially women of color, in Hollywood and popular culture.

A prominent figure who has navigated these dynamics is Beyoncé, whose career hooks has analyzed in terms of both empowerment and exploitation. hooks acknowledges Beyoncé’s complex role in challenging stereotypes, noting that her music, such as in Lemonade, offers a feminist and racial counter-narrative, while also critiquing the ways she has been commodified. As hooks writes, Beyoncé is both an agent of empowerment and subject to the exploitative practices of the media industry, reflecting the duality of empowerment and objectification that women, particularly women of color, face in the public sphere.

For hooks, feminist media must subvert these limiting portrayals by providing space for women’s diverse voices, especially those from marginalized communities, to reclaim agency and authenticity. “Feminism is for everybody,” hooks famously says, advocating for an inclusive feminism that challenges both racial and gender inequalities.

Questions to Check Learning

How does bell hooks connect race and gender in her analysis of media representations?
What is the significance of bell hooks’ assertion that “Patriarchy has no gender”?
How does bell hooks critique the objectification of women in media?
How does bell hooks’ analysis of black womanhood in media challenge traditional representations?
In what ways does Beyoncé’s work both challenge and reflect the issues raised by bell hooks in her theory?
How does Beyoncé’s Lemonade offer a counter-narrative to mainstream representations of women of color?
What does bell hooks mean when she argues that mainstream media represents black women as “voiceless objects of desire”?
What does bell hooks mean by “Feminism is for everybody,” and how does this connect to her analysis of media representation?

Hidden Figures (2016)

This is the amazing true story of three super-smart women who worked for NASA in the 1960s. They had to deal with unfair rules because they were women and because of their skin colour. But they didn't let that stop them. They used their incredible maths skills to help send astronauts to space and proved to everyone that they were just as important as the men.

Moxie (2021)

Vivian is a quiet 16-year-old who gets tired of seeing girls at her school being treated unfairly. Boys make a list ranking their bodies, and the teachers don't seem to care. Inspired by her mum, Vivian starts an anonymous magazine called "Moxie" to call out the sexism and encourage other girls to stand together and fight for change.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

When Miles Morales becomes the new Spider-Man, he meets Spider-People from other worlds, including Spider-Gwen. This film shows that anyone can wear the mask—you don't have to be a certain type of person to be a hero. It’s about being yourself, finding your own power, and seeing that heroes can be girls, boys, and come from all different backgrounds.

Hidden Figures shows really obvious unfair rules from the past, while Moxie shows smaller, everyday unfairness that happens now. Which type of unfairness do you think is harder to deal with, and which movie did a better job of showing you how it feels?
In Moxie, the girls start a magazine to make a change. In Hidden Figures, the women work extra hard to prove they are the best. Which way of fighting back do you think is more powerful?
Spider-Gwen in Into the Spider-Verse is a superhero who is just as strong and clever as the boys. Why is it important to see female characters who are powerful leaders and not just someone who needs to be saved?
Miles in Into the Spider-Verse is a Black and Latino hero. Do you think it matters for kids to see heroes on screen who look like them and come from different backgrounds? Why?
All three films show people working together to make things better. Which group of friends or heroes do you think was the strongest, and what made them work so well together?
After watching these films, can you think of a time you saw something unfair happening, like the characters in the movies did? What could you do in that situation, even if it's something small?

Beyoncé's "Formation" and "Black Panther" powerfully support bell hooks' theories by creating counter-narratives that challenge oppressive structures. "Formation" is a defiant celebration of Black identity and female agency. Beyoncé subverts the male gaze, embodying hooks' "oppositional gaze" by controlling her own image and celebrating Black womanhood on her own terms. "Black Panther" presents Wakanda, a vision of Africa free from colonialism, directly confronting white supremacist narratives. The film further subverts patriarchy through its powerful, respected female characters, like the Dora Milaje, who are agents of their own destiny, not objects.

Ice Spice became a huge star by being herself. In a world where many female rappers feel they have to dress and act in a very flashy or sexy way, she shows you can be cool and confident just by being you. She’s a great example of someone who doesn't follow the old rules and creates her own path to success.

The show Heartstopper is all about kindness and being true to yourself. It shows that it's okay for boys to be sensitive and caring, not just tough and sporty. With its diverse group of friends, the series teaches us that everyone deserves to be happy and accepted for who they are, which is a big part of making the world fairer for everyone.

The Barbie movie was so popular because it talked about real-world problems in a fun way. It showed how the world can sometimes have unfair rules for women and what it feels like to live in them. The film got millions of people talking about fairness and equality, making it a powerful movie that was more than just a story about a doll.

bell hooks - Race and Feminism

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