Media Studies A-level Lesson 5

Component 1 bell hooks: Eating the Other

Section A
Music Video

Key Terms:

White feminism: A form of feminism that focuses on the struggles of white women while
failing to address distinct forms of oppression faced by ethnic minority women. Typically,
this movement relates to middle-class, educated, cis-gendered, able bodied, white women,
and concentrates on issues pertaining to them.

Intersectional feminism: A form of feminism that recognises that certain groups of people
have multi-layered facets in life that they have to deal with, such as racism or homophobia.

Patriarchy: a social system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of
political leadership, moral authority, and social privilege.

Cultural appropriation: the adoption of elements of a minority culture by members of the

dominant culture. It is considered harmful because of the presence of power imbalances
that are part of colonialism and oppression.

Colonialism: the practice by which a powerful country directly controls less powerful
countries and uses their resources to increase its own wealth and power. The powerful
country acquires full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with
settlers, and exploiting it economically.

Orientalism: a way of seeing that imagines, emphasises, exaggerates, and distorts the
depictions of aspects in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and East Asian cultures. It often
involves seeing these cultures as exotic, backwards, uncivilised, and at times dangerous.

Activity 1: Answer these questions in relation to bell hook’s essay ‘Eating the Other’.

1. Who is bell hooks?

2. Identify 5 key points from her essay ‘Eating the Other’.
3. What does bell hooks means by ‘ethnicity as spice’?
4. Why is cultural appropriation problematic?
5. Has this lesson changed your view of pop stars like Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry? In what
ways?
6. Select a media product and apply bell hook’s theory. Some choices to consider:
o Taylor Swift ‘Shake it off’ music video
o Kylie Jenner ‘Glosses’ advert
7. How far can we apply bell hook’s theory to ‘Sorry’ and/or ‘Partition?

Name:
Date: