EVALUATE REPRESENTATION: BUTLER

Butler’s theory of gender performativity argues that gender is not a natural or fixed identity but is instead constructed through repeated behaviours shaped by cultural and social expectations. In other words, gender is something people do rather than something they are. This makes Butler’s theory a valuable framework for analysing LFTVDs that explore characters who either conform to or challenge traditional gender roles, often revealing how gender norms are socially enforced or destabilised.

In episode one of Stranger Things, Eleven exemplifies Butler’s ideas. With her shaved head, minimal speech, and practical clothing, she is mistaken for a boy by Benny at the diner. This misidentification reflects her lack of exposure to gendered socialisation, suggesting that femininity is not innate but learned, a key aspect of Butler’s theory. Will also resists traditional masculinity. He is described by his mother as sensitive and emotional, and he is bullied for his perceived lack of toughness. These reactions highlight how society punishes those who fail to perform gender ‘correctly’, Butler calls this idea the policing of gender norms. In Deutschland 83, Lenora subverts normative expectations of female behaviour through her role as a senior officer in the East German HVA. She is assertive, authoritative, and emotionally detached, qualities more typically associated with masculinity, yet she is never portrayed as comic or out of place. Her command of Martin’s mission positions her as a powerful figure, challenging patriarchal assumptions about leadership and gender. This makes Butler’s theory particularly effective in explaining how LFTVDs can be used to interrogate and critique dominant ideologies surrounding gender performance.

These examples clearly support Butler’s claim that gender is performed rather than biologically determined. However, Butler’s theory has limitations when applied to fictional texts. Her work focuses on lived experience and the fluidity of real-world identity, not on the construction of media narratives. Characters in LFTVDs are created to fulfil narrative, thematic, or commercial functions. For example, Eleven’s initial gender ambiguity adds intrigue and mystery to her character, enhancing the drama, but as the series progresses, she is slowly re-integrated into more recognisable feminine norms. Similarly, Lenora’s dominance may be less about critiquing gender roles and more about generating dramatic tension through contrast with Martin’s naivety. Butler’s theory does not account for these production-driven decisions or how audiences might interpret them.

Therefore, while Butler’s theory is extremely useful in identifying how gender roles are performed, challenged, or enforced in LFTV drama, it is most effective when applied alongside other theoretical perspectives that consider industry context, genre, and audience reception. For instance, a political economy approach might better explain how gender representation is shaped by commercial imperatives or institutional norms, while reception theory can shed light on how different audiences may read these performances in varied ways. Butler offers a powerful lens on gender fluidity and social enforcement, but to fully understand the construction of gender in long-form television, her ideas must be integrated into a broader analytical framework that accounts for the complexities of media production and consumption.