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Casting a feminist gaze over film and pop culture

84 replies

flippinada · 20/11/2011 19:32

I know someone has already started a thread about Grease (wanted to acknowledge), but also would like to discuss this more generally.

What started me off thinking about this today in particular was going to see a film. I got free tickets to 50/50 which is basically a 'buddy' movie/dark comedy about a young man who gets cancer.

Now I enjoyed the film but while I was watching it, 2 things really struck me. Number 1, there is no way a film like this would ever be made with 2 female characters in the lead. Number 2, all the female characters were a)stereotypes and b)only there cos of the male characters.

This then got me on to thinking about other films/tb shows I've enjoyed. I'll pick an example - The Lion King. Now, this is a film I loved. But looking at it from a feminist perspective, the messages it gives out are just awful. For example, the men (male lions) are the ones in charge and the women (female lions). Need a man to sort them out..and again, the female characters exist only in relation the male ones.

Now this has opened a whole can of worms. I'm thinking about my favourite films and tv shows (The Simpsons and Family Guy immediately spring to mind) in a whole new light.

Anyway, I'd love to hear everybody else's ideas and thoughts about this because I find it fascinating subject to discuss.

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Original poster
flippinada · 20/11/2011 20:32

Interesting point Eleanor about 'that's just how it is'.

You know after I posted it I thought, isn't that showing sexism, rather than misogyny - and is there a difference between the two? Perhaps that was a bad example, although I do think there are elements of sexism there.

Family Guy has some unpleasant stuff in it. Meg, for example is the butt of some really nasty jokes, mainly centred on her being unpopular and unattractive.

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EleanorRathbone · 20/11/2011 20:05

YEs I take your point Frothy, it's just that in general, I think the soaps have been better at portraying women as real people in their own right, than many other genres have. Not that their storylines are particularly progressive or anything. (Having said that I haven't actually watched one for at least 5 years)

EleanorRathbone · 20/11/2011 20:02

I'm not sure that's misogyny though, I think that's the writers saying this is how it is. And that Homer is bloody awful. But I've always taken that to mean that the writers are saying that this is how lots of relationships work and it's so clearly awful that we're not supposed to think it's OK.

Or am I just assuming too much?

DontCallMeFrothyDragon · 20/11/2011 20:02

I think the soaps in particular pose an interesting area.

Over recent months, I've found myself turned off EastEnders, a former favourite of mine. A few weeks ago, they had an episode featuring a houseparty. Despite one of the characters being a former DJ, she claimed that, because she was a woman, she didn't know how to wire the speakers.

Hollyoaks, however, has been quite interesting through a feminist lens over recent months. We've had the long running rape storyline which was concluded on Friday (unless you watch at channel 4 pace - which means it's concluded tomorrow) which, in effect, challenged a few rape myths. IIRC, they worked with Rape Crisis during the storyline. Unfortunately, through attempts to be realistic, a lot of damage was done to the message the soap was trying to put across.

However, I have a new found issue with Hollyoaks after reading a recent interview with one of it's lead actresses, in which she described how, being an actress, she has a responsibility to watch her weight (she's a size eight...) Also, one of the long running storylines this year was heavily focused on a serial killer who focussed on female victims.

Original poster
flippinada · 20/11/2011 19:59

Thinking of overt misogyny in comedy..stuff like Two and a Half Men.

Subtler stuff...in The Simpsons (for example), Marge is endlessly forgiving of the most awful behaviour and always 'stands by her man'. Anything that hints at a feminist POV is made fun of/dismissed (eg Marge objecting to a Burlesque House). Oh, and Marge rarely gets to have any adventures.

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flippinada · 20/11/2011 19:56

Thank you Trills I will be sure to have a look at The Bechdel Test thread, and the Friends thread has also been recommended :)

Eleanor, I'm not a big TV watcher myself and I rarely watch soaps cos I can't bear them! My preference tends to be comedy/drama/crime...I haven't seen Downton Abbey but my mum recommended it so I'll check it out.

That reminds me of a programme I like which has a strong, complex female character that is in charge..New Tricks. She is allowed to be difficult, awkward and assertive and isn't punished. I think it's written by a man.

Comedy seems to be particularly bad for not only lack of decent female characters but actual, active misogyny.

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abbeylockhart · 20/11/2011 19:51

Oh there are sooo many examples!

There have been other threads on specific shows eg buffy, mad men, satc.

Tbh it's easier to list non-sexist tv/films because there are so few of them.

Film/ tv industry is esp mysogynistic and it's v depressing when you start seeing it evertwhere.

EleanorRathbone · 20/11/2011 19:47

I hardly ever watch TV so this is difficult for me, but one thing I did watch when it was on, was Downton Abbey.

And what I liked about that, was that the female characters are real. They exist in their own right, not just in relation to men. They have their own motivations, characters and agenda. Whether you like them or not, you can imagine them existing.

I think this is why soaps are so popular. The women in them are real, aren't they, not just adjuncts to men.

Trills · 20/11/2011 19:38

This could be very interesting. Just marking my place as I have to go and do some RL.

If anyone would like to add films/books/TV shows to the Bechdel Test thread that would be lovely.