The
film Mulan follows a linear narrative which focuses on a young girl who
secretly takes her father's position in the war in order to keep him safe. Even
though 'Mulan' is a Disney film which primarily targets children/teenagers
between the age demographic 2-17year olds, it could be argued that this
animation establishes aswitch in gender roles. Throughout the film the audience would acknowledge that the
female character isalternatively
represented as a tomboy which challenges thedominate
expectations of women in China during the time. This is
conveyed at the beginning of the film after Mulan ruins her meeting with the matchmaker. Themedium
shot of the female character looking at her
reflection in the mirror and gradually wiping off one side of the makeup, is
significant in highlighting that she does notfit the ideal type of a women. One could
justify that the split of makeup is symbolic is conveying Mulan's internal
struggle to be feminine in order to make her family proud of her. On the other
hand, a stronger interpretation of this could be that the makeup represent the
traditional expectations of women in society to get married to the right
suitor. Thus, the makeup could act as a mask for the female character to hide her true identity as being masculine, which establishes the conflict
between China’s attitudes on gender roles. As a result, the audience may sympathise with the character through
her discontented emotionsas in China "an unwed girl will being dishonor to her family as is to be looked down on by many" which is what Mulan has
to face.
Significantly,
through Mulan’s dialogue she reveals, “Who is that
girl I see staring straight back at me? Why is my reflection someone I don’t
know?. Again, this highlights Mulan’s internal conflict of how women should traditionally
look and behave which is contrasts with her true characteristics. Thus, it
could be argued that the character of Mulan (voice over by Ming-Na Wen) does challenge the traditional female
stereotypes, especially China, as her true personality rejects femininity. Notably, the parallel
music further emphasises on Mulan distressed emotions as it creates melancholy atmosphere
which would increase theaudience’s sympathy for the character. Similarly, the transition
to the medium shot of Mulan sitting outside on the bench alone and looking upset
could highlight that the conflict she is experiencing as she would never fit into her
social acceptable gender role. As the film was set in China, it can be argued
that the character of Mulan does challenges the cultural boundaries of what is expected and what is not
expected of women during the time period. This is because, she does not conform to the traditional
norms and values of how females should behave or look in society especially if
they are going to get married.
Second scene - Transformation
This scene is significant in showing the female character 'Mulan' subverting the traditional stereotypes of women during the time period in China. Initially, the scene begins with the dramatic parallel music to establish that Mulan is going against society's norms of women fighting in the war as she wants to protect her father. One could justify that this presents an alternative representation of the female character being fearless as she is aware of the consequences that she must face if she gets caught being a man in disguised. Thus, this conveys that Mulan is challenging China's cultural expectations of women as Mulan is not represented in being passive, instead she is risking her life by impersonating as a male solider. Notably, the medium shot of Mulan chopping off her hair with a sword and changing her outfit to a warrior uniform is significant in establishing that she is challenging the boundaries of gender. This is because the different transitions conveys that the character of Mulan is rejecting her femininity by transforming herself to look like a male. Thus, this also subverts the stereotypical representation of Disney female characters looking glamorous and being dependent on the males, as Mulan is actively willing to battle in the war which establishes a dominate representation of her bravery.
According to liberal feminists, Mulan's transformation could represent female empowerment as she is going against China's traditional beliefs on the way women should behave. Thus, Mulan's courageous actions could be a reflection on the positive changes of the position of women in contemporary society. This is because, women are now independent, gaining a higher social status compared to men and are going against their female domain. As a result, this link to Levis-Strauss binary opposition concept between Mulan's actions and society's expectations on the role of women during the time period in China, as she is subverting the traditional stereotype through her fearless actions. Furthermore, the low angle of the female character entering the stable to get the hoarse is effective in representing her as being powerful and her physical appearance also presents her looking masculine. Thus, this presents Mulan as a modern female as she is subverting the stereotypes of females looking innocent and glamours. Effectively, the setting and the low key lighting creates eerie atmosphere for the audience and therefore this could reflect Mulan's dramatic decision as she leaves her home.
Additionally, Mulan is similar to my primary text as both of the female characters behave masculine in order fulfill their goals. Both of the females characters are alternatively represented which subverts the traditional female stereotypes through their artful and courageous actions, thus presenting them physically stronger than the male characters. Notably, even though both of the films genres are different the issue on whether the female characters subvert or reinforce the traditional stereotype is clearly established. This issue in society has changed over the years as women are now subverting the female expectations by challenging the boundaries of gender roles. For instance, in contemporary society women are now taking on sports which are stereotypically part of the male domain such as boxing, football and wrestling. Notably, majority of women are no longer financially dependent on their husbands and are putting their career first than marriage. An example of this would be the BBC1 programme 'Apprentice' which highlights that women are equally capable of earning more than males and therefore the concept of gender cannot prevent them from achieving a higher social status to men. Moreover, as Mulan was set in China, the role of women now has drastically changed since the 90's. There has been an rapid increase in divorce rates which establishes that women want to be more independent and rights have to introduced to prevent female oppression. Evidently, this issue is significant amongst both of the film genres as it is still relevant in contemporary society. Thus, the positive representation of both of the female characters is beneficial for the female audience to identify with them and as a result, this may encourage the audience not to be afraid to embrace their masculinity.
'Rear Window' is another example of establishing the traditional female stereotypes. Initially, the cinematography at the beginning of the extract is useful presenting the neighbourhood. This is established through the camera movement of a pan across the flats which is effective in giving the audience gives the audience an insight of the individuals daily routines through the medium shots of the different windows. The examples of this would the medium shots of a man getting ready in his bedroom, followed by two couples waking up by hearing their alarm through the non-dietetic sound.
Significantly, the camera movement of a pan focuses on another window which is of a young women. 'Miss Torso'. The medium shot focuses on the female character putting on her clothes and then begins cleaning lingerie. Her revealing clothing whilst cleaning is crucial in portraying her as a part of Mulvey 'male gaze' theory. This is because, she is represented in looking appealing and seductive which would make her be 'gazed' at by the male audience. Also, the domestic work of cleaning reinforces the traditional stereotypes of women domestic chores in society. Thus, this dominate representation of the character follows the stereotypical conventions of a women looking glamorous as well as carrying out their expected domestic tasks.
According to Feminist Mulvey, female characters being 'gazed' at by the male audience results to sexual objectification in film through an illusion narrative. This is because, through the perspective of the male audiences they would perceive the female character as their own sexual object and therefore this portrays females as being passive. By creating a distance between the heterosexual male audience and the female characters, according to Mulvey this would help females to from being perceived sexually objectified.
In relation to my primary text (SALT) and one of my secondary text (The Dark Knight Rises), the female characters are alternatively represented throughout both of the films which is a contrast to how 'Miss Torso' is dominantly portrayed. Hathaway's, Cottilard and Jolie's characters all subvert the traditional female stereotypes as they are alternatively represented in being fearless and not passives. One could argue, that the female characters in Salt and Dark Knight Rises reflect the changes in the roles of women in contemporary society and therefore this is effective in allowing the female audience to identify with the characters. Throughout the years we have seen a major shift in gender roles in films as more women are taking on active role. This is issue is established in many genres, especially in action films where the female characters are represented as being equally or more powerful than the male characters. For example, in SALT Jolie's character is portrayed as being a masculine and a heroine which subverts the female stereotypes in films in previous years. Similarly, in The Dark Knight Rises Hathaway character uses old traditional stereotypes to manipulate men and is alternatively represented as being dauntless. Whereas, Cottilard plays the female antagonist, thus highlighting that the roles of females in films are changing which could be a reflection of the positive changes for women in society. The continuous battles to achieve equality over the years from Feminist has led to made changes for women in society, such through laws and as a result this has positively impacted women lives. For example, some women no longer financially depend on their male counterpart and others are gaining higher social status to men.Thus, this shows a contrast between Rear Window and The Dark Knight Rises and Salt shows a shift in the roles of the female characters. Furthermore, Rear Window was produced in the 50's where gender roles were not equal in society. Society expectations of men was to carry out the breadwinner role and therefore they were primarily responsible for financially providing for their family. Whereas, women were expected to take on the expressive role which conveys that they were responsible for looking after the kids and her husband and being a full time housewife. Significantly, this establishes that women were inferior to their male counterparts as they became dependent on them and could not make any finance decisions in the household. Additionally, the media also portrayed these traditional roles of women through advertisements, magazines and films. "Pressures on girls and women came from all angles.To look normal and acceptable to men, and to be the women that could keep the home well for their future husbands". Effectively the traditional roles of women is reflected in Rear Window as 'Miss Torso' is carrying out the domestic tasks or cleaning but also looking glamorous to appeal to the male audience.
This extract
from the film focuses on the female character Selina Kyle who subverts thetraditional
female stereotypethrough
her courageous behaviour in order to serve justice. Thesettingtakes place in an isolated bar
with only males inside where Selina Kyle is taken in order to provide themale characterwith proof of finger prints. One could
argue, that it is significant that Selina Kyle is surrounded by all men holding
guns as itportraysher
being fearless which is established through herbody
language. For example, at the beginning of the extract she walks confidently
into the bar without feeling no fear and behaves sarcastically towards the male
character revealing, "I like having someone who opens doors for me". Hathway's character body language and her very first dialogue in this extract
is effective in highlighting a female character who subverts the traditional
expectations of women being passive. This is because, Selina is
alternatively represented as being courageous who does not fear of the
consequences of her actions as she is aware that her life is in risk. Thus, Anne Hathaway character represents female empowerment.
Furthermore,
an over the shoulder shot is used between the two characters on going
conversation which is effective in establishing tension. Using
Todorov narrative structure, this gradually builds to the disequilibrium as they the audience would be aware that
conflict is going to occur between both of the characters especially through
her angry facial expression of the female character. Additionally, this is made evident
through the use of medium shot when Selina states, "It would of been a lot
easier if you given what I asked for". This represents her as being
fearless as she is challenging the position of the males in asserting her
power. Effectively, low key lighting is used on the female character face when
she reveals this dialogue which could highlight her mysterious and artful
personality. As a result, she cleverly manipulates the male character to make
sure that she gets caught by the police thus, highlighting her active role
which goes against the stereotype of female characters.
Additionally,
the atmosphere completely changes once the action begins with the use of
non-diegetic parallel sound to establish the dramatic and fast pace of the
scene. The continuous use of medium long shots of Selina
Kyle fighting the males is significant in establishing that she is not inferior. Using Levis-Strauss theory of binary
oppositions, this is significant in conveying a switch in gender roles as one
female is beating a couple of men by herself and therefore represents Selina
as being inferior and the males characters as being superior. Notably, one
could argue that the fact that Selina shoots a male character is significant in
reinforcing her alternative representation of the traditional female
stereotype. This is because; in previous films a prop of a gun would be
associated with males as it would establish their power. Whereas, in this case
Hathway character uses the prop of a gun kill the males which reinforces her
bravery and therefore she represents a female heroine. Notably, the iconography
of the gun is symbolic in establishing the genre of the film which is an action
thriller. Likewise, using Barthes action code theory, the extract includes the
props of guns and the police cars which all creates a chaotic atmosphere
therefore, linking to the film's sub-genre elements which relate to action and
thriller. The fast pace editing is significant for this action sequence as the
scene establishes the hectic and thrilling atmosphere for the audience making
the audience gripped into the narrative. The use of the different transitions
in this action sequence is significant in showing the fast pace action between
Selina and the male characters as she is eager not to be caught by the police
which is made established through the long shot of the door which she looks at
twice.
Hathway character is perceived as being
stronger compared to the male characters which goes against the expectations of female appearance in films. Through of a tracking and tilt shot of Selina's quick actions of her punching
the male character and rolling over the table whilst keeping hold of him is
vital in showing the audience that she is equally as strong as men. This is highlight that Hathaway’s character challenging the traditional
stereotype of females being passive as she is taking an active role. Effectively, this establishing a positive representation of women.
Moreover,
Selina Kyle cleverly uses her femininity and old fashion stereotypes to make sure that she does
not get caught by the police. This is effective in conveying to the audience that she
fearless as well as smart as she uses "stereotypes like emotional weakness
and vulnerability to cleverly manipulate her way out of dangerous
situations".. Likewise, the use of the
tracking shot of Selina actions, as walks out the bar calmly and quickly is
effective in presenting her as being sly based on the fact that she did not get
caught. Thus, this establishes that she takes on active role.
However, in
this extract she wears a black tight fitted short dress with red lipstick which
is effective in establishing her femininity in looking seductive for the male
audience. Another interpretation of this could be that Selina Kyle seductive
clothing in this scene is significant for the male audience as she is being portrayed
as part of Mulvey Male Gaze. This is because, she is represented in being
seductive through her clothing which would appeal to the heterosexual male
audience. Thus, this makes Selina a 'eye candy' to appease the male gaze
as she dressed seductively whilst fighting which could make the male audience
perceive her more sexually appealing.
Notably, using Stuart Hall reception theory, the dominate reading for this extract would be that Hathway character subverts the traditional stereotypes through her manipulative and brave actions. Also, in a website the female character is refereed to "a women that most of the contemporary audience can truly relation to". This is because, the extract conveys a positive representation of the character being fearless which would suggest that female characters are equally capable of being powerful like males characters in film. Thus, some individuals' may aspire to be like Anne Hathaway character as she is strong minded and fearless.
To some
extent, Christopher Noel does portray Hathway character traditionally through her
seductive clothing which presents her to be 'gazed' at by males; however, to a
greater extent she subverts the stereotype through her actions. This could
suggest that female characters are beginning to become equally and even more
superior to the male characters and therefore Hathway character subverts this
female expectations of females being passive in society.
2.
This extract also shows the character
Selina Kyle challenging the traditional female stereotype which is
established at the beginning of the film. The audience are introduced the
primarily female character Selina Kyle who works as a waitress for the Wayne's
Foundation dinner party. Significantly, a medium shot of Selina Kyle
is used while she looks at photographs with the mysterious parallel sound
included as well which is effective in making the audience curious about the
character's role. In relation to Barthes theory, enigma codes could be
associated in this scene as the female character is represented in looking
suspicious and making the audience intrigued into the narrative in wanting to
know more about Hathway character.
However, the audience are revealed to
Hathway character true personality when she admits stealing the necklace. Her
facial expression of a smirk which is established through a medium shot and the
fact that her tone of voice changes as she simply states "oops" would
be effective on the audience. This is because, it would change the audience's
views on the character from the very moment they were introduced to her as they
may have assumed that she was innocent. Selina Kyle does not fear of
the consequences that she has been caught stealing as through the tracking shot
she confidently walks towards Bruce Wayne and kicks his walking stick. Thus,
this presents an alternative representation of the female character as she is
not presented as being innocent and passive therefore going against the
traditional expectations of females. Likewise, Selina Kyle's artful actions are
established through the tilt up camera movement as she fearless back flips out
of the window which reinforces her alternative representation. Effectively,
this challenges the traditional female stereotype as Hathaway character goes
against the dominate ideologies of women in society being passive.
The tracking shot of the female character entering into a car and uses her femininity to
charm the male is effective in establishing that she uses the female
stereotypes to get her out of dangerous situations. Effectively, this could
suggest that the female character represents the matriarchy ideologies in
society as she challenges the dominate expectations of women. Thus Hathway character promotes the positive values to the female audience. Thus, using the Uses and
Gratifications theory, the audience are likely to use this text for diversion,
personal identity and personal relationship.
SALT
First extract: 30:04 - 35:15
This extract from the film focuses on
Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) escaping from the FBI in order to save her husband
which establishes the character challenging the female stereotype. The female
character clothing is significant in this scene as she changes into wearing a
hate, long brown coat and trousers. This is because, her clothing represents
her as being masculine as she is covering up her femininity which is a contrast
to what she wears previously in the film. Thus, this challenges the stereotypical
views on female clothing in films. Notably, the tracking shot which focuses on
Evelyn fast pace action is effective in conveying her active role as she
is determined to to escape from the FBI in order to accomplish her goal to find
her husband. Thus, this presents an alternative representation of the female
character as she is not passive and weak. Furthermore, the parallel sound for
this action sequence is successful in producing a dramatic atmosphere thus,
making the audience gripped to the narrative. Similarly, the continuous
transitions and the over lapping dialogue from the police then to Evelyn is
effective in create a chaotic scene for the audience as they would assume that
the character is going to be shot. Thus, this links to Todorov narrative
structure as it establishes the disequilibrium between the character and the
police force.
Significantly, the audience would
acknowledge Jolie character represents female empowerment as she is strong
minded and constantly does not give up. This is made evident through the point
of view shot when Salt see's the truck and fearlessly jumps on it which
reinforces her masculine actions. Similarly, her masculine actions is further
exposed through the bird’s eye view as she jumps on to another truck to save herself
establishes a subvert in the stereotypical representation of women as Salt is
positively portrayed as being physically strong and not weak. In relation to
Barthes theory, actions codes are highlighted in this extract of guns and
police cars which clearly establishes the film's genre for the audience.
Moreover, it is is vital that Jolie
character pushes a man off his motorbike and uses it to escape as it coveys she
is asserting her physical power and therefore going against the female
stereotypes. The tracking shot and the transitions of Salt riding the motorbike
whilst the police chase her are effective in highlighting an alternative
representation of the character. This is because, she went through great
lengths to escape from the police and succeeds at the end as she does not get
caught. Thus, using Stuart Hall's reception theory, the preferred reading of
Jolie character is that she subverts the dominate ideologies on females in
films as being inferior and passive. To a great extent, Salt challenges the
female stereotypes through her fearless actions which depicts that female
characters in films are no longer the "victims or hostages or prizes"
as they now portrayed being equally as strong as males.
2. Second extract: 81:45 -
From the beginning of the extract, a
medium shot and tilt shot is used to focus on the Jolie character as she walks
up the stairs looking at the male character suspiciously. Jolie's character's
clothing is significant in this specific extract as she is been
represented as a male through the short boyish hair, shirt, trousers etc.
Thus, is presents a alternative ideology to the audience of how females are
stereotypically portrayed in films in looking seductive with long hair and
wearing feminine clothing as the character Salt challenges these
expectations. Effectively, the medium shot of Salt's handcuffs alongside with
the parallel music is significant in foreshadowing a conflict as through the
dramatic music the audience would be aware that something bad is going to
occur. Thus, this successful in keeping the audience gripped on to the
narrative as they would want to know what the character is about to do.
Moreover, Jolie character is clearly
portrayed in being physically powerful which subverts the dominate stereotypes
of women being inferior in films. For instance, the slow motion effect
alongside with the tilt up shot of Salt (Jolie character) jumping into the air
and ties her handcuffs around the male character's throat is effective in
establishing her masculine actions. This is then followed by a a transition of
a medium shot of Salt's face covered in blood as she continuously pulls on the
male character's throat which is significant in representing her as a powerful
action figure. This is because, through her masculine actions, the audience
would acknowledge that Salt's subverts the female stereotypes in films by being
fearless and asserting her masculine actions therefore, she is positively represented.
3. Third extract: 77.59 - 79:59
In this extract Salt tries to save the country before the bombs explode which establishes her masculine actions as she tried to kill the male character and therefore goes against the traditional female stereotypes. The medium shot of Salt using a gun is significant in conveying a alternative representation of the female character as she is challenging the boundaries of female expectations. This is because, the iconography of a gun is symbolic as it represents danger and is stereotypically associated with male characters in action films. However, one could argue that the the fact Jolie's character is using a gun could convey that she is rejecting her femininity as she is represented in being masculine. Thus, this is effective in establishes that she is challenging the traditional female stereotypes as she is not using her sexuality to get something.
Notably, the dramatic parallel sound is effective in creating a tense atmosphere for the audience and therefore keeping them hooked on to the action sequence. As the scene progresses, the different transitions of the characters's shooting one another creates a chaotic scene for the audience's which clearly links to the film's genre. Most significantly, the medium long shots of Jolie's character fighting the male character is vital in conveying that she is challenging the boundaries of the social expectations of females. Thus, this establishes a alternative representation of the character as she is asserting her physical power which goes against the female stereotypes as she is not passive and is equally as strong as the male character. Using Katz and Blulmer uses and gratification theory the audience may read this text based on diversion and personal identity. This is because, the dramatic action sequence makes the narrative more thrilling for the audience and therefore it allows them to feel entertained. Whereas, the alternative representation of Jolie's character could make some of the female audience identity with the character's bravery and therefore this may empower the audience to go against their female domain and to challenge boundaries between the sexes.
Links to my issue and debates:
Postmodernism and its critiques, Representation & Stereotypes, Audience theories, Liberal Pluralism,
Media Technology and the digital revolution.
Liberal Feminist would argue that these alternative representation of the female characters establishes that women are capable of doing what males do. Thus, this shows a progress towards gender equality as the female characters are no longer represented as being passive. This links to Liberal Pluralism beliefs as the representation of the female characters could be a reflection of contemporary society. This is because, women are challenging the dominate ideologies of the ruling class as they are no longer restricted and are now independent.
Both of the female characters from SALT and The Dark Knight Rises subvert the traditional stereotypes of females in society as they challenge the boundaries between men and women through their fearless actions. Thus, it can be argued that Hathway and Jolie characters represent female empowerment.
According to Postmodernist, they would argue that the female characters are enjoying being masucline and challenging the boundaires.
For my critical investigation I want to focus on the representation of women in media texts such as films and magazines. This is because I am passionate about Feminism and I could research a lot about how women are sexually portrayed and the impact it has on the audience, especially teenage girls. The questions I have come up with so far is:
To what extent do the female characters in The Dark Knight Rises and Salt challenge the traditional female stereotype?
My primary text would be 'The Dark Knight Rises' and my secondary text would be 'Salt'. However, I will mention briefly about other films where they highlight empowerment of women.
The linked production could possibly be a release of a new film which aims at women.
"Jolie's character is an entirely different sort of female lead"
"'In so many spy films women are femme fatales and we wanted to avoid that. My character doesn't use her sexuality to get anything. It's the roughest I've looked. When we fight, it gets ugly. Somebody breaks my nose in the film. It's not pretty"
"So when we wanted a real female action hero, we looked towards something that wasn't written for a woman"
"Years of intense training, handling weapons and honing fight techniques have turned Jolie into a formidable fighting machine"
"We made a point not to use her sexuality or her femininity in the film in ways that is usually done in films, especially in this kind of genre," explains Jolie"
"The actress is no stranger to action films and she has her own signature in fight sequences and stunts"
... "Jolie is pleased that the gender change did not turn on the character's sexiness"
"The Dark Knight Rises,’ Hathaway’s Selina Kyle is, again, crucial to the plot, but the male gaze was prevalent in many scenes in which the catsuit-clad Hathaway straddled the Batpod and the camera gave us a rather eye-popping view of her from behind"
Catwoman’s case in ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ she uses female stereotypes like emotional weakness and vulnerability to cleverly manipulate her way out of dangerous situations
We can have a superheroine who is both attractive and kicks ass, but we can’t seem to give her a film to call her own without continuing to pander to a male-dominated audience of comic book fans and fanboys
2. 'THE DARK KNIGHT RISES': WHY ANNE HATHAWAY'S CATWOMAN IS THE BEST ONE YET
"When you talk about an action heroine, to me if you’re going to believe in this character, that she’s going to beat up the guys around her who weigh twice as much as her or whatever, you can’t do that through big biceps. It’s about brains, it’s about skill, and Anne is an unbelievable physical performer"
Hathaway’s Catwoman costume has drawn the ire of (and praise from) many a fan, in part because of accessories like her (potentially deadly) stiletto heels.."
Selina Kyle, who comes off as a more modernized femme fatale for Bruce Wayne – that is, a seductive woman with mysterious motives and shifting loyalty whose.."
Other media texts
1. 500 days of Summer
The film is a post modern love story focusing on two lovers. However, this film is not a typical love film as it includes a twist between the two characters. For example, the male character (Tom) falls in love with Summer, however things do not go according to the plans he had in mind as Summer is not interested in love and doesn't believe love exist. As a result, Tom does not give up on his love, Summer which clearly highlights a reverse in gender roles in films as well. 2. Mr and Mrs Smith
The film focuses on a couple who are surprised to learn that they are both assassins hired by competing agencies to kill each other. Actress Angelina Jolie character represents female empowerment as she is not afraid to go against the female stereotype of being passive. This is effective as the film highlights that men and women can be equally powerful and therefore the concept of gender cannot prevent this from happening.
3. Miss Congeniality
This film focuses on Gracie Hart (played by Sandre Bullocks) who works for the FBI and goes under cover in the Miss United States beauty pageant in order to stop a group from bombing the event. This film links to my critical investigation as Sandre Bullocks character clearly goes against the female stereotype by her courageous behaviour and being portrayed as a 'tomboy' from the beginning of the film which is different from the usual representation of women. Notably,even through the way her character is dressed from the beginning and being the only female in her FBI team is effective on the female audience as it shows that women are capable of doing male jobs as well. Furthermore, even though Gracie Hart has to transform he look into being more 'girly' her character does not let that stop her from taken an active role as she continues to fight in order to accomplish her mission.
4. Devil Wears Prada
This film links to my critical investigation as it shows a positive representation of women being independent, successful and active. The life of the protagonist does not revolve around her boyfriend as she chooses her career over him which clearly highlights a subvert in female stereotype.
5. Rear Window
This film is about a photographer called Jeff who broke his leg and in his spare time he begins to look out of the rear window observing the neighbours. Whilst Jeff was observing his neighbours he suspects that the man across his apartment has murdered his wife. Thus, he is determined to find out the truth with the help of his girlfriend Lisa and visiting nurse Stella. This film links to my critical investigation, as the female character Lisa is portrayed as an educated/sophisticated young woman which clearly goes against the traditional stereotype in the 1950's. Notably, she is strong minded as she tells Jeff what is right and what is wrong therefore she has a more decisions in their relationship with his a subvert in gender roles.
Links associated with 'Rear Window' and Hitchcock's Films.
This video focuses on female representation in the media industry particular in films and how inequality is still an issue.
"No statistically difference between films featuring female protagonist or male protagonist or with women working behind the scenes or men"
"Difference was the size of the budge, it doesn't have nothing to do with gender"
"If films featuring women, if films working with women behind the scenes were given the same budget as the films featuring men on screen or behind the scenes.. they would make the same box office grossing, but that is a hard sell in this community"
2. Why are women misrepresented in the media? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKqF0wcGhIE This clip from the film 'Miss Representation' focuses on the reasons why females are miss represented in the media.
"Media has always been overwhelmingly in the hands of the men"
"Women comprise only 16% of all writers, directors, producers, cinematography and editors"
"And only 7% of directors ad 10% of writers are women"
"The average number of news stories about women and girls is less then 20%
"Not only do you get more female characters on the screen but you get more different kinds of female characters, you get more powerful and multi dimensional female characters
3. Miss Representation - Documentary
The American documentary 'Miss Representation' explores how the mainstream media under-represents women's and how it has a powerful impact on females especially teenage girls. The documentary includes interviews with teenage a girls which is effective as it gives the audience an insight of their opinion about the media representing women negatively. Notably, the personal stories of these teenage girls is vital as it shows how the concept of gender has disadvantaged and the impact the media has had on them to have the "perfect ideal image". Similarly, it also includes specialist's opinions on the media and the message it gives to teenagers. This would help me in my critical investigation because it highlights how the media portrays the same traditional female stereotype in films, advertisements, programmes. As a result, the mainstream media does strongly influences teenage girls as they believe that is the way they should look and behave therefore we are living in a society where females do face gender inequalities.
"Girls get the meddage from a very early on that what is most important is how they look, their values and worth depends on that. Boys get the message that this is what is important for girls ... from films, televisions and video games" 0:05:19-0:05:32
"No matter what a women does, no matter what her achievements are, their values still depends on how they look" 0:05:35 - 0:05:39
"There is no appreciation for women intellectual. It is all about their body not the brain" 0:05:45
Culture damages women and girls. 0:08:56
"The media discriminates such portrayal of women and reveals every aspect of our culture" 0:10:73
In the media there is "so much negatively towards women and their weight and how they look. It's just a representation of the pressure we feel to conform to men's ideas" 0:11:21
"This can only make them feel dis-empowered and distract them from making a difference and become leaders" 0:08:24
"Only 34 women have ever served as governors compared to 2319 men" 0:18:49
"67 countries in the world have had female president or prime ministers. The US is not one of them" 0:19:06
"Without more women in politics we just don't really have a democratic legitimacy" 0:19:46
Sen Barbara Mikalski 0:24:08
Devanshi Patel ..aspiring public service leader 0:24:39
"Girls face early sexism" 0:24:39
"Politics considered to be for men & leadership is considered to be for men" 0:25:40
"68% viewers were more likely to accept a female president" 0:29:19
"See women leadership in reality of television is huge because we don't really have that many women in leadership" 0:26:40
"Some programmes show females as being strong but in Hollywood it is bleak" 0:29:59
Hollywood films use the same stereotype over and over again 0:27:39
"Women are never the protagonist but if they are it's about drama about a guy. It is never about there destiny. Audience never question, it is like it is normal, why can't a girl be powerful?"
"Only 16 protagonists in films are females" 0:29:03
"Mainstream films are generally about men's live and we have sub-genre called chick flick about women lives but if you look at it more closely you realise that it generally revolves around men's lives, trying to get a man, trying to get love" 0:29:35
"Between 1937-2005 there was only 13 female protagonist's in animated movies, all of them except one had the aspiration to find love" 0:29:44
"20/30th included interested complex characters" 0:31:42
"Hip Hop/R&B music views objectify women .. they are body propps .. objective of desires" 0:31:42
"We socialise boys in thinking that men being a man means to be powerful/incontrol/being smarter than women" 0:32:06
"A new carination of women being powerful .. Action hero. But she is still objectified .. appealed to male viewers" 0:32:32
0:54:51 "Walt + Disney Company Board: 4 out of 13 are women
"Time Warner Board: 2 out of 13 women"
Fox Company Board: 1 of 16 are women"
"The Media defines who we are" 1:02;:47
Academic texts online/books/magazines
Books
1. Kat Banyard: The Equality Illusion The Truth about Men and Women Today (2010)
"30,000 women are sacked each year in the UK simply for being pregnant .." P 75
"Sexist attitudes and outdated stereotypes continue to .. " P76
"80% of human resources managers would think twice before ..." P77
"Cultural stereotypes still persist as to women's maternal role" P79
"Glass ceiling has become common currency over the last two decades in discussion on women's participation in the workforce" P81
"In the UK, there are still twenty two FTSE 100 companies that have no women their boards at all.." P82
"Female directors have decreased from 43% in 1991 to 35% in 2007" P82
"Official national statistics found out that women working full time are paid on average 17% less then men" P89
"In London 282,000 women are low paid compared with 199,000 men" p94
"Legislation can create illusion the that equality has been achieved" p101
2. Susan Manushart: WifeWork - What marriage really means for women (2002)
"US divorce rate now exceeds 50 percent" p2
"In the UK it is estimated that a third of couples marrying right now will be divourced within fifteen years" p2
"Sociologist Janice Stiel found that married women consistently fare worse on every measure .." p5
"Unemployed wives are the most disadvantaged of all females" p5
"Families headed by women who have children grew nearly five times faster in the 1990's than did two parent nuclear families" p6
"The British Office for National Statistics forecast that a quarter of all women will be single by the year 2020" p6
Sociologist Steven Nock, "men reap greater gains than women for virtually every outcome affected by marriage" p8
"Division of labour within the family remains rigidly gender-specific" p10
..."wives whether employed or unemployed perform 70-80 per cent of unpaid labor within families" p10
Sociologist Anthony Mcmation "the help that husbands provide does not even cover the amount of work they created" p28
"Societies which males dominate females are not simply common. They are universal" P41
3. Gill Branston and Roy Strafford - The Media Student's Book Third Edition(1996)
"Gender based arguemnts have insisted that because women bear children, therefore they should be the ones to stay at home .." p94
"Gender roles in magazines and advertising, for example, show that women are still represented according to long standing cultural stereotypes .." p95
"Women were repeatedly represented shown as housewives, moths, home makers while men were often represented in situations of authority and dominance .." p95
"What are needed are more realistic portrayal (e.g of women) since the media are said to reflect society, and such reflections should always be accurate" p96
"The term post-feminism suggest that we are now beyond the need to struggle for gender equality.." p96
4. Sherrie A. Inness:Action Chicks - New Images of Tough Women in Pop Culture (2004)
"This years heroines of prime time and the big screen are muscular and trained in the martial arts .." pg1
"Explosion of tough women in the popular media" p1
"Do they represent greater freedom for women from gender stereotypes?" pg2
"What do these figures suggest abour changing societal roles for women and men?" pg2
"Tough women are appeaing not only in popular media but in real life, too" p3
"These images reflect the fact that women are challenging the male monopoly on power and aggression .. " p5
"Feminism has also taught women to question the gender status quo" pg5
"No longer women could be represented in the same stereotypes ways as they has been in the past" pg6
"The rise of female action heroine was a sign of the different role available to women in real life" pg6
"Taskers points out that the evolution of women's action roles needs to be studied because it reflects the change of real women's roles in society" p6
"Tough women are still expected to be feminine, attractive and heterosexual appealing" pg14
"This particular interesting shift suggesting that women can be the hero's" pg14
"Nikita and its female star can be constructed as feminist empowering for women, yet, at the same time, reinforce stereotypical notions for white womanhood and Western interperialism" p97
"Television and mainstream films are increasingly sending images of physically powerful women into our houses and psyches" pg97
"Heroines all share in common portrayals as kick ass women who can physically power their way out of dangerous situations using any combination of weaponry and martial arts, all the while maintaining traditional signs of femininity" pg97
"The new heroine does not follow previous cinema and television characterization of tough women who are often portrayed as police officers or lesbians. She is constructed as masculine only in her ability to handle weapons and physically strike and fight back" p99
"Sherrie A. Innes points out, this heroine does not need male saviours, is physically tougher than the men surrounding her, maintains a connection to other women on gaining male approval or desires" P99
"They no longer need protection; they are no longer victims or hostages or prizes" p63
These images reflect the fact that women are challenging the male monopoly on power and aggression .. " p5
5. Nick Lacey - Image and Representation Key Concepts in Media Studies (1998)
"Stereotype serve to naturalize the power relationships in society; they have a hegemonic function" p39
"Representation and stereotypes serve to reinforce the dominate ideological views .." p143
"The action movie of the 1980's and 1990's has also introduced an interesting variant on on the traditional representation of gender: women as heroes" pg218
"The conclusion of Terminator 2 offers hope for the future: is this hope because women are gaining more power in society? pg218
Magazine
1. Media Magazine: December 2008 Issue 26: Film
"They seem to embody some core elements of intense masculinity and femininity which attract the global audience" P21
"Men and women can identify with many characters during the spectacle of a film" P21
"Tasker rejects the rigid idea of a male/female binary cinema spectator ship" P22
"Can enjoy the pleasure of the cinema and identify with who we want to regardless of gender" P22
"Angelina Jolie is as heroic and skilled as Brad Pitt"P22
"Traditional film theory would use gender based assumptions to analyse the position of the audience in relation to this text"P22
"Viewers can identify with either Pitt of Jolie, or both, a process she has termed perverse identification" P22
"This extordinary twist allows for spectacular and violent action sequences, where the viewer could potentially perversely identify with either Pritt of Jolie" P22
2. Media Magazine: December 2010 Issue 34: The Change issue
"Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looking at" quotes by John Berger P65
3. Media Magazine: Decemeber 2008 Issue 26: Film
"Post-Feminism focuses on gender issues, specifically in the cultural context since feminism" P52
"Post Femininsm does not assume that this means gender issues are no longer valid"
"Socially establishing interpretation of sexual difference which controls images, erotic ways of looking and spectacle" p57
"Cinema has not sufficiently brought out the importance of representation of the female form.." p57
Psychoanalytic theory is thus appropriated here as political weapon, demonstrating the way the unconscious of patriarchal society has structure film form" p57
"Woman then stands in patriarchal culture as signifier for the male other .." p58
" indifferent to presence of the audience, producing for them a sense of separation and playing on their voyeuristic phantasy" p60
" pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female" p62
"role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact ..." p62
"Hitchcock had never concealed his interest in voyeurism, cinematic and non-cinematic" p65
"deepend on voyeuristic active/passive mechanism" p68
2. Milkshake, Lady Lumps and Growing up to want Boobies: How the sexualisation of popculture limits girls horizons
"sexualisation results in negative outcomes for girls and young women in terms of lack diminished educational achievement... P373
"Sexualisation of culture is identified as a context that reinforces gender inequality by designating women as sexually available and objectified... P373
"Media transmit messages about girlhood and womanhood that constrain the range of opportunities open to girls and young women" P373
"In December 2006, pole-dancing classes for children from 12 year old were introduced in Northumberland" P374
"Influences young men's expectations of sexual relationships, to pressure on young women to comply relationships" P378
"A 2005 UK online survey almost 1000 girls aged 15-19 year found out that 63 per cent considered 'glamorous model' and 25 per cent 'lap dancer' .." P376
"Watching televised gender portrayals has an effect on individuals' real-world gender-based attidudes, beliefs and behaviours" P1
"According to Bandura's social cognitive theory, media messages, serve as a meaningful source for the acquisition of gender-linked knowledge and consequences" P2
"In recent years , girls have been increasingly portrayed in everything from serious journalistic studies to light comedies like 'Mean Girls' as tyrannical, bullying and devoted to a ruthless caste system" P2
"The focus on the 'queen bees' of female teenage friendships seems to dominate teen film portrayal of girls, when reality, this stereotypes of the 'mean girls' does not reflect the true variety in female friendship roles and the positive attributes of these friendship networks" P2
"Mean Girls brought the portrayal of teen girls as socially aggressive to the forefront of popular discourse about female adolescence" P2
"Although reseach does suggest females engage in less physically aggression than do males, we cannot conclude that the stereotypes of the socially aggressive girl is, in fact, accurate" P3
"This study lends insight into the nature of gender based images in teen films and the influence of exposure to these representation on emerging adult's attitudes about female friendship's and women roles in society" P11
"Trying to decide whether she is a positive
role model for young girls or just that perfect combination of eye and thumb
candy for the boys" paragraph 1
"In this respect alone Lara was a welcome novelty
for experienced female game players. "There was something refreshing about
looking at the screen and seeing myself as a woman. Even if I was performing
tasks that were a bit unrealistic… I still felt like, Hey, this is a
representation of me, as myself, as a woman. In a game. How long have we waited
for that?" (Nikki Douglas in Cassell and Jenkins 1999). paragraph 2
"At the center of Tomb
Raider was a fantasy female figure" paragraph 3
"It is clear that the
producers of Lara wanted to market her as a character potentially
appealing to women; her arrival on the game scene dovetailed nicely with the
90's girl power" paragraph 4
" Lara amongst a
number of feisty and highly sexualized female characters that rose to
prominence in the 90s – including Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2002). These
characters have a strong "bimodal" appeal in that they manage to
engage a large following of both young men and women" paragraph 4
"Thelma and Louise, and
other action heroines such as Trinity in The Matrix, can also be
considered as what Mary Russo describes as "stunting bodies" (1994):
Female figures which, through their performance of extraordinary feats,
undermine conventional understandings of the female body" paragraph 6
"The action genre is
typically masculine so this type of characterization is often celebrated as at
least offering some compensation for the ubiquity of oppressive representations
of women and the preponderance of masculine hard bodies" paragraph 6
"Her occupation of a
traditionally masculine world, her rejection of particular patriarchal values
and the norms of femininity and the physical spaces that she traverses are all
in direct contradiction of the typical location of femininity within the
private or domestic space" paragraph 6
5. Doris G. Bazzini, William D. McIntosh, Stephen M. Smith, Sabrina Cook, and Caleigh Harris - The Aging Woman in Popular Film: Underrepresented, Unattractive, Unfriendly, and Unintelligent(1997)
"It was hypothesized that ageist and sexist stereotypes would interact such that (a) older female characters would be more unrepresented, and (b) more negatively portrayed, than their male contemporaries" pg1
"Popular media images are reflections of a culture's attitudes, beliefs, and standards, as well as projections of desired realities" pg2
"Two classes of stereotypes that are commonly depicted by the media are ageist and sexist stereotypes" pg2
"When women are depicted in the media, they are typically subjected to a greater degree of physical scrutiny than men" (e.g., their appearances more likely the topic of commentary, Archer et al., 1983) pg2.
"Silverstein, Perdue, Peterson, and Kelly (1986) found that for 40 of the most popular prime-time television shows, women characters were portrayed as thinner and younger than their male counterparts. Such portrayals may imply that women's primary value lies in the possession of physical beauty, while men's does not" pg2
"One message conveyed by popular film is that women are valued primarily for youth and beauty" pg3
"Portrayal. It has been argued that exposure to thin, attractive, sex-saturated culture may be having a negative effect on young-sters social emotional development" P13
"Viewing these types of portrayals may overemphasize the importance of appearance norms among developing youth" P13
Psychologist Sarah Murnen recently stated, "The promotion of the thin, sexy ideal in our culture has created a situation where the majority of girls and women don't like their bodies" p13
According to one parent, "Though it's been more than 30 years since feminist first drew attention to the stereotyped gender messages delivered by mainstream televisions, movies, and books, men and women are still portrayed in very traditional roles". Pg14
"Examining over 4,000 characters across 4000 G, PG, PG-13, and R-Rated .. data reveal that two types of female frequent film: the traditional and the hypersexual". Pg14
"Significant proportion of the females in films are shown in hypersexualized fashion" P14
"Hypersexuality refers to an over emphasis on attractiveness and sexuality by the way of clothing and body porportions" p14
"Females were five time as likely as males to be shown in sexually revealing clothing" P14
"Female protagonist are sometimes shown engaging in heroic acts to save friends, family members and society" P18
"resurgent feminist movement, which has a growing dexterity with online activism"
"1970 a group of men in a male-managed media, in a male- managed country, decided to put the naked breasts of young women in the newspaper"
"No more page 3 is now backed by the Girl Guides Unison, the National Union of Teachers, the Association of Teachers and Lectures, and the National Union of Head Teachers"
Rupert Murdock, "page three is so last century! You maybe right, dont know but considering, Perhaps halfway house with glamorouus fashionists"
Les Hinton "@TheSunNewspaper great but Page 3 has jarred for ages"
David Dinsmore "Page 3 was here to stay"
"Two thirds of our readers wanted to keep Page 3"
"People who are against Page 3 have never read the Sun and would never read the Sun"
"The Sun website was attracting around 30million unique visitors a month in early 2013"
""Page 3 site was only attracting 1.4 million since the beginnig of August"
This short video from BBC focuses on the positives and negative impacts female's around the world are facing based on their gender. It makes the audience question whether girls would have the same opportunities as boys? or will they face more dangers? and highlight the limitations females will face in their lives but also shows the opportunities they have now. (eg voting & going to school) 11. No wonder men treat us as sex objects if we act like this http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/sep/13/comment.pressandpublishing
"But the thousand of images have been uploaded by ordinary women - entirley voluntarily for free, as the spokesman took pleasure pointing out"
"FHM was censured for publishing a photograph of a topless 14-year-old topless without her consent - but the real shock came in FHM's revelation that it receives more than 1,200 submissions of women topless or in lingerie every single week"
"It is no wonder a lot of men now genuinely believe that women want to be treated as sex objects"
"The beauty industry is a monster, selling unattainable dreams. It lies. It cheats, it exploits women"
"The pay gap is a result of and contribute to, unhelpful stereotypes about men and women"
" The impact of becoming a mother still has a greater impact on earnings than becoming a father. Working hours must be reduced for all and the stereotypes about who does the caring confronted"
For many years, there were even fewer opportunities for actresses in another genre: the action move"
"It;s been accepted in popular culture that the traditional 'action film' is gender revered image of the chick flicks"
"Big budget action films of the 1950's and 1960's echoed the sexism of their time..."
"Female characters have slowly but steadily evolved beyond the universal hostage, victims or conquest archetype and became the heroine of their own actions"
"Actions films starring women did not exist until recent years"
"If audiences respond to action movies starring women, Hollywood will continue to make action films starring women"
14. 40 years since the Equal Pay Act, equality remains a dream
"Men still earn more than women in nearly 90% of job categories, according to analysis by The Guardian"
"Men earn 42.4% more in their annual salaries"
"The average man working full-time has a median salary, including overtime, of £28,091 in 2010, 19.9% more than his female counterpart"
"The gap falls to 10.2% when overtime - which typically pays a much higher rate and is largely carried out by men"
""It's appalling. How can this be when we have pay equality laws?" said Ruth Sealy, deputy director of the International Centre for Women Leaders at Cranfield University."
"Six in 10 women aged 15 to 30 say they have experienced sexist remarks or sexist behaviour, while 47% of women do not believe they are treated equally to men in the workplace, according to a survey by Ipsos Mori on behalf of Amnesty International, the Fawcett Society and Women's Aid"
Female characters in Spanish cinema were created and directed by men. They are principally given the roles of mother or wife. 4th paragraph
"The roles given to women in cinema are relatively colourless compared to the approach taken to male figures" 4th paragraph
woman within a patriarchal system that restricts her to the functions of the heterosexual, virginal wife and mother, or the object of desire who passively receives the active attentions of the man" Paragraph 8
the heroine who seeks the condition through the acts of men, from the classic figures of patriotism to the more recent heroines, of which Angelina Jolie is the best example" Paragraph 9
cinema is largely controlled by men. Values such as power, sex, violence and money appear legitimate on the big screen. paragraph 10
The media impose trends, shape attitudes and conduct, issue messages, perpetuate myths and cement certain values. paragraph 13
Women are represented in traditional, supporting roles, which are repeated over and over again; this representation shapes a general image of women that remains stuck in the past. paragraph 14
In contemporary cinema, the role of women is becoming more important, with a growing number of female directors and a more critical view of the portrayal of dependency. paragraph 14
Pressures on girls and women came from all angles. To look normal and acceptable to men, and to be the women that could keep the home well for their future husbands.
"the eroticisation of women on the screen comes about through the way in which film assumes the spectator to be a white male and encourages his voyeurism, through specific camera and narrative techniques.”
"Smelik notes that such fixed and endlessly repeated images of women were considered to be objectionable distortions that would have a negative impact on the female spectator"
"Cinema is ideological (based on ideas) because the films are created to represent reality. This means that because film is created to illustrate different ideas, everything has meaning - from the camerawork to the editing"
"Ideology is not imposed on cinema, but is part of its nature (through the viewer) and it shapes how we think"
"This theory is that the central position of the spectator/ viewer within the perspective of the text is also ideological - it is a reproduced reality and the experience of cinema influences the viewer on a deep level"
"Judith Butler’s work on gender is set out in Gender Trouble (1990). In Butler’s terms the performance of gender, sex, and sexuality is about power in society."
"Sex is biological while gender is culturally constructed"
"Butler argues that gender is performative.She says that no identity exists behind the acts or performance that express gender, and these acts constitute the illusion of the stable gender identity".
