Title:
How has the stereotypical view of women been reinforced throughout the film "Material Girls"?
Throughout this, essay I will be dicussing the ways in which the film, "Material Girls" is able to conform to the main sterotypes which are given towards young blonde females in society, therefore emphasising the fact that women are being "underrepresented" and shown to conform to the "male gaze" showing to the audience what there main roles are in the film and what is expected from the stereotypical blonde female characters to do throughout the film. The media tend to exploit the faults in which blondes make highlighting them to be degrading to all blondes. Having blonde women constantly in the media like paris hilton can only justify the label in which blonde women are given which makes it evident that they would be the perfect roles to have in comedy films such as material girls.
Films like mean girls and legally blonde are able to show the audience the familiar roles in which blondes girl have within films of this genre. There roles are often comical and heavily sterotypical. Compared to the 1940s film "Double Indemnity" the female role differs to the one in which is shown in material girls. Even though the chracter is blonde she is very powerful in terms of the way in which she is able to manipulate the male charcter with her good looks.
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Monday, 15 December 2008
3 contemporay adverts
Diet coke advert
The difference with this advertisemnet for diet coke is that the man is being objectified by all of the women which makes a change to how women are represented as it its no longer the male gaze but the female gaze. This advert suggests now that there is a role reversal to the audience due to the fact that the men have to now identify with the women as they are given the point of view of what the females see in the advert.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4uL-YMCJlRY
GAP Advert
This advert portrays to the audience the life of what its like for a single man. Its clear from how the man is represented that the target audience for the advert is for men however this does comply with the female gaze as all the shots are of the man throughout the advert. This adevrt portrays the man in a more material role due to the fact that the advert shows the man looking after himself and shows him living on his own. Male audeince would identify with this man in the advert and may believe that this is the perfect image of what a man is supposed to be like.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=egBh9lauQDg&feature=related
Kate moss advert
This advert begins to portray how the female character is objectified. The advert links to greer theorys that all women are only interested in beauty products and looking good. This advert shows that its both for the male audience as kate moss is being objectified in order to meet the needs of the men that may be watching the advert. The adverts target audience is females however its shown through the close up shots which are used in the advert that some aspects are shown to meet the needs of men. This can also link to walters (1998) theory that women enjoy fashion and beauty and enjoy looking good which constrasts with the idea that this advert is only shown in order to target and comply with the male gaze.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jeZc6hjW22c&feature=related
The difference with this advertisemnet for diet coke is that the man is being objectified by all of the women which makes a change to how women are represented as it its no longer the male gaze but the female gaze. This advert suggests now that there is a role reversal to the audience due to the fact that the men have to now identify with the women as they are given the point of view of what the females see in the advert.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4uL-YMCJlRY
GAP Advert
This advert portrays to the audience the life of what its like for a single man. Its clear from how the man is represented that the target audience for the advert is for men however this does comply with the female gaze as all the shots are of the man throughout the advert. This adevrt portrays the man in a more material role due to the fact that the advert shows the man looking after himself and shows him living on his own. Male audeince would identify with this man in the advert and may believe that this is the perfect image of what a man is supposed to be like.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=egBh9lauQDg&feature=related
Kate moss advert
This advert begins to portray how the female character is objectified. The advert links to greer theorys that all women are only interested in beauty products and looking good. This advert shows that its both for the male audience as kate moss is being objectified in order to meet the needs of the men that may be watching the advert. The adverts target audience is females however its shown through the close up shots which are used in the advert that some aspects are shown to meet the needs of men. This can also link to walters (1998) theory that women enjoy fashion and beauty and enjoy looking good which constrasts with the idea that this advert is only shown in order to target and comply with the male gaze.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jeZc6hjW22c&feature=related
3 Historical Advertisments
In this advert the women is portrayed as the typical housewife. It is a typical, however stereotypical representation of what women are like. The advert links to Scheibe (1979) theory that the only concern for all women was cleanliness, family values and pleasing others.
The flash advert again portrays the women as being the typical housewife. From this advert it is made clear to the audience that they want to encourage women to go out and buy the product. The fact that a female is being used as the voice over for the advert shows a way in which the company are trying to sell its products to the main target audience, being females. This links again to scheibe who stated that womens interests were in the house and pleasing others, also is argued with Gunters theory (1995) which stated that women were shown in adverts to have low paid jobs or in the familiar housewife role.
This fairy liquid advert shows the audience that the typical role of the mother. She has to explain to her son about the uses of the product. This may imply that the mother is trying to persaude her son to fulfil the roles in which she is doing as she explains to him about what the uses of the product is as she answers all of his questions. The advert may be trying to show through the young boy the attitude to which men have to helping around the house as they are unaware of what they are supposed to do.
5 female directors
Gurinder Chadha -directed such films such as bend it like beckham, angus thongs and perfect snogging and bride and prejudice.
Amy Heckerling - is an American film director who is one of the few female directors to have produced a number of box office hits. Some of her films include: I could never be your women (2007) Look whos talking too (1990) and clueless( 1995)
Sofia Coppola - is also an American film director and an academy award winning screen writer. She was the third female movie director to be voted for a academy award for her directing and was also an actress beforehand. Films that she had directed included: lost in translation (2003) and marie antionette (2006)
Martha Coolidge- was born on the 17th of August 1946 and directed such films like materials girls (2006) and the prince and me (2004)
Kathy Bates- was born on the 28th june 1948. She is a film director who directed such films like ps I love you (2007) and faliure to launch.
Amy Heckerling - is an American film director who is one of the few female directors to have produced a number of box office hits. Some of her films include: I could never be your women (2007) Look whos talking too (1990) and clueless( 1995)
Sofia Coppola - is also an American film director and an academy award winning screen writer. She was the third female movie director to be voted for a academy award for her directing and was also an actress beforehand. Films that she had directed included: lost in translation (2003) and marie antionette (2006)
Martha Coolidge- was born on the 17th of August 1946 and directed such films like materials girls (2006) and the prince and me (2004)
Kathy Bates- was born on the 28th june 1948. She is a film director who directed such films like ps I love you (2007) and faliure to launch.
3 ways to get more female directors
1) To encourage female directors to send people their projects. This way more females would be encouraged to become directors.
2) Another way in which women may be encouraged to get the higher roles in film would be if there were more female role models. If there are more female role models doing well then this would encourage more females to achieve the higher roles in film.
3) From an early age people should encourage girls that it would be possible for them to become film directors. Therefore promoting to young girls that it would be possible for them to become female directors.
2) Another way in which women may be encouraged to get the higher roles in film would be if there were more female role models. If there are more female role models doing well then this would encourage more females to achieve the higher roles in film.
3) From an early age people should encourage girls that it would be possible for them to become film directors. Therefore promoting to young girls that it would be possible for them to become female directors.
Subertisements
" I only do the cooking at home when I have a day off from work
"The men like it when women get dirty"
"I don't really like the colour purple, but these men say I look good in it."
Why are women directors such a rare sight?
1) Female directors just dont seem to send in their projects, possibly suggesting that they dont want to become directors.
2) Having children may also play a part in influencing womens decisions to become directors. To become a director it would mean that you are giving part of your inner self and wouldnt have enough time for children.
3) The film industry itself is a heavily dominated male area which would make it even harder for women to try and break into the industry.
4) There are a small list of screenwriters in this country. It is not expected that 50% of working directors would be female.
5) Women are better organisers and traditionally more estoteric or creative.
2) Having children may also play a part in influencing womens decisions to become directors. To become a director it would mean that you are giving part of your inner self and wouldnt have enough time for children.
3) The film industry itself is a heavily dominated male area which would make it even harder for women to try and break into the industry.
4) There are a small list of screenwriters in this country. It is not expected that 50% of working directors would be female.
5) Women are better organisers and traditionally more estoteric or creative.
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