Media 10
April 4, 2016
Women in the Media
Women in the Media
· Tell Me Something I Do Not Know
· Finish the Celluloid Closet (I sent an email out)
· The Celluloid Closet group focus questions are now due 4/18
· Lecture on women in the media part 1
(Quiz 2) covering Latinos/Hispanics and Gay Representations in the media. You may use one sheet of notebook paper front and back.
Bell Hooks (Cultural Criticism and Transformation)
· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3CBUm7GrNI(Madonna) Part 5
· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJk0hNROvzs(Black Female Body, Are You Still A Slave?)
· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJZ4x04CI8c(Whose Booty Is This)
Gender and Emotional Expression Activity
(TAKE OUT A SHEET OF PAPER)
For the following, place an “M” for masculine, an “F” for feminine, or an “MF” for both under the two headings labeled “Feeling Rules” and “Your Beliefs”. Based on the norms in society, do you think that feeling desperate is depicted as a masculine emotion or feminine one or both? Then indicate what you believe that emotion is and whether it’s M or F.
Feeling Rules Your Beliefs
(Societal Norms)
Desperate
Concerned
Passionate
Sad
Loving
Rebellious
Self-Confident
Enraged
Shy
Mad
Vulnerable
Indecisive
Sensitive
Depressed
Lonely
Weak
Needy
Strong
What does this say about emotional expression, societal expectations, and gender? Who is able to express more emotions and why? How might this affect men, women, both? Be specific. (Work in your group for ten minutes)
History of Women in America
o In American history and much of the world today, women are defined by their relationship to a man or their extension to one. For example, generally women take the man’s last name. The history of women in film and television essentially reflects women’s treatment in American society. Many of the stereotypical roles of women have disappeared but I personally believe women are now transferred into objects. We will explore this later.
o In the 1920’s and 1930’s were dominated by a 19th century image of women where they were typically portrayed as innocent wives, mothers, or virgin daughters who took care of their homes and families. If they worked it must have been considered “women’s work” such as cooking and sewing.
o Sex was viewed as her duty to please her husband and not for her own sexual desires. Many early American films, particularly silent films suggested that if women had sex and enjoyed it, or had sex outside of marriage it would likely lead to failure. Consequently, women in early films were depicted in one of two ways, as either a good woman or a bad one. This was called the virgin-whore complex, a cultural construct defining women on the basis of their sexuality. And stereotype that developed around early 20th century as a result of the Industrial Revolution’s (women started to join the work force and earn their own money) effect on women was the Flapper. Was a sexy and confident woman. The flapper developed her own style. She bobbed her hair, wore short dresses and pearls, and smoked and danced in public. She was sexually free spirited person and had sex outside of marriage.
o Women defer to their husband for major decisions even though typically they run the house hold. (cook, clean, looking after the children, work, complete a budget).
o During the 1950’s it was looked down upon a woman if she didn’t marry. God forbid she didn’t have children. Clearly this has changed.
o Women are still paid less than men today. (Last year a female New York Times Editor was making less than the man who she replaced).
o Women still fight over their own bodies with the Abortion issue. Some political leaders have said that if a woman is raped her body would automatically know what to do and shut down any potential unwanted pregnancy. (ridiculous)
o In some cultures women are not suppose to enjoy sex but it’s for simply child barring and the pleasure of the man. While that ideology doesn’t have standing in America, certain religion groups are not for condoms and birth control and sex is for having babies or for the pleasure of men.
o Women couldn’t go to the bank and withdraw money without having the banker call her husband in the 1930’s and 1940’s in many parts of America. She almost always had to have a male co-signer on a loan.
o Women were granted the right to vote in 1920. Interesting fact, black men had more political power than obviously black women but also white women. Black men could vote (granted they were fighting for equal rights under the law in the south) but up north they could vote in the 1920’s but women (any race) could not.
o Women generally are portrayed as weak while men are portrayed as strong.
o Today women grow up expecting to be full participants in society with the same career expectations as men but sexism still exist.
Hollywood and Women
o A few women in the early days of the film business started their own film business. Alice Guy-Blache worked her way up through French cinema was the first woman in the U.S. to run a film studio (The Solax Company). This inspired many women and by 1912 there were 20 film companies headed by women with actress Mary Pickford being the most successful.
o Television was a great invention but it set women back largely due to portraying women as devoted housewives in charge of the home and kids. With that said, Lucille Ball positioned herself to start the female led television production company, Desilu which she ran with her real life husband Desi Arnaz. Ball later sold the company to Gulf-Western who later became Paramount Television.
o Women in early cinema were lit carefully make them seem alluring and sexy. They were things to be looked at in early cinema. No real story line, the prize of the man. Pretty much were outside of the story of the film.
How women are presented in the media, specifically advertising
o Objectification, transforming women into objects, devoid of individual will or subjectivity. This also refers to Sexual Objectification, which forces women to feel as though they are “something” and not “somebody”. It also places more value on women’s physical attributes.
o In history a common form of objectification occurred in painting; women who posed nude were asked to close their eyes and turn away from the painter. By not looking back grant all the power of the painter who was almost always a male. The woman had no control. Remember during Jim Crow in the south, blacks could not look directly at whites. This is a form of power and being submissive.
o Women are consistently told unless they have on the right make-up, the right hairstyle, right clothes then they are not good enough. The subtext in it all means to sexually AROUSE MEN not to empower women.
o Sexual-Objectification Theory, explains that women learn to evaluate themselves according to their perceived value as sexual objects of desire. Also suggests that there are mental health consequences to women as a result of the constant images to which they are exposed. These consequences involve eating disorders, depression, and sexual dysfunction.
o Even today when women are “the story” or the lead character their body is still on full display is sexualized in some way in the majority of Hollywood films. Look at the films where the female is the hero, she will often attempt to use her sexuality to win. The films “Killing Us Softly 3” and “Misrepresentation” will cover this in great detail.
Women and TV News Today
o Women make up about 40 percent of the workforce in television news which is just about where it was in the 1990’s.
o Women are still the minority in sports reporting and weather.
o Women in radio news goes up and down but generally it’s a downward trend. On average, about 29% of all those who work in radio are women.
o Barbara Walters became the first female to co-anchor of an evening news program in 1976 and her male co-anchor hated it and was deeply embarrassed and would be hostile to Barbara on the air. She was also the first woman in television to earn a million dollar a year salary.
o Katie Couric became the first female to solo anchor an evening news program (CBS).
o Carole Simpson was the first African American female to anchor a major network newscast. (NBC in Chicago) and was the first minority woman to moderate a Presidential debate. (Ross Perot, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush in 1992.)
o Oprah Winfrey began co-anchoring the evening news (radio) in Tennessee at 19 years old. Was so poor as a child that her grandmother often made her dresses out of potato sacks. Began her career in Baltimore then moved to Chicago.
o Connie Chung became the second woman to co-anchor a major network news program and the first Asian American. Was the first journalist to interview Magic Johnson after he announced he was HIV positive and was quitting the NBA.
Screen: Killing Us Softly 3 and Misrepresentation
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