gender
TRANSCRIPT
Lesson 1
One of areas below will appear in the exam. We will need to prepare for ALL areas.
Gender Age Ethnicity Sexuality Class and status Physical ability/disability Regional identity
Your marks for this question are broken down into three categories.
Explanation/analysis/argument (20 marks)
Use of examples (20 marks)
Use of terminology (10 marks)
We will look at two types of representation
1.Representing as Re-presenting
1.Who does the re-presenting? (Richard Dyer 1985)
Mimetic theory of representation Reflects reality Window to the world Transparent Unmediated What does this term mean?What does this term mean?
1. Why are some interpretations (re-presentations) of the world made over others?
2. What are the ranges of representation in Western cultures?
1. How the re-presentations of reality are never innocent/neutral.
2. How representations are political3. How they always reflect the producer’s
beliefs and values (those doing the re-presenting)
Predominantly white, middle aged, middle class men
Mark Thompson Dir Gen BBC – 2004 (replaced Greg Dyke)
Adam Crozier – Chief Exec ITV - 2010 (replaced Michael Grade)
David Abraham – Chief Exec CH4 - Jan 2010- (replaced Andy Duncan)
Dawn Airey Chair and Chief Exec of CH5 sanding down in 2010.
Women still under represented in the audio-visual industry 38%
‘ethnic minorities’ 7% total audio-visual workforce
Broadcast TV 9.1% 24% cinema cleaners
What is the definition of a stereotype?
A stereotype is a fixed/oversimplified perspective on an individual.
Women are often seen as weak and vulnerable. They mainly seem to show their emotional side as well as having relationship problems. Not only this, but they are generally more often and are quite frequently portrayed as the ‘dumb blonde’ .
Men are often presented as the overpowering, dominant character.
GenderFemininity Masculinity
Dominant males Subservient females Masculine ‘action’ Lack of emotion ‘Serious’ storylines Romance controlled Patriarchal ideology
(narrative closure) Male heroes
Female interaction Males as ‘partners’ Relationship issues Emotive storylines Shared feminine
identity Narrative openness Confirmation of
patriarchial ideology
Female ensemble dramas Widows Band of Gold Sex and the City Desperate Housewives Fat Friends Bad Girls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVaYcM4V2Qk&feature=related
Female friendship Issues that effect
women Sex/sexuality Career women Female point of view
Representations of Masculinity in The Sopranos
Created by David Chase
HBO 1999-2007
Frequently hailed the ‘Best ever drama’
Who has seen it?
Explore the representations of masculinity in The Sopranos How is representations in The Sopranos similar or
different to previous representations of masculinity in traditional masculine gangster films/ crime dramas?
How does The Sopranos draw on the conventions of traditional feminine texts?
Here is a clip to get you started. Use Youtube to find more if you need to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h347Cr7UkU8
The Sopranos can be seen as drawing on the generic conventions and history of the GANGSTER FILM of cinema –such as The Godfather etc
Gangster Film The Godfather (Coppola 1972) Scarface (De Palma 1983) Goodfellas (Scorsese 1990) Casino (Scorsese 1995)
Indeed like previous constructions of masculinity within the gangster film the mob boss of Tony Soprano is represented as a violent, macho, aggressive man
Sopranos follows the typical representation of the masculine within the ‘male-centred’ gangster film but also male crime series of TV Dominant males
Subservient females
Physical action
Lack of emotion
Romance controlled
Male heroes
Lack of respect/security Shifts to mob fathers way
of being as head of the ‘family’ business
Shifts to fathers positioning in relation to his own personal family
Across his PUBLIC and PRIVATE life Tony feels the MOVEMENT AWAY from TRADITIONAL RULES and NORMS that govern his life and SECURED his POSITION as HEAD of both FAMILIESThe old rules of DUTY, HONOUR and RESPECT for those in positions of authority have eroded at workThe tradition of respecting your FATHER & HUSBAND as BREADWINNER have also been eroded with women
Laura Mulvey
Laura Mulvey – Male Gaze
Influenced by Freud & Jacques Lucan, Mulvey sees the representation of woman in film & literature (and therefore society in general) as being dominated by a male point of view. Her belief is that the world is a patriarchy and that men have the ‘active’ roles and woman ‘passive’
To look is seen as active She believed the camera acted as a male and
everything we see is from a male point of view
Men play active roles which drive the narrative
Women play passive roles and are seen as erotic objects which slow the narrative
Men far outnumber women
Female roles are sidelined
Lead roles for women scarce
Bimbo Female’s physical
attractions such as figure and breasts to overpower the male
Easy House wife Mother Intelligent yet willing
to settle down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0J9FdN8oqA
Two distinct modes of the male gaze of this era: voyeuristic and fetishistic
Mulvey argued that women where given two characters types - sexually active female or the powerless female
Films presented images of women that were produced simply for the gratification of male viewers
Various studies in the 1970s found men to be the dominant characters and decision makers in film and TV production
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfL09c4cw2I
Where women had important roles they were far more likely to be shown as… frightened in need of protection and direction offering support to the male lead character(s) not independent or self driven generally weaker still objectified sexually
“Women, in any fully human form, have almost completely been left out of film….”
L Mulvey
As women's roles change in society so does media representation.
Women are still objectified but also likely to be… Career driven Intelligent Confident Empowered Able (violent)
Remember changes may be made cynically and in order to make money rather than change ideologies
How many female action stars who are not attractive?
Uma Thurman represented as powerful
and dominant and independent Sword stands in for and castrates phallus Adopts male characteristics of aggression Not masculinised yet in masculine roles Use of low angles, and a masculine
performance
The job of seeking revenge family is given to the female character thus conforming to stereotypes where women are seen to be possessed with family and emotional
Tight outfit allows objectification
Voyeuristic pleasures by watching Thurman on her killing rampage
Remember male director/industry may still mean male ideologies
Evidence of the female gaze?
VsVs
Hatred or dislike to women/females.
Gene Hunt (TV Detective from Life on Mars, set in 1970’s Britain) talking about politics:
'THERE WILL NEVER BE A WOMAN PRIME MINISTER AS LONG AS I HAVE A HOLE UP MY A**E.'
How would you define the term misogyny based on what you have just seen?
Negative conception towards women. Women can portray Misogyny. Feminism and Misogyny coincide each other.
Can you think of any other examples of misogyny that you may have seen in any media text or simply experienced in everyday life?
Misogyny – the contempt or hatred of women and girls
Find examples of both male and female characters in TV Dramas that follow stereotypes and ones that challenge stereotypes. Using images to support and discuss how they have been represented through clothing, location, narrative, dialogue, camera angle etc.
Present this in your blog, on a powerpoint or in a short movie like the bond example you saw.
Link you answers to Mulvey’s Theory