Throughout the years, the media has been heavily criticized for it’s depiction of women in films as the natural caregiver i.e. “the traditional housewife” who is predominantly perceived as inferior to her male spouse. This is most certainly true for films such as “The Stepford Wives” where the ideology of “the perfect woman” is conveyed to the audience, substantiating the idea that women in films are somewhat subliminally objectified either sexually or mentally, establishing them as the more subordinate sex. “Women in film” corroborates this theory suggesting that “throughout much of film history, women have been depicted as manipulative, sexually repressed, or sexually overt”. However, this essay will investigate to what extent the theory that women are now being portrayed as “stronger” and more “independent” in films is true with regards to the film “Knocked Up” and counteracting the theory with the idea that the female protagonist is still yet sexually objectified due to her appearance and her ideological “traditional” attributes.
Monday 26 January 2009
Self Evaluation
Write an evaluation of your progress on the Media course since the last report.
Post the work up on your Module 5 blogs.
a. Comment on each of the following, giving yourself a grade with an explanation outlining why:
(Grading should be 1-5: 1 = excellent, 2 = v. good, 3 = good/average, 4 = poor, 5 = v. poor)
- Attainment- 2
- Effort- 3 i believe i have not been putting as much effort as i should be and need to work more independently
- Punctuality- 4 i'm usually late for lessons
- Submission and quality of homework- 3 my homework is usually on time however there have been occasions where i have missed deadlines and not done the best i could do
- Ability to work independently- 3 i can work independently but get easily distracted
- Quality of writing- 2 i think my quality of writing is quite good :)
- Organisation of Media folder- 2 my media folders well organised and in chronological order
- Oral contributions in class- 2 i think i contribute in class well but could contribute more
- Standard of Module 5 blog- 2 theres alot of research and work on my blog
- Standard of Module 6 blog- 4theres not much work on my med 6 blog
Thursday 8 January 2009
Monday 5 January 2009
1st Paragraph
essay plan (kind of all over the place :|)
*To what extent is the female portrayed as the more dominant and responsible figure in comparison to her male counterpart, with regards to the film "Knocked Up", and how does this challenge traditional stereotypes promulgated by other film texts?
Introduction
• Women in previous years have been ideologically stereotyped as “the traditional housewife”- briefly discuss the women’s movement and how it changed- introduction of contraception etc. made women more libertine
• Two fundamental stereotypes of women, that of “purity and innocence” and the idea that women are perceived to be “sexual objects” – “Throughout much of film history, women have been depicted as manipulative, sexually repressed, or sexually overt.” (women in film)
• Women are subliminally objectified in films and considered subordinate to men examples of some films I will be looking at.
• Focus on the question, the film depicts Alison as being a strong and independent individual- "Katherine Heigl plays Alison (blonde, beautiful, focused)"- *Reviews” however this is important as it illustrates that she is still objectified as her appearance is the most significant when it comes to her job.
No she is not dominant, objectified- Arguments
• “Alison, the film’s obvious projection of its female ideal, combines the boring-as-cardboard stereotypes of knock-out blond beauty and girl-next-door goodness”
• “In the absence of male domination, she wasn’t allowed to be feminine and submissive the way she becomes in this final scene.”- women need to be controlled (Debbie)
• Alison is placed on television predominantly due to her appearance....thus suggesting image matters more which implies that she may also be considered inferior within the household.
• Ben gets a job and attempts to be involved in the baby's life- however lack of responsibility when he doesn't read birth books.
• maternal instinct- shows less dominance and thus opposes idea as the women is naturally considered to be more emotional.
• “Debbie begins as an embodiment of everything women supposedly become if men “subject” themselves to marriage; she is nagging, cold, annoying, controlling, obsessive, uninteresting, and superficial.” (quote from a review) this suggests that the film portrays the women as coforming to their “nagging”, “housewife “ stereotypes.
• In the scene where Ben shouts at Debbie- male domination
Yes she is more dominant- Arguments
• Alison has a job and is career focused- which challenges the traditional stereotype of the woman as the “housewife” and the man as the “breadwinner”
• Alison's sister is more controlling over her husband and makes all decisions....which contrasts with the ideological superiority of the male in the household.
• Alison takes responsibility in trying to make the relationship work
• Ben’s utmost stupidity reflects his inability to take responsibility for his actions therefore emphasizing Alison’s maturity and portraying her as more dominant.
• Alison always has the final say!!! – refer to parts in the film
new man- a term used to describe a new type of masculinity identified and developed by advertising media in the 1980's in line with lifestyle marketing strategies.- refers to Ben
Feminist films strongly and seriously approached matters of women’s social and economic status, gender characterisation and the struggle of juggling both family and career roles.
Other texts which can be compared and contrasted with knocked up,
Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction
“Although they use their sexuality, they derive power from it and use their intellect to get what they want. They represent strong, active women and these virtues override the male-centered moral it is to enforce upon the audience.” (women in film)
The sound of music, gone with the wind
SHEP
“Feminism became a movement of liberation rather than reform, a movement of breaking away and creating the new.” (Feminism and the Women's Film Movement)
Historical text
Gone with the Wind (1939)-
Synopsis
Scarlett O'Hara is in love with drippy Ashley Wilkes, and is devastated when he announces that he plans to marry his cousin Melanie. She pleads with Ashley to marry her instead, but then, on the first day of the Civil War, she meets mercurial Rhett Butler. A man to match her strength of character and romantic desires,
| |
This text can be used in my independent study as it focuses on the strength and obstinacy Scarlett and also adheres to the traditional stereotypes of women being “virginal” and loyal to their lovers. In turn despite comparing it with “Knocked Up” in the sense that it portrays a strong and independent woman, the Madonna like attributes of women in the film contrast with those of Alison who although being depicted as a career woman is displayed as a “whore” when she sleeps with Ben.
The sound of music (1965)
synopsis:
THE main characters of The Sound of Music are members of an actual family, the Trapps, who successfully toured the world of music in choral concerts.
The first scene takes place at the Nonnberg Abbey in Austria in 1938. The nuns are pursuing their respective tasks, but the postulant Maria is not with them, for she is lying in a hammock on the mountain-top enjoying the beauty of Nature ("The Sound of Music"). The nuns, and the Mother Abbess particularly, are considerably disturbed about her, since they are convinced she is not ready to enter upon a life dedicated solely to religion ("Maria"). The Mother Abbess confesses that there are many pleasures in life which she shares with Maria ("My Favorite Things"), but for Maria's sake she decides to send the postulant away to serve as temporary governess for the seven children of Captain Georg von Trapp, a retured Austrian Naval officer, and a widower.
Maria comes to this household and completely wins over the children's affection, particularly after she entertains them and allays their fears during a thunderstorm ("The Lonely Goatherd"). She teaches the children to love music, and especially to sing ("Do, Re, Me"). And she can be uniquely sympathetic to the oldest of the children, Liesl, when she gets involved in her first love affair, with the village boy, Rolf Gruber ("Sixteen Going on Seventeen").
The Captain brings from Vienna Elsa Schraeder, his fiancée, who prevails on him to give a huge party. After the children bid the guests good night ("So Long, Farewell"), Maria becomes suddenly aware that she has fallen in love with her employer. Horrified, she flees from the villa back to the Abbey, where the Mother Abbess encourages her to overcome any obstacle that may lie in the way of her happiness ("Climb Every Mountain"). Returning to the villa, she finds that the Captain and his fiancée have separated following a quarrel over Nazism. The romance of Maria and the Captain now develops rapidly. They get married in a festive ceremony at the Abbey. After returning from their honeymoon, the Nazis--who by now have invaded Austria--summon the Captain back to naval duty. An avowed anti-Fascist, the Captain resolutely refuses to do so. He arranges to flee from the villa with his wife and children. With the Nazis in pursuit, the Trapps hide in the garden of the Abbey, and after that make their way to freedom by foot over the mountains.
Other texts include
-cat woman- women is protrayed as powerful yet still sexually objectified
- breif encounter