Overview
Nathalie Weidhase conceptualises the female dandy as a figure that simultaneously embodies and disrupts postfeminist notions of femininity, including maintaining a physique conforming to contemporary beauty standards, constant self-surveillance and self-improvement, and the naturalisation of gender difference and heterosexuality. She examines how music videos function as spaces in popular culture where the politics of the feminine can be articulated. These spaces allow female pop stars to be valued as artists with distinct contributions to popular music. Focusing on Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Lana Del Rey, Weidhase illuminates different characteristics of the postfeminist dandy in popular music. Amy Winehouse's work makes visible the commodification of the female spectacle in popular culture, highlighting how her image and persona were marketed and consumed. Rihanna performs black femininity as postfeminism’s abject Other. Lady Gaga queers monstrous motherhood and celebrates female musical lineage. Lana Del Rey's work demonstrates how whiteness operates as a canvas for postfeminist and post-racial fantasies, offering a platform for their deconstruction and critique. In doing so, Weidhase provides a comprehensive understanding of how these pop stars navigate and challenge the intricate landscape of postfeminism, offering a nuanced perspective on contemporary femininity and its representations in popular culture.
Full Product Details
Author: Nathalie Weidhase (University of Surrey, UK)
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Dimensions:
Width: 13.80cm
, Height: 1.60cm
, Length: 21.80cm
Weight: 0.440kg
ISBN: 9781350158023
ISBN 10: 135015802
Pages: 232
Publication Date: 12 December 2024
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Tertiary & Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
I think this book makes a strong and needed contribution to literature on popular music and popular culture more generally. I appreciate the strong theoretical framing as well as the range of case studies and clear analytical approach. -- Erin Meyers, Associate Professor, Department of Communication and Journalism, Oakland University, USA Strengths include strong originality – this is a new take on these artists, and an underexplored concept in popular music studies. It is up to date and timely: all the major case studies are hugely popular artists. The mixture of genres covered, and the inclusive racial politics of the discussion are also positive aspects. -- Dr Catherine Haworth, Senior Lecturer in Music, University of Huddersfield, UK Strengths: topicality in focus on gender/feminism/music video. Balance of case studies. Prior publication record of the author. -- Yvonne Tasker, Chair in Media and Communication, University of Leeds, UK
Author Information
Nathalie Weidhase is Lecturer in Media and Communication at the University of Surrey, UK. She has published on women in popular music and celebrity feminism in the journal Celebrity Studies, as well as in the collection Women, Celebrity and Cultures of Ageing: Freeze Frame (2015).
