The struggle for sexism
SARA MILLS
SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY
1. Background sexism
2.Aims
 To examine the struggles around sexism overall recently
 To examine the ways that political correctness is used as an
offensive term
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with `victims’ of discrimination portrayed as aggressive
With offence being questioned
With political correctness being viewed as in contrast to free speech
 To
examine the responses and interventions by women
and feminist groups in relation to these changes
 To develop a more interactive model of judgements of
sexism
3.Sexism in Interaction
 In face to face interaction
 S: Makes a negative evaluation of women as a group,
aimed at including the hearer in that reference (could
see this as sexist, a joke, banter or as `factual’)
 H: Identifies utterance as sexist, or decides to ignore,
treat it as a joke, banter
 Which contexts: where women making claims to
power?
4. Sexism in media texts
 Feminism as a social movement
 Feminism as a discourse
 Within neoliberal capitalism feminism as discourse has
“gone rogue”. Today’s feminist movement is
`increasingly confronted with the strange shadowy
version of itself, an uncanny double that it can neither
simply embrace nor wholly disavow’ (Fraser, cited in
Carter, et al, 2015: 27)
 Feminism incorporated into media texts and thus
disarticulated, its political voice undermined
(McRobbie, 2009)
Dame Helen Mirren slams 'sexy' label - and 17
pictures that suggest otherwise: BT news
Being described as a sex symbol is
limiting, according to the actress.
BT news
5.Sexism
 Definitions : `the practices whereby someone
foregrounds gender when it is not the most salient
feature’ (Vetterling-Braggin, 1981)
 `women have no head for politics’ (Lips, 2014)
 `what do fucking women know about the offside rule’
(Andy Gray 2011)
 Coates argues that the English language is sexist
(2015)
5.1. Constituents of sexism
Anachronistic
Sexualised
Incompetent
Negative
Generalise about
women as a
group
Describe females
as distinct from
males
Describe females
only in relation
to males
Describe females
as distinct from
males
Focus on
disabling
femininity
5.1.Hostile, benevolent and ambivalent sexism
 Hostile, ambivalent and benevolent sexism (Lips, 2014)
 Hostile sexism: derogatory beliefs
 Benevolent sexism: positive but patronising (`women need
romantic relations with men to be fulfilled’; `men naturally
need to be in charge;’ `women are naturally better at
multitasking’) `it is tempting to think that benevolent
sexism cannot be so bad if it entails positive feelings
towards the target’ (Lips, 2014, 34)
 Ambivalent sexism: `I’m all for women’s rights but these
women complaining about discrimination in employment
are going too far: they are pushy and unreasonable’ (Lips
2014)
6. Problems with these views of sexism
 Assumed that the sexism is somehow IN the language
 (`lady’ always sexist; must always use `woman’; Coates,
2015)
 Assumes that it is primarily a linguistic issue (if we
change the language, the problem is solved)
 Individual choice/error which can be reformed
 This is an etic approach to sexism; the analyst decides
(Attenborough, 2013)
 But sexism is a social practice and occurs at particular
moments; it has a particular function in relation to
women in the workplace, women in positions of power
(Hillary Clinton; Andy Gray and Richard Keys, 2011).
 Assumed that we will all agree on what constitutes
sexism and how we define it (Sunderland, 2007)
 Does not take enough account of feminist
interventions around issues of sexism
7. Overt sexism
 Overt sexism: where sexism seems to be clear
 Definitions and Examples
 http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/jan/30/as
da-christmas-ad Behind every great Christmas there's
mum, and behind every mum there's Asda
 Attenborough 2015
8. Indirect sexism
 Indirect/ Subtle/neo-sexism/retro-sexism
 Indirect sexism: presupposition; humour; `both
challenges overt sexism and keeps it in play’
 Indirect indexing (women and shoes; shopping;
cupcakes)
 http://www.revival-retro.com/blog/green-shoes-
lloyds-bank-advert
9. Background sexism
9.1. 50 Shades of Grey
50 Shades of bus shelters
 Fifty shades poster campaign on buses and bus shelters centred on a
few days around Valentines Day
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So how is this sexist:
Woman with hands tied above her
Man kisses her and holds her face, she is passive
She responds
Lose control: this is represented as positive
BDSM is a valid sexual practice between consenting adults; here it is
elided with romantic love
 Background sexism when sexist images are just seen as part of the
wallpaper: The posters were on buses and bus shelters everywhere in
Sheffield
 School defends Fifty Shades of Grey Book Day
costume ban 6th March 2015
 A school has defended its decision to stop a pupil
taking part in World Book Day celebrations while
wearing a Fifty Shades Of Grey costume.
 BT had 50 shades sex tips for BT users on 14th
February 2015
 Included safe words etc. Discussed BDSM as if just
something to be used to `spice up your sex life’
9.2. Blurred Lines
 Blurred Lines project
 1000 questionnaires to young people to discover their
views of the song and video
 The men are clothed (suits) and the women are naked
or in transparent dresses and heels. Men sing and the
women walk around and perform sexually for the men
 Comments on video: this is normal for music videos
and so not offensive. There are far worse.
10. Political correctness
 `Political correctness’ used about anti-sexism, anti-
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racist campaigns and characterising them as over
fastidious (feminists tend not to use the term)
Trevor Phillips (CRE) now says that his work against
racist language was problematic; there are racial
distinctions and we need to be able to discuss them.
Those who are the victims of sexism, racism now cast
as aggressors
Offence is seen in negative terms
Resistance to sexism is seen as a curtailment of free
speech
11. Anti discrimination vs free speech
 The Guardian Sat 7 February Ian Dunt
 `Safe space or free speech? The crisis around debate
at UK universities The cancellation of comedian Kate
Smurthwaite’s Goldsmiths show after protests against
her politics is indicative of a wider battle for the nature
of student life – should university be a ‘safe space’ for
all, or a place where anything can be debated?’
Political correctness and aggression
 `Once you dig past the insults and accusations, the
Smurthwaite story reveals something troubling about
the culture on Britain’s campuses. Whatever the
precise reasons for the cancellation, the feminist
society took a vote to picket someone because of a
policy position unrelated to the content of the show
itself. This is not like the antifascist “no platform”
campaign of the 1980s and 90s. It is much broader and
more nebulous. The potential for offence is trumping
the right to free speech’ (Dunt 2015)
12. Cancelled seminars
 Bill Maher (critical of Islam) stopped from speaking at

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University of California by petition
Christine Lagarde IMF stopped from speaking at Smith
College,`imperialist and patriarchal systems that oppress
and abuse women worldwide’ (Chait, 2015)
Condaleeza Rice stopped from speaking at Rutgers
Ayyan Hirsi Ali stoppped from speaking at Brandeis
`At a growing number of campuses professors now attach
`trigger warnings’ to texts that may upset students, and
there is a campaign to eradicate `micro-aggressions’ or
small social slights that might cause searing trauma’ (Chait,
2015)
13. Undermining offence
 `This is an environment of fear … faculty members are terrified of
facing accusations of triggering trauma’ (Chait 2015)
 `All over social media, there dwell armies of unpaid but widely read
commentators, ready to launch hashtag campaigns and circulate
Change.org petitions in response to the slightest of identity-politics
missteps’ (Rebecca Traister, cited in Chait 2015)
 `Political correctness is not a rigorous commitment to social equality
so much as a system of left wing ideological repression’ (Chait, 2015)
 Attacks on feminists by feminists Hanna Rosin The End of Men
 `Everyone is afraid to speak right now’ (Samhita Mukhopadhyay cited
by Chait 2015) `That the new political correctness has bludgeoned
even many of its supporters into despondent silence is a triumph, but
one of limited use’ (Chait, 2015)
14. Undermining complaints about sexism
 Woman calls police over
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wolf whistling builders
28th April 2015
460 comments
`What’s disrespectful
about that? What a sad
lassie’
`I hope she gets done for
wasting police time’
`snooty cow, she should
think herself lucky people
think she’s pretty’
15. Feminist interventions
 Feminist academic interventions have had an impact
on publishing (guidelines)/newspapers/ adverts
(complaints)
 Development of terms: Mansplaining `tendency of men
to patronisingly hold forth on subjects the woman
knows better’ (Rebecca Solnit 2008)
 Calling out: where someone’s sexism/racism is made
public/exposed
15.1. Public view of sexism and legal changes:
 Andy Grey, Sky Sports, was sacked because of sexist
comments, but
 Ellen Pao, of Reddit loses landmark sexual

discrimination lawsuit – lowlevel sexism. Apr.2015
15.2. Popular Feminist Interventions
 Everyday Sexism posts:
Rose 2014-10-08 13:20
 So having a conversation yesterday with men and women about
infidelity, they all believed you can't blame a man for falling for
the seduction of a beautiful women, so basically they were
trying to convince me that men are just these innocent humans
who have no control over situations of infidelity so it's always a
women's responsibility to be respectful and don't pass the
friendship line, if infidelity did happen by the husband, they
would make the girl involved pay for it, being either hit or just
completely seen as a slut. I'm just annoyed at this whole notion
that men are innocent babies who can't do anything for
themselves. Oh, but I bet if a guy was trying to seduce them they
would probably punch them in the face.
15.2. Everyday Sexism blog
15.3.Vagenda blog
 Twitter campaigns and Writing on billboards
15.3 BTL comments
 Below the lines comments on gender/feminist issues;
feminists engage in discussions
 (but The Lads’ Bible, below the lines comments and
trolling; Hardaker 2012; Ronson, 2015)
15.3. Below the line comments
 Who cares if she's got manicured nails. What's that got to do with anything.
 Like · Reply · 86 · 12 March at 21:24
 View previous replies
 This Girl Can Hi Laura, thanks for the comment! We're celebrating women who get out
there and exercise their way, and we love that Skyla brings her personality to the boxing
ring.
 Like · 44 · 13 March at 09:26
 View more replies
 Sash Saeed Love it. Although i find the impact of the gloves on pads weakens my nails.
Still got my manicure
 Like · Reply · 10 · 13 March at 09:18
 Helen Hodkinson I would love to keep my manicure but boxing is more fun
 Like · Reply · 9 · 12 March at 21:30
 Pru Comben I find that boxing ruins my nail varnish! But it's worth it!
16.Model of analysis for struggle for sexism
Public /legal
response to
sexism
Undermining
of PC &
offence
Media
Incorporation
of feminism
Feminist
Interventions
Trolling
.Below the
line comments
Conclusions
 Model of sexism needs to be more interactive and
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more about struggles over sexism (needs to include
arguments over meaning)
Legal context and public opinion on sexism has
changed
There is a great deal of undermining of the grounds on
which it is possible to claim that something is sexist
Social media has allowed greater debate of issues of
sexism, but also greater victimisation
However, there is also a great deal of feminist activism
around issues of sexism and discrimination
References
Attenborough, F. 2013 ` Sexism reloaded or sexism represented’,
Feminist Media Studies, 13/4, 693-709
Attenborough, F. 2014 `Categorial feminism: new media and rhetorical
work of assessing a sexist, humorous, misogynistic, realistic
advertisement’, Gender and Language, 8/2, 147-168
Bates, L 2014 Everyday Sexism, London: Simon and Schuster
Carter C, Steiner L, McLaughlin L eds 2015 The Routledge Companion to
Media and Gender, London: Routledge.
Chait, J. 2015 ``Not a very PC thing to say’ New York Magazine, Jan 26
Lips, H. 2014 Gender, London: Routledge
McRobbie, A 2009 The Aftermath of Feminism, London: Sage
Mills S Language and Sexism, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Ronson, J. 2015 So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, Picador
Sunderland, J. 2007 `Contradictions in gendered discourses, feminist
readings of sexist jokes’, Gender and Language, 1/2, 207-28