Music and Cats / Book of Abstracts - Catalog - Page 50
Abstracts
Panel 7: Gender
Like women, felines were victims of persecution
and discrimination based on the sexist justification
that they were dangerous and inferior beings —
highlighting the relationship of power and
ownership over their bodies, seen as instruments
of control, submission and violence (Ferraz et al.
2020). Artists like Josie and the Pussycats and
Poison Ivy Rorschach use feline aesthetics to
subvert traditional gender norms, blending
culturally feminine traits with strength and
autonomy. This reflects Butler’s (1990) notion of
gender as performative — a construct shaped by
repeated actions — and highlights how such
performances can resist and redefine normative
roles.
The cat symbolizes female rebellion in the
fight for women's rights, representing
defiance against societal norms. By embracing
feline aesthetics — through cat-themed
costumes (Poison Ivy) and the name (Josie and
the Pussycats) — they transform traits
traditionally linked to femininity, such as
softness and sensuality, into symbols of
empowerment and autonomy. This enduring
symbolism
reflects
women's
ongoing
subversion of restrictive gender expectations,
turning an icon of passivity into one of
strength and self-expression.
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