Concepts and Framework-building for Analyzing Movies Foucault’s The History of Sexuality Power : Biopower : Disciplinary power Subjectivity Truth and Power Power-knowledge Discourse

Use Foucault’s Intellectual Tradition in building the framework: Subject & Body are created by discourses, i.e., in the symbolic systems in which they are embedded. He focuses on the institutional representation of power: how power operates while developing different discourses, e.g. madness, medicine, punishment, sexuality. Key is power impacts the Body: How does power work to regulate bodies and control populations? Ref for some slides: Whetstone on Fouc Ap 2012

Discourse: The scope of the knowable and knowledge form what we call consciousness – knowledges are categorized through which we see the world – this is how power is organized according to F Discourses can be negative or enabling Discourse can be an instrument of power and an effect of power, but It can hinder us or act as a hindrance It may create resistance and a beginning of an opposing strategy Discourses on: 1.Mental illness and the birth of “the clinic” 2.Punishment and the birth of “the prison” 3.Sexuality

Power/knowledge Power through institutions as mechanisms of power disciplines individuals Power is not seen as a way of subjugating a person Power is the structure of force relations in a society, tied to cultural modes of understanding – “discourse” Rules of power/knowledge Power is decentralized: from “below” as much as “above” Power designates areas of life as objects of inquiry Power implies a limit on the freedom of ways of being Power is tied to change or transformation – implies contention and sites of resistance

Biopower: F’s theory of power: Power is not restricted to political or economic elites, nor is it narrowly defined by repression. Power is productive, focused on the power to administer and regulate life, rather than bring death Not a fixed property held by certain groups Decentralized, diffuse Fluid and present in all interactions Where power is exercised, resistance develops

The History of Sexuality 18 th & 19 th C: Sexuality became a target of research & an object of scientific knowledge- social concerns were expressed by the society Emergence of Freudian Repressive Hypothesis – Victorian-era – controls to repress human sexuality and desire Foucault’s anti-repression argument was: Repression led to “incitement” to sex More focus on sex, more talk and desire Restrict by laws led to sexual perversion Sex is desired as it became hidden and secretive It then became an obsession Powerful categories of normal/abnormal emerged

Western society is a singularly confessing society: Confessions – a double subjection 1.A subject or a person in society is unerr social rules 2.A confessor’s narrative on own desires, thoughts, actions and experiences to light on: Justice Medicine, psychiatry Education Family relationships Love relations

Sexuality in control under power 1.23 min 2008 Confessions The Roman Catholic tradition of Confession: Typically the penitent begins the confession by saying, "Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been [time period] since my last confession." The penitent then must confess mortal sins in order to restore his/her connection to God's grace and not to merit Hell. Therapy and confession Psychiatrist (Power) to Patient (subject) relations Power is embedded in the Discourse when subjectivity is established on normal-abnormal status

Confessions: The Oprah Show Rihanna min Whitney Houston min

F: Power is the structure of force relations in a society, tied to cultural modes of understanding – “discourse” Women stories, movies and the Oscars feb min and-the-oscars/ LEGO & Gender Part 2: The Boys ClubLEGO & Gender Part 2: The Boys Club feb min boys-club/

Movies on discourse of the power of love: Is it experts’ treatment or expression of bio-power? Mental Illness in Movies As Good as it Gets (1996) Shine (1996)

F: Power/knowledge and discourse on excluded women or racialized persons The Oscars and the Bechdel Test min feb15,

Statistics on the State of Women and Hollywood Ref: FILM Box Office In 2009 there were 217 million moviegoers. The total admissions was 1.4 billion dollars. Women were 113 million of the moviegoers and bought 55% of the tickets. Men are 104 million of the moviegoers and 45% of the tickets. Women made up 9 million more filmgoers than men.

Women Centric Films of the top 10 grossing films are women centric; 9 of the top 50 grossing films (two of them are animated – The Princess and the Frog, Coraline); 18 of the top 100 grossing films; 26 of the top 150 grossing films

Women centric Films, Their Rank and Total Gross The Twilight Saga: New Moon ($293,897,327) 8 The Blind Side ($238,430,210) 16 The Proposal ($163,958,031) 31 It’s Complicated ($104,782,080) 32 The Princess and the Frog ($100,352,358) 34 Julie & Julia ($94,125,426) 37 The Ugly Truth ($88,915,214) 39 Hannah Montana The Movie ($79,576,189) 42 Coraline ($75,286,229)

Women Behind the Scenes Women directed 7% of the top 250 grossing films. Women wrote 8% of the top 250 grossing films. Women comprised 17% of all executive producers Women made up 23% of all producers 18% of all editors were women 2% of all cinematographers were women.

Women & Hollywood Sexism Watch: ABC New Pilot Title by Melissa Silverstein on January 12, 2011 ABC picked up a new series entitled Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23. When Cougar Town acquired its title, it expressed the premise of the show. The story is about a naive young woman who comes to New York City and ends up with a trouble-making party-girl roommate. A woman — Nahnatchka Khan — is one of the creator/writers. new-pilot-title/ new-pilot-title/ (a rich source of films & commentary)

Equal pay: Made in Dagenham Reflects A Current Reality by Melissa Silverstein on November 17, 2010 in Advocacy Feminism min in-dagenham-reflects-a-current-reality/

Michel Foucault Madness and Civilization: The Birth of the Asylum; Foucault vs. Freud Top 10 Movies That Take Place in a Mental Institution (Audience Choice) The Truth about Mental Hospitals Inside Mental Hospital

Madness CHANGELING Trailer http:// trailer cont’d 2 min - FILM REVIEW min Aug woman (woman vote 1920)

Judyism: Judge Judy At Her Best min BEST OF JUDGE JUDY min