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.
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