Bad Feminist

In Part 2, Gay discusses pop culture artifacts and current events that illustrate the impact of patriarchy. Identify three points she makes about patriarchy, and explain how the essays support her points.

Gay suggests that there are ways that patriarchy specifically and systems of domination/oppression generally distort humanity. Identify at least two of those distortions and explain how Gay illustrates them in her discussions.

Gays draws on Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity. How does Gay build on Butler’s theory in her analyses of pop culture and media?

Trickle-down misogyny and bad boys and bad behavior are two motifs that Gay uses to support the theme of The Spectrum of Patriarchy. Using textual evidence, explain how the motifs support the theme.

In the text, Gay questions the direction of influence between patriarchal legislation and misogynist pop culture. What do you think is the direction of influence? Use evidence from the text (and outside sources if necessary) to support your argument.

Explain the link between bad feminism and The Fullness and Complexity of Humanity. Use evidence from the text to illustrate the link.

Gay suggests that systems of domination/oppression produce varying degrees of privilege and oppression within groups. Explain how Gay illustrates this point and how it contributes to her arguments regarding The Burden of Responsibility Placed on Marginalized People.

How does Gay imbue the text with her humanity and subjectivity, and what purpose does this writing strategy serve?