Media Portrayals of Girls and Women: Introduction We all know the stereotypesthe femme fatale, the supermom, the

sex kitten, the nasty corporate climber. Whatever the role, television, film and popular magazines are full of images of women and girls who are typically white, desperately thin, and made up to the hilteven after slaying a gang of vampires or dressing down a Greek phalanx. Many would agree that some strides have been made in how the media portray women in film, television and magazines, and that the last 20 years has also seen a growth in the presence and influence of women in media behind the scenes. Nevertheless, female stereotypes continue to thrive in the media we consume every day. This section of the site provides a snapshot of the issues around the medias portrayal of women and girlsfrom effects on body image and self-identity to ramifications in sports and politics. It looks at the economic interests behind the objectification and eroticization of females by the media as well as efforts to counter negative stereotyping. And it provides the latest articles and studies that explore the ways in which media both limit and empower women and girls in society.

Beauty and Body Image in the Media Images of female bodies are everywhere. Womenand their body partssell everything from food to cars. Popular film and television actresses are "We dont need Afghan-style burquas to disappear as women. We disappear in becoming younger, taller and thinner. Some have even been known to faint reverseby revamping and revealing our on the set from lack of food. Womens magazines are full of articles urging that if they can just lose those last twenty pounds, theyll have it allthebodies to meet externally imposed visions of female beauty." perfect marriage, loving children, great sex, and a rewarding career. Why are standards of beauty being imposed on women, the majority of Source: Robin Gerber, author and motivational speaker whom are naturally larger and more mature than any of the models? The roots, some analysts say, are economic. By presenting an ideal difficult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits. And its no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty. If not all women need to lose weight, for sure theyre all aging, says the Quebec Action Network for Womens Health in its 2001 reportChangements sociaux en faveur de la diversit des images corporelles. And, according to the industry, age is a disaster that needs to be dealt with. The stakes are huge. On the one hand, women who are insecure about their bodies are more likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, and diet aids. It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth anywhere between 40 to 100 billion (U.S.) a year selling temporary weight loss (90 to 95% of dieters regain the lost weight).1 On the other hand, research indicates that exposure to images of thin, young, air-brushed female bodies is linked to depression, loss of selfesteem and the development of unhealthy eating habits in women and girls. The American research group Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders, Inc. says that one out of every four college-aged women uses unhealthy methods of weight controlincluding fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative abuse, and self-induced vomiting. The pressure to be thin is also affecting young girls: the Canadian Women's Health Network warns that weight control measures are now being taken by girls as young as 5 and 6. American statistics are similar. Several studies, such as one conducted by Marika Tiggemann and Levina Clark in 2006 titled Appearance Culture in Nine- to 12-Year-Old Girls: Media and Peer Influences on Body Dissatisfaction, indicate that nearly half of all preadolescent girls wish to be thinner, and as a result have engaged in a diet or are aware of the concept of dieting. In 2003, Teen magazine reported that 35 per cent of girls 6 to 12 years old have been on at least one diet, and that 50 to 70 per cent of normal weight girls believe they are overweight. Overall research indicates that 90% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance in some way.2

Media activist Jean Kilbourne concludes that, "Women are sold to the diet industry by the magazines we read and the television programs we watch, almost all of which make us feel anxious about our weight." Unattainable Beauty Perhaps most disturbing is the fact that media images of female beauty are unattainable for all but a very small number of women. Researchers generating a computer model of a woman with Barbie-doll proportions, for example, found that her back would be too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and her body would be too narrow to contain more than half a liver and a few centimeters of bowel. A real woman built that way would suffer from chronic diarrhea and eventually die from malnutrition. Jill Barad president of Mattel (which manufactures Barbie) estimated that 99% of girls aged 3 to 10 years old own at least one Barbie doll.3 Still, the number of real life women and girls who seek a similarly underweight body is epidemic, and they can suffer equally devastating health consequences. In 2006 it was estimated that up to 450, 000 Canadian women were affected by an eating disorder.4 The Culture of Thinness Researchers report that womens magazines have ten and one-half times more ads and articles promoting weight loss than mens magazines do, and over three-quarters of the covers of womens magazines include at least one message about how to change a womans bodily appearanceby diet, exercise or cosmetic surgery. Television and movies reinforce the importance of a thin body as a measure of a womans worth. Canadian researcher Gregory Fouts reports that over three-quarters of the female characters in TV situation comedies are underweight, and only one in twenty are above average in size. Heavier actresses tend to receive negative comments from male characters about their bodies ("How about wearing a sack?"), and 80 per cent of these negative comments are followed by canned audience laughter. There have been efforts in the magazine industry to buck the trend. For several years the Quebec magazine Coup de Pouce has consistently included full-sized women in their fashion pages and Chtelaine has pledged not to touch up photos and not to include models less than 25 years of age. In Madrid, one of the worlds biggest fashion capitals, ultra-thin models were banned from the runway in 2006. Furthermore Spain has recently undergone a project with the aim to standardize clothing sizes through using a unique process in which a laser beam is used to measure real life womens bodies in order to find the most true to life measurement.5 However, advertising rules the marketplace and in advertising thin is "in." Twenty years ago, the average model weighed 8 per cent less than the average womanbut todays models weigh 23 per cent less. Advertisers believe that thin models sell products. When the Australian magazine New Woman recently included a picture of a heavyset model on its cover, it received a truckload of letters from grateful readers praising the move. But its advertisers complained and the magazine returned to featuring bone-thin models. Advertising Age Internationalconcluded that the incident "made clear the influence wielded by advertisers who remain convinced that only thin models spur the sales of beauty products." Another issue is the representation of ethnically diverse women in the media. A 2008 study conducted by Juanita Covert and Travis Dixon titled "A Changing View: Representation and Effects of the Portrayal of Women of Color in Mainstream Women's Magazines found that although there was an increase in the representation of women of colour, overall white women were overrepresented in mainstream womens magazines from 1999 to 2004. Self-Improvement or Self-Destruction? The barrage of messages about thinness, dieting and beauty tells "ordinary" women that they are always in need of adjustmentand that the female body is an object to be perfected. Jean Kilbourne argues that the overwhelming presence of media images of painfully thin women means that real womens bodies have become invisible in the mass media. The real tragedy, Kilbourne concludes, is that many women internalize these stereotypes, and judge themselves by the beauty industry's standards. Women learn to

compare themselves to other women, and to compete with them for male attention. This focus on beauty and desirability "effectively destroys any awareness and action that might help to change that climate." References 1. The diet business: Banking on failure. (BBC News World Edition, Feb 5 2003).http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2725943.stm 2. The Canadian Womens Health Network (Body Image and the Media). http://www.cwhn.ca/node/40776 3. Barbie boots up. (Time, Nov 11 1996).http://www.time.com 4. A Report on Mental Illness in Canada. (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2002). 5. Women laserized to standardize dress sizes. (CNN.com, Feb 11 2008).

Media Coverage of Women and Women's Issues Women professionals and athletes continue to be under-represented in news coverage, and are often stereotypically portrayed when they are "What women suffer, then, is more insidious than invisibility. It is deliberate included. erasure." Women, News and Politics Source: Louise Armstrong, social critic and author

Although there has been a steady increase in the number of women professionals over the past 20 years, most mainstream press coverage continues to rely on men as experts in the fields of business, politics and economics. Women in the news are more likely to be featured in stories about accidents, natural disasters, or domestic violence than in stories about their professional abilities or expertise. Women in politics are similarly sidelined. Canadian journalist Jenn Goddu studied newspaper and magazine coverage of three womens lobby groups over a 15-year period. She discovered that journalists tend to focus on the domestic aspects of the politically active womans life (such as "details about the high heels stashed in her bag, her habit of napping in the early evening, and her lack of concern about whether or not she is considered ladylike") rather than her position on the issues. Quebec political analyst Denis Monire uncovered similar patterns. In 1998, Monire analysed 83 late evening newscasts on three national networksthe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio-Canada (the Frenchlanguage public broadcaster) and TVA. He observed that womens views were solicited mainly in the framework of "average citizens" and rarely as experts, and that political or economic success stories were overwhelmingly masculine. Monire also noted that the number of female politicians interviewed was disproportionate to their number in Parliament or in the Quebec National Assembly; nor, he noted, was this deficiency in any way compensated for by the depth and quality of coverage. Inadequate womens coverage seems to be a worldwide phenomenon. In 2000 the Association of Women Journalists (Association des femmes journalistes AFJ) studied news coverage of women and womens issues in 70 countries. It reported that only 18 per cent of stories quote women, and that the number of women-related stories came to barely 10 per cent of total news coverage. News talk shows are equally problematic. The White House Project reports that only 9 per cent of the guests on Sunday morning news shows such as Meet the Press andFace the Nation are women, and even then they only speak 10 per cent of the timeleaving 90 per cent of the discussion to the male guests. Project president Marie Wilson warns that the lack of representation for women will have profound consequences on whether or not women are perceived as competent leaders, because "authority is not recognized by these shows. It is created by these shows."

Professor Caryl Rivers notes that politically active women are often disparaged and stereotyped by the media. When Hillary Clinton was still first lady, she was referred to as a "witch" or "witchlike" at least 50 times in the press. Rivers writes, "male political figures may be called mean and nasty names, but those words dont usually reflect superstition and dread. Did the press ever call Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, or Clinton warlocks?" Women and Sports Women athletes are also given short shrift in the media. Margaret Carlisle Duncan and Michael Messner studied sports coverage on three network affiliates in Los Angeles. They report that only nine per cent of airtime was devoted to womens sports, in contrast to the 88 per cent devoted to male athletes. Female athletes fared even worse on ESPNs national sports show Sports Center, where they occupied just over two per cent of airtime. And, according to the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women, Sports and Physical Activity, women athletes receive just three per cent of sports coverage in major Canadian dailies. Margaret Carlisle Duncan notes that commentators (97 per cent of whom are men) use different language when they talk about female athletes. Where men are described as "big," "strong," "brilliant," "gutsy" and "aggressive," women are more often referred to as "weary," "fatigued," "frustrated," "panicked," "vulnerable" and "choking." Commentators are also twice as likely to call men by their last names only, and three times as likely to call women by their first names only. Duncan argues that this "reduces female athletes to the role of children, while giving adult status to white male athletes." The Prix Dmritas (Brickbat Prize) for sexist reporting was awarded by Quebecs Gazette des femmes to the journalists who covered the 2000 International Womens Tennis Cup. The Gazette noted in particular the journalists keen interest in any of the athletes poses that could be seen as suggestive, as well as the excessive attention accorded Anna Kournikovafor her beauty rather than her game. Media images of women in sports are also very different from the familiar pictures of male athletes in action. Female athletes are increasingly photographed in what Professor Pat Griffin calls "hyper-sexualized poses." Griffin notes, "When it was once enough to feminize women athletes, now it is necessary to sexualize them for men. Instead of hearing, 'I am woman, hear me roar,' we are hearing 'I am hetero-sexy, watch me strip.'" Beauty Before Brains When well-respected news-show host Greta Van Susteren moved from CNN to Fox in early 2002, she not only had a makeover; she surgically altered her face to appear younger and more "beautiful." When her new show, On the Record, premiered, her hair was perfectly coiffed and she sat behind a table so viewers could see her short skirt and legs. Robin Gerber notes that, "Before her surgery, Van Susteren had been an increasingly visible beacon projecting the hope that women had made progress. You believed that she had made it in television because she was so darn smart, clearly the best legal analyst on the air." However, her surgery symbolizes what many analysts have argued for decades: that the way a woman looks is far more important than what she has to say. Gerber concludes that Van Susteren "has become a painful reminder of womens inequality... Being smart, smarter, smartest isnt enough. By trying to become just another pretty face, Van Susteren instead became another cultural casualty."

The Economics of Gender Stereotyping

No one would deny that the mass media is big business. According to the "Women working for their side are up American Motion Picture Association, Hollywood films alone pulled in $9 against a conspiracy of the money-hungry, billion in 2001, and that doesn't include the renting and selling of videos and whose DVDs. However, media executives argue that the economics of the industry job is to pull in the big bucksand often the grosser the movie, the bigger the make it impossible to avoid stereotypes of women. gross." Chasing the Young Male Demographic Source: Jeannine Yeomans, journalist and television producer Many commentators argue that media content is driven by advertising. All advertisers are chasing the elusive 18- to 34-year-old male market. Little wonder that the starring role in two-thirds of TV situation comedies is played by a young man. The Not only are there fewer women in starring roles, San Diego State Universityonly people that advertisers want are 28-year-old male millionaires, preferably communications professor Martha Lauzen reports that shows focusing on a living female character tend to be scheduled in "lousy" time slots. Lauzen's annual in Manhattan. (Source: Dean Valentine, President of UPN) study of television content indicates that the higher the number of female creators and actors working on a show, the more likely the program will be "moved around and surrounded by programs not getting high ratings or shares." Advertisers claim they can be far less aggressive about chasing female viewers because women are less picky about what they watch. Writer Paul Krumins interviewed Industry professionals and reports that they say "women will pretty much do anything to get to snuggle with their boyfriend or husband." Advertisers, he says, want the networks to cater to men because they feel they get the women for free. Writer Nancy Hass concurs: "Women ... tend to let men control the remote. NFL viewership, for example, is 40 per cent female, though women rarely watch football alone." The Syndication Market Advertisers' lack of interest in women is complicated by the fact that shows with women in leading roles don't perform as well in syndication as shows starring male actors. Since networks make most of their money on re-runs, prime-time programming tends to be "male-skewed." In addition, as Nancy Hass argues, "shows that don't focus on men have to feature the sort of women that guys might watch." The Movie Market Movie studios use the same economic arguments to explain the abundance of female stereotypes on the big screen. Movies featuring sex and violenceHollywood is only interested in what guys are want, like old geezer movies and slob sex big international sellers. Why? Sex and action films do not rely on clever, intricate, culture-based scripts or convincing acting. Sex and action filmscomedies where all the girls are bimbos. I've never therefore "translate" easily across cultures. Since at least 60 per cent of the seen our culture in such bad shape. (Source: movie industry's profits come from the international market, studios continue Jan Wahl, Emmy winning director) to pump out the same old stereotypes. Screenwriter Robin Swicord says, "It is very hard to get movies made that are genuinely feminist, or even portray women in a fair way. I genuinely believe there is a big domestic audience for this kind of movie, but if there is only a domestic audience, it won't get made." Director Jan Wahl agrees. "Overseas audiences still want sex and violence. That's what sells outside the U.S. The whole world may have to change before the picture for women in Hollywood gets brighter."

Media and Girls

"They have ads of how you should dress and what you should look like and this and that, and then they say, 'but respect people for what they choose to be like.' Okay, so which do we do first?" Kelsey, 16, quoted in Girl Talk

The statistics are startling. According to the 1983 Nielsen Report on Television, the average North American girl will watch 5,000 hours of television, including 80,000 ads, before she starts kindergarten. The 1996 study "Images of Female Children in TV Commercials" found that in the United States, Saturday morning cartoons alone come with 33 commercials per hour. Commercials aimed at kids spend 55 per cent of their time showing boys building, fixing toys, or fighting. They show girls, on the other hand, spending 77 per cent of their time laughing, talking, or observing others. And while boys in commercials are shown out of the house 85 per cent of the time, more than half of the commercials featuring girls place them in the home. You've Come A Long Way, Baby? The mass media, especially children's television, provide more positive role models for girls than ever before. Kids shows such as Timothy Goes to School, Canadian Geographic for Kids, and The Magic School Bus feature strong female characters who interact with their male counterparts on an equal footing. There are strong role models for teens as well. A Children Now study of the media favoured by teenage girls ("A Different World: Children's Perceptions of Race and Class in Media," 1996) discovered that a similar proportion of male and female characters on TV and in the movies rely on themselves to achieve their goals and solve their own problems. (The one discrepancy was in the movies, where 49 per cent of male characters solve their own problems, compared to only 35 per cent of their female counterparts.) Television shows like Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and computer games such as Tomb Raider andPerfect Dark, star girls who are physically assertive and in control. And of course, Lisa has been acknowledged as the brains of the Simpson family since the start. Despite the progress that has been made there is a long way to go, both in the quantity of media representations of woman and in their quality. In terms of quantity, the media is still a long way from reflecting reality : women represent 49 per cent of humanity while female characters make up only 32 per cent of the main characters on TV, as shown by a broad survey done in 2008 by Doctor Maya Gtz of theInternational Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television. This study measured the representation of male and female characters in nearly twenty thousand childrens programs in 24 different countries. The media industry justifies this disparity by arguing that it is easier for girls than boys to identify with characters of the opposite sex. Gtz argues that this argument reverses cause and effect, saying that it is the lack of female characters on TV is what leads to the higher popularity of male characters. So far as quality is concerned, the media still conform to a stereotyped image of women. Gtzs study identifies a number of sexual stereotypes found around the world : in general, girls and women are motivated by love and romance, appear less independent than boys, and are stereotyped according to their hair colour blonds fall into two categories, the girl next door or the blonde bitch, while redheads are always tomboys they are nearly always conventionally attractive, thinner than average women in real life, and heavily sexualized.

Magazines are the only medium where girls are over-represented. However,almost 70 per cent of the editorial content in teen mags focuses on beauty and fashion, and only 12 per cent talks about school or careers. ("Content Analysis of Contemporary Teen Magazines for Adolescent Females," 1991) Media, Self-Esteem and Girls' Identities Research indicates that these mixed messages make it difficult for girls to negotiate the transition to adulthood. In its 1998 study Focus on Youth, the Canadian Council on Social Development reports that while the number of boys who say they "have confidence in themselves" remains relatively stable through adolescence, the numbers for girls drop steadily from 72 per cent in Grade Six students to only 55 per cent in Grade Ten.

Carol Gilligan was the first to highlight this unsettling trend in her landmark 1988 study. Gilligan suggests it happens because of the widening gap between girls' self-images and society's messages about what girls should be like. Children Now points out that girls are surrounded by images of female beauty that are unrealistic and unattainable. And yet two out of three girls who participated in their national media survey said they "wanted to look like a character on TV." One out of three said they had "changed something about their appearance to resemble that character." In 2002, researchers at Flinders University in South Australia studied 400 teenagers regarding how they relate to advertising. They found that girls who watched TV commercials featuring underweight models lost self-confidence and became more dissatisfied with their own bodies. Girls who spent the most time and effort on their appearance suffered the greatest loss in confidence. Eroticization of Young Girls Under-represented, women are equally misrepresented : the hypersexualization of very young girls, most notably in fashion and advertising, is a disturbing trend given that these stereoypes make up most of the representations of themselves which girls and women see in the media. The pressures on girls are exacerbated by the media's increasing tendency to portray very young girls in sexual ways. Over the past decade, the fashion industry has begun to use younger and younger models, and now commonly presents 12and 13-year-old girls as if they were women. Camera angles (where the model is often looking up, presumably at a taller man), averted eyes, wounded facial expressions, and vulnerable poses mimic the visual images common in pornographic media. Anthropologist David Murray warns that, "Our culture is to a large extent experimenting with eroticizing the child." For Murray, the media frenzy around teeny-bopper pop star Britney Spears and murdered 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey are examples of how this eroticization is being turned into a highly saleable commodity. The most cursory examination of media confirms that young girls are being bombarded with images of sexuality, often dominated by stereotypical portrayals of women and girls as powerless, passive victims. As these girls become teenagers, many choose to tune out, but others maintain a hungry appetite for these messages. As Shawn Doherty and Nadine Joseph note, those who continue to consume media images are strongly influenced "by stereotypical images of uniformly beautiful, obsessively thin and scantily dressed objects of male desire. And studies show that girls who are frequent viewers have the most negative opinion of their gender."

Resisting Stereotypes and Working for Change Ideas of what women should look like and how they should act change over time. The size 12 sex goddess of the 1950s who spent her on-screen time breathlessly trying to marry a millionaire may have yielded to the trials and tribulations of the neurotic, ultra-thin professional woman. But not much has really changedboth Ally McBeal and the 1950s sex goddess are consumed by their search for a man. Many media activists argue that producers should be called to account, and that images of women should be forced to be more realistic. Some producers have taken the lead. In the late 1990s, cereal giant Kellogg released an ad campaign for Special K which used pictures of older and larger women, and copy such as "the Ashantis of Ghana think a woman's body gets more attractive as she ages. Please contact your travel agent for the next available flight." The ads attracted such positive attention that in 1999 they were followed up by a TV campaign.

Teen magazines are also getting a makeover. Although stories about "The perfect boyfriendthree ways to find him" continue to grace the cover of magazines like Cosmo Girl, the features inside are expanding beyond the requisite beauty tips and fashion spreads. In 2002, the Christian Science Monitor reported that teen mags were running stories about homeless teens, a young female Palestinian suicide bomber, and an actress who refused to lose weight to get a movie role. Christina Kelly, editor of YM, made headlines when she announced that the magazine would no longer run stories on dieting and would include pictures of bigger models. Media activist Jean Kilbourne applauded the move, saying, "Any magazine that purports to be for girls and young women, dieting has no place in it. This is a step in the right direction... It would be wonderful if some other magazine editors would be equally as courageous." An Old Friend in a New Hat? It is difficult to say how far changes will go. Women's networks and alternative magazines that purport to break with stereotypes have been met with ambivalence and disappointment by many commentators. The magazine Jane was created as an alternative voice for real women's An old advertiser-smooching, beautyproduct-hawking, celebrity-ass-kissing, concerns. Although, as Andi Zeisler and Lisa Miya-Jervis note, "It's true you skinny-model-filled old friend in a new, won't find diet plans, calorie breakdowns, or dopey self-discovery quizzes within Jane's heavy, well-designed, matte-finish pages ... in plenty of thefaux-iconoclastic, hypocritical, selfways that count, Jane is just like any other women's magazine"full of congratulatory hat. Source: painfully thin models and what Janelle Brown calls, "advice on how to slim our Andi Zeisler, on Jane thighs and prepare nutritious snacks for kids while dressed for the catwalk." Women's networks like Oxygen and Lifetime TV have been criticized for equally mixed messages. Joyce Millman compares one animated show on Oxygen called Fat Girl, which tells the story of a "large-and-in-charge woman who clashes with her mean, stick-figure female boss," withBitchy Bits, the tale of a woman who grumbles her way through a shopping expedition for a new bathing suit. Millman concludes, "Yes, many women have food and weight issues. But Oxygen's schizo attitude ("It's cool to be fat!"; "I hate myself in a bathing suit!") is doing nobody any favours."

(THE ABOVE EXAMPLES OF MAGAZINES ARE OUTDATED, BUT THE THEORIES CAN STILL BE APPLIED. COMPARE WITH BRITISH MAGAZINES SUCH AS MORE AND OK! AND THEIR INSISTENCE TO APPLY LABELS OF GENDER STEREOTYPES.)

Gender Roles in Gender Specific Magazines

INTRODUCTION When evaluating an advertisement, many factors must be taken into account. What magazines are the advertisements found in? Do they have a certain identifiable demographic. What magazines are the advertisements not found in? Do the changing themes correlate with the target audience of the magazines? Are there any cultural assumptions or certain association of race, class, or gender made in the advertisements? The advertisements that I have chosen to evaluate contain many gender based assumption. Gender can rarely be overlooked in advertising, and is often a main part of any advertisement. Most advertisements are specifically geared to a one gendered audience. For magazine advertisements, especially those in magazine with a gendered focus, advertisements attempt to target a single gender, and generally at the expense of the opposite gender. The following pages will discuss each advertisement chosen and will outline the gender implications for each advertisement. Finally, there will be a brief review of the gender related outcomes and the gender related impact that advertisements have on others. The first portion of this paper will focus on advertisements found in male oriented

magazines; the second half of this paper will focus on advertisements found in female oriented magazines. Examples of some advertisements are included in the end of this report. ANALYSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE GM CERTIFIED CAMPAIGN TARGETED AT BOTH MEN AND WOMEN GM CERTIFIED CARS : NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE The first advertisement that I have chosen to evaluate is found in the November 3rd, 2003 edition of Newsweek. Newsweek is a weekly magazine that is demographically geared towards the middle-aged to retirement age white male. It is a magazine for the middle class to the upper class individual, who is mainly concerned with politics and conflicts in foreign countries. The first advertisement features a woman on a street corner in an urban area. Perhaps she is somewhere in downtown New York or another large city. She has made a decision to buy raw sushi from a curbside vendor. It is a sunny, apparently hot day and the sushi does not appear to be on ice or well cared for. Near her is a caption that reads, "Bad Decision". Driving down the road is a couple of years old Buick Century appearing brand new, driven by a white male. The caption by the car reads, "Good Decision: Purchased GM Certified". The surface meaning of this advertisement suggests that buying raw sushi from a curbside, downtown sushi bar is a bad choice to make, while buying a GM certified used car is a good choice to make. The advertisers would prefer that we simply interpret it to mean that buying a GM certified used car is always a good choice, much better at least than other choices we could make. In order to convey this meaning or type of interpretation, the advertiser uses a caption by the women and a caption by the car. The association that is made between the product and the image is that buying a GM certified used car is a good decision, so the white male driver must be wise. Buying raw sushi from a curbside bar is a bad decision so the female picture must not be wise. With this association comes the assumption that women will make the unwise choice in society, and it takes advertising to influence them to make the right choice. This reinforces many males belief that women are inferior. This ad is clearly focused or intended for the male gaze. The attractive young woman is pictured in a skirt and low cut blouse, and the male viewer may laugh because the women made a clearly stupid, uneducated choice. GM CERTIFIED CARS : ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY The second advertisement within this campaign that I have chosen to evaluate appears in the November 7th, 2003 edition of Entertainment Weekly. This magazine is geared towards a much younger crowd than Newsweek magazine. This magazine focuses on lighter issues, mainly popular culture issues rather than political issues. This magazine generally appeals more to women than it does to men, it should be considered a female targeted magazine. This advertisement features an overweight white male about to go sunbathing on the beach in a leopard print Speedo. By this male is the caption that reads "Bad Decision". Near him is a family of five that is more normally or adequately dressed about to go sun bathing on the beach. They arrive in a Chevy truck. The caption by them reads "Good Decision Purchased GM Certified". The surface meaning of this advertisement is similar to the other GM Certified advertisement. In this case, the overweight male has chosen the wrong outfit to go sun bathing in public in, while the family has chosen the right car and the right attire for a day at the beach. The advertiser would prefer that it be interpreted as going to the beach in a Speedo when you are overweight is pretty foolish, but going to the beach with your family in your GM certified used truck is a good decision. Once again, the captions are used to accurately convey this meaning. Furthermore, the white male is extremely

overweight and very pale skinned. The inference that could also be made here is that he would surely burn out in the sun if he did lie out on the beach. The family has toys in hand and appears to be having fun even though they have just stepped out of their truck. The association between product and image is nearly identical to the other ad. However, in this case, the white male has made the wrong decision, while the apparent Hispanic family has made the right decision. The assumption could be made that the overweight white male will make the wrong choice and is unwise in his actions. A female may take this advertisement as a joke and laugh at it. A man being overweight does not seem to be an issue in our society. It is acceptable for men to be overweight. However, an overweight woman would probably not be placed in an advertisement such as this one. Being thin and in shape is a female beauty ideal. Therefore, being overweight is embarrassing for women and this ad would be seen negatively if an overweight female was seen in a bathing suit, not humorously as we see it with an overweight male in a bathing suit. Analysis of GM Certified Campaign The advertisements that I evaluated in this GM Certified campaign have many similarities. In each circumstance, someone has made the wrong choice no matter how foolish that choice may seem. In each ad, the person who has made the wrong choice is in some way a minority in our culture, or has lower status within our culture. The white female has lower status within our culture, and the overweight white male is a minority in terms of his weight or at least does not fit the norms of our society. In every ad, someone has made the right choice and that choice as so clearly told to use by the caption is "Purchased GM Certified." Advertising in this campaign simply reinforces age old thinking about minorities and gender differences. It reinforces ideas and beliefs that have been around forever. Even though the association between these ads and our cultural values may seem out of date, many older generations also view these ads and they simply reinforce many of their beliefs. ANALYSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS IS MALE ORIENTED MAGAZINES MARLBORO COUNTRY : PLAYBOY MAGAZINE AUG. 1999 This Marlboro Country advertisement features a man on horseback riding off into the sunset alone. He is going out to explore the wilderness, at night, by himself. This is certainly a risk, but a risk that any daring young man would want to take. Women are not included in this ad, likely because this type of adventure would not appeal to women, and a man out in the wilderness would not want a woman by his side. This ad assumes men like to adventure alone, and women should stay back at home. The adventurousness of the ad and the excitement depicted would appeal directly to male teens. What 17 year old male wouldn't just love to do what is in the picture? However, this ad also appeals to an older crowd who would still enjoy adventure before settling down with a family. Other Marlboro Country ads depict cowboys on horses in similar situations, most with excitement in the scene, most with youth appeal derived from the adventuresome nature of the ads. None of the Marlboro Country advertisements that I have viewed feature a single woman. A man or group of men is all that is displayed in the Marlboro Country advertisements. CAMEL TURKISH BLENDS : CAR AND DRIVER MARCH 2005 This Camel advertisement is a cigarette ad that can be found in Car and Driver Magazine. Car and Driver magazine, like most other automotive magazines, is geared towards a male audience.

The advertisement is for the new Turkish blends that Camel offers in cigarettes. The Turkish blended cigarettes are generally consumed by males. This advertisement shows an attractive women sitting on top of a lit sign that you may find in Las Vegas or other big city. The woman is scantily clad in high heeled shows and a blue swimsuit. Her hair is done up and she has make up on her face. Of course, she is smoking a cigarette in an intriguing, perhaps sexual manner. The woman is seated in a vulnerable position, and giving a sexual eye to the viewer. Her skin is in plain view, and the low cut swimsuit exposes her cleavage. However, this is a drawing of a life like woman and not an actual picture of a woman. This advertisement suggests that smoking is attractive. Perhaps by smoking this cigarette, you will get a woman as beautiful as the one in the picture. Men may find this advertisement attractive and pleasing. However, women would likely be repulsed by the idea of a half naked woman elegantly smoking a cigarette on top of a street sign like she is some sort of display or trophy. On a side note, the surgeon general's warning that appears in this advertisement states, "smoking by pregnant women may result in fetal injury, premature birth, and low birth rate." Since this ad runs in a male oriented magazine, this particular warning must have been chosen because it was likely that few females would read it and take note of it. Most males would not be concerned about the side effects that a product has on females. This advertisement uses femininity and attractiveness to lure men to buy the product. It location within a men's magazine makes it especially good at achieving this goal. This ad would not appear in a women's magazine, because it harkens back to the pin up girls of years ago, and women have progressed so far in terms of achievement and status since those days, that it would surely offend women readers. OLD SPICE RED ZONE : MOTOR TREND MARCH 2005 This advertisement can be found in the March 2005 issue of Motor Trend magazine. This magazine is geared towards a male audience. The advertisement itself is for Old Spice Red Zone body spray. This product is similar to cologne, but according to the ad, last longer than other colognes last. The advertisement features a man and a woman side by side in what appears to be a dance club or bar. The man and woman are gazing at each other in a sexual manner. The man is wearing blue jeans and a t shirt. The woman also has blue jeans on, but she is wearing a sleeveless shirt that exposes her stomach. The clothing difference alone bears mentioning. The woman is dressed provocatively, while the male has everyday clothes on. The ad suggests that women must dress in a certain manner to attract men to them. Usually, this manner consists of wearing as little clothing as possible or acceptable for the situation. The print for this advertisement is in front of the man and woman and reads, "Sometimes Friday night doesn't get started until Saturday morning." This print could have many possible interpretations aside from the obvious that a man's cologne needs to last for a long time. This ad suggests that perhaps the two people featured in the ad will have a good time at the bar or club and end up going back to one of the twos houses to spend the night together. It also suggest that the real fun of a Friday night doesn't even begin until a man finds a girl to go home with, perhaps it doesn't even begin until the man is back at his or her house with the girl. The girl is marginalized into someone for a one night stand for the man. SEARAY 270 SUNDECK : ROAD AND TRACK APRIL 2005 This advertisement is for a SeaRay boat. The sundeck model features a large frontal area to sit on so you can bath in the sun. The advertisement features 3 females and one male. Upon first observation, most apparent is the fact that the only

male featured in the advertisement is driving the boat. This speaks of his power and control. All three females that are pictured in this ad are sitting back and enjoying the ride. The print reads, "No one will ask, are we there yet." Apparently the father is upset with the constant asking of this question, but the enjoyment of being in this boat will put an end to this sort of questioning. From a gender viewpoint, this advertisement follows typical trends. The man is put in the position of being in charge and in control of the female in the ad. Furthermore, it would appear as though the man is the owner of the boat since he is the only one piloting the boat. Finally, the man appears dressed in casual clothing while all three females have bathing suits on. This follows the typical trend that females wear less clothing in advertisements than males do. ANALYSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS IN FEMALE ORIENTED MAGAZINES FISKARS ADVERTISEMENT : BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS SEPCIAL EDITION SUMMER 2002 Better Homes and Gardens is targeted almost exclusively to women. This magazine in particular features only a handful of advertisements, but each one in this issue of the magazine features a woman doing something that isn't generally associated with women and are not generally viewed as womanly tasks. For example, another ad in this magazine shows a woman tilling her yard with a gas powered tiller. The advertisement that I am going to focus on in this magazine is for Fiskars brand cutting products. These products include the Pruning Stik, the PowerGear Loppers, the Power Gear Hedge Shears, the Power Gear Pruner, and Fiskars handheld scissors. The picture shows a woman using the Pruning Stick to cut through a massive tree limb, and she does it by herself. The script reads, "Like a hot knife through butter." Apparently Fiskars assumes that most women can associate with how easily a hot knife can penetrate through butter. They want the reader to make the connection that their cutting products cut as easily as a hot knife cuts butter. The rest of the script describes the product including descriptions of how easy it is to use, how it eliminates strain and how the cutting products increase or amplify your own strength. This advertisement goes against the grain. Generally, women aren't associated with doing heavy duty yard work or using large tools. But this advertisement implies that women do use these tools, and their knowledge of the kitchen and of cutting butter can be applied to the chores in the backyard. Featuring a woman in this advertisement is wise since the magazines readership is almost entirely women. The women who read this magazine attempt to accomplish tasks by themselves and possess a fondness for gardening and landscaping. WINSTON REAL MAN, REAL SMOKE : VOGUE MAGAZINE /APRIL 1998 This ad is part of a recent, massive campaign by Winston that is almost entirely targeted at teens and in general associated with attempting to get women to smoke the Winston brand. This ad shows a young woman who sneers back at the viewer with confidence. She doesn't have a man hanging on her shoulder, nor is she looking at a man as in most ads featuring women. The caption reads, "Until I find a real man, I'll take a real smoke. She is still young, still looking for that "real" man. Teens undergo the constant search for a real man or at least a boyfriend to call their own, but in the meantime, according to this ad, they will have to settle for a real smoke. In relation to gender, this advertisement suggests that a real smoke could be a replacement for a real man. Men may find this ad repulsive, but women should see this ad as a change in the normal portrayal of gender roles.

Many advertisements feature men doing something besides being with a woman. For example, men drinking beers with buddies, or working on their cars, or playing a sport, but few advertisements feature women by themselves, or with a group of other women, with no men in sight. This certainly denotes the increasing individuality and power of women. They no longer need a man's support all of the time. They can and will do things on their own. SECRET DEODORANT / COSMOPOLITAN MAGAZINE DEC. 2004 This advertisement features a man and a woman playing football. The man is lifting the woman into the air. Both are laughing and full of excitement. The scene takes place in an open field, but the background is hazy to reduce its importance. Both the man and the woman are dirty from the football they have been playing. The woman's armpit is located within inches of the man's face. The print in the upper left corner reads: one of the guys, heartbreaker, or both. The box for both is check marked. This statement would lead the reader to believe that the woman in the picture can fit in with other guys, can be a regular type of girl, and has certainly broken hearts before. This statement concludes that heart breaking is a thing to be proud of. Perhaps, independence and freedom to do as you chose is what the advertisement was trying to convey by including heartbreaker in the print. But the simple conclusion would be that heartbreaking is desirable for women. From the print, we could also conclude that women want to be able to be more like guys. The woman in this ad is playing a male sport. Maybe, this is used as a way to show women that they can do what men can do and should be proud of it, but at the same time, they will not lose their womanhood. This advertisement suggests that women are independent people capable of doing many things. They can play with guys, they can participate in male sports, they can break hearts like men usually do, and their deodorant will allow them to do these masculine activities. This advertisement sets new standards for what is thought of as womanly, but with the addition of heartbreaker in the print, this advertisement also suggests that women are capable of evil tasks. SCHICK INTUITION RAZOR / US WEEKLY MARCH 7, 2005 This advertisement is for a woman's razor. It is found in US Weekly, a magazine that focuses on celebrities and is geared towards a female audience. The ad depicts a woman in a shower using the Schick Intuition razor. She is shaving her leg and the water is beading off of her body. All that the viewer can see is the razor, and the woman's legs and part of her hand. Her face and the rest of her body are left out of the picture. This ad is worth mentioning for a few particular reasons. First, most advertisements for male razors show the males face. Mainly because that is where a man shaves on his body. By showing the face, the man becomes a person, not just a body part as the woman does by just showing her legs. Second, this advertisement focuses on how gentle and moisturizing the razor itself is. Most male razor advertisements focus on how close the shave is, which is more important than its moisturizing ability. Finally, most male razor advertisements show a woman touching the man's face to feel how close the shave is. A close shave attracts a woman, but this advertisement does not show a man feeling the woman's legs to see how close her shave is. The findings could suggest that women are drawn to a man with a close shave, but men do not care much about a woman's close shave. It could also suggest that men shave to attract a mate, while women shave for their own pleasure and comfort, though this is highly unlikely.

Finally, the stereotypic role of woman as a sex object rather than a person really shows through in this advertisement. By showing a woman's legs only, she becomes a body part, not a whole person. This typifies women in advertisements as they are generally portrayed as less than whole, and only portions of their bodies are generally shown. FINDINGS / CONCLUSIONS Relying upon the images and words within an advertisement generally would give an outsider a good view into the gender differences and similarities within American culture. The advertisements that I focused upon provided negative views of women and negative views of men. In the end, which negative view was portrayed depended almost entirely upon who the target audience was for a particular magazine. A magazine targeted at women, contained negative portrayals of men, or overly positive portrayals of women. A magazine targeted at men, contained negative portrayals of women or an overly positive portrayal of men. The other aspect of the advertisements that are representative of American culture regards duties or tasks assigned to each gender. Many advertisements viewed displayed men is manly tasks. The man on horseback riding off through the wilderness and the man picking up a girl at a local night club are but two examples. On the other hand, most of the female oriented advertisements featured women breaking out from tradition and doing things that they normally do not do or things that aren't generally associated with women in our society. The woman pruning trees in her backyard and the woman with a group of friends talking about her individuality and not needing a man are a few examples. Women breaking out of traditional roles and actively seeking new things to take on are a vital and constant part of American society. The results suggest that advertisements typically follow our ideals of culture and society. Even outlandish advertisements that seem humorous, at their core represent the American people in an extremely truthful manner. Advertising appears to take from culture, apply a twist or two, and present in a magazine something that on the surface appears to be new and creative, but underneath is simply just a different interpretation of how things are in America. Many of the advertisements evaluated did not present males or females in stereotypic ways. They presented them in ideal ways. For example, a woman who wants to become more independent, or a man more confident and aware of his scent are both ideals rather than stereotypic views. These aspects aren't stereotypically associated with these sexes, but many idealistically want to become what these ads suggest they can become. The stereotype would have a woman dependent upon her man, and the man not concerned about how he smells, he's too manly to worry or think about that. Stereotypes exist and always will. However, readers of magazines would be offended to see stereotypes that they try to lead others to think that they do not believe in, appear before their eyes in the favorite magazines. Stereotypes are generally kept inside and not spoken about. By speaking about a particular stereotype, you may offend someone else who does not believe in a certain viewpoint. For the sake of not offending others, magazine advertisements generally avoid controversial, stereotypical advertisements. Rather, they present ideals that nearly everyone hopes to achieve someday, thus not offending many readers. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENTS Magazine Advertisements Old Spice Red Zone Body Spray. Copyright 2004 P&G. Motor Trend. March 2005. Pg. 11 Fiskars Pursue Your Passion. Copyright 2002 / 21522. Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications "Flower Gardening". Summer 2002. pg. 3

Camel Turkish Blends. Copyright 2005 R.J Reynolds Tobacco Co. Car and Driver. March 2005. Pg.18 GM Certified Used Cars. Copyright2003 GM Corp. Newsweek Nov. 3, 2003. Pg. 23 GM Certified Used Cars. Copyright 2003 GM Corp. Entertainment Weekly Nov. 7 2003. Pg. 34 Winston Until I find a Real Man I'll Settle for a Real Smoke. Copyright 1997 R.J. Reyonds Tobacco Co. Vogue April 1998. Marlboro Country / Marlboro Lights. Copyright 1999 Philip Morris. Playboy Aug. 1999 Secret Platinum. Copyright 2004 P&G. Cosmopolitan Dec. 2004. Schick Intuition. Copyright 2004 Energizer. US Weekly. 7 March 2005. SeaRay 270 Sundeck. Copyright SeaRay. Road and Track. April 2005 Resources Kang, Mee-Eun. "The Portrayal of Women's Images in Magazine Advertisements: Goffman's Gender Analysis Revisited." Sex Roles. Dec. 1997. Vol. 37, No. 11-12; pg. 979-996. Stephenson, Theresa. "Sell Me Some Prestige! The Portrayal of Women in Business-Related Ads. Journal of Popular Culture. Spring 1997. Vol. 30; pg. 255-271. Calfee, John. "The Historical Significance of Joe Camel." Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. Fall 2000. Vol. 19, Iss. 2; pg. 168-182. Kelly, Kathleen, Michael Slater, David Karan, Liza Hunn. "The Use of Human Models and Cartoon Characters in Magazine Advertisements for Cigarettes, Beer, and Non-Alcoholic Beverages." Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. Fall 2000. Vol. 19, Iss.2; pg. 189-200 Tannenbaum, David. "Smoking Guns I: Marketing to Kids". Multinational Monitor. Washington: Jul./Aug. 1998. Vol. 19, Iss. 7/8; pg. 22-24. 3 Nov. 2003 .

What is the media portrayal of women today and how does this impact how young girls perceive themselves? With programs such as The Bachelor and Flavor of Love showing a dozen women competing for the attention of one man, often using their sexuality, magazine ads displaying a half-naked female body to sell a fragrance or cosmetic product, and television commercials highlighting a woman's thigh and butt to sell sneakers, it may be difficult for society not to be influenced by the overwhelming message to objectify women.

Negative Female Stereotypes

Female stereotypes in the media tend to undervalue women as a whole, and diminish them to sexual objects and passive human beings. According to research done by Children Now, a national organization trying to make children a public priority, 38% of female characters found in video games are wearing revealing clothing, 23% are showing cleavage. Magazine ads show a dismembered female body, with parts, instead of the whole, a practice that according to media activist, Jean Kilbourne, turns women into objects ("Sex and Relationships in the Media", Media Awareness Network). Disney movies, from Beauty and The Beast to Aladdin show slender, unrealistically curvaceous, and quite vulnerable young women, who are dependent on male figures for strength and survival, not their own sense of empowerment. Media stereotyping of women as objects and helpless beings creates very low expectations for society's girls.

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When a woman is in a position of power, such as the rare female boss portrayed in The Proposal with Sandra Bullock, or Disclosure with Demi Moore, she tends to be a cold-hearted, detached career woman with sociopathic tendencies. This sends the message that a powerful woman sacrifices a healthy relationship, family, and possibly even her sanity to be extremely successful at her career. For the young girl who dreams to run a company, or become a famous journalist, astronaut, or scientist, the media does not provide enough models for her to look to for encouragement and inspiration.

Positive Female Stereotypes

Despite the many negative female stereotypes found in movies, television, and advertisements, there are positive examples of intelligent, empowered young girls and women as well. These characters can serve as role models for girls who are looking for female characters to exemplify. Lisa Simpson from the popular cartoon sitcom, The Simpsons is a classic example of a positive female stereotype. An intelligent and gifted girl, this character thinks for herself and sticks to her ideals, traits that young girls should be able to find in the media. The television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer focuses on a resourceful and powerful young woman, who is a fair match against supernatural enemies. Dora the Explorer is an inquisitive, adventurous young seven-year old girl, who is not only a positive female character, but one of the few minority heros or heroines of children's television. A conscious effort on the part of the media can offer much to the dreams and selfworth of society's girls

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Percentage of Women in the Workforce & Media Portrayal at Odds Media Objectification of Women Gender Roles and Media Influence

How the Media's Portrayal of Women Impacts Girls

The media's portrayal of women effects the self-image of girls dramatically. Concepts of beauty and personality are found in movies, magazines, and video games; as long as there are enough positive examples, young girls can be free to be themselves. When there are not, the pressure is to be thin, physically attractive, and pleasing in order to be likable and popular. According to the National Institute on Media and the Family, studies have found that the media's focus on body image and submissive female stereotypes has affected children's thinking. For example, in television comedies it was found that thin women were both praised more and less likely to be made fun of by male characters. In commercials directed at young girls, half mentioned physical attractiveness. As a result of these and other similar trends, both boys and girls describe female characters as "domestic, interested in boys, and concerned with appearances." Both young girls and teenagers are increasingly concerned with their weight and unhappy with their bodies. Stereotypes in the media inevitably affect our culture, especially the young. As Susan Fiske, professor of Psychology at Princeton University and researcher of stereotyping and discrimination, says, "stereotyping exerts control or power over people, pressuring them to conform; therefore, stereotyping maintains the status quo." To help combat the influence of negative female stereotypes in the media, and therefore help not only girls, but all of society transcend these limiting expectations, it is important to expose our children to positive role models and to let young girls know just how amazing they are and always will be. Sources: "Media and Girls." (Media Awareness Network). "Sex and Relationships in the Media." (Media Awareness Network). Durik, Amanda and Janet Shibley Hyde. "Psychology of Women and Gender in the 21st Century." (University of Wisconsin). "Media's Effect on Girls: Body Image and Gender Identity." (National Institute on Media and the Family).

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EXAMPLES OF FEMALE CHARACTERS IN FILM AND TELEVISION.

Soaps Coronation Street Sylvia Goodwin (Roys mother): Wry, brash woman, neither femme fatale nor dutiful woman. Tracy Barlow: Manipulative, cunning. Appeals to the weaker nature of men and plays on the label of mother. (Femme fatale label can be applied met her downfall through going to prison, was not untouchable from judicial system.) Lesley Kershaw: Suffers from Alzheimers. Portrayed as a victim of her illness, dependent on Eileen Grimshaw and Paul Kershaw. Dramas CRIME: Sherlock: (NB: 10/9/12 - Sorry Caoimhe! Definitely obsessed) Irene Adler: Strong, powerful woman, plays on her sexuality as well as her intellect. Eventually meets downfall and needs rescue from a man. Scott and Bailey: Two women, who are both detectives, manage to juggle career and family lives. NOTE: DUAL AND TRIPLE BURDEN OF WOMEN FROM SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF FAMILY AND GENDER ROLES. COMEDY: Friends: Neuroticism of Monica, ditzy character of Phoebe, relationship between Rachel and Ross. Miranda: Written, and starring, the same woman. Portrayed as a clumsy character, slapstick in her comedy but also some satire. REALITY TV: Consider how camera angles are used to show women in the programmes. E.G. comments about Holly Willoughbys outfits on Dancing On Ice.

Films Legally Blonde: Even though the movie is attacking stereotypes, it does so by "making them plain."The stereotype of the
blonde woman is a person who is, well, DUMB. So Reese Witherspoon acts out that stereotype. She doesn't challenge that stereotype initially - she applies to Harvard to be with her boyfriend - which is the stereotype of the submissive woman who depends on a man for support. But later, she challenges the stereotype by proving her professional worth and intelligence ( but does so largely in a "dumb blonde" way). The movie isn't revolutionary, but it is Liberal. The female professor is the hard-as-a-man stereotype The feminist student is the bra-burning-lesbian-feminist stereotype The defendant is the woman-who-only-marries-a-man-for-his-mon stereotype (aka the Anna Nicole Smith stereotype) It's not that there aren't people in the world that fit the stereotype, but the problem is: once the stereotype is created, then a self-fulfilling prophecy is created, and people become like the stereotype. Gay men did not always talk with a lisp - enter the search term "gay clone" to see how that image developed in America. Once the stereotype was created, more gay people started acting like the stereotype. You can use stereotypes to punish people, you can hide behind them for advantage, you can use them to make sense of your world (however distorted), or you can resist them. Most people do a little bit of each, but the mix depends on the individual.

Kill Bill: Femininity and Masculinity: Fluid gender identity in Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2
Quentin Tarantinos double movie Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2 tells the story of a female assassins quest for revenge against those who betrayed her. Beatrix Kiddo AKA The Bride was gunned down at her wedding rehearsal by the Dead

Viper Assassination Squad, of which she was once a part of. Her former love and master, Bill, shot the pregnant bride in the head, putting her in a coma for four years. Upon awaking from her coma, she set out on a mission to kill each member of the squad, most importantly of all, Bill. On the surface, the text appears feminist, featuring a powerful female in an unexpected, physically demanding role. On looking further, the extreme violence and theme of pregnancy and sacrifice seem to contradict feminism. However, this paper will attempt to sort through the contradictions. I will argue that the character of Beatrix Kiddo embodies a feminist interpretation of femininity in her complexity and fluidity. She displays an ability to perform both feminine and masculine roles in her behavior, dress, and interactions with other characters, resulting in an evolving, complicated identity and a characterization that is ultimately feminist. In attempting to define femininity and masculinity, I realized I was making the mistake of giving validity to words which are based on abstract stereotypes rather than reality. Gender stereotypes are traditionally defined as a presence or absence of specific personality traits (Deaux, 290). In a report that based on an extensive investigation in 30 different nations William and Best (1982) found, men are typically viewed as stronger, more active, and higher in achievement autonomy and aggression. Women are weaker, less active, and more concerned with affiliation, nurturance, and deference (Deaux, 291). The problem with these stereotypes is that fail to account for fluidity and variation in behavior given a situation, as well as the many exceptions in which a man or woman doesnt fit the stereotype. Deaux points out that the two features that may be most influential in determining male or female gender are the males larger size and greater strength and the females ability to give birth. Aside from these two signifiers, the other traits are not based on concrete evidence. She is careful to point out that there is overlap in virtually all behaviors associated with masculinity and femininity, and that the concepts are multidimensional and inherently flexiblenot explanations but simply labels (300, 301). In her article Masculine Femininities/Feminine Masculinities: power, identiy, and gender, Carrie Paechter agrees, Kessler and McKennas (1978) classic study suggests that male and female are examples of what is referred to in philosophy as a cluster concept: one that is not amenable to straightforward definition but is recognized through a cluster of attributes, some of which are more salient than others, but which may not all be present. The gender binary, in consequence, only operates at the level of the label (258). I think it is important to be skeptical of the terms male and female. I understand the necessity of having language to discuss disparities between biological sexes, but ascribing a set of characteristics to the terms is an act of stereotyping. Furthermore, positioning the terms masculine and feminine as opposites creates a one-dimensional concept that inhibits the understanding of gender identity. As Deaux points out, Most often, the general concepts of masculinity and femininity are viewed in terms of opposition, with the presence of one set of characteristics implying the absence of the other (292). The terms then become part of the gender binary, establishing two rigid categories under which one must fall, failing to account for the disparities, the gray areas, and the overlap that occurs in an individuals identity. How we behave as masculine and feminine varies with time, place, and circumstance (Paechter, 259). Furthermore, femininity and masculinity are not as much inherent qualities in an individual as a position one occupies in relation to a situation (Haskell, 89). Simone de Beauvoir writes: In actuality the relation of the two sexes is not quite like that of two electrical poles, for man represents both the positive and the neutral, as indicated by that common use of man to designate human beings in general; whereas woman represents only the negative, defined by limited criteria, without reciprocity (1). If women are defined in relation to man, the conclusion would be that to be feminine is to be lacking masculine qualities; the terms themselves then become an act of subordination. Gender is penetrable, evolving, and inconsistent. While language is important for discussion purposes, it constrains our concept of gender because it compulsively labels and categorizes. Therefore, a feminist definition of gender wouldnt be a definition at all- it would allow the individual to determine their own gender identity. The Kill Bill movies present a unique example of the fluidity of gender identity in the heroine, Beatrix Kiddo. Throughout the film, she occupies the roles of deadly assassin and mother. Her physical strength and aggressiveness are stereotypically masculine, while her role as a mother is inherently feminine. Both roles she assumes are emphasized as natural. Bill, in the final scene of the movie, calls her a natural born killer, which is interesting because men are the ones typically seen as natural predators. On the other hand, despite being a killer, Beatrix is gentle and affectionate with her daughter when they are reunited in the final scene. Classifying Beatrix Kiddo as either masculine or feminine is impossible; she defies the gender binary. In this way Quentin Tarantino, the writer and director of the film, and Uma Thurman, the actress who portrays her, develop a characterization of Beatrix Kiddo that is feminist in its gender ambiguity.

Beatrix Kiddos appearance changes and evolves constantly throughout the movie. In the opening scene of both Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2, she is bloody, dirty, and sweaty, showing obvious pain. While Uma Thurman is physically attractive, she is also unafraid to be ugly. In the scene where she awakes from her coma to realize that she has lost the baby she was pregnant with, she shows the kind of emotional turmoil that is unpleasant to view. It is a humanizing moment, one which the character becomes less of a cartoon and more of a complex individual. Also, in the second installment, we see Beatrix Kiddo as a beautiful and obviously pregnant bride prior to the wedding massacre. Here she is the ultimate stereotype of femininity; she is wearing a soft, white dress and is glowingly pregnant. Later, she dons a yellow, androgynous jumpsuit she when she initiates her own massacre of one of her nemesis O-Rens entire entourage. The final scene is interesting to me because she finally arrives at her destination where she is to kill Bill once and for all, and she is wearing a long, flowing skirt. It seems at the end of the journey she has come into her identity and isnt donning a costume to assume the role of Beatrix the masculine female to be an intimidating warrior. There are some actions Beatrix takes that are not in sync with feminist thought and could be interpreted as stereotypical. The largest, in my opinion, is the fact that the very day she found out her pregnancy, she abandoned her life as a hired assassin and moved to a small town to marry, work in a used record store with her husband, and raise her child. This was a decision, when confronted by Bill in the final scene, she admits she did not think would work. In what her critique of womens films of the 1930s and 40s, Molly Haskell describes the theme of sacrifice, in which a woman must sacrifice herself for her children, and the film may end happily, with the wife/mother reclaiming her husband/child when her rival dies (Haskell, 24). She elaborates on her criticism, calling a woman consumed by her maternal zeal a mainstay of American culture and middle class marriage, resulting in a conviction that children are the reason for getting married (Haskell, 27). For a film that was made about 60 years after the films Haskell describes, the subject matter is strikingly similar. Beatrix gives up her independent identity after, as she says, the strip turned blue on her pregnancy test. The decision is disappointingly clich, but it is only the beginning of the Brides story and therefore part of her evolution. Her adherence to the stereotypical female role in this situation and the rejecting of it further in the movie is additional evidence of the flexibility of her gender identity. In addition, via flashbacks, we see that Beatrix wasnt always an independent agent. Bill was not only her lover, but also her master. He had her trained by Pai Mei, the most overtly misogynist character in the entire film. She is put through intense physical torture under his tutelage, but ultimately she becomes stronger. As a result of his training, she was not only able to escape being buried alive, but was also finally able to defeat Bill in the final scene, using a kung fu maneuver Pai Mei taught her. Beatrix evolved from a subordinate identity to an independent identity, which contrasts the vast majority of films featuring females that go from single to married. Furthermore, through her aggression, physical prowess, and ability to forgo emotion for the sake of rationality she embodies characteristics generally thought of as masculine. For example, in the scene in which she fights Vernita Green in her suburban home Beatrix explicitly says, Its mercy, compassion, and forgiveness I lack. Not rationality. Rationality, thought to be a male trait, is the one trait she owns up to, dismissing the typically feminine virtues of compassion and mercy. By distancing herself from stereotypical femininity she is claiming power and concurrently rejecting the disempowerment that comes from positioning oneself as female (Paechter, 257). She not only verbally rejects femininity, she goes on to murder countless men and women while maintaining level-headedness, agility, and composure. In Simone de Beauvoirs introduction Woman as Other she writes that women have gained only what men have been willing to grant; they have taken nothing, they have only received. In her life before she awoke from her coma, Beatrix lives up to de Beauvoirs assertion. She received training only when Pai Mei acquiesced, she lost her life while in a coma for four years where she was repeatedly raped, and her child was literally taken out of her stomach. After awaking from her coma, she murders her abusers and takes their vehicle, she gets her revenge by literally taking the lives of her enemies, and she eventually takes back her daughter from Bill. In her journey throughout the two films, Beatrix acquires everything important and valuable to her by taking- not receiving- from men. The parts where the fluidity of her gender identity is most evident are in the ways she moves between masculine and feminine roles within the same interactions.For example, upon first encountering Hatori Honso, the man she wished to make her a priceless samurai sword, she first pretends to be nave to Japanese language, which she speaks fluently, and she giggles timidly, obviously attempting to charm him. When he has warmed to her, she abandons the act and proceeds to speak to him in Japanese and holds steady eye contact, assertively telling him she wants him to make her a sword for nothing in return. The example illustrates the performance aspect of gender roles, and the ease with which she executes performing them to get what she wants shows that her identity is complicated. She executes a similar strategy with Esteban Vallejo, a father figure of Bills and a pimp, by complimenting him and laughing coyly at his jokes, playing a feminine role until him until she feels confident to get what she wants out of him- Bills location. She manages to get both the sword and Bills location through performing gender roles.

I think it is also worth noting that Quentin Tarantino was raised by a strong, independent woman without his father present (Rich, 1). That would likely color the way he views strong women in a favorable way. In an interview, Tarantino has also said This movie does not take place in the universe that we live in. In this world women are not the weaker sex. They have exactly the same predatory hunting instincts as the men, the same drive to kill or be killed. This could be taken as anti-feminist in that he is inferring that in the real world women are the weaker sex. On the other hand, he could be implying that there is a perception that women are the weaker sex, which is true. While many feminists cry misogyny when they see the treatment of Beatrix Kiddo in Kill Bill, I would find it strange if there was no violence against her. She is, after all, a deadly assassin on a revenge mission, and she is involved in multiple battles with both men and women. In addition, from Reservoir Dogs to Pulp Fiction, Tarantinos films are known for their excessive violence, and Kill Bill is no exception. Unrealistic as the film may be, presenting a strong, powerful, multi-faceted female lead in a scenario in which she triumphs without the help of any man is, in my opinion, a feminist characterization, whether or not Tarantino identifies as a feminist. If masculinity and femininity in a feminist perspective are intertwined, flexible, and variable, then the characterization of Beatrix Kiddos gender identity is feminist. She doesnt conform to a specific way of dressing, though she is most recognizable in her androgynous jumpsuit. Her behavior ranges from stereotypically feminine as a blushing bride, to a caricature of masculinity as a sword-wielding assassin. In interactions she displays competency in acting out each rolefemale when she wants to charm men and male when she wants to intimidate aggressors. Her gender identity operates independent of her biology and sexual orientation. It is ambiguous and defies labels and binaries, thus making the media text of Kill Bill, with regards to Beatrix Kiddo, essentially feminist. Bridesmaids: Its been a recent trend for female comedians and actors to bemoan the gender culture of

studio Hollywood. Not to say that moviemaking hasnt always had a male-dominated power structure, with male-centric stories, but for some reason theres been a lot of welcomed questioning lately regarding female characterizations (see this Natalie Portman interview). Girls and women in studio movies often lack the depth and relatability of their male counterparts; an example Portman references in that interview, Devil Wears Prada, appears to present a strong female lead but her success is undermined by femininity (especially its location in fashion). Even Judd Apatow's previous movies don't allow women characters to be in on the joke. Although Bridesmaidss protagonist (played by a superbly balanced Kristen Wiig) is a pastry chef, a traditional homemaker-like career path, shes otherwise one of the only female characters in recent memory to refuse female conventions while maintaining a strong sense of relatability. (Rosenberry) Mildred Pierce: NOT PEARCE/PEARSE. Stereotypes of femme fatale through Veda and caring mother through Mildred. (Loads of notes online.)

The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, ew. What Borgen and The Iron Lady tell us about women in power

Both new Danish political drama Borgen and Thatcher biopic The Iron Lady show us there is still no clear map for women in politics (Cochrane, 2012)
For anyone wanting to see a woman politician operating at the top of her game, the new Danish drama Borgen offered a brilliant, if fictional, example on Saturday night. The first episode showed Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen), the Moderate party leader, in the last three days of an election race, emerging as the model of a modern political player, both morally and tactically. She is a woman willing to change course if necessary, but unwilling to compromise or double-cross. Would she support damaging information being leaked about a rival? "How dirty do you think I am?" she asks her spin doctor: "I'd never forgive myself if I came to power in that way." "In that case, I doubt you ever will," he remarks, but her ascent continues. In the TV debates she stands out in apurple dress, listening to her rivals, before suddenly discarding her prepared speech. Unscripted, she addresses the public passionately for two minutes, expressing just what voters are waiting to hear: that when politicians don't know something they should simply admit it.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The Iron Lady Production year: 2011 Country: UK Cert (UK): 12A Runtime: 104 mins

6. 7. 8.

Directors: Phyllida Lloyd Cast: Alexandra Roach, Anthony Head, Harry Lloyd, Jim Broadbent, Meryl Streep, Olivia Coleman, Olivia More on this film

Colman, Richard E Grant, Roger Allam

It's common knowledge that this is a drama about a female prime minister in Denmark, so it's not giving too much away to say Nyborg triumphs, and her reaction is telling. "This is quite simply the beginning of something new," says her old, trusted male adviser, Bent Sejro, as she waits to address a crowd. "Now go in there and thank them, and lead them, because they want to be led by you." "What if I don't know how to?" she asks. "You'll learn it along the way," he replies. That exchange is important, because it sums up an ongoing truth: that there is still no map for women in power. It's a reality also explored by The Iron Lady, currently a hit at the box office, as well as the new book by Jodi Kantor, The Obamas: A Mission, A Marriage. (Extracts focusing on Michelle Obama's perilously tricky role in the White House appeared in the Times yesterday.) With politics, business, the media, and most major industries still male-dominated, there is a recognised approach available to the small group of privileged men who reach the top. There is a uniform: grey suit, shirt, tie. There is a debating style: apparently straightforward, often slippery, with a tendency towards the adversarial. There is an attitude; an air of confidence and absolute certitude. Power is theirs for the taking, and they have gone right ahead.

Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.

There is no uniform for women. As the first moments of Borgen make clear a Machiavelli quote about war, followed by a makeup brush plunging into powder women are still caught between two worlds, and are often left tentative, talented, yet not entirely confident as to how to proceed. The show explores this territory with wit and care. There's the moment in coalition talks, for instance, when one of Nyborg's rivals suggests that, as the surprise winner in the elections, she should sit at the head of the table during negotiations. (She takes his advice, but only once he has left the room.) There's the relationship between Nyborg and her husband, a foxy academic played by Mikael Birkkjaer, last seen as Ulrik Strange in The Killing 2, who functions as best friend, tactical adviser, enthusiastic lover and cheerleader. (As in The Iron Lady, the relationship between female politician and husband looms surprisingly large.) Nyborg is very involved in family life she shocks her spin doctor by taking time out from the campaign to attend a child's birthday and it turns out she and her husband have a deal whereby she can concentrate on her career for five years before he gets his turn. Their back and forth is that ultra-rare beast, a TV depiction of a couple juggling ambitions and family life, with a slim, sexy portent of doom hanging over them in the shape of a female student. There's also a focus on clothes that is surprisingly clever. Last week in GQ, Tory backbencher Louise Mensch complained that female politicians are trivialised by the focus on their fashion choices, and she has a point. Without a uniform, everything women wear becomes significant. In Borgen, Nyborg is shown trying to struggle into a pre-approved black suit, ahead of a debate; she also worries about having been called "voluptuous" in another dress. She knows her choices will be analysed, that her body itself is a subject of debate. This is echoed in the Obama book, in the passages about Michelle Obama's outfits; the Lanvin trainers criticised as too expensive, the shorts that were too "common", the moment White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told her "you're never going to please some of these people".

Michelle Obama makes an informal speech to welcome visitors to the White House. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

If male is the default position, women will always be judged against it. Too masculine, and we're threatening; too feminine, and we're airheaded. The Iron Lady shows Thatcher as a woman who has always "preferred the company of men," but who is derided in the Commons for her voice. "The right honourable lady doth screech too much," crows another politician. Soon afterwards, her image is addressed. She's told hats have to go, her hair must have more impact, she has to have voice training. This sequence is a reminder of the dance to define Thatcher's image in the early days, the avid, shifting attempts to make a woman in charge somehow palatable. In John Campbell's Thatcher biography he writes that during her leadership campaign there was the need to "neutralise the gender question and persuade both the public and Tory MPs that she was a credible leader. Paradoxically, she no longer needed to prove that she was tough enough for the job; it was becoming a cliche ... to say that she was 'the best man among them'. But that raised the alarming spectre of a feminist harridan the worst sort of woman." Thatcher was therefore presented to the press and public as an "ordinary housewife", shown cooking her husband's breakfast on the morning of the ballot. Thatcher secured her position over more than a decade in power through a brutal belief in her own outlook, a belief that became sclerotic, and led to her downfall. She suppressed dissent among male colleagues, until finally a group toppled her; she couldn't be of them, so she operated above them. In Borgen, Nyborg takes the opposite tack, attempting to secure her position through give and take, a collegiate way of working, which recognises she doesn't have all the answers, sees power in admitting this and attempting to find solutions through dialogue. Neither of these is a male approach to power. Each woman operates outside the system. And both are fascinating to watch.

TWITTER PROFILES OF ACTRESSES AND SINGERS ARE ALSO USEFUL IN THE MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN. THESE LABELS OF FEMME FATALE AND DUTIFUL WOMAN ARE OUTDATED AS WOMEN IN THE MEDIA HAVE EVOLVED INTO MORE THAN THE CATEGORIES SET BY THE MEDIA PREVIOUSLY.