Lynx advert (male fantasy)
This ad represents the stereotypical ways in which men see woman in modern times and creating a parallel way of what the ideal female would be like for men. Some of the traditional stereotypes displayed were pieces of objectification from a average females point of view, as it was showing a side of them that only decreases their representation by suggesting things like them openly allowing themselves to be sexually promiscuous, and weak to the temptation of being angry at the men for cheating on them. The producers attempt to brainwash male audiences that if they use the product then their partners will be more lenient and allow them to get away with things they shouldn't, this insults the female intellect as they clearly have more self confidence and respect for themselves to allow a form of deodorant to change their minds.
Binge drinking female ad
The advert portrays the supposed mythical belief that this is the average 21st version of a young female which is in Stark comparison to what one would have been like even 20 years ago. Although this is an advert targeted at young female girls it reveals home truths that some teenage girls will watch and have personal identification with. It shows the girl getting ready for a night out but using all the connotations of a stereotypical teenage party where she is drunk and doesn't know what shes doing like ripping her bra, throwing up, and wiping her mascara on her face unaware the mess it has made. This represents the young teenage girl in a bad light by being "symbolically anahliahed" in front of a t.v audience especially with adults who are watching it for surveillance purposes. It also shows her conforming to the false consciousness theory that the way to get a mans attention is to dress up in this way and be wild.
Levi walk the line ad (skinny jeans)
This is one of many adverts in a growing culture in the 21st century to put female representation and a good light. It shows the woman walking through different places to get to her destination with an Aura of confidence style and Independence about her. Although in some parts of the commercial she is slightly objectified through the male gaze she does not seem to care that this is currently happening and carries on through her journey. She is given a powerful and determined appearance to the extent where traffic stops when she crosses the rode further signifying how dominant and strong she is. She commands an authoritative figure has she walks through the locations suggesting that is it now females who are and becoming the respectively and dominant gender. This takes a huge step for social gender equality in advertisement as this time 40 years ago the women would be in the kitchen or looking after the children while the man walks on his journey with a purpose, and their isn't a hint of sexist stereotypes. As David Gauntlet says "woman we expect to see in ads these days is the busy, confident, attractive success in control of her own personal life and a kitchen slave to no one" that is undoubtedly proven in this advertisement.
Sunday 14 December 2008
Saturday 13 December 2008
3 Images
Man: That's it love beans on toast and make it snappy Ive got to go to workWoman: I feel so subservient to his requirements I'm not a second class citizen
Cant I persuade you to buy these drinks without having to strip off?
I bet all those men in the audience aren't appreciating my tennis that's for sure
Friday 12 December 2008
3 historical adverts
1950s hair gel ad
This advertisement is about a special type of hair cream that is suppose to appeal to men but uses the female as the selling point. In the advertisement it shows a down on his luck man with a normal life using a shampoo that is designed to make you seem more attractive and give a confident boost. The female casts is supposed to be the object of desire for the man and a "reward" for using the shampoo for good effect. It portrays the female as weak to temptation for not the mans charms or personality but for his hair that has just bursted into life. Without the use of the females approval the ad is not effective and therefore the male audience is not convinced or satisfyed that the product works. However for all the sterotypes that are displayed in this advert it contridicts what some reasearchers like gunter suggest with it actually being the man who is obsessed with his apperance as apposed to being concerned with his work.
1950s soap ad
This advertisement is about a new brand of soap that was being relased that was being aimed at both a male and female audience. Despite this the producers felt the need to cast a woman in this role because as a sign of the times where the women were mostly seen as houswives and therefore most likely to be in the house doing something whether it was cooking or cleaning. Using soap back then was as something that was femenine and was a direct reference to thier mythical (barthes) obsessity of being as clean as possible both with them selves and the house they were lviving. There are a lot of close up shots the advert uses on the woman to demonstrate how happy she is to be using it to become clean , this partly relates to walters theory that they want to be as clean as possible and use make up in a boost to gain attention from men. They have used a women for the female audience to identify themselves with her as apperently this is what they were concerned with at the period of time. In additon gunters study also backs up what is shown " where all ads featuring women three quarters were for kicthen and bathroom products"
Purgeot 1970s ad
This advert substansially degrades women to the level that they are only objects of a males view of an idealistic world. The advert is a 1970s advert for a Peugeot 305, which at that period of time was a new and improved version of current cars that were on offer. So quite why a female was cast in the advert to help sell a male dominated and targeted product which has nothing to do with her furthers emphasises the pointless roles that female used to play in persuading men to buy products. It shows the car from different angles to give it a better appaerance but also contains a physically attractive woman saying how good the car is, this demonstrates the image of brainwahsing the male audience through what the woman is promissing, making them beilive that buying the newest car around will help them to attractive females. With the actress partcipating in some promiscoius poses it suggests the idea of sex sells, in additon what she is saying is good about the car connotates what is bieleived that the women wants in her ideal man as she says it has "power" and "control" which further brainwashing males.
Thursday 11 December 2008
3 Ways to Improve Female represenation offscreen
1) Get female actresses to publicly endorse and ask for more female directors (cult of celebrity) to come out and show what they have got, they can say that they want to work with someone new , fresh and someone who shares their views from a patriarchal perspective. By doing this it will them give female film directors more better representation as more people will take them seriously
2) If famous male directors took the up and coming female ones under their wings and made it public they was doing so to put more attention on the females off screen. People will respect that they are working under such big names and then will be taken more seriously if they go on to direct a film after the guidance of a successful well known male director like Tarintino or Spielberg.
3) Create bigger versions of the women's film festival with more attention on the events to portray their hard work and dedication to what the are making, this would highlight their ability to produce good films just as good as men and put the spotlight on their career juggling showing that it isn't impossible to balance directing a film and having children.
2) If famous male directors took the up and coming female ones under their wings and made it public they was doing so to put more attention on the females off screen. People will respect that they are working under such big names and then will be taken more seriously if they go on to direct a film after the guidance of a successful well known male director like Tarintino or Spielberg.
3) Create bigger versions of the women's film festival with more attention on the events to portray their hard work and dedication to what the are making, this would highlight their ability to produce good films just as good as men and put the spotlight on their career juggling showing that it isn't impossible to balance directing a film and having children.
5 female directors and what they have made
Gurinder Chadha- was born in Kenya, and grew up in Southall, England. She has as her career total 14 wins in major awards and 7 nominations in other awards.
Movies shes directed
Angus, thongs and perfect snogging (2008)
Bend it like Beckham(2002)
Bride & Prejuduce (2004)
A Nice Arrangement (1994)
What do you call an indian women who's funny(1994)
Amma Asante- was born in streatham, london, England and she has won awards such as the Baftas in 2005 and was nominated as best new comer in london critics circle film awards in the same year.
Movies shes directed
Where hands touch (2010) (pre production)
A way of life (2004)
lynne Ramsey- was born in 5th december 1969 in glasgow, Scotland, shes been nominated for a bafta and has 19 awards in total
Movies shes directed
Movern callar (2002)
Ratcatcher (1999)
Gasman(1997)
Small deaths (1996)
Kill the day (1996)
Cinema16: British short films(2003)
Debbie Allen- was born on the 16th of january 1950 in houstin texas, As a child she lived in Mexico to escape US racism. She has won a total of 8 awards in her career and had 21 nominations.
Movies shes directed
The old settler (2001)
Out of sync (1995)
Barbara Albert is austrian and was born in Vienna in 1970 and has won 15 awards with 11 nominations
Movies shes directed
Fallen (2006)
Visions of europe(2004)
Nordrand (1999)
Somewhere else (1997)
5 Reasons why female directors are a rare sight
1) Most of the time it is about "who you know" that is already established in the business and 9 out of 10 times it will be a high powered positional male, females don't really tend to know anybody that is also female in high places that would give them a break through empathy.
2) Their is already apparently a established hierarchy in place in the film industry that has a way of continuation on certain rules about gender superiority, this is putting females off getting into the industry because of expected sexism and objectification. This is a myth( Barthes) that has been around for a long time and females are believing that myth to be the case as such because their aren't any well known female directors.
3) As the usual film needs a big technological crew containing lots of heavy equipment it would require a majority Strong male based group to deal with all the lifting etc, it is widely accepted that it makes sense for a man to be in charge of that as the film crew would respect him more because their are still gender issues about control and authority.
4) Their are very few big name female directors in today's film industry for young pretenders to look up to as inspiration that they could one day be spoken about in the same light as their male director counterparts, they may feel that they will never become a success because those who tried before them haven't becomes ones either
5) The main reason for their being such a lack of female directors is because it is such a heavy devotion to time in their lives and if they are juggling that with a family it is virtually impossible to do both jobs to the maximum level of their ability simply because of the required commitment both bring. Men usually do the directing while theirs wives bring up their child so its an easier schedule for them whereas females who are and will always be linked to motherhood generally don't have the same luxury of their husbands being able to look after the kids while she directs.
2) Their is already apparently a established hierarchy in place in the film industry that has a way of continuation on certain rules about gender superiority, this is putting females off getting into the industry because of expected sexism and objectification. This is a myth( Barthes) that has been around for a long time and females are believing that myth to be the case as such because their aren't any well known female directors.
3) As the usual film needs a big technological crew containing lots of heavy equipment it would require a majority Strong male based group to deal with all the lifting etc, it is widely accepted that it makes sense for a man to be in charge of that as the film crew would respect him more because their are still gender issues about control and authority.
4) Their are very few big name female directors in today's film industry for young pretenders to look up to as inspiration that they could one day be spoken about in the same light as their male director counterparts, they may feel that they will never become a success because those who tried before them haven't becomes ones either
5) The main reason for their being such a lack of female directors is because it is such a heavy devotion to time in their lives and if they are juggling that with a family it is virtually impossible to do both jobs to the maximum level of their ability simply because of the required commitment both bring. Men usually do the directing while theirs wives bring up their child so its an easier schedule for them whereas females who are and will always be linked to motherhood generally don't have the same luxury of their husbands being able to look after the kids while she directs.
Monday 8 December 2008
Book Reaserch Bibliography
Title: The complete Hitchock
Year published: 1991
Author Surname: Condon
Author name: Paul
Place it was published: USA
How it is useful to me
Alfred hitchcock is one of the most well known directors of all times and his crediditied for releases such as psycho which is responsible for demonstrating the final girl chracter. He played a part in giving females more attention by putting them in lead roles such as in psycho and Dial M for murder, the book is a comprehensive guide to all Hitchcock's works including TV series and early silent films as well as the Hollywood classics he produced. From a modern day perspective it would be very helpful to me to examine his inflence on other film-makers over the years and all the way up to today to see the impact had had in casting females in particular roles that gave them a better light in representation but also soemtimes a negative one aswell.
Title: A personal journey through american movies
Year published: 1997
Author Surname: scorsese
Author Name: Martin
Place it was published: Italy
How it is useful to me
This book goes through the decades of american movies since its creation and how characters and roles have evolved through time, some of which were reflection of society at the time for instance the wave of femenism and the civil rights movement. The different changes over the whole period of hollywood relates to the historical part of shep and so I would get a vital.
Title: Impossible bodies femeniity and masculinaty at the movies
Year published: 2002
Author Surname: Holmlund
Author Name: Chris
Place it was published: USA
How it is useful to me
This more than most should directly help me as its portraying the aspcets of both femeninity and mascunilty in moviess. It wil demonstrate what exatcly makes feminitiy by how females act and what they do, this will help me write my indepdenant study as some of the females in my current movie are still being represented as femenine with the types of moves and actions they are given while some are being represented in the opposite way for a binary oppostion with soem aspects of masculintiy. This book will give me an indication of what is means to be these things and whether the stereotype of femeinity and mascuniutly have changed from then untill now. Impossible Bodies investigates issues of ethnicity, gender and sexuality in contemporary Hollywood with gender being the most important to me in completing my study. Chris Holmlund the author offers a view of contemporary cinema that I agree with which other dont It is an essential guide to the ways in which genre conventions resolve sexual differences.
Title: Media Studies, The essential guide resource
Year published: 2004
Author Surname: Rayner
Author Name: Phillip
Place it was published: Canada
How it is useful to me
This is an innovative book which brings together a comprehensive collection of primary source material about all the things to do with media studies. Each extract in the book is accompanied by commentary which places the writing in its historical and critical context. The book discusses the significance of each decade of film and books and they also identify key terms which I could use for the indepdenatn study write up and explains its importance for Media Studies. Phillip rayner introduces step-by-step to the skills of reading media texts to the audience aswell as key concepts such as genre, representation, media institutions and media audiences which in turn will build up my Migrian skills and partly help with my shep skills in additon.
Title: Odd girl out
Year Published: 2003
Author Surname:Simmons
Author Name: Rachel
Place it was published: USA
Important quote: "The princess is the last frontier of acceptable girliness. It points to how crazy our times have become that I, as a feminist, am promoting princess culture"
How it is useful
This is the only book where for the first time I could possibly find out about a hidden side in females according to the author rachel simmons, this book gives an insight into the hidden agenda of girls and women both in normal lives and where they are mostly exploited as weak and innifective and that is places like the film industry, sports , and careers in buisness, she labels what was the wave of feminism and says thier could be another one soon to come , if this is the case it would help females like the ones in my film study x-men for example gain more vital roles than the current supporting ones they play
Title: The First Female Stars: Women of the Silent Era
Year published 1999
Author Surname:Menefee
Author Name:David
Place it was published: USA
Important quote: "Silent cinema brought us many talented women, but setting aside the Pickfords, Swansons, and Gishes of the world, few today have retained their star power".
" Not only was the industry run by men, who often favored their male stars with larger, meatier roles, but it was also very selective in preserving its own history"
How it is useful
The book is basicly about women in the film industry when only silent films were around, it looks back into the historical and economical parts of shep by showing how they were treated back then as apposed to how they are in the modern film era.
Title: Halle Berry: A stormy life
Year published: 2004
Author Surname:Sanello
Author Name:Frank
Place it was published: USA
Important quotes: " Shes a combintation of formiddleable actress with a sense of social fairness genuine humility and she has a great sense of humour about herself"- warren betty
How it is useful to me:
As halle berry is one of the main film stars im going to be focusing on when I write the independant study it is important to have this in the bibliography because i will be able to get quotes from other stars in the industry, and take notes on her rise to stardom and compare that to how it was in the early days of hollywood. Halle Berry is now acknowledged as a supremely talented actress and the book gives an insight into her story, and the struggles she faced upon getting where she is today.
Title: The cinema book
Year published:(1981)
Author Surname: Cook
Author Name: Pam
Place it was published:Britian
Important quotes: " In hollywood film these two functions were almost always gender specfic reflecting and perpectuating the values of a world ordered by sexual imbalance" pg 163
" The narratvie role of making things happen and controling of events usually fell to a male character while the female star often virtually peripheteral to functional events remained more passively decorative" pg 336
How it is useful to me:
The cinema book has a lot of refrence to the general femenist view on the female hero so it would be useful to know what femenists think of the roles and features the main female protagnoist has in comparsion to men. It is very detailed with chapters on just about every section of film theory, like mise en scene and audience, in addition how the alternative to Hollywood which is the arthouse movie genre represents thier female characters.
Title: BFI Film and television handbook
Year published: 1999
Author Surname:Dyja
Author Name: Eddie
Place it was published:Britian
Important quotes:"Well defined male lead characters and marginalised women have meant that generations of women have had to view films from a predominatnly male perspective. While this situation hasnt exatcly changed there have been a few more films made recently with women starring in lead roles"
How it is useful to me:
This is similar to the media , gender and identity in talking about the statistics of women on tv in general but also the effect females playing major roles in films have on audiences. It actually states that during 2001 thier was a shortage of audiences with the main reason for falling being that thier was no new narrative just the same patrharical view on films with the male hero doing what he always does, while the female plays thier same average role. Its useful for my study as I could quote this numurical information to back up theories that I come up with in relation to other studies.
Title: Media , gender and identity
Year published :2002
Author Surname: Gauntlett
Author name: David
Place it was published: Britian
Important quotes: " In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s only 20 to 35 per cent of characters were female, by the mid 1980s, there were more women in leadings roles, but still there were twice as many men on screen"
"It was tied to a buttoned down, statesmanlike, qiuck thinking masculinity which contrasted with the feminine beauty and lack of assertiveness of key women chracters"
How it is useful to me:
David gauntlett speaks about female portrayl on the film stage and this is what my study is based on, he brings up a lot of valid points and intresting statistics on the popularity of females castings in both tv series and film plus he compares and contrasts the characteristics of what the average man and women have in a traditional hollywood blockbuster.
Year published: 1991
Author Surname: Condon
Author name: Paul
Place it was published: USA
How it is useful to me
Alfred hitchcock is one of the most well known directors of all times and his crediditied for releases such as psycho which is responsible for demonstrating the final girl chracter. He played a part in giving females more attention by putting them in lead roles such as in psycho and Dial M for murder, the book is a comprehensive guide to all Hitchcock's works including TV series and early silent films as well as the Hollywood classics he produced. From a modern day perspective it would be very helpful to me to examine his inflence on other film-makers over the years and all the way up to today to see the impact had had in casting females in particular roles that gave them a better light in representation but also soemtimes a negative one aswell.
Title: A personal journey through american movies
Year published: 1997
Author Surname: scorsese
Author Name: Martin
Place it was published: Italy
How it is useful to me
This book goes through the decades of american movies since its creation and how characters and roles have evolved through time, some of which were reflection of society at the time for instance the wave of femenism and the civil rights movement. The different changes over the whole period of hollywood relates to the historical part of shep and so I would get a vital.
Title: Impossible bodies femeniity and masculinaty at the movies
Year published: 2002
Author Surname: Holmlund
Author Name: Chris
Place it was published: USA
How it is useful to me
This more than most should directly help me as its portraying the aspcets of both femeninity and mascunilty in moviess. It wil demonstrate what exatcly makes feminitiy by how females act and what they do, this will help me write my indepdenant study as some of the females in my current movie are still being represented as femenine with the types of moves and actions they are given while some are being represented in the opposite way for a binary oppostion with soem aspects of masculintiy. This book will give me an indication of what is means to be these things and whether the stereotype of femeinity and mascuniutly have changed from then untill now. Impossible Bodies investigates issues of ethnicity, gender and sexuality in contemporary Hollywood with gender being the most important to me in completing my study. Chris Holmlund the author offers a view of contemporary cinema that I agree with which other dont It is an essential guide to the ways in which genre conventions resolve sexual differences.
Title: Media Studies, The essential guide resource
Year published: 2004
Author Surname: Rayner
Author Name: Phillip
Place it was published: Canada
How it is useful to me
This is an innovative book which brings together a comprehensive collection of primary source material about all the things to do with media studies. Each extract in the book is accompanied by commentary which places the writing in its historical and critical context. The book discusses the significance of each decade of film and books and they also identify key terms which I could use for the indepdenatn study write up and explains its importance for Media Studies. Phillip rayner introduces step-by-step to the skills of reading media texts to the audience aswell as key concepts such as genre, representation, media institutions and media audiences which in turn will build up my Migrian skills and partly help with my shep skills in additon.
Title: Odd girl out
Year Published: 2003
Author Surname:Simmons
Author Name: Rachel
Place it was published: USA
Important quote: "The princess is the last frontier of acceptable girliness. It points to how crazy our times have become that I, as a feminist, am promoting princess culture"
How it is useful
This is the only book where for the first time I could possibly find out about a hidden side in females according to the author rachel simmons, this book gives an insight into the hidden agenda of girls and women both in normal lives and where they are mostly exploited as weak and innifective and that is places like the film industry, sports , and careers in buisness, she labels what was the wave of feminism and says thier could be another one soon to come , if this is the case it would help females like the ones in my film study x-men for example gain more vital roles than the current supporting ones they play
Title: The First Female Stars: Women of the Silent Era
Year published 1999
Author Surname:Menefee
Author Name:David
Place it was published: USA
Important quote: "Silent cinema brought us many talented women, but setting aside the Pickfords, Swansons, and Gishes of the world, few today have retained their star power".
" Not only was the industry run by men, who often favored their male stars with larger, meatier roles, but it was also very selective in preserving its own history"
How it is useful
The book is basicly about women in the film industry when only silent films were around, it looks back into the historical and economical parts of shep by showing how they were treated back then as apposed to how they are in the modern film era.
Title: Halle Berry: A stormy life
Year published: 2004
Author Surname:Sanello
Author Name:Frank
Place it was published: USA
Important quotes: " Shes a combintation of formiddleable actress with a sense of social fairness genuine humility and she has a great sense of humour about herself"- warren betty
How it is useful to me:
As halle berry is one of the main film stars im going to be focusing on when I write the independant study it is important to have this in the bibliography because i will be able to get quotes from other stars in the industry, and take notes on her rise to stardom and compare that to how it was in the early days of hollywood. Halle Berry is now acknowledged as a supremely talented actress and the book gives an insight into her story, and the struggles she faced upon getting where she is today.
Title: The cinema book
Year published:(1981)
Author Surname: Cook
Author Name: Pam
Place it was published:Britian
Important quotes: " In hollywood film these two functions were almost always gender specfic reflecting and perpectuating the values of a world ordered by sexual imbalance" pg 163
" The narratvie role of making things happen and controling of events usually fell to a male character while the female star often virtually peripheteral to functional events remained more passively decorative" pg 336
How it is useful to me:
The cinema book has a lot of refrence to the general femenist view on the female hero so it would be useful to know what femenists think of the roles and features the main female protagnoist has in comparsion to men. It is very detailed with chapters on just about every section of film theory, like mise en scene and audience, in addition how the alternative to Hollywood which is the arthouse movie genre represents thier female characters.
Title: BFI Film and television handbook
Year published: 1999
Author Surname:Dyja
Author Name: Eddie
Place it was published:Britian
Important quotes:"Well defined male lead characters and marginalised women have meant that generations of women have had to view films from a predominatnly male perspective. While this situation hasnt exatcly changed there have been a few more films made recently with women starring in lead roles"
How it is useful to me:
This is similar to the media , gender and identity in talking about the statistics of women on tv in general but also the effect females playing major roles in films have on audiences. It actually states that during 2001 thier was a shortage of audiences with the main reason for falling being that thier was no new narrative just the same patrharical view on films with the male hero doing what he always does, while the female plays thier same average role. Its useful for my study as I could quote this numurical information to back up theories that I come up with in relation to other studies.
Title: Media , gender and identity
Year published :2002
Author Surname: Gauntlett
Author name: David
Place it was published: Britian
Important quotes: " In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s only 20 to 35 per cent of characters were female, by the mid 1980s, there were more women in leadings roles, but still there were twice as many men on screen"
"It was tied to a buttoned down, statesmanlike, qiuck thinking masculinity which contrasted with the feminine beauty and lack of assertiveness of key women chracters"
How it is useful to me:
David gauntlett speaks about female portrayl on the film stage and this is what my study is based on, he brings up a lot of valid points and intresting statistics on the popularity of females castings in both tv series and film plus he compares and contrasts the characteristics of what the average man and women have in a traditional hollywood blockbuster.
Sunday 7 December 2008
Film clips
The men (1950)
High noon ( 1952)
1950s film
The 1950s was a time when audiences both young and old wanted new and exciting symbols of rebellionism and as a result of the demands saw the rise of the anti-hero. These types of heroes were mostly men and had a different attidute and persona to the typical hero associated in hollywood. This is portryaed in films such as high noon where sometimes the hero doesnt always have good intentions and is out for himself. In additon the 50s was a time when women still relied on the help of men espically physically wise as is shown in the clip of the men, when the male lead character helps the female counterpart open the bottle.
Cleopatra (1963)
Psycho (1960)
1960s film
The 1960s was a big step for females in terms of on screen envolvement in film but their fortunes in how they were represented took two different directions. A binary oppostion is created when comparing the two clips as in cleoparta the lead actress is given a positive represenation in that she is powerful and in charge of all around her, however you could argue that this is only an attempted reanctment of an apperent period of time in history and that the directors had no choice but to cast a female. In psycho the lead actress is playing "the final girl" role that is so well known in the slasher movie genre of noawadays as she is given a representation suggesting she is scared, vunerable and incapable of looking after herself, this is a stark contrast with cleopatra.
James bond - dimonds are forever (1971)
Star wars - a new hope (1979)
1970S Film
In the 1970s women are supposedly seen as more valuable as they are portrayed more often than in other decades as prizes for the male hero after his completed conquest. In the star wars clip when the two male protagonists are being awarded it is the female who is awaridng them that catches thier eyes. However they are aslo seen as a disctraction and sometimes a welcome one for the male who is on his quest like in dimonds are forever when they are mostly seen fighting semi naked or flirting with james bond. This as a result empahsises the statement by sharon smith (1972) in saying that women and the mating games are key roles played in the film, as this is apperent by how james bond acts around the ladiesand the fact that they hardly do anything else fully clothed.
Honey I shrunk the kids (1989)
Fatal Attraction (1987)
1980s Film
In this decade you had the rise of the extreme femme fatle, although the phrase had been around since the 50s thier evolved and much more senial and deranged personailties becamce more eveident in movies such as fatal attraciton. They didnt want to just steal money from their male counterparts or be potenial homewreckers but their roles had now been developed into attmepted killers which is shown in the clip of fatal attraction, this is a negative represetnation of females by which it is implying that if females get some sort of power they will abuse it and go out of control. In contrast in honey I shrunk the kids the girls actresses are shown to be just as interllectual, brave and entuhsastic to get out of trouble as thier male counterparts.
Beuaty and the beast (1991)
American beauty(1999)
1990s Film
Up until this decade It was widely felt that female characters in film had been restricted to the easy categories that classical narratives and familiar genres demanded of them with the typical complaints being that women in films are either virgins, mothers or whores. To an extent this was still the case like in beauty and the beast when it portrays the female character as the domesticisits, that she is conformed to just her housework and is waiting for a man to save her from the life she is living. This isnt the case in another sample movie from the 1990s in American beauty as the main actress has the leading role in the film and is more obsesed with her, career , relationship and appearence then the usual sterotype of females in the past, this also backs up the study from gunter in 1995 that thier were more leading women.
High noon ( 1952)
1950s film
The 1950s was a time when audiences both young and old wanted new and exciting symbols of rebellionism and as a result of the demands saw the rise of the anti-hero. These types of heroes were mostly men and had a different attidute and persona to the typical hero associated in hollywood. This is portryaed in films such as high noon where sometimes the hero doesnt always have good intentions and is out for himself. In additon the 50s was a time when women still relied on the help of men espically physically wise as is shown in the clip of the men, when the male lead character helps the female counterpart open the bottle.
Cleopatra (1963)
Psycho (1960)
1960s film
The 1960s was a big step for females in terms of on screen envolvement in film but their fortunes in how they were represented took two different directions. A binary oppostion is created when comparing the two clips as in cleoparta the lead actress is given a positive represenation in that she is powerful and in charge of all around her, however you could argue that this is only an attempted reanctment of an apperent period of time in history and that the directors had no choice but to cast a female. In psycho the lead actress is playing "the final girl" role that is so well known in the slasher movie genre of noawadays as she is given a representation suggesting she is scared, vunerable and incapable of looking after herself, this is a stark contrast with cleopatra.
James bond - dimonds are forever (1971)
Star wars - a new hope (1979)
1970S Film
In the 1970s women are supposedly seen as more valuable as they are portrayed more often than in other decades as prizes for the male hero after his completed conquest. In the star wars clip when the two male protagonists are being awarded it is the female who is awaridng them that catches thier eyes. However they are aslo seen as a disctraction and sometimes a welcome one for the male who is on his quest like in dimonds are forever when they are mostly seen fighting semi naked or flirting with james bond. This as a result empahsises the statement by sharon smith (1972) in saying that women and the mating games are key roles played in the film, as this is apperent by how james bond acts around the ladiesand the fact that they hardly do anything else fully clothed.
Honey I shrunk the kids (1989)
Fatal Attraction (1987)
1980s Film
In this decade you had the rise of the extreme femme fatle, although the phrase had been around since the 50s thier evolved and much more senial and deranged personailties becamce more eveident in movies such as fatal attraciton. They didnt want to just steal money from their male counterparts or be potenial homewreckers but their roles had now been developed into attmepted killers which is shown in the clip of fatal attraction, this is a negative represetnation of females by which it is implying that if females get some sort of power they will abuse it and go out of control. In contrast in honey I shrunk the kids the girls actresses are shown to be just as interllectual, brave and entuhsastic to get out of trouble as thier male counterparts.
Beuaty and the beast (1991)
American beauty(1999)
1990s Film
Up until this decade It was widely felt that female characters in film had been restricted to the easy categories that classical narratives and familiar genres demanded of them with the typical complaints being that women in films are either virgins, mothers or whores. To an extent this was still the case like in beauty and the beast when it portrays the female character as the domesticisits, that she is conformed to just her housework and is waiting for a man to save her from the life she is living. This isnt the case in another sample movie from the 1990s in American beauty as the main actress has the leading role in the film and is more obsesed with her, career , relationship and appearence then the usual sterotype of females in the past, this also backs up the study from gunter in 1995 that thier were more leading women.
Monday 1 December 2008
David Gauntlett- Media, Gender & Identity
Gender in contemporary T.V programmes
Summary
In this chapter of the book david gauntlett repeatedly suggests the more equality shared out between male and female characters and represnetations in film is the sign of the times, with the stats he uses to portray how things were for woman in the past in comparison to now he uses both historical and social ascpets of shep to agure his point.
Key quotes that have been picked out by him are from peoples different views on how females are treated and should be treated in the film industry could be treated as binary oppostions, for instance the female writer for IMBD says women shoudl be kicking butt on screen more often , something that isnt seen an femnine wheras micheal thompson says woman should be fiesty but not forget feminine values in order to be sucessful.
Key Bits
In prime time tv shows , 1992- 1993 men took 61 percent of the total number of speaking roles with women having the other 39 percent. The 1995-1996 study found that men took 63 per cent of the speaking roles, with women having the other 37 percent
To an extent, programme makers arrived at comfortable, not particualrly offensive models of masculinity and feminity which a majority of the public seemed to think were acceptable. Producers thus seemed to give up on feeling that they might need to challange gender representations
The 1992-1993 study found that only 3 per cent of woman were represented as housewives as thier main occupation- a massive decrease from the 1970s. An additional 8 per cent of women were shown as homemakers.
The studies show a growth in gender euality on screen , although by
the mid 1990s there was still some distance to go. However, the reaserchers note that thier findings are part of on going trends which are seeing women on televsion becoming gradually more emancipated and equal.
Bunting later complaints that men will still be able to comfort themselves that they remain the sole object of any sensible womens life, but given these womens very high standards, there is little room for men to be complacent.
Buffy the vampire slayer made an indeliable impact on teen tv and also broke new ground by becoming hugely popular within the typically male dominated word of sci fi fans. Buffy is more confident and assertive than either incarnation of the Man of steel( superman) whilst remaining recognisably human. - Polly Vernon( 1991)
Buffys creator and driving force, joss whedon adds that buffy is a good role model for not just girls but for everybody, because she has to use wits and her physical strength to win, yet she still has to get high marks in all her courses at school.
Queer as folk offered visions of mascunilty and to a lesser extent femninity which made a break with tv traditions. Representations of gender on tv have changed considerably within the past couple of decades, today, female and male characters are likely to be as intelligant, talanted and resoruceful or stupid as each other.
What hollywood culture is offering, in place of the bold spectablce of male mascularity and/ as violence, is a self effacing man, one who now, instead of learning to fight learns to love instead
Men in hollywood films today tend not to be the seamlessly macho heroes which we saw in the 1980s, they more often combine the toughness required of an action hero with a more sensitive, thoughtful or caring side typically revealed at certain points of the movie.
Important Quotes
Micheal Thomson off bbc online- " by all means be fiesty but never forget to be feminine
Maggie Humms, Feminism and film (1997)- film often and anxoiusly envisions women steoreotypically as "good" or "bad", hysterical careerists in the past and today, every hollywood woman is someones elses other.
Female IMDB reviewer- The fact that we so rarely get too see female action heroes particualry ones we can like. We had trinity at the begininng the matrix before the movie qiuckly found a man to focus on, and we have Max and Buffy on television. Its a sign though that even silly movies featuring women kicking butt are so popular among well woman. We need strong women kicking ass.
Movie representation related to my study
Lara croft- tomb raider (2001)- The girl power icon dreamt up by video game boys is 100 percent tough resourceful and sucessful
X men(2000) - The female superheroes are just as cool and useful as the male ones, but it could be said thier powers are more feminine( telepathy absorbing powers of others, directing weather -a force of nature. Plus they all look up to wise old patrick stewart.
The matrix( 1991) - Carrie Anne moss is a powerful woman who is equal or superior to any man. But then keanu comes along and turns out to be actually superior
Final fantasy (2001)- The main character Dr aki ross is another solid female role model from a video game, her combination of toughness and intelligance is superior to that of any of them men. As a robust character herself it is perhaps understandable that she falls for a soldier who is clearly styled on the action man doll.
Monday 24 November 2008
Representations of gender in the past
Key Summary
In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, only 20 to 35 per cent of characters were female , by the mid 1980s , there were more women in leading roles but still there were twice as many men on screen.
The were equal proportions of men and woman in situation comedies- although of course, the gender roles and the humour could still be traditional and sexist, despite this statistical parity- whereas in action adventure shows, only 15 per cent of the leading characters were women. A decade later a 1987 study found female characters to be the most common in comedy programes.
Marrige, parenthood and domesticity were shown on televsion to be more important for women than men.
Female characters were unlikely to work escpcially not if they were wives or mothers and even when they did this work was typcially not seen on screen.
Men were much more liekly to be adventrous, active and victorious , whereas women were more frequently shown as weak, ineffetucal, victimised, supportive, laughable or merely token females.
They are underrepresented in televsion fictional lfe they are symbolically annihilated
T.v was stubborn with game shows not bothering to change thier degrading and trivialsing views of women, sports programming remaining the preserve of men, and news programme accused of tokensim or window dressing by including some women in key postions whilst retaining a male dominated culture.
Althogh lois lane in superman is a sucessful reporter for example it is stll the heroic man who leads the story and saves the world.
The films almost always focused on the male heros , these men typically made the decsions whicch led the story and were assertive, confident and dominant. Women had important roles in many films but were far more likely than men to be shown as frightened, in need of protection and direction and offering love and support for the male characters.
The role of a woman in a film almost always revolves around her physical attraction and the mating games she plays with the male characters. (A quote by sharon smith from her book women and film 1973)
Kathi Mario said in her book published in 1991 that women are not only given less screen time, when were up there on the screen we are likely to be portrayed as powerless and ineffectual.
Susan faludi wrote in her book undeclared war agasint women also in 1991 that women were part of a wider blacklash against women liberation and womens careers. She also noted women being reduced to mute and incidental characters or banished altogether.
In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, only 20 to 35 per cent of characters were female , by the mid 1980s , there were more women in leading roles but still there were twice as many men on screen.
The were equal proportions of men and woman in situation comedies- although of course, the gender roles and the humour could still be traditional and sexist, despite this statistical parity- whereas in action adventure shows, only 15 per cent of the leading characters were women. A decade later a 1987 study found female characters to be the most common in comedy programes.
Marrige, parenthood and domesticity were shown on televsion to be more important for women than men.
Female characters were unlikely to work escpcially not if they were wives or mothers and even when they did this work was typcially not seen on screen.
Men were much more liekly to be adventrous, active and victorious , whereas women were more frequently shown as weak, ineffetucal, victimised, supportive, laughable or merely token females.
They are underrepresented in televsion fictional lfe they are symbolically annihilated
T.v was stubborn with game shows not bothering to change thier degrading and trivialsing views of women, sports programming remaining the preserve of men, and news programme accused of tokensim or window dressing by including some women in key postions whilst retaining a male dominated culture.
Althogh lois lane in superman is a sucessful reporter for example it is stll the heroic man who leads the story and saves the world.
The films almost always focused on the male heros , these men typically made the decsions whicch led the story and were assertive, confident and dominant. Women had important roles in many films but were far more likely than men to be shown as frightened, in need of protection and direction and offering love and support for the male characters.
The role of a woman in a film almost always revolves around her physical attraction and the mating games she plays with the male characters. (A quote by sharon smith from her book women and film 1973)
Kathi Mario said in her book published in 1991 that women are not only given less screen time, when were up there on the screen we are likely to be portrayed as powerless and ineffectual.
Susan faludi wrote in her book undeclared war agasint women also in 1991 that women were part of a wider blacklash against women liberation and womens careers. She also noted women being reduced to mute and incidental characters or banished altogether.
Tuesday 18 November 2008
Hegemonic or Pluralistic
The hegeomnic model is a system where one group is dominated by another. The dominating group achieves its domination by winning popular consent through everyday cultural life. They include Ideologies which are considered mythic, i.e. they seem to be natural or common sense to know. The pluralist model is when power is exercised by the mass of the population, rather than by a small elite group. Representatives in big powerful sectors therefore have to act in a way that is pleasing to the majority.
I believe in both theories because i agree with the hypodermic model however i swing more to the pluralistic model because i consider myself more active than passive and challenge what the media powers distribute.
For instance some of the representations of characters on soaps from ethnic minorities aren't specificly right and i challenge those stereotypes that seem to appear so regularly in modern times. However I do agree with the conspiracy that the media is controlled and distributed by a selection of higher powers and the ruling classes setting out ideologies and false consciousness to follow in societybut overall im a pluralists.
I believe in both theories because i agree with the hypodermic model however i swing more to the pluralistic model because i consider myself more active than passive and challenge what the media powers distribute.
For instance some of the representations of characters on soaps from ethnic minorities aren't specificly right and i challenge those stereotypes that seem to appear so regularly in modern times. However I do agree with the conspiracy that the media is controlled and distributed by a selection of higher powers and the ruling classes setting out ideologies and false consciousness to follow in societybut overall im a pluralists.
Saturday 15 November 2008
key points made
The media defines lads as modern and fashionable young men who are not afraid to admit they enjoy porn, women, sex, heavy drinking and sports.
Photographic images which make up the majority of the content of all three magazines loaded, fhm and playboy , depict and represent women as the prototypical object of sexual desire, presenting the idea that a womans purpose is to look appealing and attractive to a watching male population.
The front cover is the ultimate selling pull for a magazine to gain a greater readership and therfore has to stand out to the audience in order to gain sales and make money.
Photographic images which make up the majority of the content of all three magazines loaded, fhm and playboy , depict and represent women as the prototypical object of sexual desire, presenting the idea that a womans purpose is to look appealing and attractive to a watching male population.
The front cover is the ultimate selling pull for a magazine to gain a greater readership and therfore has to stand out to the audience in order to gain sales and make money.
The slightly open lips act as an index for the womans willigness to partipcate in sex. The image is extremely provocative and works on the insinuation of a sexual encounter between the model and the reader.
Former editor of loaded, james brown , has descirbed the magazines as all about having the best fucking time of your life. He defends the magazine from critics accusing it of containing sexist material, altering and changing attitudes in society, by arguing that it is simply "Enjoyable entertainment"
However implicity the magazines hold an overridding emphasis on penetrative sex and repeatedly represent women as the weaker gender who were made only to make mens life more enyoyable and entertaining.
The imagery of the tradiotnally beautiful female, who is attractive, thin , and well groomed also explicitly puts a pressure on women to conform to what the male population finds attractive
This relates to the "hypodermic needle" theory that audience are passive and are easily influenced by what they see and hear in the media, suggesting that media has a strong link with power.
A second theory the uses and gratifications theory would suggest that mens lifestyle magazines make men view women as sexual objects for thier own gratification. Proposing instead that audiences are not totally passive and use the media in different ways to achieve different gratifications.
The imagery found within modern lifestyle magazines is comparable to that found within playboy, using a variety of camera shots and angles to enhance the stereotype represented.
There is little text to accompany the pictures, which suggets implicity that women are only to be looked at and thier success in life will be decided by thier appearence. This ideology is determined as the feature focuses entirely on the naked model.
Thursday 13 November 2008
Analysis of clip
Their is a lot key lighting, and back lighting withing a very dark scene to emphasise the power that storm has in the scene and what she is creating for the city of L.A, the mixture of a pretty much dark mise en scene and key lighting hammers home the impact she has on the city as the resulting image looks very bad for the city. The lack of non-diegetic sound shows the directors intentions are to try and make storm seem as devastating as possible with the carnage on show made all the worse by the sound that she has created. The overall gloomy grey blue dual colour con notates the intimidating and scary feeling amongst the residents, after all they would not be running around scared their going to die if it was a hot and sunny day. The facial expressions and actions of them running and swerving their cars indicate their feelings towards the storm and potenial lethal effects it could have on them.
This part has a lot of light and dark contrasts that go with the pace of the shots, these features are mostly throughout when their are flying objects . Theses contrasts of light and darkness could portray the binary oppostion of humans being good and mutants being evil or the other way around Storm who is the central character in this scene is given a powerful representation with the city massacre she creates but also gives off an impression she is an angry irrational character who lets her emotions get the better of her but it is not displayed what her actions where motivated by in this particular scene. The producers of this text are marvel who have been producing films for years Marvel characters have been adapted into films including the Spider man, blade and X-men trilogy the Fantastic four film series, Dare Devil.
In this particular scene it diplays a hybrid genre of action and sci fi with the effects that are used to portray storms power gives it a sci fi feeling but the speed and intensity of it gives off the action vibe. Based on the differing codes and conventions that are portrayed in it it suggets which codes our for which genre like flying, sepcial effects, updateded almost furturistic technoligy and powers that storm characters poses
Females and storm specifcily are being represented as being strong , powerful and empathtic with her actions, no longer is the appearence amongst actresses so blatantly exposed as her personailty sines through her actions. Also it shows usual everyday people as weak and vunerbale compared to thier mutant opposites.
The audience for this trailer is realaticly young people speficily middle aged teens going onto people in thier 20s who are lovers of this type of genre. The majority are ones that have grew up watching x-men in comic books so have fond memories of it while they where growing up and have an interest in watching the film version to view the similarites and differences of the two and to see whether the films hype lives up to the comic books.
The patriarcal idea is completely tossed away in this scene has both men and woman seem powerless to stop the onsluaght while the one who is causing all the mayhem is indeed a female Its a linear narrative with only one event happening no hint of a dual or any flaskbacks or intergrating event while the storm is happening. A lot of binary oppotions are raised in the scene like good- evil, light and darkness of lighting and the mayhem and calmity during and at the end.
Tuesday 28 October 2008
Self Evaluation
Attainment: 2:
I try to give my all in class both in contributing and on the work side of things and so far i feel so good as the work i have produced so far in my opinion as been of a high standard however it could be higher and that is why its not a 1.
Effort: 2
Sometimes I admit to drifting off but for the majority of the time I give my all when contributing to class discussions and when completing homework assignments.
Punctuality: 2
I have given myself this grade as i am good but not perfect in terms of being in the class, their have been times where i have not been in or have arrived late in the class but this year that has been kept to a very low minimum
Submission and quality of my homework: 3
This isn't one of my strongest aspects because i have tended to hand my homework in late on some occasions but overall i hand it in more on time, as for the standard of the work being honest it hasn't been of my best purely because of getting use to the yr 13 course but as time goes on i believe i will be better at this so in the future i hope to give myself a 1 for this part.
Ability to work Independantly : 3
I often ask for help on topics that are quite difficult to understand simply because i don't want to get it wrong when handing it in, but usually it is not for big problems but rather the smaller ones, however if given an assignment to do independently i would be quite confident of completing it by myself.
Quality of writing :4
This at best is quite average as i have yet to understand to meanings of the broader and longer words of the media analysis completely yet, i often repeat myself in assignments and i need to widen my vocabulary in the future if i am to get the higher grades.
Organisation of media folder: 3
If asked to lay out sheets that are relevant to my study I wouldn't struggle to do so but it isn't in a complete and utter mess where I wouldn't be able to find anything
Oral contribution in class: 1
This along with my blog i feel is my strongest features of being a media student, i have gradually grown in confidence since the first lesson of yr 13 and now am contributing to class discusions in almost every class so its one of my stengths without doubt.
Standard of med 5 blog: 1
Although their isn't as much detail on it in terms of writing as some of my fellow class mates it is certainly enough posts on it to help me a lot, if i were asked to write my independent study now i would feel confident with the help of my blog as its very useful and up to a good standard.
Standard of med 6 blog: 3
I do the work our teacher sets us and have also added some posts through my own findings that have come up when i am completing other work but being honest this right now is playing second fiddle to my Med 5 blog so in the future i must start to focus on this as its just as important when it comes to the contributions to my overall grade.
WWW
- I have a 100% record of completions of all homework's tasks set by my teachers up to this point
- Ive contributed with good points to all the people who have done their presentations
- I come on time to class almost always and attend almost always as well
EBI
- I focused more on my Med 6 blog , making it a more equal split between the blogs
- If I stated more Shep information on my text
- If we had won the best overall media studies production but life's like that sometimes
I try to give my all in class both in contributing and on the work side of things and so far i feel so good as the work i have produced so far in my opinion as been of a high standard however it could be higher and that is why its not a 1.
Effort: 2
Sometimes I admit to drifting off but for the majority of the time I give my all when contributing to class discussions and when completing homework assignments.
Punctuality: 2
I have given myself this grade as i am good but not perfect in terms of being in the class, their have been times where i have not been in or have arrived late in the class but this year that has been kept to a very low minimum
Submission and quality of my homework: 3
This isn't one of my strongest aspects because i have tended to hand my homework in late on some occasions but overall i hand it in more on time, as for the standard of the work being honest it hasn't been of my best purely because of getting use to the yr 13 course but as time goes on i believe i will be better at this so in the future i hope to give myself a 1 for this part.
Ability to work Independantly : 3
I often ask for help on topics that are quite difficult to understand simply because i don't want to get it wrong when handing it in, but usually it is not for big problems but rather the smaller ones, however if given an assignment to do independently i would be quite confident of completing it by myself.
Quality of writing :4
This at best is quite average as i have yet to understand to meanings of the broader and longer words of the media analysis completely yet, i often repeat myself in assignments and i need to widen my vocabulary in the future if i am to get the higher grades.
Organisation of media folder: 3
If asked to lay out sheets that are relevant to my study I wouldn't struggle to do so but it isn't in a complete and utter mess where I wouldn't be able to find anything
Oral contribution in class: 1
This along with my blog i feel is my strongest features of being a media student, i have gradually grown in confidence since the first lesson of yr 13 and now am contributing to class discusions in almost every class so its one of my stengths without doubt.
Standard of med 5 blog: 1
Although their isn't as much detail on it in terms of writing as some of my fellow class mates it is certainly enough posts on it to help me a lot, if i were asked to write my independent study now i would feel confident with the help of my blog as its very useful and up to a good standard.
Standard of med 6 blog: 3
I do the work our teacher sets us and have also added some posts through my own findings that have come up when i am completing other work but being honest this right now is playing second fiddle to my Med 5 blog so in the future i must start to focus on this as its just as important when it comes to the contributions to my overall grade.
WWW
- I have a 100% record of completions of all homework's tasks set by my teachers up to this point
- Ive contributed with good points to all the people who have done their presentations
- I come on time to class almost always and attend almost always as well
EBI
- I focused more on my Med 6 blog , making it a more equal split between the blogs
- If I stated more Shep information on my text
- If we had won the best overall media studies production but life's like that sometimes
Tuesday 21 October 2008
Characters of film
Storm played by halle berry
Halle berry was once voted worlds sexiest woman in 2003 round about the same time the second x-men movie hit the cinema screens is it any wonder Halle berry who at the time and probably still is the most famous cast member was chosen
for one of the main roles in the film. She is known for other roles in hit films like die another day and cat women where she is also subdued to wearing tight clothing and bikinis in famous memorable scenes. Even though her looks and sexual presence may have played parts in given her roles during films she portrays sophistication, intelligence and charm proving its not just their beauty but also their brains that plays parts in female actresses successes.
This is the main female character played in x-men 3 and half of the 2 main protagonists. On one hand their could be suggestions that playing such a key and important role in a smash hit movie represents a significant step to achieving equality for women based on their acting ability rather than what they can offer sexually. However a point could also be made that the actress the director and staff have hired isn't ugly and offers much to the male gaze through her beauty and posture. In addition the clothes she and the rest of the crew have been designed to wear are quite tight therefore portraying the intention of the movie makers desire to keep the male audience members happy and the gaze still satisfied.
Halle berry was once voted worlds sexiest woman in 2003 round about the same time the second x-men movie hit the cinema screens is it any wonder Halle berry who at the time and probably still is the most famous cast member was chosen
for one of the main roles in the film. She is known for other roles in hit films like die another day and cat women where she is also subdued to wearing tight clothing and bikinis in famous memorable scenes. Even though her looks and sexual presence may have played parts in given her roles during films she portrays sophistication, intelligence and charm proving its not just their beauty but also their brains that plays parts in female actresses successes.Rogue played by Anna paquin
This is the main female character played in x-men 3 and half of the 2 main protagonists. On one hand their could be suggestions that playing such a key and important role in a smash hit movie represents a significant step to achieving equality for women based on their acting ability rather than what they can offer sexually. However a point could also be made that the actress the director and staff have hired isn't ugly and offers much to the male gaze through her beauty and posture. In addition the clothes she and the rest of the crew have been designed to wear are quite tight therefore portraying the intention of the movie makers desire to keep the male audience members happy and the gaze still satisfied.
Mystique played by Raven darkholme
After viewing x-men 1 and 3 their was one character that unfortunately only deepened my
beliefs that the females in the Hollywood industry are still being sexually exposed. The character mystique has a lot of unique things about her, she is the only female character to be on the evil side of the warring teams, she can morph into any person therefore confusing her enemies and finally she only has blue paint covering up the major parts of the female body clearly exposing those parts to the audience which will mostly heighten the male gaze to new levels. Its hard to argue the ideologies of equality from the directors when you have something as explicit as this on a certain character.
Sunday 19 October 2008
The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. "Holocaust" is a word of Greek origin meaning "sacrifice by fire." The Nazis, who came to power in Germany in January 1933, believed that Germans were "racially superior" and that the Jews, deemed "inferior," were an alien threat to the so-called German racial community.
During the era of the Holocaust, German authorities also targeted other groups because of their perceived "racial inferiority": Roma (Gypsies), the disabled, and some of the Slavic peoples (Poles, Russians, and others). Other groups were persecuted on political, ideological, and behavioral grounds, among them Communists, Socialists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and homosexuals.
This is part of my SHEP reaserch because it is refering to the infamous holocaust that took place years ago and is very important to the film not only becuase in the first of its 3 instllments it is feautred at the beggining but also becuase the mutants are also treated like second class citizens and abonded from society much like the jews were at the time by hitler.
During the era of the Holocaust, German authorities also targeted other groups because of their perceived "racial inferiority": Roma (Gypsies), the disabled, and some of the Slavic peoples (Poles, Russians, and others). Other groups were persecuted on political, ideological, and behavioral grounds, among them Communists, Socialists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and homosexuals.
This is part of my SHEP reaserch because it is refering to the infamous holocaust that took place years ago and is very important to the film not only becuase in the first of its 3 instllments it is feautred at the beggining but also becuase the mutants are also treated like second class citizens and abonded from society much like the jews were at the time by hitler.
Inoculation Theory - ‘Reservoir Dogs" Example
The Inoculations model is another passive audience theory, which suggests that audiences who are exposed to extreme media messages will become “immune” to them once viewed, and that long-term exposure can result in audience “desensitisation” to such imagery. It can be argued that as a result media messages are becoming more extreme, as seen in the following clip from ‘Reservoir Dogs’, directed by Quentin Tarantino. Despite there being no “copycat” crimes linked directly to this film, inoculation theory has been used in attempts to blame violent media for such alleged influences, and, like the Hypodermic Needle model, has more recently been criticised for its assumption that audiences are passive.
Saturday 18 October 2008
Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy
Superhero comics have tended to promote an ideology that is both masculines and driven to mastery. Nowhere are these biases more blatant than in the representation of female superheroes. With unabashed and unapologetic obviousness, women are portrayed as objects of male desire and fantasy with absurdly exaggerated sexual characteristics. While it is true that the costumes worn by male superheroes can also be defined by an overt sex appeal, those worn by their female counterparts tend to reveal a lot more bare flesh. But the frisson of fetishistic sexuality presented by female superheroes is adduced with one hand only to be dismissed with the other. This offering and denying of sexuality, which helps to resolve the sexual fears and desires of developing males, is the eternal paradox of the super heroine.
Cat woman, through her radical split of conscience between "good girl" and "bad girl," liberalizes this contradiction. Created by artist Bob Kane, she was inspired, in part, by Hedy Lam arr, whom Kane admired for her "great feline beauty." When she first appeared in Batman No. 1, Spring 1940, she was known simply as The Cat, a female burglar. Her real name was Selina Kyle, and originally she was characterized as a sybaritic socialite whose initial impulse to steal stemmed from ennui. Over the years, both her origin story and her costume have undergone several redesigns.
While in some cases the costume changes parallel (and signal) character transformations, in others they seem to be purely for the sake of fashionable appearances. Indeed, in another instance of comic-book chauvinism, female characters are typically subject to more stylistic makeovers, whether radical or restrained, than their male counterparts. Submission to the dialectics of fashion is presented as another expression of a fetishist femininity. Fetishism is a defining ingredient to Cat woman's wardrobe. She is best known, perhaps, for catsuits that cleave to the body, due in large part to the portrayals of the character by Julie New mar in the television series Batman (1966) and Michelle Proffer in the film Batman Returns (1992). Typical of the inter media cross-pollination for which superheroes are famous, the costumes of both actresses served to inspire and influence those worn by Cat woman in her comic-book representation.
As apparel, the catsuit has long been identified with the dominatrix, an archetype frequently associated with Cat woman. Michelle Puffer's performance strengthened this connection by spotlighting the themes of alpha-cat and submissive kitten-like behavior. Her costume, which co-opted the traditional iconography of the dominatrix, included associated paraphernalia such as a whip, gloves, and high-heel shoes.
The visual and symbolic language of Cat woman resonates strongly in fashion, especially in the work of Terry Muller, John Gillian, Doles & Cabana, Gianni Verses, Jean Paul Gaul tier, and Alexander McQueen. All these designers, like Cat woman (and, indeed, female comic-book characters generally), have been attracted to the wardrobe of the dominatrix and its associations of a liberated sexuality. Conceptually loaded and psychologically coded items such as catsuits, corsets, bustiers, and harness bras, usually in black "wet-look" materials like leather, rubber, and polyvinyl chloride, have in the hands of these outre designers achieved widespread acceptance as exotic-erotic couture.
But in co-opting these sexual cliches, fashion has, in the process, muted their meanings and sanitized their subtexts. In much the same way as comic books, fashion presents elements of fetishistic sexuality stereotypically, undermining, or at least redirecting and repositioning, its subversive, sadomasochistic underpinnings. While presented blatantly, erotic energies, like the feral nature of Cat woman, are tamed, neutered, and, ultimately, neutralized.
http://www.metmuseum.org/special/superherOes/paradoxical.asp
How this relates to my study
This is an interesting piece of research that Ive uncovered and by far the most helpful as it is preaching what i have already said about the representation of females In superhero movies. It boosts the idea making my conclusion on my PowerPoint presentation even stronger because it talks about the clear differences between the female characters and their male counterparts with distinct reference to the film cat woman, through the accessories and costumes they are given by the directors the source reveals the lenghts that they are being subjected to to give a clear indication as to what aspects of the male and females are being payed attention to
While the males brains, personality and muscular physique are the features being presented to the audience to give him credit for females it is purely what they can offer in terms of sexual presence that is catching the eye. This is important to my Independent study and I will use this information in the future to help write it.
Cat woman, through her radical split of conscience between "good girl" and "bad girl," liberalizes this contradiction. Created by artist Bob Kane, she was inspired, in part, by Hedy Lam arr, whom Kane admired for her "great feline beauty." When she first appeared in Batman No. 1, Spring 1940, she was known simply as The Cat, a female burglar. Her real name was Selina Kyle, and originally she was characterized as a sybaritic socialite whose initial impulse to steal stemmed from ennui. Over the years, both her origin story and her costume have undergone several redesigns.
While in some cases the costume changes parallel (and signal) character transformations, in others they seem to be purely for the sake of fashionable appearances. Indeed, in another instance of comic-book chauvinism, female characters are typically subject to more stylistic makeovers, whether radical or restrained, than their male counterparts. Submission to the dialectics of fashion is presented as another expression of a fetishist femininity. Fetishism is a defining ingredient to Cat woman's wardrobe. She is best known, perhaps, for catsuits that cleave to the body, due in large part to the portrayals of the character by Julie New mar in the television series Batman (1966) and Michelle Proffer in the film Batman Returns (1992). Typical of the inter media cross-pollination for which superheroes are famous, the costumes of both actresses served to inspire and influence those worn by Cat woman in her comic-book representation.
As apparel, the catsuit has long been identified with the dominatrix, an archetype frequently associated with Cat woman. Michelle Puffer's performance strengthened this connection by spotlighting the themes of alpha-cat and submissive kitten-like behavior. Her costume, which co-opted the traditional iconography of the dominatrix, included associated paraphernalia such as a whip, gloves, and high-heel shoes.
The visual and symbolic language of Cat woman resonates strongly in fashion, especially in the work of Terry Muller, John Gillian, Doles & Cabana, Gianni Verses, Jean Paul Gaul tier, and Alexander McQueen. All these designers, like Cat woman (and, indeed, female comic-book characters generally), have been attracted to the wardrobe of the dominatrix and its associations of a liberated sexuality. Conceptually loaded and psychologically coded items such as catsuits, corsets, bustiers, and harness bras, usually in black "wet-look" materials like leather, rubber, and polyvinyl chloride, have in the hands of these outre designers achieved widespread acceptance as exotic-erotic couture.
But in co-opting these sexual cliches, fashion has, in the process, muted their meanings and sanitized their subtexts. In much the same way as comic books, fashion presents elements of fetishistic sexuality stereotypically, undermining, or at least redirecting and repositioning, its subversive, sadomasochistic underpinnings. While presented blatantly, erotic energies, like the feral nature of Cat woman, are tamed, neutered, and, ultimately, neutralized.
http://www.metmuseum.org/special/superherOes/paradoxical.asp
How this relates to my study
This is an interesting piece of research that Ive uncovered and by far the most helpful as it is preaching what i have already said about the representation of females In superhero movies. It boosts the idea making my conclusion on my PowerPoint presentation even stronger because it talks about the clear differences between the female characters and their male counterparts with distinct reference to the film cat woman, through the accessories and costumes they are given by the directors the source reveals the lenghts that they are being subjected to to give a clear indication as to what aspects of the male and females are being payed attention to
While the males brains, personality and muscular physique are the features being presented to the audience to give him credit for females it is purely what they can offer in terms of sexual presence that is catching the eye. This is important to my Independent study and I will use this information in the future to help write it.
10 key words relevant to my study
1) Realism- Is a concept and treatment which has changed over time, what was real about superhero films in the past may not be in modern times
2) Male gaze- female superheroes being subjected to the male gaze through cosutmes that expose thier bodies.
3) Dumbing down- In a movie the female heroine could be dummed down by using less articulate vocab or not as much brain power but relying on someone else to solve mysteries
4) Ethnic minorities- the lack of black or asain lead charcters in hollywood blockbusters could be related to the case that females not getting much of a chance
5) Evidence- Clear signs that womans roles in action films have changed not through words but by thier actions
6) Structered reaserch- step by step reaserch that is organised, relevant and easy to view
7) Bibliography- A place where notes of everything i have done is kept similarly to my blog
8) Gravil- Another acroynm for the key conepts, this should help me remember them aswell as migrain
9)Inculation Theory- suggest that frequent exposure to the same media message dulls the impact of the message. In a movie for instance seeing a female chacter swap sexual favours for infomration might have come as a shock to an audience at one time but once it is repeated again in other movies they get a "Ive seen it all before" feeling therefore lessining the impact on them when they see it
10) Footnotes- putting a note at the bottom of the page details the relevant publications or source, this should help me as it decreases the chance of being accused of plagarism. Also it could be very useful when stating a peice of information as it could be used to reinforce or challenge a point that I had made
2) Male gaze- female superheroes being subjected to the male gaze through cosutmes that expose thier bodies.
3) Dumbing down- In a movie the female heroine could be dummed down by using less articulate vocab or not as much brain power but relying on someone else to solve mysteries
4) Ethnic minorities- the lack of black or asain lead charcters in hollywood blockbusters could be related to the case that females not getting much of a chance
5) Evidence- Clear signs that womans roles in action films have changed not through words but by thier actions
6) Structered reaserch- step by step reaserch that is organised, relevant and easy to view
7) Bibliography- A place where notes of everything i have done is kept similarly to my blog
8) Gravil- Another acroynm for the key conepts, this should help me remember them aswell as migrain
9)Inculation Theory- suggest that frequent exposure to the same media message dulls the impact of the message. In a movie for instance seeing a female chacter swap sexual favours for infomration might have come as a shock to an audience at one time but once it is repeated again in other movies they get a "Ive seen it all before" feeling therefore lessining the impact on them when they see it
10) Footnotes- putting a note at the bottom of the page details the relevant publications or source, this should help me as it decreases the chance of being accused of plagarism. Also it could be very useful when stating a peice of information as it could be used to reinforce or challenge a point that I had made
Wednesday 15 October 2008
Action plan timetable
1) Complete the Action plan timetable - Oct 21st
2) See what people have written about me on WWW and EBI and attempt to improve on what has been said( get film reviews from serious sources)- Oct 17Th
3) I have to change the synopsis from x-men to x-men 3 as i have to change my movie. -Oct 17Th
4) Look at shep aspects such as historical context to relate to study and put on blog- Oct 17h
5) Do a migrain analysis on the x-men 3 trailer- Oct 19Th
6) Put information on characters from powerpoint onto blog- Oct 19Th
7) Research more media terminology to use in relevance to study and put on blog. Oct 21st
8) Change hypothesises slightly to benefit my study on x-men 3- Oct 21st
9) Change the summer research project from the focus on x-men to x-men 3 doing the same amount like last time- Oct 22ND
10) Get an example of Inoculation theory through research and post it on blog- Oct 23rd
2) See what people have written about me on WWW and EBI and attempt to improve on what has been said( get film reviews from serious sources)- Oct 17Th
3) I have to change the synopsis from x-men to x-men 3 as i have to change my movie. -Oct 17Th
4) Look at shep aspects such as historical context to relate to study and put on blog- Oct 17h
5) Do a migrain analysis on the x-men 3 trailer- Oct 19Th
6) Put information on characters from powerpoint onto blog- Oct 19Th
7) Research more media terminology to use in relevance to study and put on blog. Oct 21st
8) Change hypothesises slightly to benefit my study on x-men 3- Oct 21st
9) Change the summer research project from the focus on x-men to x-men 3 doing the same amount like last time- Oct 22ND
10) Get an example of Inoculation theory through research and post it on blog- Oct 23rd
Wednesday 8 October 2008
Clint Eastwood: Angelina Jolie is too sexy
Clint Eastwood says Angelina Jolie's career may have suffered because she is too good-looking.
The movie veteran reckons the Tomb Raider star's talents as an actress are overshadowed by her sex appeal.
The movie veteran reckons the Tomb Raider star's talents as an actress are overshadowed by her sex appeal.
Eastwood, 78, director of Jolie's forthcoming film Changeling, said: "She's somewhat hampered sometimes by having the most gorgeous face on the planet.
"But she is a great talent and it would be easy to overlook that."
He added of the 33-year-old: "She comes in with a lot of preparation. She's ready to go right away - and is a lot like Meryl Streep in that
"But she is a great talent and it would be easy to overlook that."
He added of the 33-year-old: "She comes in with a lot of preparation. She's ready to go right away - and is a lot like Meryl Streep in that
Tuesday 7 October 2008
Self evaulation
WWW
-Highlighted key points
- Attempted to get audience involved
- Had a good title
- Current conclusion was good
EBI
- If id answered interactive question myself in addition to class
- More eye contact
-Id asked the question before showing the trailer
Targets
- To get film reviews from more serious sources
- Relate historical contexts of Nazism to my question(Shep)
- To account for the similarities and differences between X men and X men 3
-Highlighted key points
- Attempted to get audience involved
- Had a good title
- Current conclusion was good
EBI
- If id answered interactive question myself in addition to class
- More eye contact
-Id asked the question before showing the trailer
Targets
- To get film reviews from more serious sources
- Relate historical contexts of Nazism to my question(Shep)
- To account for the similarities and differences between X men and X men 3
Monday 6 October 2008
Hollywoods 5 saddest attempts at feminsism
Eowyn (The Lord of the Rings)
5) Eowyn is introduced in the second film as some sort of princess. Actually, we're really not sure; we sort of drifted off when there weren't stabbings going on. But we're reasonably sure she is related to that crazy dude that was the King, and that makes her a princess in our books.
Supposed to be a Role Model Because:
In the movies we see that she's an able ruler, and a trained warrior. Eowyn is told to stay behind and help protect the women and children of Rohan while all the men go off to ride horses and stab things.
Supposed to be a Role Model Because:
In the movies we see that she's an able ruler, and a trained warrior. Eowyn is told to stay behind and help protect the women and children of Rohan while all the men go off to ride horses and stab things.
The Problem:
Aside from the fact that she ran off with the army because of her hots for Aragorn (who sadly only had eyes for the hobbits) thereby making her central motivation to get the approval of some filthy male, she rather quickly gives up her warrior woman ways and pretty much marries the first guy she sets eyes on after Aragorn gives her the "It's not you, it's me" speech.
Aside from the fact that she ran off with the army because of her hots for Aragorn (who sadly only had eyes for the hobbits) thereby making her central motivation to get the approval of some filthy male, she rather quickly gives up her warrior woman ways and pretty much marries the first guy she sets eyes on after Aragorn gives her the "It's not you, it's me" speech.
4) Padme Amidala (Star Wars Prequels)
Natalie Portman's Padme shows up in the Star Wars prequels as the Queen of some intergalactic backwater. Not only is Padme the youngest elected Queen in history (eh, we'll have to do another article on George Lucas's poor grasp of what a monarchy is) but she's a certified kicker of asses.
After three movies, we know she is stern yet beautiful, driven equally by her duty and her love for a whiney Jedi wannabe who's totally half her age.
After three movies, we know she is stern yet beautiful, driven equally by her duty and her love for a whiney Jedi wannabe who's totally half her age.
The Problem:
Padme does just fine as an ass kicker until she starts using her uterus. As everyone in Hollywood knows, a uterus makes women do crazy things. In movies, pregnancy makes a heroine into a useless, whining, fragile creature (ok, other than Juno).
The pregnant Padme spends most of the movie crying and wondering when Anakin will come home. After confronting her baby daddy about his experimentation with the Dark Side, she's injured and goes into labor. While giving birth to future ass kickers Leia and Luke, Padme decides to die.
Padme does just fine as an ass kicker until she starts using her uterus. As everyone in Hollywood knows, a uterus makes women do crazy things. In movies, pregnancy makes a heroine into a useless, whining, fragile creature (ok, other than Juno).
The pregnant Padme spends most of the movie crying and wondering when Anakin will come home. After confronting her baby daddy about his experimentation with the Dark Side, she's injured and goes into labor. While giving birth to future ass kickers Leia and Luke, Padme decides to die.
3) River Tam (Firefly/Serenity)
In the Firefly universe, River is the genius kid sister of Serenity's ship's doctor, Simon. Lured away from her family at a young age with the promise of advanced schooling, River has been tortured and programmed as an assassin and possible psychic. Her abilities include mind reading, precognition, advanced weapons training and ballet.
Supposed to be a Role Model Because:
Since Firefly was created by Joss "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Whedon, it's pretty much assumed that all the female characters will be ground breaking paragons of feminist virtue. Maybe this is because Whedon genuinely respects strong female characters, or maybe he's intimidated by a cult fanbase that demands every show of his have another Buffy in it.
River, with her acrobatic fighting moves and penchant for exsanguinations, would seem to be a perfect fit.
Supposed to be a Role Model Because:
Since Firefly was created by Joss "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Whedon, it's pretty much assumed that all the female characters will be ground breaking paragons of feminist virtue. Maybe this is because Whedon genuinely respects strong female characters, or maybe he's intimidated by a cult fanbase that demands every show of his have another Buffy in it.
River, with her acrobatic fighting moves and penchant for exsanguinations, would seem to be a perfect fit.
The Problem:
Despite River's inherent ass-kicking abilities, she rarely uses them to the benefit of the crew. The character has been driven insane by her experiences, and therefore she spends most of her time saying crazy things and throwing up in her brother's bed.
Despite River's inherent ass-kicking abilities, she rarely uses them to the benefit of the crew. The character has been driven insane by her experiences, and therefore she spends most of her time saying crazy things and throwing up in her brother's bed.
2) Catwoman (Batman Returns)
Selina Kyle is a frumpy personal assistant to Batman villain Christopher Walken. She has the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and her boss kindly shoves her out a window for her troubles. Fortunately, she is resuscitated by a group of stray cats in an alley.
At this stage, Selina is left with only one option: dress in a shiny black leather cat suit and become a super villain. Well, we suppose calling the cops or going to an emergency room were also options, but who are we to judge?
At this stage, Selina is left with only one option: dress in a shiny black leather cat suit and become a super villain. Well, we suppose calling the cops or going to an emergency room were also options, but who are we to judge?
The Problem
Catwoman is a prime example of the femme fatale (literally "dangerous woman") stock character. It's an archetype that goes way back to probably the first male to ever write a story right after a nasty breakup.
You can see the mentality of the guy writing the femme fatale, since he has the character basically using sex as a weapon against men. Sharon Stone in Basic instinct is probably the most gratuitous example, but maybe the most famous is Cleopatra who, regardless of what actually happened, has always been fictionalized as having seduced the world with the sheer force of her boobies
You can see the mentality of the guy writing the femme fatale, since he has the character basically using sex as a weapon against men. Sharon Stone in Basic instinct is probably the most gratuitous example, but maybe the most famous is Cleopatra who, regardless of what actually happened, has always been fictionalized as having seduced the world with the sheer force of her boobies
1) Elizabeth Swan (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Elizabeth (Keira Knightley's character) Swan is introduced in the first movie as the governor's daughter who has a fascination with pirates and effeminate blacksmiths. Over the course of the franchise, she learns to fight, shoot, go to war, lead armies and give boring speeches.
Her and her one true love, Will (Orlando Bloom), endure many obstacles in their relationship and are rewarded when they are finally united in a thirty second Easter egg after the closing credits of the final movie.
The Problem:
Tokenism. She's the female pirate version of the crusty black sergeant that threatens to pull the white protagonists off the case in a buddy cop flick. Elizabeth exists for the producers to point to and say "Look how enlightened we are!"
Elizabeth is the only woman in the series who isn't a gossipy chamber maid, nameless whore or crazy sea goddess. Why do all the boys want a piece of her sweet, boobless ass? Because she's literally the only woman available. It's either her or one of the members of the film's catering staff.
http://www.cracked.com/article_16587_hollywoods-5-saddest-attempts-at-feminism.html
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Feminist Perspective
A female perspective of t.v show buffy the vampire slayer
The series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" first aired on March 10, 1997. The series was created by Joss Whedon under his production company, Mutant Enemy Productions. The show would air 144 episodes before the finale aired on May 20, 2003 "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", the televion series, starred Sarah Michelle Prinze as the dainty, blonde cheerleader who saved the world...a lot. The series was based on the theatrical movie released of the same title. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" quickly gained a huge fan base and became a cult favorite. Although one would think that the show's target audience was intended to be teenage girls, the series rapidly developed a diverse following and eventually inspired Critical Analysis Courses at many major universities. The series promoted many feminist ideals and was infused with "girl power". Creator Joss Whedon says of the series feminist premise: "I intended to invert the formula of the little blonde girl who goes into a dark alley and gets killed in every horror movie. I wanted to subvert that idea and create someone who was a hero." He explained: "The very first mission statement of the show was the joy of female power: having it, using it, sharing it."(Gottlieb) There have been many books and in-depth analyses written on the philosophical and social merit of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". This series has become one of the most talked about television shows of all time. Because of the large number of episodes of this series, this critical analysis will focus on one episode in particular that contains all of the dramatic elements necessary to gain an understanding of the feminist premise of the series.
The series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" first aired on March 10, 1997. The series was created by Joss Whedon under his production company, Mutant Enemy Productions. The show would air 144 episodes before the finale aired on May 20, 2003 "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", the televion series, starred Sarah Michelle Prinze as the dainty, blonde cheerleader who saved the world...a lot. The series was based on the theatrical movie released of the same title. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" quickly gained a huge fan base and became a cult favorite. Although one would think that the show's target audience was intended to be teenage girls, the series rapidly developed a diverse following and eventually inspired Critical Analysis Courses at many major universities. The series promoted many feminist ideals and was infused with "girl power". Creator Joss Whedon says of the series feminist premise: "I intended to invert the formula of the little blonde girl who goes into a dark alley and gets killed in every horror movie. I wanted to subvert that idea and create someone who was a hero." He explained: "The very first mission statement of the show was the joy of female power: having it, using it, sharing it."(Gottlieb) There have been many books and in-depth analyses written on the philosophical and social merit of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". This series has become one of the most talked about television shows of all time. Because of the large number of episodes of this series, this critical analysis will focus on one episode in particular that contains all of the dramatic elements necessary to gain an understanding of the feminist premise of the series.
Catwoman review
Catwoman" arrives in the theaters as the "Showgirls" of superhero movies.This is not a compliment. A vacuous lingerie show posing as feminism, it's the biggest movie hairball this side of "Garfield."Halle Berry plays Patience Philips, an art designer at cosmetics conglomerate Hedare Beauty who gets bumped off by boss Laurel Hedare (Sharon Stone) when she learns that the company's new wrinkle cream is not only addictive but hideously damaging to its users. (This is surely a metaphor for Botox and, possibly, for "Catwoman's" effect on Oscar-winner Berry's career.)
Mysteriously, Patience is resurrected as a Catwoman, one in an ancient line of independent-minded she-warriors whose purpose is never explained or explored. Perhaps they just like the leather getup.Single-named director Pitof, previously the visual effects wiz for films such as "The City of Lost Children" and "Alien: Resurrection," makes Berry look good. His cinematography sizzles and his computer-generated environments blend in nicely with physical elements. He's a confident, talented visual craftsman, but his feeble handle on the dramatic neuters any emotional connection we might have with Patience, or her love interest-cum-scratching post Detective Tom Lone (Benjamin Bratt).Particularly obnoxious is "Catwoman" posing as a feminist call to arms. Screenwriters John Brancato, Michael Ferris and John Rogers (notice, all male)
seem to comment on society's obsession with unattainable beauty at any price.
In fact, the cosmetics industry that feeds on and profits from female anxiety creates the movie's villainess, Laurel Hedare (get it? "He dare").Enraged at being replaced as the company spokesmodel by her husband's (Lambert Wilson) new fling, Hedare wants blood. When she's backed into a corner, Laurel snarls, "I'm a woman. I'm used to doing all kinds of things I don't want to do!"But here again, the filmmakers perpetrate a false trope. Playing on a strange, unwritten rule in the superhero genre, we have a female hero pitted against a female villain--the implication being that superpowered women aren't equal to superpowered men.Whose behind did Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone) kick in the last "Batman" movie? Poison Ivy (played by Uma Thurman). In "Supergirl," caped star Helen Slater went toe-to-toe with Faye Dunaway. Only in 1992's "Batman Returns" does Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman seek revenge on crime boss Max Shreck, played by Christopher Walken--a menacing figure, but still not a male supervillain.A feminist reading of "Catwoman" would take issue with the recurring choice of pitting scantily clad women against other sexy, flesh-baring "bad girls."Worse yet is the filmmakers' use of feline metaphor. The catsuit almost always underscores the character's feminine power, sensuality, danger and grace.Yet Pitof makes the metaphor literal, endowing his Catwoman with enhanced agility, sight and sense of smell. This leads to embarrassing sequences of Berry hissing, messily eating from tins of tuna scattered on her bed and, worst of all, rolling a ball of catnip, junkie-like, all over her face. Thankfully, we don't have to watch her chase mice or deal with hairballs and for this small favor, we can be grateful.
http://chicago.metromix.com/movies/review/movie-review-catwoman/158946/content
Mysteriously, Patience is resurrected as a Catwoman, one in an ancient line of independent-minded she-warriors whose purpose is never explained or explored. Perhaps they just like the leather getup.Single-named director Pitof, previously the visual effects wiz for films such as "The City of Lost Children" and "Alien: Resurrection," makes Berry look good. His cinematography sizzles and his computer-generated environments blend in nicely with physical elements. He's a confident, talented visual craftsman, but his feeble handle on the dramatic neuters any emotional connection we might have with Patience, or her love interest-cum-scratching post Detective Tom Lone (Benjamin Bratt).Particularly obnoxious is "Catwoman" posing as a feminist call to arms. Screenwriters John Brancato, Michael Ferris and John Rogers (notice, all male)
seem to comment on society's obsession with unattainable beauty at any price.
In fact, the cosmetics industry that feeds on and profits from female anxiety creates the movie's villainess, Laurel Hedare (get it? "He dare").Enraged at being replaced as the company spokesmodel by her husband's (Lambert Wilson) new fling, Hedare wants blood. When she's backed into a corner, Laurel snarls, "I'm a woman. I'm used to doing all kinds of things I don't want to do!"But here again, the filmmakers perpetrate a false trope. Playing on a strange, unwritten rule in the superhero genre, we have a female hero pitted against a female villain--the implication being that superpowered women aren't equal to superpowered men.Whose behind did Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone) kick in the last "Batman" movie? Poison Ivy (played by Uma Thurman). In "Supergirl," caped star Helen Slater went toe-to-toe with Faye Dunaway. Only in 1992's "Batman Returns" does Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman seek revenge on crime boss Max Shreck, played by Christopher Walken--a menacing figure, but still not a male supervillain.A feminist reading of "Catwoman" would take issue with the recurring choice of pitting scantily clad women against other sexy, flesh-baring "bad girls."Worse yet is the filmmakers' use of feline metaphor. The catsuit almost always underscores the character's feminine power, sensuality, danger and grace.Yet Pitof makes the metaphor literal, endowing his Catwoman with enhanced agility, sight and sense of smell. This leads to embarrassing sequences of Berry hissing, messily eating from tins of tuna scattered on her bed and, worst of all, rolling a ball of catnip, junkie-like, all over her face. Thankfully, we don't have to watch her chase mice or deal with hairballs and for this small favor, we can be grateful.
http://chicago.metromix.com/movies/review/movie-review-catwoman/158946/content
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