What are common performances of gender identity that you see in the media? Are these good
or bad? Ethical or unethical? Are there performances that you would like to see less of or more
of when you read the news, turn on your television, or pay to see a movie?
The media channel I will be dissecting in my discussion will focus on movies specifically. Film in
the United States is an industry that many consumers will indulge daily. When it comes to
expectations in gender identity, movies play a large role in defining both masculine and
feminine norms. Based off my experience, I have observed human nature as very social. We
usually try and clearly define whether we are masculine or feminine when it comes to gender
identity. If I want to come across as masculine I will subconsciously try and fit into the model that
media portrays as more masculine. This can be defined as performance identity. Is this
subconscious decision subjectively good or bad? It depends on the consumer. The consumer
who is emotionally stable enough to not become offended by the gender expectations defined in
a film will tell you that it shouldn’t matter. If you can take a step back and observe that not all
depictions in film are going to be one hundred percent accurate with how genders are
realistically exhibited, then these expectations from movies are not inherently bad. When I turn
on the TV to watch a movie, I like to observe the characters in relation to the story and see how
their identities react to their setting. When I decide if a movie was good or bad prefer to focus on
a character’s decision in relation to the story instead of how they personally identify themselves.
Reply
“Common performances of gender identity in the media include women being the “dumb” ones
and very sexualized while men are the “tough” ones that have to have sex to show their
manliness. This happens actually in most older films that people still love today. In the movie
Grease, for example, Sandy is seen as a love obsessed girl who changes her whole personality
for Danny. Meanwhile, Danny and his guy friends all just want to have sex so that they will be
seen as true men. Danny is given the bad boy label and so he feels he must somehow measure
up to that. This is a toxic way of thinking because it dehumanizes both genders. Danny
uses social comparison to feel like he’s not good enough because he hasn’t slept with enough
women. Women are left and feel rejection with their self-esteem having gone down after the
man goes to find his next conquest and, there men lose themselves in the way of society and
their own pride. This is very bad. Because of it’s toxicity and how generations of people have
seen that movie, it’s really unethical. It may be a cute movie but the morals the movie instills
are unethical to men and women because they sexualize each other without even knowing each
other. Instead I would like to see more of winning each other over with getting to know each
other and focusing on the needs of each other. Sexualizing other humans is not healthy way of
thinking and the media seems to love to do that. Humans are not just sexual beings. We are
smart, talented, and mental beings too. I would love to see how a man was so shocked at how
smart a woman was that he immediately wanted her to become his wife and so he worked hard
to learn and impress her with his knowledge. That’s a movie we need in today’s times!”
Kirsten,
What a great read! Growing up with a sister I used to love playing with her toys as well
as mine. What you said about marketing certain toys to a specific gender is what happens and
as a business major I see that as missed opportunity. One of my favorite hobbies is watching
movies and I will agree with you that there is a pattern with entertainment today that overly
sexualize women. A pattern that I have recognized myself is that in the beginning of a new TV
show there will typically be more sexually explicit content in the first few episodes and then
eventually none. My theory is that producers are trying to pander and draw from a crowd that
subconsciously seek sexual content and then hook them with a story so that they are “trapped”
to watch. I read that you challenged the stereotypical behavior defined by your gender when you
were younger. I see this as a good thing because your identity shouldn’t be defined by
someone else. With the world being as ugly as it is, I believe that children shouldn’t feel
pressured by culture to fit into any mold. Kids should be able to be themselves and play without
having to worry if their toys or appearance fit what is normal for their gender.
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