The main focus of my essay is on the way in which female characters are sterotyped throughout films to create humour for the audience and to conform to the sterotypical representations of society, with the main focus of this essay being on my chosen film "Material Girls". It could be argued that the reasons for this being evident in films due to the fact that this is what the audience believe to be an accurate representation therefore the films interpretation of the females would have to be accurate which would encourage people to want to go out and watch the film.
The films main focus is on the lives of two sisters Ava and Tanzie, young females who enjoy life, explained in the title of the film that they are material girls, like many enjoy looking good and going shopping. The girls are presented as always being in the public eye and are alomst glamourised in order to show them as material girls.
Other texts which I would be able to relate to, in order to prove that in films which conform to the typical chick flick genre conventions are, Legally Blonde, Mean Girls and the sitcom The Simple Life which importantly stars Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. These two films and the television series would allow me to make similiar links to my film material girls due to the fact that they all show females to be presented in a similar way. In legally Blonde the main charcter is played by Reese Witherspoon. The character she plays in the film is sterotypically made to look stupid by wanting to study law in order to win the effections of her boyfriend. In mean girls the film portrays the actions of a group of young females highlighting how competeitve and bitchy they can become. Typical of a film like this to have girls falling out over a male character and failing to show female unity. The simple life is able to give the audience a real life view of two celebrities, both blonde trying to fit into the world which they seem to no nothing about.
Using the information above would help me writing up my essay as it invloves the main foucs of my question which would be to find out how in both my own film and the other texts which i am going to make references to, how sterotypes of the female characters espically chracters who are blonde are being reinforced to the audience watching.
Introduction:
Write about the ways in which women are sterotyped within some films and begin to talk about how I may begin to answer my question. Compare the other films and discuss how they are relevant to my essay and how they would help me answer my question.
Para 1- Women throughout history in film
Begin to discuss in the essay the ways in which the roles of women have changed throughout history. Include theorists.
Para 2- Stereotyping
The representation of blonde females in material girls and compare to the historical film double indemnity.
If the films are able to reinforce the negative sterotypes in which young blondes are given, or able to challenge them.
Link to the films to the sitcom the simple life which stars paris hilton and nicole richie. A real account of what blonde women are like in real life instead of film and begin to argue if this is the reason to why blondes are represented like this in film.
This would be an important part of my essay as it is the main topic in my question. It would allow me to show the changes of womens roles in film and the way in which they have been sterotyped.
Para 3- The whore vs the bimbo
Compare the representations of the female charcters in both double indemnity and material girls and discuss how they have changed over time. The whore in double indemnity and the bimbo image created in material girls.
Link to laura mulveys male gaze theory
Para 4- Womens roles in film
In this paragraph I will write about the ways in which womens roles in films have changed over time. Disscus the femme fatale (the bad women) the whore and women as the token characters in films.
Look at films which show women in leading roles and have more power. Shown in such films like tomb raider.
Link to mc neil (1975) typical role of a women in film would be a housewife.
Contrast with gaunters thoery as not all women in film are shown to be weak.
Conclusion:
Summarise the whole essay and to explain how my essay question has been answered
Discuss the different ways in which women are sterotyped within the film and conclude to whether or not the sterotypes have been reinforced in the films or not.
Give my own opinons to whether or not things have changed within films.
Compare
The Chick Flick Genre
This type of genre often shows young females in comical roles. The females would often clash during the film many beacause of another male charcter.
Blonde Women
Blonde women are often represented in film having the most comical roles in film and are often heavily stereotyped throughout them
Books which I will refer to:
Working Girls, Gender and Sexuality in Popular Cinema
The media students book Third edition- Gill Branston And Roy Stafford
Impossible bodies, femininity and masculinity at the movies- Chris Holmlund
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