Lydia is a cis woman (a woman who is not transgender) whose favorite film is Michael Bay's Transformers (2007), a movie about a young man and his female high school crush who save the world from evil alien robots with the help of virtuous alien robots. While the subject positions of both the camera position and active protagonist are of a white, heterosexual male, Lydia identifies with them. Whose theory on gender and identification is Lydia most in accordance with?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Elizabeth Cowie's theory of gender and identification emphasizes the idea that identification is a complex and fluid process that is not restricted by one's gender or sex. Cowie believes that individuals can identify with characters and situations that are different from their own experiences, and that identification can be based on commonalities rather than differences. Lydia's identification with the male protagonists in Transformers despite being a cis woman aligns with Cowie's theory of gender and identification. Mulvey, Berger, and Doane's theories all focus more specifically on the objectification of women in film and the role of the male gaze.

Lydia Is a Cis Woman (A Woman Who Is Not