Week 9: Feelin' fine

Week 9: Research Question and Application

The chosen research question for study: "How do memes concerning the Stormy Daniels / Donald Trump legal battles reinforce socially-stereotypical ideals on men and women through both image and text?" has been chosen as it clearly choses a specific media event which has taken place within a relatively small amount of time between individuals of varying gender. Each sex portrayed has had a multitude of cultural ideologies, stereotypes, and attitudes ascribed to them, whether to their benefit or misfortune.

The specific media event includes media events concerning Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, including the televised interviews and other public appearances she has made during her legal battles with President Trump. Her appearances are a result of the alleged sexual encounter between the two on Trump's Golf Course in 2006. In January of 2018, Stephanie Clifford made the details of the pair's alleged encounter public, while arguing the illegitimacy of a non-disclosure agreement she was forced to sign soon after; she had argued that the agreement was invalid, as Trump had never signed the appropriate paperwork (Parks, 2018).

Stormy Daniels, the plaintiff in the lawsuits against Mr. Trump and his then-lawyer Michael Cohen, is an American adult film star, sex worker, actress, and director. Having a long career touring American strip clubs, Daniels was thrust into the national spotlight in January of 2018 when news concerning the hush money she was paid was made public. The news, coupled with the subsequent lawsuit, interviews, and arrests of high-profile individuals associated with the case earned Daniels the same amount of recognition as media-mogul Donald Trump.

The following memes will be explored in relation to the selected research question:

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figures 1 and 2 highlight the use of text to create drastic differences in perceptions of man and woman through subtle differences in phrasing; each of the two images are similar in visual content, yet through their use of text and the slight differences between the images of Donald Trump in the left panels and Stormy Daniels on the right, image viewers can perceive specific implications concerning the societal status of men and women. The text specifically chooses to elevate the status of Trump and other high-status men in government positions, while ascribing certain expectations to their woman counterparts. The man is meant to be professional, cannot make mistakes, and if so, the mistakes are extremely minimal and cannot be attended to. Women, on the other hand, are meant to be appreciated for their appearance and sexual prowess only. To situate women, especially Stormy Daniels, in a professional context, such as a high-profile interview, would be to neglect the cultural expectation of women.

Figure 3 highlights a similar view on sex, specifically of the sexual conquests of men, versus the promiscuity of women. While Figures 1 and 2 convey the notion that women cannot be separated from their generally-promiscuous, appearance-focused nature, the same does not apply for men. Sexual qualities that would damage the status of women, such as floozy, loose, or other women-centric insults, are typically lauded and encouraged when it comes to men, as seen in Figure 3. This double-standard has been set in American culture, historically elevating men in the home, workplace, and media while viewing the same characteristics of men as dirty and culturally frowned upon in women.

Parks, M. (2018). Stormy Daniels shares graphic details about alleged affair with Trump. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2018/03/25/596868354/stormy-daniels-shares-graphic-details-about-alleged-affair-with-trump