Men & Women on the Red Carpet

Differences between men and women on the red carpet:

- Men all wear very similar looking suits

- Women wear a variety of different dresses that all look very different from one another

- Men do not receive any criticism from the media for their appearance

- Women receive a lot of criticism for their appearance

- There are always lists such as 'best and worst dressed' for women, but not for men

- Women often show off parts of their body such as their legs, chest, etc. in order to 'look good' whereas men do not show off any of their body

- The women who show off their body get a lot more attention and they are objectified

Gender in Media

For this activity, you need to work your way through the images and links that are posted and for each one list the things that you think it is saying about women. You could consider the way the woman/women look, how they are acting and/or what seems to be important to them. I have sorted them into advertisements, paparazzi shots, red carpet shots, catwalk shots and film trailers.

To help you, it may be worth copying the pictures onto your blog and then making your notes under each one. For the links, you can simply write the name of the advertisement or movie trailer and then put your comments under the name. 

Advertisements

The woman in this advertisement displays a lot of aspects of the stereotypical woman, appearance wise. She is beautiful with fair skin, long hair, her body is skinny and she has 'perfect' features. This image targets young women as the type of Coke that they are advertising is 'light' and this word and part of the packaging is in pink. The way that the man is looking at the woman also suggests that if you drink this, you are seen as more attractive, and this shows the idea that all women are looking for love.

Much like the advertisement above, the woman in this image has 'perfect' features and is a good example of the stereotypical woman's appearance. Her face and her body shape have been significantly photoshopped and this sets a high standard for women and girls. This advertisement is targeted at younger women and suggests that the woman's beauty comes from within this bottle of perfume. It gives women the idea that buying this perfume could potentially make them more attractive. Additionally, the snake represents temptation and control, and the colours used in the image are darker colours and are pink and purple.

Paparazzi Shots

The woman in this image is perfectly done up, with a nice outfit, hair done, sunglasses on, etc. and this links with the stereotype that women are to have a perfect appearance at all times. The fact that this woman has so many men surrounding her, taking photos shows the objectification of women and suggests that she is just there for people to look at. 

 This image links with the stereotype that all women are emotional as it shows Lindsay Lohan crying whilst on the phone. It also displays the stereotype that women are to have a perfect appearance as she is still wearing makeup, has a perfect manicure, etc.

Bad headline example: 'Lindsay Lohan has a breakdown after best friend dies from a drug overdose'

This image shows Miley Cyrus wearing tracksuit pants and a comfy looking top, while talking on the phone. She looks very carefree and like she doesn't really care about looking 'perfect' like the women in the other images. This image doesn't really display any of the stereotypes unlike the other images and shows that women can still be beautiful without having to wear makeup and be dressed up, etc.

Example of a good Headline: 'Miley shares engagement news with her father'

Example of a bad headline: 'Miley forced into homelessness after spending all of her money on drugs'

Red Carpet Shots

 All of the women in this image and the image below are considered beautiful by the media and by stereotypes. They are all skinny, they have perfect features, they are all feminine because they are wearing dresses and heels, and they have their hair done up nice and are wearing lots of makeup. The fact that they all look good suggests that a part of the reason that they are famous is because of their appearance. None of the women on the red carpet are not beautiful and this shows that in order to be famous, you also have to be attractive and fit the stereotypical woman.

Catwalk Shots

The women in these images all display aspects of the stereotypical woman. To begin with, they are all extremely skinny and they have very defined features. These images objectify women as they are just used as objects to display the clothing on. As well as that, the clothing that the women are wearing are all very short and revealing dresses, most of them being very tight-fitted too. This does not give a good idea to young girls as they will grow up thinking that this is the way to dress, etc. when it is really just sexualising women and displaying them as objects.

Questions:

1. Look back at the comments you have made for each picture/link and make notes that indicate whether you have noticed any key similarities between the various images or clips.

The major similarities between the majority of the images include the fact that they all suggest that women should be skinny, have fair skin, perfect makeup, a perfect appearance at all time to be considered beautiful. It also emphasises the idea that women are objects and that they can only be successful and popular if they are beautiful and they match the stereotypes. 

2. Are there any comments that you can make about an image/clip that appears different to the others?

The only image that I found that is different to the others is the one of Miley Cyrus on the phone as it shows her as very carefree about her appearance, and not feeling the need to be 'perfect' and beautiful all the time, unlike the other images. It doesn't really display any of the stereotypes of women.

3. Do you think the overall representation of women is a realistic one? Explain your answer.

I don't think that the overall representation of women is very realistic as it suggests that women are only beautiful when they conform to certain expectations, and it suggests that they are to have a perfect appearance all the time. This is untrue as there are a lot of beautiful women who do not look like the stereotypical woman. 

4. Do you think these types of images, etc. influence the way women and girls think about themselves? Explain your answer. 

These images definitely influence the  way the girls and women think about themselves as they create extremely high and impossible standards. The images emphasise the idea that you are to have a perfect appearance all the time and that you are only beautiful if you look a certain way, and this is really hard on girls as everybody looks different, and not everyone conforms to those expectations. Instead of displaying women that all have the same features, the media needs to include a range of girls with different appearances and this would help women and girls love their appearance more and feel more happy about their appearance.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

1. After reading the story, make a list of all the qualities that the story is suggesting are important in women. When making your list, think about physical qualities and the personality qualities that appear to be important. 

- Beautiful, good complexion, roast cheeks, nice hair, fair skin, skinny (physically perfect) as Snow White got what she wanted because of her looks
- Caring, kind, giving
- Feeble/weak
- Naivety

- Willingness to stay at home, cleaning, cooking and housekeeping instead of going to work, shown when the dwarfs allow her to with with them under the condition that she does these things
- Submissive because if they don't do what they're told, bad things will happen to them. This is shown by the dwarfs instructing her not to let anyone in, however, she does this and almost dies
- Emotional as this is what saved Snow White from being killed in the forest

2. Next, make a second list that identifies traits/qualities in women that appear to be undesirable in the story. When making this list, you can think about what the opposite qualities would be to the ones you listed in question one and you can also consider the wicked Queen. Like your first list, consider physical characteristics and personality. 

- Envy
- Ugly/not beautiful
- Overweight
- Old
- Different
- Short hair
- Self obsession, and competing to be the most beautiful
- Power and anger
- Opinionated
- Negative/pessimistic
- Cunning
- Smart
- Gullible as Snow White let the woman in multiple times, even though she had already been deceived and poisoned, and therefore, she almost died a number of times

3. Now, see if you can make a third list that identifies traits/characteristics (both physical and personality based) that appear to be important in the male characters of the story.
- Charming (attractive)
- Muscular, strong, athletic
- Wealth
- Dominant and controlling
- Assertive, head strong
- Choices governed by the beauty of a woman
- Heroic and protective
- Romantic
- Hard working
- Generosity and kindness
- Merciful

4. After looking over the three lists, are there any conclusions that you can make about what the story is trying to teach its audience about the roles of men and women? Explain in as much detail as you can. 
After reading the story and looking over the three lists that I have made, it is clear to me that the story is trying to teach the audience a lot about the stereotypical roles of men and women. It emphasises the idea that women have to be beautiful in order to get what they want and suggests that all women aspire to be the most beautiful. It also shows that women are to stay at home, cooking and cleaning, as apparently men aren't able to do that themselves, and that they should not go to work as that is the man's job. It stresses the importance of women doing exactly what they're told as the man is always right and bad things will happen if they don't abide to their rules. It also suggests that women should not be self-obsessed and envious of others. For men, it suggests that they should be dominant and controlling and shows that if they do this, they will always get what they want. It also displays the idea that men are only to choose their wife based on their beauty (linking back to the fact that beauty is an important quality for women to have), and that the man chooses their wife, it's not a mutual decision. As well as that, it portrays men as heroic and charming, generous and kind. Additionally, the men in all fairytales are portrayed in a positive light no matter what their appearance or personality is, however, the females are only portrayed in a positive light if they have specific qualities. All of the negative qualities in men are justified, covered over and hidden, however, not for the women.

5. How would you describe Snow White's relationships with: 
a) The Wicked Queen:
I would describe the relationship between Snow White The Wicked Queen as the complete opposite to a good relationship. The Wicked Queen is extremely envious of Snow White's beauty and hates her for it. She attempts to kill her numerous times just because of her jealousy and the fact that she wants to be the most beautiful. 

b) The Dwarfs:
Snow White's relationship with the dwarfs is quite good as they gave her a place to stay when she didn't have anywhere else to go and in turn, they ask her to just do the housekeeping. However, they are quite controlling over her which is not part of a good relationship.

c) The Prince:
The relationship between The Prince and Snow White is really odd. They hadn't even met before but The Prince somehow fell in love her, just because of her beauty. They don't really have any relationship at all because they hadn't met, but they end up getting married in the end due to The Prince's commands. Much like her relationship with the dwarfs, it is not the best relationship as The Prince is really controlling over her, as shown by the fact that he basically forced her into marriage.

6. Considering this story is still most often read to little boys and girls, do you think it provides a realistic view of men and women? Why/why not? 
This story does not give a realistic view of men and women at all. It places the idea in their head of the stereotypical man and woman and leads them to believe that this is reality and that this is how men and women are supposed to act. 

7. Can you think of any modern stories (film/TV shows/books) that you know of that promote similar messages about men and women as Snow White? 
- The Bachelor/Bachelorette
- The Big Bang Theory

Stereotypes in Sleeping Beauty

Over the last couple of lesson, we have been watching the film, Sleeping Beauty. We have picked up on a number of stereotypes in the film, especially, with the female characters and have discussed them in class. Here are some of the stereotypes used in the different characters of the film:

Princess Aurora is a character who is tall, skinny and blonde with an impossible waistline, which fits the stereotype that all women are to be of a particular look to be considered beautiful. She was also seen cleaning the house in the beginning of the film which ties in with the stereotype that women are to not go to work but rather stay home and clean/cook and that women are uneducated. The stereotype that women are weaker than men and are dependant upon men is also emphasised in Sleeping Beauty as she is saved by the man, and she is seen as overly emotional as she is seen crying multiple times, and the way that she cries is not realistic at all as she is still beautiful while crying. Another stereotype addressed in this film is the fact that women all aspire to marriage, etc. and this is shown as she falls in love with the prince the first time they meet.

Multiple stereotypes can also be seen in the character of Prince Phillip. Firstly, the idea that all men are to be strong is shown by the fact that he is well-built. Also, in the scene where him and Princess Aurora first meet, male dominance is shown as she was unsure of talking to him as he was a stranger, however, he convinced her to keep dancing and singing with him. This suggests that the men are to make all of the decisions and the women are to just keep quiet and agree.

The three fairies also display a number of female stereotypes. Firstly, the idea that women are weak, dependent on men and that they can't do things for themselves is shown by the fact that they are unable to do things without the help of magic. The idea that women are meant to house keep is also shown as their job is to look after Aurora and to look after the house, etc. 

Representation of Women in the Media

Today in class, we discussed as a class the representation of women and girls in the media and the various stereotypes that there are. We put forward our ideas and made a class mind map showing the different stereotypes that there are of women and girls. Here is what we came up with:

We also talked about how these stereotypes are included in the majority of advertisements made, for example, it is always women who are shown in advertisements for cleaning products which involves the idea that women are to stay at home instead of working, that they are uneducated, etc. 

For homework, we were asked to find an advertisement that incorporates some of these stereotypes and I found this advertisement from Victoria's Secret.

This is an advertisement for bras from Victoria's Secret and it includes the idea that all women are meant to be skinny. This image uses the words "every body" suggesting that all women have to look like the models in the photo.

I also found two other advertisements which are quite old, but I thought that they were both an effective example of sexism and the representation of women in the media.

The first advertisement is of a woman receiving a vacuum cleaner for Christmas and it suggests that men should buy their wives a new vacuum cleaner for Christmas as she would really like it. It emphasises the idea that women are to stay at home, cooking and cleaning, rather than going to work, and it suggests that women enjoy doing this too. The appearance of the woman in this image also shows the stereotypical woman in terms of appearance as she is skinny with a small waist and she is pretty.

The second advertisement includes the idea that women are weaker than men as it reads, "You mean a woman can open it?". The underline on the word woman suggests that it's unusual for women to be able to open a bottle as they are weak, and it kind of suggests that women are a bit useless and can't do anything for themselves. Much like the first advertisement, the woman displays the stereotypical appearance as she is beautiful.

First Lesson of Term 3 - Stereotypes

Today in class, we discussed our new unit of work which is gender representation in mass media, and we talked about stereotypes and judgement.

We started off the lesson by talking about how different stereotypes can be either positive or negative, however, most positive judgements/assumptions can be turned negative. We also talked about different stereotypes for our country and our school, then came up with a list of assumptions that have been made about us individually. Here is a list of couple of things that have been assumed about me:

- I am rude/angry and that I dislike them because of my RBF and facial expression

- I went to a makeup course over the holidays and it was assumed that I was bad at makeup and didn't know what I was doing because I was a lot younger than the rest of the group

- I am rude, stuck up, rich, etc. because I go to St Hilda's

Then, we split up into groups and thought about the stereotype of women and girls. Here is the mind map that our group created:

Self-Reflection and Evaluation Production Task Term 2

Discuss your feelings about the production task: please justify your responses.

Are you satisfied with your trailer? (i.e. did it turn out as well as you hoped?)

I am not completely satisfied with my trailer, and I think that it could have turned out a lot better than it did. I didn’t put in as much time as I should have, and I think that if I did put spend more time filming and reshooting what I needed to, it would have been of a lot better quality and I would have been more satisfied with the final result.

Did the project require more/less time than you originally thought?
The project required less time than I originally thought, however, if I had spent more time on it then it would have been a lot better. My poor time management led to me leaving everything to the last minute, whereas I should have done it all early on then edited and re-filmed what I needed to without stressing. Editing this film took a lot less time than with my last film, and I think this is because I find it easier to use Final Cut Pro now. Last time it took a while as I was still kind of working out the different aspects of my shots that I could edit.

Would you like to change or improve any aspects of your final film (storyline, shots, editing, etc.)?

Firstly, I would like to change the dialogue of my film as it is bad quality and doesn’t completely match the person speaking it. I would also change the fact that my trailer is very linear, and I would do this by adding a voiceover, and more of a variety of shot types. I would also make aspects of the storyline more clear, for example, it is not obvious that the girl is in a detention room in the beginning, it just looks like a classroom.

If you could start the project again, what would you do differently?

If I could start the project again, I would make sure to film all of my film early on so that I have time for feedback and time to reshoot what I needed to. This would have made my film a lot better and I wouldn’t have been so rushed to get all the filming done towards the end of the project. I would have also made my trailer less linear, and certain aspects of the storyline clearer.

As this task focused on The Hero’s Journey, describe:

The specific narrative conventions, characters you included in the trailer?

In my trailer, I included the main aspects of The Hero’s Journey to make it obvious to the viewer that it was this type of film. The characters that are a part of the Hero’s Journey structure that I included in my trailer are the hero, the mentor, the goddess character and the villain, and these are the main characters of the actual film. The specific narrative conventions I included in the trailer are long shots in the beginning to establish the setting and to build tension, then fast paced shots towards for excitement.

How you used specific shot types to convey your story?

I used high angles when filming shots of the hero and in the beginning when she was sitting in the room, I positioned her so that she was on the right third of the frame and looking around outside of the frame to indicate that she felt trapped and show that she was not in control. When filming shots of the villain and other powerful characters, I filmed them from a low angle to indicate their control and power.

Whether the intended genre is depicted clearly or if this could be improved?

I believe that the intended genre of thriller could was clear in the trailer, however, if I were to improve this I would use the lighting more effectively in order to create more shadows, etc. such as hiding the villain’s identity with the use of shadows and lighting.

Personal reflection and evaluation: after your previous task, you were asked to reflect upon the project and identify aspects of planning, production and reflection, which could be improved.

Please explain which aspect you chose to focus on for this task and how you have made improvements?

After the last task, I chose to focus on improving my storyline. I think that I have made my storyline for this task a lot more interesting than the previous one, however, I still think I can improve on this. I tried to make the storyline of the film more interesting by planning it as soon as we got the task, meaning that I had more time to think and build on my ideas.

Reflecting upon your completed task, respond to the following points:

How did other people respond to your rough edit? Did you use their feedback to make changes to the film?

The people that I received feedback from for my rough edit told me that they could understand the storyline clearly and could identify the points of The Hero’s Journey clearly. I didn't really receive any criticism, however, when watching my trailer myself and finding things to improve on, I found that I needed to make the shots faster at certain points to make it more dramatic which I did.

Did you use the planning and analysis tools effectively? (i.e. ingredients list, storyboards, shot lists, etc.)

I believe that I used the planning and analysis tools effectively, especially the storyboards and shot list. I built my shot list off my storyboards which made it a lot easier to do, and I created a very detailed shot list which made filming a lot easier than it would have been without it. The shot list enabled me to do my editing more quickly as well, as I knew the exact order that my shots went in and for how long, however, I changed a couple of things around to make it look better.

Were there any problems or difficulties during filming and how did this affect your project? (Difficulties may include: shooting, technical, time management, teamwork, absences or editing, etc.)

The only major problem that I encountered was the fact that my laptop died on the Saturday before the final edit was due. This meant that I wasn’t able to finish my editing as I don’t have another Mac at home. However, I thankfully kept a backup of my Final Cut Library and all of my shots on my external hard drive so I was able to receive an extension for one night and just quickly finish the small amount of editing that I had left.

Discuss whether you undertook adequate and detailed reflection to support your work? (Look at your blog and consider if it looks like a term’s worth of work) 

I believe that I undertook an adequate amount of reflections on my blog to support my work for the term, however, I think that I should have done a bit more. I forgot to do a reflection after every single time that I filmed as I was too busy editing, however, I still think that there are enough blog posts to support my work. Next term I aim to improve on this by completing more reflections throughout the task.