Examples Of Modernity In The Film Zoolander

Modernity has had a large range of new challenges pressented to contemporary society. Arvanitakis (2009) states that modernity refers to the processes of social change involved in the transition from traditional to modern societies. These processes can be positive or negative depending on the context they bring. One example is discourse which will be explored through the social construct of gender. Discourses are practices that systematically form the objects they speak of, they work in three ways: they enable, constain and construct ( Mikis, D 2007). Due to following these elements, gender is a discourse and it will be examined through the ways these elements are forged and carried out by society. Firstly, the ways in which people are enabled by gender will be looked at. Secondly the constraints it places on people and thirdly the ways it has been constructed over years into the

In the film, the protagonist Derek Zoolander is overthrown in the male modelling industry by his competitor Hansel. Derek represents the gender discourse previously accepted by the society in the film as exampled by his soft, innocent and child-like gestures and costumes which was the constitute of male gender. During his career, the discourse on gender allowed him to know what was expected of him and this enabled him because it gave him the chance to have his famous career. However, as modernity changes at the start of the film and the gender discourse becomes expected to fit a new definition, Derek loses his position as the top model to Hansel who is enabled by the new discourse. Hansel is perceived as 'handsome ', 'charming ' and 'cute ', which enable him because they are the constitutes of the new gender discourse and help him become the new leading