In the Van Zoonen book I found the chapter on dramatization in politics to be very fascinating. Of most interest were the plots presented.Van Zoonen presents us with the quest, bureaucracy, conspiracy and soap. I find it fascinating to examine the intermingling of thses plots to paint a political picture.
This chapter begs the question of whether art imitates life or if life imitates art.
Starting with the quest as defined by Zoonen as a candidate fighting odds and overcoming in a race to the finish. This seems to be a linear plot focusing on over coming odds and working.
This clip speaks to Obama on the campain trail, and how he’s there for the people. It also speaks to him working on a grass roots level on the campaign, and trying to achieve his goals. The quest is “built on this populist tradition, with ‘the people’ figuring prominently to authenticate the quest of the hero, who is portrayed as ‘the outsider, the man of the people, renewing American ideals and metaphorically brining Washington practice in line with the classical form…’” (p. 111). Clealy this video shows Obama as the man of the people promoting the ideology of Americans coming together.
Far less idealistic in nature is the plot of bureaucracy. Bureaucracy as stated by Van Zoonen is “politics to be a strange disconnected field at best, or a quagmire of calculation, manipulation, and dishonesty at worst” (112). Futurama from Fox makes light of yet shows our overall discontent with bureaucracy.
This clip from “Futurama” sums up some of the angers of bureaucracy. It shows the bureaucracy as a nameless faceless organization against which its hard to fight. This clip represents some of the anxieties of Americans against bureaucracy. Additionally, this episode ends with Hermes, the bureaucrat of our little protagonist bunch helping to win and fight for the good and just cause. Fox not only addresses bureaucracy, they address conspiracy.
One doesn’t have to watch too many episodes of King of the Hill to know that Hank Hill’s neighbor is all about conspiracy theories. He is oober paranoid. In this clip Bobby (Hank’s son) becomes caught up in believing one of Dale’s conspiracy theories and gets paranoid.
Dale often speaks of large bureaucratic agencies in secret working on strange plots. Clearly, this is reflective of conspiracy presented in Van Zoonen.
Lastly we can see politics presented as soap, or highly dramatized. I think a fantastic example of this is what we talked about with Sarah Palin, and her political journey constantly being compared to a soap opera. Matt Damon weighs in on Palin, and compares her journey to stereotypical Hollywood plots.
Also, in this clip we can see her life being compared to drama.
We can see Palin fighting back, but this is presented in a soap-like manner.
Clearly from real life examples and from entertainment we can see the validity of of Van Zoonen’s concepts of dramatization in politics. i feel that there is also a great deal of validity to what we spoke about regarding women in politics.
Had Palin not been a woman, I don't feel her home life situation would have been a widely broadcast. In addition, we can see from the Matt Damon clip him focusing in on her as a woman. He speaks to the fact that her campaign is playing out like a "Disney movie" and continues to speak to the fact that she's a small town mom. His statement is loaded with anti-feminist language.
Van Zoonen makes several good points regarding politics, and the plots we can see present in politics. I have given examples of quest, bureaucracy, conspiracy and soap. I hope we all follow Bobby Hill's advice of being vigilant when we consume media. Moreover I hope we can all use these themes to be critical thinkers when evaluating news and other media sources.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Feminism on Television
During the semester we’ve talked about feminism and its presence in movies. I think feminism is fascinating to explore especially in terms of the feminist movement of the 1970s and 1980s. We talked about feminism largely in terms of film, but I would like to take a deeper in-depth look at feminist themes found in television. I will be using themes of feminism found in “America on Film” as a framework for my discussion, and illustrate how the themes aren’t limited to film, but can also be applied to television.
Many shows in the 1970s were to a large degree classified by theme. I feel that the largest start of women’s television was with Maude, starring one of my favorite actresses, Bea Arthur. According to imdb.com, Maude debuted in September of 1972, and was a spin off of “All in the Family”. The show revolves around Maude Findlay and her outspokenness. She is always at odds with her husband, Walter who is politically conservative.
The show even starts with a showcase of great women and their impact on the world. Here is the opening theme:
This ideal is hyperbolized by "Family Guy" as they take the theme song and extend it to include other famous women.
I find this to be somewhat of a masculinist rebuttal to Maude, and the show's popularity. More than the in the opening theme of the show, the actual content and some of the episodes were highly controversial and arguably very pro-feminist.
A key episode in the show was where Maude is considering getting an abortion.
Through this little clip we can see strong feminist values. In statements like "we are free" we can see ideals presented. The episode also speaks to women’s liberation, and some of the issues feminists were facing. Maude was supportive of abortion, but it’s different because she wasn’t pregnant at the time.
We can also see some of the advent of the sensitive man when we examine the following clip. The sensitive man is in touch with his feelings (Benshoff & Griffin, 2009). Walter has just lost his wife, and is highly emotional. Often times according to Benshoff & Griffin (2009) this emotional man is highlighted or explored by the “demonizing the new woman” (p. 283). In this clip we can see a demonization of Maude, and Vivian by their lack of respect for the dead, and accomplishing their end goal regardless of morals.
Feminist themes continued when Maude gets promoted. She becomes the manager of the office, and we can see feminist issues present here. The episode speaks to women’s pay, and how much more women make than men. Maude expressed anxiety over being “Just a woman in a man’s world”. Clearly, this illustrates the divide of womeon in the home, and women in the working world. Also, Arthur doesn’t understand why Maude is so nervous about the job because she has a husband. This statement reiterates the white patriarchal ideology that feminists were worried about.
Lastly, while I was watching these clips, and brushing up on my Maude, I found it interesting that these actors have worked so much together in the past, and in similar feminist veins.
Bea Arthur, Rue McLanahan, and Betty White were all feminist pioneers in one way or another. They have all worked together on sitcoms. Most famously in “The Golden Girls” but also in “Maude” and “Mama’s Family”. These shows and the fantastic ladies made great strides in the feminist movement.
All of these shows present feminist values in a way to make them somewhat more digestible for general audiences. I’d like to examine a few clips from “The Golden Girls” in closing.
Clearly from this clip we can see several stories of femininity being told. First, we can see the theme of women helping each other and causing each other to aspire to new levels though the story that Dorothy tells about her teacher helping her, and inspiring her to become a teacher.
We also can see the prevalence of women in the workforce, and the breaking of the glass ceiling by Blanche perusing her degree for a promotion at work.
Lastly, we can see the issue of sexual harassment as something that women are still fighting. In the end of the episode Blanche focuses her energies and gets an A on her exam. Clearly, the theme that women will prevail is prevalent. It also speaks to the fact that the woman who got cosmetic surgery ultimately gets promoted over Blanche. The statement Blanche makes about looks fading, but she will always have her education reinforces positive feminist values sought by young women in the 1980s.
Many shows in the 1970s were to a large degree classified by theme. I feel that the largest start of women’s television was with Maude, starring one of my favorite actresses, Bea Arthur. According to imdb.com, Maude debuted in September of 1972, and was a spin off of “All in the Family”. The show revolves around Maude Findlay and her outspokenness. She is always at odds with her husband, Walter who is politically conservative.
The show even starts with a showcase of great women and their impact on the world. Here is the opening theme:
This ideal is hyperbolized by "Family Guy" as they take the theme song and extend it to include other famous women.
I find this to be somewhat of a masculinist rebuttal to Maude, and the show's popularity. More than the in the opening theme of the show, the actual content and some of the episodes were highly controversial and arguably very pro-feminist.
A key episode in the show was where Maude is considering getting an abortion.
Through this little clip we can see strong feminist values. In statements like "we are free" we can see ideals presented. The episode also speaks to women’s liberation, and some of the issues feminists were facing. Maude was supportive of abortion, but it’s different because she wasn’t pregnant at the time.
We can also see some of the advent of the sensitive man when we examine the following clip. The sensitive man is in touch with his feelings (Benshoff & Griffin, 2009). Walter has just lost his wife, and is highly emotional. Often times according to Benshoff & Griffin (2009) this emotional man is highlighted or explored by the “demonizing the new woman” (p. 283). In this clip we can see a demonization of Maude, and Vivian by their lack of respect for the dead, and accomplishing their end goal regardless of morals.
Feminist themes continued when Maude gets promoted. She becomes the manager of the office, and we can see feminist issues present here. The episode speaks to women’s pay, and how much more women make than men. Maude expressed anxiety over being “Just a woman in a man’s world”. Clearly, this illustrates the divide of womeon in the home, and women in the working world. Also, Arthur doesn’t understand why Maude is so nervous about the job because she has a husband. This statement reiterates the white patriarchal ideology that feminists were worried about.
Lastly, while I was watching these clips, and brushing up on my Maude, I found it interesting that these actors have worked so much together in the past, and in similar feminist veins.
Bea Arthur, Rue McLanahan, and Betty White were all feminist pioneers in one way or another. They have all worked together on sitcoms. Most famously in “The Golden Girls” but also in “Maude” and “Mama’s Family”. These shows and the fantastic ladies made great strides in the feminist movement.
All of these shows present feminist values in a way to make them somewhat more digestible for general audiences. I’d like to examine a few clips from “The Golden Girls” in closing.
Clearly from this clip we can see several stories of femininity being told. First, we can see the theme of women helping each other and causing each other to aspire to new levels though the story that Dorothy tells about her teacher helping her, and inspiring her to become a teacher.
We also can see the prevalence of women in the workforce, and the breaking of the glass ceiling by Blanche perusing her degree for a promotion at work.
Lastly, we can see the issue of sexual harassment as something that women are still fighting. In the end of the episode Blanche focuses her energies and gets an A on her exam. Clearly, the theme that women will prevail is prevalent. It also speaks to the fact that the woman who got cosmetic surgery ultimately gets promoted over Blanche. The statement Blanche makes about looks fading, but she will always have her education reinforces positive feminist values sought by young women in the 1980s.
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
In the past few weeks of discussing Hollywood and the film industry I’ve thought back on several of my favorite films. The film that I will be focusing on for this segment is The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. I believe that this film illustrates white patriarchal capitalism, tokenism, and for the one black character that stands out in the film as a “mammy” character. To give you an overall taste of the film here is the trailer.
In the beginning of the film the patriarchal relationship that Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd (Burt Reynolds) has with Miss Mona (Dolly Parton) is not very clear. This theme is one that I feel builds throughout the film. From the moment that there’s news that Melvin P Thorpe (Dom DeLuise) will be doing an expose on The Chicken Ranch, Sheriff Dodd steps in to save the day.
The theme of Dodd saving the day builds with the rising action of the film until Dodd ultimately fails and The Chicken Ranch is closed. Although the plot runs somewhat contrary to Benshoff and Griffin’s (2009) statement that the white male protagonist “…emerges victorious at the end” (p. 25) Dodd does successfully “get the girl” and move on to purse his dream career in politics. I would argue that although he doesn’t achieve his prime objective , he does still end victoriously. Although Dodd is victorious, Jewel is not quite as lucky.
Jewel (Theresa Merritt) is one of the only speaking roles held by an African American person in the film. Throughout the film we can see her in the stereotypical “mammy” role. Jewel has few moments of screen glory throughout the film, but when we do see this large black woman on film she seems almost like a willing slave. I will say that she is almost portrayed as a business partner to Miss Mona in the film we can still see strong underpinnings of her mammy portrayal.
Scenes where Jewel is present we see her frying chicken, keeping after the girls, or fast asleep at the television like a mother waiting for her kids to come home. When we look at Mammy as “an overweight black woman who took care of the white master’s children, without concern for her own” (Benshott & Griffin, 2009, p. 79) we can see that Jewel is a modified mammy. The children that Jewel watches over are the prostitutes of The Chicken Ranch.
Lastly, one of the final scenes with Jewel and Miss Mona is probably the most poignant of the film. Additionally, this scene shows that although Miss Mona is the proprietor of the establishment, Jewel relates to her as if she is her daughter, not her boss. We can see this in the following clip 2:37 although Jewel is the most prominent minority in the film others are represented.
Throughout the film several ethnicities are represented though all of the “girls” that work at the ranch. Some of them have minor speaking roles, but nothing of too much significance. In these glorified extras we can find our tokens of other minorities. Of most interest to me was the fact that there were several Asian prostitutes, but they were not present elsewhere in the film. We can see this in almost any of the dance numbers that take place at the house. Interestingly, I find that the Asian prostitutes do not have any lines sung or spoken on their own.
Although this film may not have the best portrayal of minorities and it certainly reinforces white patriarchal capitalism, I think The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is an outstanding film.
In the beginning of the film the patriarchal relationship that Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd (Burt Reynolds) has with Miss Mona (Dolly Parton) is not very clear. This theme is one that I feel builds throughout the film. From the moment that there’s news that Melvin P Thorpe (Dom DeLuise) will be doing an expose on The Chicken Ranch, Sheriff Dodd steps in to save the day.
The theme of Dodd saving the day builds with the rising action of the film until Dodd ultimately fails and The Chicken Ranch is closed. Although the plot runs somewhat contrary to Benshoff and Griffin’s (2009) statement that the white male protagonist “…emerges victorious at the end” (p. 25) Dodd does successfully “get the girl” and move on to purse his dream career in politics. I would argue that although he doesn’t achieve his prime objective , he does still end victoriously. Although Dodd is victorious, Jewel is not quite as lucky.
Jewel (Theresa Merritt) is one of the only speaking roles held by an African American person in the film. Throughout the film we can see her in the stereotypical “mammy” role. Jewel has few moments of screen glory throughout the film, but when we do see this large black woman on film she seems almost like a willing slave. I will say that she is almost portrayed as a business partner to Miss Mona in the film we can still see strong underpinnings of her mammy portrayal.
Scenes where Jewel is present we see her frying chicken, keeping after the girls, or fast asleep at the television like a mother waiting for her kids to come home. When we look at Mammy as “an overweight black woman who took care of the white master’s children, without concern for her own” (Benshott & Griffin, 2009, p. 79) we can see that Jewel is a modified mammy. The children that Jewel watches over are the prostitutes of The Chicken Ranch.
Lastly, one of the final scenes with Jewel and Miss Mona is probably the most poignant of the film. Additionally, this scene shows that although Miss Mona is the proprietor of the establishment, Jewel relates to her as if she is her daughter, not her boss. We can see this in the following clip 2:37 although Jewel is the most prominent minority in the film others are represented.
Throughout the film several ethnicities are represented though all of the “girls” that work at the ranch. Some of them have minor speaking roles, but nothing of too much significance. In these glorified extras we can find our tokens of other minorities. Of most interest to me was the fact that there were several Asian prostitutes, but they were not present elsewhere in the film. We can see this in almost any of the dance numbers that take place at the house. Interestingly, I find that the Asian prostitutes do not have any lines sung or spoken on their own.
Although this film may not have the best portrayal of minorities and it certainly reinforces white patriarchal capitalism, I think The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is an outstanding film.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Butler and "Transamerica"
One of the most fascinating topics we covered in class over the past few weeks was Judith Butler’s queer theory and fluid identities. I have found myself thinking about her work, and seeking out media that represent what she is talking about.
I’ve found it difficult to find anything that really goes beyond gender as a binary, and admittedly I was often confused when I did. This notion of binaries is not only gender, but to a degree in sexual preference. As a comfortably out gay man, I feel that I understand heterosexuality and homosexuality. For some reason I find it difficult to grasp bisexuality, being transgendered, or other sexualities. Likewise, I found the clips we watched in class, and some of the clips dealing with sexuality difficult to “digest”.
While I was falling asleep the other night, I was thinking about the notion of gender performativity. Gauntlett, (2008) explains gender performativity as the way that we express our gender as a performance. One way in which popular culture has dealt with notions of gender performativity is through film. This clip from “Transamerica” illustrates how I view gender performativity:
“Transamerica” a film from 2005, provides us another way to view gender, and I believe this film carries us from binaries in gender and sexuality to a broader view. When we watch the trailer, which I’ve provided, we get only a glimpse of this very complex film. We can clearly see Felicity Huffman’s charcter Bree performing her gender on a daily basis. We can see the struggles that Bree goes through on a daily basis to perform her gender.
In addition to the struggles Bree faces we can see some of the struggles her son Toby (Kevin Zegers) goes through in the film. Toby is forced to not only deal with his biological father’s new identity as a woman, but examine his own sexuality.
Throughout the film Toby is solicited for sex by men, and also has sex with women. It is apparent that Toby is accustomed to this lifestyle. We can see this when he is trying to seduce Bree before he knows that Bree is his father. This dramatic scene illustrates Toby’s rejection of his father’s identity, and some very interesting dynamics of the film.
The film is also interesting when we look at subversion. According to our text subversion can be explained the following way “…if society were to witness unpredictable, seemingly ‘random’ performances of identity, which challenge our expectations about gender—that’s the proliferation of ‘subversive confusion’ that she’s [Butler] talking about—then our taken-for-granted gender categories would be shaken and, if subjected to enough challenges, might eventually fall apart altogether” (Gauntlett, 2008, p. 152). What I find most interesting about “Transamerica” is the fact that we watch Bree go to great lengths to avoid subversion. Arguably Bree’s existence is a big performance of gender, but not the way Butler advocates.
Although the film doesn’t move towards a neutral gender as Butler would wish the film is still an excellent way to understand what Butler is talking about. We can use this film to refute what critics of Butler’s theory may say. Pages 158-162 list Tim Edward’s critiques of queer theory. I will address Edward’s critiques in terms of “Transamerica”
Edward’s first argument is that identities are usually stable. In this film we can see that Bree is stable in her identity. She had had her feelings about her identity as long as she could remember, and has made the decision to perform her life in this matter. Although Bree was stable in her identity, her performance of that identity changes throughout her life, and throughout the film. Bree starts to assume more of a mothering role, which changes who she is as a person. Also, much work is put in by her social worker before her sex-change operation to ensure that her identity is stable.
The text makes further arguments against queer theory by saying, “queer theory cheats, by focusing on fancy theories and cultural texts rather than real life” and “queer theorists gaze optimistically at popular culture” (Gauntlett, 2008, p. 159) As much as I’d like to argue these points, they are undeniable as I’m using a film to explore Butler’s theory. However, to the point of gazing optimistically at pop culture we must step back and look at the film. The film was wildly popular and somewhat controversial. The film opened the dialogue for people to discuss gender issues.
Another argument Edwards makes is, “celebration of diversity may lead to individualism and fragmentation” (Gauntlett, 2008, p. 160) Similarly he states, “by celebrating difference, queer politics reinforces the idea of gays and lesbians as marginal and ‘alternative’”(Gauntlett, 2008, p. 161). I think “Transamerica” doesn’t take a stance of “celebration of diversity” but actually takes diversity and puts it into a day to day context. Although the film is focusing on the struggles faced by Bree as a transsexual individual, it puts it into an everyday context. To that same point, the portrayal of Bree isn’t alternative. In fact, her character does all that she can to fit in through gender performances. Clearly, this isn’t an example of an alternative or marginalized identity.
The last argument that Edwards makes about queer theory is “Queer theory celebrates pleasure, sex, the visual, the young and trendy” (Gauntlett, 2008, p. 162). Transamerica clearly does not fall into this trap. Bree is far from young or trendy. Her character is also socioeconomically poor and struggling to survive. The film doesn’t have the glamour and ‘sparkle’ that this argument is saying it should have. Bree isn’t sexually active, although Toby is. Toby is portrayed as having sex for survival. I don’t find his sexual activities in the film as celebrating pleasure, sex, or being glamorous.
Queer theory provides us an interesting lens through which to view “Transamerica”. I believe that this film can make some interesting points on sexuality, and that popular culture may embrace Butler’s views more than we may have initially thought.
I’ve found it difficult to find anything that really goes beyond gender as a binary, and admittedly I was often confused when I did. This notion of binaries is not only gender, but to a degree in sexual preference. As a comfortably out gay man, I feel that I understand heterosexuality and homosexuality. For some reason I find it difficult to grasp bisexuality, being transgendered, or other sexualities. Likewise, I found the clips we watched in class, and some of the clips dealing with sexuality difficult to “digest”.
While I was falling asleep the other night, I was thinking about the notion of gender performativity. Gauntlett, (2008) explains gender performativity as the way that we express our gender as a performance. One way in which popular culture has dealt with notions of gender performativity is through film. This clip from “Transamerica” illustrates how I view gender performativity:
“Transamerica” a film from 2005, provides us another way to view gender, and I believe this film carries us from binaries in gender and sexuality to a broader view. When we watch the trailer, which I’ve provided, we get only a glimpse of this very complex film. We can clearly see Felicity Huffman’s charcter Bree performing her gender on a daily basis. We can see the struggles that Bree goes through on a daily basis to perform her gender.
In addition to the struggles Bree faces we can see some of the struggles her son Toby (Kevin Zegers) goes through in the film. Toby is forced to not only deal with his biological father’s new identity as a woman, but examine his own sexuality.
Throughout the film Toby is solicited for sex by men, and also has sex with women. It is apparent that Toby is accustomed to this lifestyle. We can see this when he is trying to seduce Bree before he knows that Bree is his father. This dramatic scene illustrates Toby’s rejection of his father’s identity, and some very interesting dynamics of the film.
The film is also interesting when we look at subversion. According to our text subversion can be explained the following way “…if society were to witness unpredictable, seemingly ‘random’ performances of identity, which challenge our expectations about gender—that’s the proliferation of ‘subversive confusion’ that she’s [Butler] talking about—then our taken-for-granted gender categories would be shaken and, if subjected to enough challenges, might eventually fall apart altogether” (Gauntlett, 2008, p. 152). What I find most interesting about “Transamerica” is the fact that we watch Bree go to great lengths to avoid subversion. Arguably Bree’s existence is a big performance of gender, but not the way Butler advocates.
Although the film doesn’t move towards a neutral gender as Butler would wish the film is still an excellent way to understand what Butler is talking about. We can use this film to refute what critics of Butler’s theory may say. Pages 158-162 list Tim Edward’s critiques of queer theory. I will address Edward’s critiques in terms of “Transamerica”
Edward’s first argument is that identities are usually stable. In this film we can see that Bree is stable in her identity. She had had her feelings about her identity as long as she could remember, and has made the decision to perform her life in this matter. Although Bree was stable in her identity, her performance of that identity changes throughout her life, and throughout the film. Bree starts to assume more of a mothering role, which changes who she is as a person. Also, much work is put in by her social worker before her sex-change operation to ensure that her identity is stable.
The text makes further arguments against queer theory by saying, “queer theory cheats, by focusing on fancy theories and cultural texts rather than real life” and “queer theorists gaze optimistically at popular culture” (Gauntlett, 2008, p. 159) As much as I’d like to argue these points, they are undeniable as I’m using a film to explore Butler’s theory. However, to the point of gazing optimistically at pop culture we must step back and look at the film. The film was wildly popular and somewhat controversial. The film opened the dialogue for people to discuss gender issues.
Another argument Edwards makes is, “celebration of diversity may lead to individualism and fragmentation” (Gauntlett, 2008, p. 160) Similarly he states, “by celebrating difference, queer politics reinforces the idea of gays and lesbians as marginal and ‘alternative’”(Gauntlett, 2008, p. 161). I think “Transamerica” doesn’t take a stance of “celebration of diversity” but actually takes diversity and puts it into a day to day context. Although the film is focusing on the struggles faced by Bree as a transsexual individual, it puts it into an everyday context. To that same point, the portrayal of Bree isn’t alternative. In fact, her character does all that she can to fit in through gender performances. Clearly, this isn’t an example of an alternative or marginalized identity.
The last argument that Edwards makes about queer theory is “Queer theory celebrates pleasure, sex, the visual, the young and trendy” (Gauntlett, 2008, p. 162). Transamerica clearly does not fall into this trap. Bree is far from young or trendy. Her character is also socioeconomically poor and struggling to survive. The film doesn’t have the glamour and ‘sparkle’ that this argument is saying it should have. Bree isn’t sexually active, although Toby is. Toby is portrayed as having sex for survival. I don’t find his sexual activities in the film as celebrating pleasure, sex, or being glamorous.
Queer theory provides us an interesting lens through which to view “Transamerica”. I believe that this film can make some interesting points on sexuality, and that popular culture may embrace Butler’s views more than we may have initially thought.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
I Love 1980s televison
The discussion of gender found in television, the debate of whether media is propaganda, or what the public wants, and lastly some of the historical views of men and women in television is fascinating in terms of television from the 1980s.
Our text book speaks in terms of us turning a corner in the 1990s in terms of portrayal of females in television. I think that we started this turn in the 1980s. Clearly, when we examine 80s television on the whole we can see a predominantly masculine culture however; we can see an emergence of a female perspective. Shows like “Kate and Allie” which ran from 1984-1989 (imdb.com) clearly show a strong female presence, and arguably a lack of a male figure. The show portrays women in a new light, and as able to operate without men.
Additionally in 1980s television we have the show “Designing Women” which ran from 1986-1993 (imdb.com) showed women in a new light as business owners and independent strong ladies. The book seems to pay little attention to the media of the 1980s which paved the way for the media in the 1990s. Although the book also refers to gay and lesbian issues and speaks to them in terms of the 1990s, and even refers to homosexuality in the 1980s; it doesn’t refer to my favorite examples of homosexuality in the 1980s.
One example of dealing with homosexuality in the 1980s was “The Facts of Life” which ran from 1979 until 1988. The episode deals with a masculine girl, and how Blair treats her because of this. In this text we see the negative portrayal of being a lesbian. Through this text we also see second wave feminism through the comradely that the girls develop. The clip also does a good job at illustrating the struggle the feminist movement was going through at that period of time. There was a strong question of whether the girls should compete, or join forces. Clearly we can see them take the approach of women as equals in this clip.
Another clip of interest from this time period is from “Kate and Allie”. In this clip we see Kate and Allie trying to decide what they should do to keep their single family apartment. In this clip we see a surprisingly liberal take on lesbianism given the time. This clip takes a more accepting view of being a lesbian than “The Facts of Life” from just a few years prior.
Through these texts I also think we can go back to the debate of whether the media is propaganda or what the public wants. I think that we can see an argument for a more moderate stance leaning towards media being what the public wants. The episodes of “The Facts of Life” and “Kate and Allie” that I referenced would not have been welcomed by publics in the 1960s, or even arguably through the mid 70s because it wasn’t as acceptable at that time. Clearly, the media had to wait until lesbianism was something in the public sphere before they would produce an episode of a television show with such a theme. I think these texts prove that although the programming was undeniably revolutionary for its time, it was disseminated at a time when it was accepted.
In terms of timing I think the 1980s are of particular usefulness when we look at what we spoke about in class. I think that during the 1980s we saw the role of the stereotypical male protagonist wane. “Kate and Allie” and “The Facts of Life” lacked a male protagonist. We also had shows like “Moonlighting” which I think had a female protagonist with a male counterpart. When we look at the unique dynamic of “Moonlighting” we see that Bruce Willis’s character really can’t do too much without Cybill Shepherd’s character. Interstingly, Shepherd’s character was the owner of the agency that the duo worked for. Although she owned the agency, she got the money from modeling which, to me undercuts her strength as a breadwinner in a female role. However, Shepherd was a very strong character in “Moonlighting” and I feel paved the way for other such strong female characters.
I think that gender roles as portrayed by the media are very fascinating. I find it especially fascinating when we look at texts from the 1980s. I think this decade tested boundaries that hadn’t been approached. I believe that through the texts and examples I provided we can really see 1980s television as a good argument for media as something that the public desires, and some very interesting portrayals of and shifts in gender roles.
Our text book speaks in terms of us turning a corner in the 1990s in terms of portrayal of females in television. I think that we started this turn in the 1980s. Clearly, when we examine 80s television on the whole we can see a predominantly masculine culture however; we can see an emergence of a female perspective. Shows like “Kate and Allie” which ran from 1984-1989 (imdb.com) clearly show a strong female presence, and arguably a lack of a male figure. The show portrays women in a new light, and as able to operate without men.
Additionally in 1980s television we have the show “Designing Women” which ran from 1986-1993 (imdb.com) showed women in a new light as business owners and independent strong ladies. The book seems to pay little attention to the media of the 1980s which paved the way for the media in the 1990s. Although the book also refers to gay and lesbian issues and speaks to them in terms of the 1990s, and even refers to homosexuality in the 1980s; it doesn’t refer to my favorite examples of homosexuality in the 1980s.
One example of dealing with homosexuality in the 1980s was “The Facts of Life” which ran from 1979 until 1988. The episode deals with a masculine girl, and how Blair treats her because of this. In this text we see the negative portrayal of being a lesbian. Through this text we also see second wave feminism through the comradely that the girls develop. The clip also does a good job at illustrating the struggle the feminist movement was going through at that period of time. There was a strong question of whether the girls should compete, or join forces. Clearly we can see them take the approach of women as equals in this clip.
Another clip of interest from this time period is from “Kate and Allie”. In this clip we see Kate and Allie trying to decide what they should do to keep their single family apartment. In this clip we see a surprisingly liberal take on lesbianism given the time. This clip takes a more accepting view of being a lesbian than “The Facts of Life” from just a few years prior.
Through these texts I also think we can go back to the debate of whether the media is propaganda or what the public wants. I think that we can see an argument for a more moderate stance leaning towards media being what the public wants. The episodes of “The Facts of Life” and “Kate and Allie” that I referenced would not have been welcomed by publics in the 1960s, or even arguably through the mid 70s because it wasn’t as acceptable at that time. Clearly, the media had to wait until lesbianism was something in the public sphere before they would produce an episode of a television show with such a theme. I think these texts prove that although the programming was undeniably revolutionary for its time, it was disseminated at a time when it was accepted.
In terms of timing I think the 1980s are of particular usefulness when we look at what we spoke about in class. I think that during the 1980s we saw the role of the stereotypical male protagonist wane. “Kate and Allie” and “The Facts of Life” lacked a male protagonist. We also had shows like “Moonlighting” which I think had a female protagonist with a male counterpart. When we look at the unique dynamic of “Moonlighting” we see that Bruce Willis’s character really can’t do too much without Cybill Shepherd’s character. Interstingly, Shepherd’s character was the owner of the agency that the duo worked for. Although she owned the agency, she got the money from modeling which, to me undercuts her strength as a breadwinner in a female role. However, Shepherd was a very strong character in “Moonlighting” and I feel paved the way for other such strong female characters.
I think that gender roles as portrayed by the media are very fascinating. I find it especially fascinating when we look at texts from the 1980s. I think this decade tested boundaries that hadn’t been approached. I believe that through the texts and examples I provided we can really see 1980s television as a good argument for media as something that the public desires, and some very interesting portrayals of and shifts in gender roles.
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