Stereotypes Of Gender Roles Essay

Gender Roles Mediation has been portraying negative stereotypes about gender since it was created. People may not always notice that the media of TV shows are influencing them, but they are. No one can escape being influenced by media. This has happened to me. I have watched The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother and loved it; however, I never noticed the many gender stereotypes that it has portrayed. Until I read an article explaining the stereotypical roles assigned. People believe that media plays a large role in creating social norms. Gender roles exist solely because society chooses to accept them. I know society chooses to expect it because not many people fight the stereotypes displayed on TV. Sadly, I watched The Big Bang Theory …show more content…
For example, the males in The Big Bang Theory are all scientists. Leonard Hofstadter is an experimental physicist at Caltech in Pasadena, Sheldon Cooper works as a theoretical physicist at Caltech, Howard Wolowitz works as an aerospace engineer and former NASA astronaut at Caltech in Pasadena, and Raj Koothrappali is an Indian-born astrophysicist who lives in Pasadena and works at Caltech. Unfortunately, one of the main women characters in The Big Bang Theory is another story. Penny is a waitress and failing actress. Women usually are underrepresented in media, says Rebecca L. Collins (Par. 1). This is true, women are not often portrayed as the successful and powerful people, and The Big Bang Theory is a great example to show that Penny is less successful to the men. Being a scientist takes many years of schooling and the mind of a genius. The fact that there are four successful male scientists and the female role is a waitress/failing actress is significant. Not only are there four male scientists but they are young. Most scientists are old because they had to work hard and long to get there. However, the male scientists have gained this success at a young age. This creates the stereotype that the men are much more successful then the women. When comparing a scientist to a waitress, which is more successful? Many times during The Big Bang Theory Penny has been shown serving the scientists because they have come to her restaurant. Women are usually being stereotyped to be the ones that serve the men and the show helps this stereotype. Penny has to take their order, bring their food, and clean up after them. She is being put under the men. In later episodes, women scientists are introduced to the show. Bernadette Maryann Rostenkowski is a microbiologist and has a pharmaceuticals job. Also Amy Farrah Fowler, who is a neurobiologist. Bernadette gets married to Howard Wolowitz; however, Howard is an