Within American’s Modern movies, two different teenage females often appear in the same movie. One of them challenges patriarchal gender schema, which is America’s belief that masculine traits are only to be possessed by males, and the other female does not (Devor 506). From the given information, who is the hero and who is the villain? Does the interpretive audience get to choose or are the movie directors, who portrayed these girls differently, the final deciders? Often overlooked; both of these types of females have masculine tendencies; however, instead of being represented equally, one of the girls is portrayed negatively while the other girl is portrayed as a lovable character. Dr. Aaron H. Devor, a renowned sociologist and sexologist,
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Devor lists the attributes of femininity, he neglects to give examples relating to the media; under those circumstances, David Denby, a veteran writer for critically acclaimed magazine, The New Yorker, presents modern day examples of female gender roles, predominately focusing on high-school teen movies (“David Denby”). Located within the same textbook, Denby’s article, “High-School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies” discusses several overgeneralized high-school movies featuring characters that either adhere to or challenge gender role behaviors. The two types of female characters who challenge the definition of femininity in these cliché high-school movies are incredibly …show more content…
Although this type of character is found within many different movies, she carries a similar hackneyed portrayal of her personality; commonly described that “…She has a mouth on her, a low, slatternly tongue that devastates other kids with such insults… She has two or three friends exactly like her, and together they dominate their realm… They are like wicked princesses, who enjoy the misery of their subjects” (Denby 366). Immediately after hearing his description, it is possible to discern the masculine traits she processes: authority, harshness, and domination. Although she is merely challenging the gender schema, she portrays her masculinity an unappealing way, eventually influencing the audience to loathe her. She lacks of a sense of caring for others, maternity, submissive speech and weakness which goes against the traits Dr. Devor deems essential to staying within the lines of the gender role behaviors of femininity (506-508). He explains aggression, authority and dominance are all traits predominately possessed by men and are seen as masculine. Femininity’s requirements, according to Devor, include “weakness, dependency, ineffectualness,” all opposites of the masculine gender roles The Bitch holds as these are traits that the men who control the media despise a woman to own, she is penalized and consequently, loses her
Devor lists the attributes of femininity, he neglects to give examples relating to the media; under those circumstances, David Denby, a veteran writer for critically acclaimed magazine, The New Yorker, presents modern day examples of female gender roles, predominately focusing on high-school teen movies (“David Denby”). Located within the same textbook, Denby’s article, “High-School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies” discusses several overgeneralized high-school movies featuring characters that either adhere to or challenge gender role behaviors. The two types of female characters who challenge the definition of femininity in these cliché high-school movies are incredibly …show more content…
Although this type of character is found within many different movies, she carries a similar hackneyed portrayal of her personality; commonly described that “…She has a mouth on her, a low, slatternly tongue that devastates other kids with such insults… She has two or three friends exactly like her, and together they dominate their realm… They are like wicked princesses, who enjoy the misery of their subjects” (Denby 366). Immediately after hearing his description, it is possible to discern the masculine traits she processes: authority, harshness, and domination. Although she is merely challenging the gender schema, she portrays her masculinity an unappealing way, eventually influencing the audience to loathe her. She lacks of a sense of caring for others, maternity, submissive speech and weakness which goes against the traits Dr. Devor deems essential to staying within the lines of the gender role behaviors of femininity (506-508). He explains aggression, authority and dominance are all traits predominately possessed by men and are seen as masculine. Femininity’s requirements, according to Devor, include “weakness, dependency, ineffectualness,” all opposites of the masculine gender roles The Bitch holds as these are traits that the men who control the media despise a woman to own, she is penalized and consequently, loses her