Gender Policing In Miss Congeniality

The movie Miss Congeniality was released in 2000. The film presents the image of a woman against the prototype that society believe is the correct behave of a woman. Is really important please society? The protagonist is manipulated during the whole movie to assume a personality that she does not possess. At the beginning of the plot she is against the Gender Socialization which later she had to change. Then, she adapt new manners just to please society. As a requirement for the role, she has to dress more feminine being influenced by clothing and socialization. To complement a feminine role, Gracie Hart had to learn about Gender policing to adjust her personality to society requirements. Most of the change is influenced by the media and peers …show more content…
The role of Victor Melling, portrayed by Michael Caine in the movie, is to be a pageant consultant to convert a person without manners into a society lady in a few days, which can be a very difficult job (Petrie). One of the sections in the film that presents gender policing is when Grace Hart is eating in the restaurant, and Victor Melling considers the way she eats disgusting (Petrie). Plus, she has more inappropriate manners, like the way she walks and speaks. Those and other situations where society does not agree with the performance of an individual are viewed in the film. In the film a female supposedly has to dress, talk, eat, and have an opinion very similar to other ladies. Gracie Hart has to apply her time and knowledge to act like a sweet and sensible woman because society expects that role from a female. Like Hart, some individuals have to learn from others which conduct to perform in certain social circles depending the gender. This is a requirement to please society or to be accepted for a group. Hart had to learn to behave more feminine and coexist with other women. This process helps her to discover a new perspective of her personality (Heins-Gelder, Chapter 4 , slide 34 and …show more content…
Those identities are based on the principle of Media and Peer (Heins-Gelder, Chapter 5 , slide 17). Media and Peer is an institution which can manipulate the personality of some individuals. The interaction with a specific group, images, sounds, and comments could be influences to control the appearance and conduct of a person. The first stage presented in the film is when Gracie Hart assumes a masculine personality because she is around men co-workers. In this case, I attribute the principle because her personality is influenced for work environment. The second stage appear in her assignment as Miss New Jersey in a pageant contest where her environment changes from males to females. Hart acquires a personality totally appositive to the previous, so she learn from other participants the correct manners, according society. Gracie Hart uses the characteristics from the principle of Media and Peer to adapt herself to both