Intro- "Miss Representation" by Alli

http://www.policymic.com/articles/4439/are-women-in-the-media-only-portrayed-as-sex-icons-statistics-show-a-massive-gender-imbalance-across-industries

I came across this article about a documentary, "Miss Representation" written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, that had its broadcast premiere on "OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network" in October 2011. The documentary analyzes how women are misrepresented in the media. This video clips shows scenes from some of the most popular shows and films like "Mean Girls", "Americas Next Top Model", "Two and a Half Men", "Pretty Little Liars" and "Toddlers in Tiaras". These shows are viewed by billions of people each week and the viewers are mostly young teens. Teens are at the stage in their lives where self esteem and self image are very important to their overall health. Therefore, if they are constantly being fed that being pretty and thin is all that matters so they can catch cute boys attention their self esteem is going to be in great danger. Also poor self esteem can be very detrimental to young girls futures and can cause larger issues in their futures as well. Women being portrayed as sex symbols in film like in hip hop music (film "Say My Name" and "Under Construction" by Peoples) is a direct result of a male dominated media industry.

Films - Brain washing in TV and film by Alli

http://www.seejane.org/downloads/GDIGM_Gender_Stereotypes.pdf

This link leads to an article that I found, it closely analyzing how popular television and films stereotype gender norms. The study provides proof that in G-rated movies from 1990-2005 there was a gender and race imbalance among main characters. Most main speaking characters were white males, there was a very small percentage of female characters or characters of color. The article also analyzed the amount of “hyper sexuality” of males and females in PG-13 and R-rated movies. The study concluded that most popular films portray women as being extremely thin, with a small waist and an unreal body shape. Also popular films show women performing very “feminine” gendered tasks, for example taking care of children, cooking and cleaning. These images dominate societies view of women especially because children and young adults spend so much time watching television and films. From a very young age, when children are learning and developing their brains, they are brain washed because of what they continually view on TV forming societies normative view of women. This brain washing teaches society that women should be feminine, take care of the family and are not as strong physically, mentally or socially as males. This sick and unfair way of viewing women is a result of brain washing from birth. 

Sitcoms- Past to Present by Alli

I Love Lucy (1951)

The sitcom  “I Love Lucy” aired in 1951. During this time period women were seen as “inferior” to men. This is displayed by the clip above, which consists of clips showing Lucy’s husbands dominance and controlling behavior. The sitcom portrays a stereotypical white woman of the upper to middle class as having little to no power in the home. Final decisions are left to the male especially when handling money. This is because women, especially in the upper class, did not work and relied solely on their husbands for money. This caused a hierarchy between men and women causing society to label women as not equal to men. Teens and women were exposed to “I Love Lucy” and the “image” of men having the dominant role in marriage. This “image” was forced into societies minds, molding their view of white women of the upper and middle class.

Full House (1987)

The sitcom “Full House” aired in 1987 and it introduced to society a new family dynamic, one where all family affairs and childcare were not left for women only. The sitcom portrayed men having the “motherly” role, which redefined women’s role as well. “Full House” directed society towards a family dynamic that consisted of equal parenting roles. It showed society that men could perform the same tasks as women. This is also displayed in the sitcom within the family members career choice, one of the main characters (Danny Tanner) worked as a host for a morning television show and his co-host (Rebecca Donaldson) becomes Danny’s close friend and roommates (Jesse Katsopolis) wife. The characters careers emphasize the theme of equality among gender, changing the view of white middle class women’s role within society and the family.

 Modern Family (2009- present) 

http://tommilligan.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/stereotypes-and-modern-family/

I found this blog entry that addresses the stereotypes that are very present in the very popular and widely watched sitcom, “Modern Family”, which aired in 2009.

The sitcom showcases three different family dynamics and they are all very stereotypical but the interesting part that the author of this blog points out is that each stereotype is challenged with humor. First, the typical middle class “happy family” that includes a mother, father, and three children.  The mother takes care of the children, drives a minivan, cooks and cleans. She is perfect example of a feminine mom that performs gendered normative tasks.  Second, an older overweight male (technically a grandfather) is married to a young, hot, Latina women with a young son. The young wife is the stereotypical foreign character that is also very sexualized. The third and final family dynamic consists of a gay couple with a young adopted daughter. Both males assume the typical feminine or masculine role in the relationship, this is very stereotypical and a way for gay couples to fit into societies normal view of a couple.  All three family dynamics are very different and show different stereotypes that are created by society but the sitcom uses humor in order to challenge this and tell viewers that it is okay to be different.

Sitcoms- Gender Roles by Alli

I found this clip on youtube and it analyzes how gender roles in Sitcoms have evolved and changed with society and culture. In the 1950's men's role in a sitcom was very typical and masculine. They were the head of the household and were not the source of humor for the show, this showed society that men were strong serious hardworking individuals and they didn't have time for joking around. Women had the opposite role in the 1950s, they did not work and they had the typical stay at home mom role. Since the 1950s gender roles in sitcoms have done a complete 180 and the roles have been redefined. Now men are usually the source of humor, they are usually more involved with the upbringing of children but they are still more successful than females (Modern Family, Two and  a Half Men). In modern sitcoms women enter the work force and more importantly they are not always married. This is a big step for women and how they are viewed on television. Women are now seen as independent individuals that do not need a male to support them or their children. An example of this is the character Reba in the sitcom "Reba". The point of this video clip is that women are starting to gain credibility within the television world. There are still instances where women are very misunderstood and misrepresented with TV but there is definitely a change occurring.

Father Knows Best (1954-1960)

Reba (2001-2007)

Disney - "Princesses" by Alli

http://news.moviefone.com/2012/06/21/princess-merida-disney-role-model_n_1616789.html#slide=612110

This is a link to article that addresses the importance of Disney princesses as role models for young girls. The article emphasizes that Disney is clearly making an effort to change the normative view of a “princess”.

Disney- The Culture of Disney Villains by Caroline

I decided to start this off with a video I found. It's a bit long (about fifteen minutes) but it makes some very good points about femininity in Disney films. It made some very good points, some of which I felt the need to expand on.

Let's begin by taking a look at some of Disney's iconic female villains.

The Evil Queen from Snow White (1937)

Lady Tremaine from Cinderella (1950)

Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmations (1961)

Ursula from The Little Mermaid (1989)

Mother Gothel from Tangled (2010)

All of these characters have several things in common. Not only are they out to ruin things for our beloved antagonist, but they are also middle aged women. Adding to the fact that they are typically homely or conventionally unattractive, they are also older than the protagonist. This links women of an older age to something terrible, possibly giving girls a skewed vision of aging.

As addressed in the video above, female villains are usually perceived as unfeminine- which encourages young girls to believe that women who do not care for themselves or dress in a "feminine" fashion are assisted with evil.

Most of the villains in Disney films are also driven by jealousy. In Tangled, Mother Gothel never let her daughter leave the house seeing as Rapunzel's magical hair kept her young and beautiful. Without it, her (stolen) daughter would certainly thrive and find somebody to love. In Cinderella, the Evil Witch is clearly jealous of Snow White's beauty- this is why she keeps the young woman locked up in her house and doing her work.

This was just a short post that I wanted to do to analyze a few things and get in the mood to really start researching! 

Reality TV - America's Next Top Model by Graham Stanley

America’s Next Top Model, a televised modeling competition created by Tyra Banks in 2003, is not all the it claims to be. Tyra herself preaches about accepting all types of beauty and using ones sexuality as a source of strength, not as a way to appeal to men.
The linked blog post highlights the many ways in which Top Model contradicts itself. For example, is discusses a final runway show in which the models slide down the runway covered in mud and oil in skimpy bathing suits. This is an extremely sexual act that does not put across Tyra’s ideal of strength.
She also promotes accepting “different types of beauty” by accepting applicants on the show like Thalia Brookins, a girl whose body is scarred from burns, or Isis King, a male to female transexual. There is very minimal chances for either of these girls to make it into the modeling world whether or not they are on the show. By having these contestants, Tyra appears to be a humanitarian of sorts, while still crowning the types of people who are commercially viable to be “America’s Next Top Model”.
Another modeling archetype is the plus size, or, as Tyra calls them, “Fiercely Real” models. This title not only implies that women who are not this size are less real than plus size women, but it also has extreme limitations. Contestants like Laura James  are lauded for representing healthy or curvy women who aren’t stick thin, while her ribs and collarbones are in plain sight. Most models who are deemed as being “plus size” are actually normal sized women by society’s standards. By giving them the title of being plus sized, regular women who watch the show will see themselves in that light which does not promote body confidence and acceptance that Tyra claims to put across.

http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/32600000/ANTM-college-edition_episode-10_challenge-posing-with-dolphins-americas-next-top-model-32687214-593-354.jpg (Laura James, representing a “healthy” and “curvy” model that is considered large for the industry)

http://antm411.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/005689404fa.jpg
 (Alexandra Underwood, Plus Size model)

While Tyra preaches that women should be strong in themselves and independent, she also states on her show that models are supposed to be a canvas for the photographer, designer, or client. These conflicting messages get to thousands of young girls who watch the show. These girls will link the two together, believing that being a strong person in the modeling world means by being shaped by others.
America’s Next Top Model also shapes and pushes masculine appearances. The male models that appear as guests on the show are stereotypically masculine and extremely physically fit. On the other side of the spectrum, the contestant’s male mentors, like J Alexander or Jay Manuel, are very stereotypically homosexual. Either way, young males watching the show will be subjected to only two types of masculinity and be influenced in that regard.

Reality TV- Rupaul's Drag Race-Sourced and personal experience by Graham Stanley

http://femficatio.com/2012/07/19/drag-the-illusion-of-femininity-black-face-and-has-it-gone-to-far/

Until the premier of Rupaul’s Drag Race in 2009, drag was a largely undiscussed sub culture. Drag queens were seen as a novelty by the general public, not as a legitimate form of entertainment. While the show has given drag a much needed spotlight, it also a different way of representing both masculinity and femininity. Holding to the general stereotype that females are expected to be in the background, or seen and not heard, drag queens offer a different representation. The normal drag personality is very loud and strong that will not be walked over by anybody for any reason. This female representation can be a motivator for real women to adopt that kind of strength. However, this also carries the subtextual message that in order for women to be stronger, the must be like men because, underneath the makeup, hair, and padding, drag queens are fully male. Men who do drag are seen as overly feminine and while they are in drag are seen as performing misogynistic caricatures of women, often compared to blackface, as seen in the article above.

http://www.logotv.com/video/misc/859981/bonus-episode-6-season-1-rupauls-all-stars-drag-race-raven-routine.jhtml#id=1697970

Above is a scene from the comedy challenge of the All Stars season finale on 11/26/12. This comedy skit, like the majority of drag comedy, is very crass and sexually charged. In it, Raven claims that her relationships last, “at least long enough for me to fix my makeup and start the car”. This type of humor pervades the show. For example, each week the queens are asked to show of their Creativity, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent (C. U. N. T.), or play mini games like In Da Butt Ru (a parody of the Newlywed Game).

Another personality trait that is portrayed on Rupaul’s Drag Race is alcohol culture. The show itself is sponsored by Absolut Vodka, which has been a strong supporter of LGBT rights throughout the years. The contestants are often complaining that they need a drink, or plugging Absolut. A strong example of this in drag culture is Kasha Davis, who, although she has not been on the show, is popular on the internet. In her cooking video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CT2FdG97MQ), she teaches how to make “Kasha’s Balls of Love”, with many references and consumption of cocktails.
Also, seeing how the queens interact on a personal level is something that can be translated as femininity. In drag culture, calling someone a bitch or a cunt is a term of endearment. There is also the habit of playfully insulting or, “reading” other queens. While this is done in jest, if done in such a public medium as Rupaul’s Drag Race is, it will put that message forth that’s it’s okay to do to anyone. Drag really is its own culture, and there are certain norms and regulations that don’t fit in normative American culture which may be translated through the show.

Having been a drag performer for the past year, I have seen all of these aspects represented on the show in bars and clubs, but on an amplified scale. Most drag queens have had a least two drinks before the club is even partially full, and the hosts are constantly making alcohol and drug references. The sexual overtones are also very prevalent and overwhelming. I myself have been called to stage by the host saying, “She’ll suck you off behind the dumpster for a McDonald’s cheeseburger, welcome Sheena Le Femme!”. While this is done to get the crowds energy up through humor, it still represents the female gender as cheap and slutty. Since the majority of drag audiences are gay males and straight women, both groups will get specific representations of femininity which they may possibly adopt.

While drag, and Drag Race does represent women in these negative and possibly misogynistic ways, it can also have a positive influence, specifically in terms of body image. A strong example of this is Season 4 Miss Congeniality, Latrice Royale. She is a larger queen, who, in the modeling industry as stated before, would be shoved into the box of “plus size”, as different than the other girls. In drag, she is extraordinarily respected for the confident way she puts herself across and the way she loves her body. She even describes herself as “Large and in charge. Chunky yet Funky. I am Latrice Royale”. Drag is completely about loving your body and accepting a person for every part of them, which also commonly highlighted in the show.

The success of the show has also given queens a  voice for lgbt culture and rights. Willam Belli, from season 4, has utilized this newfound voice the best, by releasing a viral music video about the fast food chain Chik-Fil-A.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO-msplukrw

Through this satirical approach, Willam was able to educate the masses on the oppressive views of the chain. It also gave him the ability to voice his opinions in the 2012 election with this youtube clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcc0EMPcfhg

In this clip, it is clear that Willam has women’s rights in min and is genuinely trying to rally support for Obama, through his trademark flippant style.