Prof. Sabia Asks at National Conference Whether We Should Listen to Celebrities on Gender Equality

Professor Bianca Sabia, Faculty Specialist in Rhetoric & Composition, presented “From Beyonce to Dunham: The Responsibility of Famous Feminist Females” at the 2015 Conference on College Composition and Communication Convention in Tampa, Florida, over Spring Break. Her presentation analyzed current feminist rhetoric with a focus on celebrities boldly claiming the title of feminist. Through discussing Judith Butler’s theory on gender as performance as well as communication theory, Professor Sabia focused on the feminist rhetoric of both Beyonce and Lena Dunham. She explained that often celebrities are the voices heard in regard to issues of gender equality because of their privileged position in society. The question, Professor Sabia posited, is to whom do we listen to and should we listen at all.

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