Despite the
fact that we're supposedly living in a post-feminist society, why are
female characters in contemporary US shows such as "The Big Bang
Theory" still being negatively represented?
Word count-2843 including quotes
"Women.
Delightfully mysterious or bat-crap crazy"- Big Bang Theory
This critical investigation will focus
particularly on female representation within US sitcoms, As television is
an example of liberal pluralism as within television there are shows
which appeal to different groups and represent different groups as
“liberal-Pluralist view the media are seen as mirrors reflective of the
achieved cultural consensus”[1]
reflecting the current values and views of contemporary society. However
television over the years still perpetuates certain stereotypes and
the biggest is the negative representation of women. As within books,
articles etc. we have heard how the 21st century is the era to gender equality
and female liberation. For example we have movies which are with
female protagonists or TV shows that are female centric, and are
successful. However the argument of this critical investigation is that even
today there are TV shows that perpetuate negative stereotypes of females and
how US television plays an important part in this as
"Americanisation" is a big part of the media and of our lifestyle,
and many of the values portrayed in the shows have been accepted by audiences
and have become a part of our life as "America Shapes the way
non-Americans live and think"[2]. Referring
to my hypothesis, in where females are negatively represented as because of how
the media is still male dominated for example there is a higher proportion of
male writers, and we are watching shows with their values in it (subjectivity).
And to support my hypothesis the main text that will be used is, The Big Bang Theory as the main example is
a contemporary text and a popular US sitcom as well. This enables the
investigation to deconstruct “todays” media. Where we can discuss Pennys representation but also how Amy's and Benerdettes characters are shown to represent positive female
representation, but however just fall into the TV trope of “retro-sexism”.
Furthermore the use of historical texts are equally important in order to spot
patterns in changes of female representation for example Bewitched (1970) etc. to see whether female representation has
really improved? Or is it just shown to have improved in order to achieve a
larger female audience?.
Feminists over the years have debated on how
negative female representation has started from the 70's and 80's. As
even though main texts for this critical investigation are Big Bang theory and 30 Rock
which are contemporary text. However if we look back in US television, we can
see how the representation of women has improved and how much of it hasn't,
(Zeitgeist). As if we compare it to Bewitched, which was a US sitcom that came
out during the 60-70's and if we look at how society was back then in the
60-70's. As by Relating it to SHEP
during that time there was an improvement in women's position during that
decade, as they became more independent and more career oriented. But also
there was an increase in negative aspects to society, as we saw less women have
children, increase in crime rate and increase in inflation, so as relating to
women's position in society we can see that bewitched is actually
"demonising" women in the sense they are the "witches" of
society as they are going out of the stereotype, and it can also refer to how
all American women should go back to the norm of being the typical housewife.
In addition looking throughout the first episode throughout the husband finds out his
wife is a witch he asks his friends for advice, where instead taunting comments are made by the friends saying for example
Dick York tells the bartender “My wifes a watch” where in reply he says “cheer
up, you should see mine”[3]. On that note we have a non-diegetic background laugh,
showing the sense society agrees with this point that "all women" are
witches, and this makes society unite on this point. As comparing it to the
contemporary texts we have Sheldon who comments on Penny saying “I don't know how, but she is
cheating! Nobody can be that attractive and this skilled at a video game”[4].
Where in both historic text and contemporary we see how stereotypes of women
are reflected in the shows, which refers to how sitcoms reflect the current
views of society so audiences can identify with their shows.[5] As
also we see Darrin in Bewitched and
in Big Bang theory Leonard are the victim of female mind
games and how they suffer from never understanding the complicating women. For example
during seasons we see Penny being confused about her relationship with Leonard.
Another problem
with female representation in US sitcoms is the character types[6],
as referring back to Bewitched. Also
within the show bewitched we see how every negative stereotype of
female is represented in different female character for example the seductress
is represented in "Sheila",
and the arrogant and rude mother in law. As we have
negative representation and then Samantha who is shown as flawless
and beautiful but as a witch which gives the idea females can't always be
perfect. Again reinforcing the negative stereotypes of women, as even today
within the Big Bang Theory we have Penny "blond bombshell"
actress/waitress of "average intellect”[7]. Relating to how women in
US sitcoms aren’t there to contribute substantial amounts to the script, but
they are just there for the Visual pleasure of male audiences, “Male Gaze”[8] . For example 30 rock "Men infantilize
women and women tear each other down”[9]. This episode
was absolutely perfect in reflecting the contemporary US
sitcoms views on women and societies view on women. As we see throughout the
episode characters make comments such as "my dream, is to create a kids
shows that promotes illiteracy in little girls"[10] this shows how the sitcom
is parodying certain aspects of the media, for example how kid shows
promote negative representations of women and how girls from a young age are
taught to be sexualised "Taught from a young age that they
should be sexy, edgy and seek male attention"[11]. Furthermore we can see that How us
sitcoms effect young girls to then later behave in that sexualised way in
society, hence starting this cycle of negative representation.
Negative representations of women in US
sitcoms have bought debates on how it affects audiences. As there are some
debates on hypodermic needle[12] that shows just inject
values and audiences accept meaning the negative representations of women have
encouraged audiences to build this “Hyper reality”[13] how people can’t differ
reality from media, resulting in men having “High expectations from women” in
society. However then we have the debate on how the US sitcoms affect young
female audiences, as by viewing these negative/sexual representations of women,
young girls have negative images to look up to “a sexualised society puts all
kids at risk”[14].
Which brings the question up of, as how the writer and director is male is
he trying to refer to his thoughts of women (showing his prejudice
thoughts) or is he parodying the views of American society during
that time as the media is the “dream through the dreams of men”[15], ‘make herself object’[16] and ‘renounce her autonomy”[17]. Showing that how we are viewing an image of the writer’s reality,
referring to cultivation theory[18]
as by watching repeated images of women as "house wives" or playing
the emotional roles, society has accepted that view/image and that has
related to the dominant ideology of women as the media shows “dominance and
resistance”[19]. In addition female characters
that go against these stereotypes, audiences tend to disapprove of these
characters. For example in 30 Rock Tina feys role, as a career oriented
woman she is considered as grumpy, and to some extreme extents seen as a
lesbian[20],
which shows how societies and writers traditional views are reflected in the
show, and due to American societies conservative views sitcoms show what the
audiences want and they enjoy traditional values. Women are portrayed in all media as
being primarily involved in relationship and men are more often portrayed
in the context of their careers"--
reflecting the traditional conservative view of society that has been in shows
for many years, as this has become the norm of society and going out the
stereotype makes society rejecting the view. This shows how in 30 rock Tina fey
character is different as "American sitcoms of the modern era,
in contrast with other so-called ‘women’s’ shows that target a female audience
through their female leads, yet have no women in prominent creative or
editorial positions"[21] even though Tina fey is shown to be in a
"boss" like position in the company she still goes through problems
such as being stereotyped and still have a sexist boss, that
represents the patriarchy in society and in the media industry and the reason
for why women are still negatively stereotyped.
Stereotypes over
the years in tv shows have a big contribution as to why certain female
representations take place today. As when certain stereotypes are repeated it
becomes "tropes", and due to these tropes society start to accept the
representations and we then have these negative images as the norm. For example
the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope, “Let's say you're
a soulful, brooding male hero, living a sheltered, emotionless existence. If only someone
— someone female — could come
along and open your heart to the great, wondrous adventure of life...It's Manic Pixie Dream Girl to the rescue!”[22]. The manic pixie dream girl is every male characters dream. She’s the
funny and pretty character. But this isn’t the best representation of women, as
this character is put in the show just for the males satisfaction and doesn’t
really have a quality input to the story line, as how the sad, hurt and injured
male needs a lovely woman in his life to spark him up so he can go out there
and save the world again. For example in big bang theory we have Leonard who is
a smart guy but has a low self-esteem, however later enters penny who sparks up
Leonards life and then becomes the character that is most wanted by women.
Where penny is a perfect representation of a manic pixie dream girl as we never
really have an idea about her family etc., and she only helped change
Leonard so he can go back in the “real world” and live up to his “full
potential”. This can give a explanation of why females are still
negatively represented in the Sitcoms, as over the years the same stereotype is
being represented as for example in New Girl as well Zooey dechannel "the
sweet girl next door" is the perfect girl who gives advice to her 3 other
male house mates which again shows how she is the manic pixie dream girl and
gives them advice so the men can be "saviours" of society. Also we
can say that female audiences have seen so many examples of the manic pixie
dream girl, the stereotype has become a norm and now female audiences accept
the role (identify) with the role and aspire to be like that, which the results
in females behaving the same way in society and men expecting
that behaviour from each female.
Furthermore
another point and problem with US sitcoms is the “bechdel test”[23].
Bechdel Test" which was created by feminists which is a test that movies
within the oscars had to pass in order to see if the film was "female
friendly" and the test consisted of two or more women in the cast, the
women are in the same scene together and if they talk more than 30 seconds and
are they talking anything besides men. For example within a scene in Big Bang
theory which fails to pass the Bechdel test as Penny and Amy are talking about
"guy problems" with each other the stereotypical "girls night
out"[24], not really representing
females as independent and career oriented. As society claims we are in a post-feminism
society and we don’t really see that in the majority of Big Bang Theory scenes.
Furthermore in US sitcoms
another huge issue with female representation is also the higher
proportion of male casts. “Well,
commercial television -- what did I expect? The surprise is that public
television, for all its superior intelligence, charm and commitment to worthy
values, short changes preschool girls, too”[25]
The article talks about smurfette
principal and how in US contemporary TV there are shows where there is a high
disproportioned gendered cast. Where the show will have a higher proportion of
male characters to female, and the only female character will be highly
stereotyped of negatively represented. For example New Girl Zooey Dechanel
lives with 3 other guys in the apartment and she is the main protagonist
however she is highly stereotyped when it comes to behavior and her clothing.
This fits in with the idea as how females are still be negatively represented.
As this also has an effect on female audiences as if they watch this show they
feel they want to aspire to be like her hence taking her clothing style and behavior
on board.
Another problem is that US sitcoms give
audiences what they want as now “female chauvinist pigs of today are doing them one
better making sex objects of other women and of themselves they think
they're brave"[26] Relating to my critical investigation on how women
are being negatively/ sexually represented, it is not just to please the
male audiences but also the female audiences as how now in modern society women
are sexually objectifying other women and now see this as normal for example in
30 rock Tina Feys character isn't your normal US sitcom female character which
then brings the whole comedy aspect of how they think shes a lesbian and no
other male co-worker is attracted to her and also the other female co-workers
who also taunt her about her look, which refers back to how women themselves
are objectifying other women and if they don't reach
the stereotypical image they will be isolated from audiences. As also
in a documentary on BBC two called "Family guy? US sitcoms" where
they refer to the idea that US sitcoms always or usually tend to make
references to real life situations for example the recession which was
reflected in many shows. This refers back to my question as
how contemporary stereotypes and views are injected into the story line
and show.
Lastly a huge issue
with shows like Big Bang theory and New girl is “feminist have drawn attention to the
under representation of women in higher education and as scientists”[27].
Penny in Big bang theory is the best example of how female
characters are being shown as these “dumb” characters as we see her character
that has dropped out of college and works in the cheese cake factory who dreams
big to be in Hollywood, her character really doesn’t aspire to achieve something
academically. This really shows how in US contemporary shows have a norm of
where the main female character should be just this “attractive idiot”, as if
she falls into an opposite characterization she will be isolated and treated
differently from the rest of the characters. For example in 30 rock Tina fey is
this confident intelligent woman and that is supposed to be the funny aspect
about her, as this doesn’t fit in the norm of “attractive idiot”
characterization.
in conclusion US sitcoms continue to negatively represent
females due to societies beliefs and acceptances As also
due to patriarchy within society and the media industry. As if we
look today 90% of sitcoms are written and directed by men and watching the shows
directed/written by men we are watching a sense of their reality and as
using cultivation theory by repeating these images
and values audience believe and accept them as to be the norm. As
whilst in UK sitcoms have in recent decades established a highly successful
tradition of female writer/actors and Saunders and Victoria Wood through to
Caroline Aherne, this has been less notable in the US[28].
Furthermore due to these negative representation women aspire and
identify with these negative representation and then tend to accept
and imitate these traits and then making a cycle of women behaving like that in
society.
Final Bibliography
Work Citied
Books
-Fourie, P. J. (2008).
6. Media studies (2nd ed., p. page 294). Cape Town: Juta.
-Gauntlett, D.
(2002). introduction. Media, gender, and identity: an introduction (p.
9). London: Routledge.
-Holtzman, L.
(2000). 2. Media messages: what film, television, and popular music teach us
about race, class, gender, and sexual orientation (p. 72). Armonk, N.Y.:
M.E. Sharpe.
-Jenainati, C.,
& Groves, J. (2007). 5. Introducing feminism (p. 84). Thriplow:
Icon.
-Levy, A.
(2005). introduction . Female chauvinist pigs: women and the rise of raunch
culture (p. 1). New York: Free Press.
-Mulvey, L.
(1999). 3. Visual pleasure and narrative cinema (p. 19). London: Laura
Mulvey .
-Olfman, S.
(2009). something happening here. The sexualization of childhood (p.
73). Westport, Conn.: Praeger.
-Perry, N.
(1998). introduction. Hyperreality and global culture (p. page 1). New
York: Routledge.
-Zoonen, L. v.
(1994). Chapter 1. Feminist media studies (p. page 3). London: Sage.
-Olvia Biondi- "Gender Stereotypes in Reality TV: An
Investigation of "The Real World" (P2)
- Paul Wingfield
Nesbitt-Larking Politics, Society, and
the Media (P83)
-Neil Campbell, Jude Davies, George
McKay Issues In Americanisation And
Culture(P1)
Internet
A serious
business: the politics of two American sitcoms- http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM38_Politics_Sitcom.html
Smurfette
principal- http://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/07/magazine/hers-the-smurfette-principle.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
Smurfette principal http://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/07/magazine/hers-the-smurfette-principle.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
Bechdel test http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/TheBechdelTest?from=Main.TheBechdelTest
Moving images
Big bang theory Episode 1. Season 6
Big Bang Theory episode 7.season 1
Bewitched Ep 1 season 1
30 rock. Episode 16. season 5
Works consulted
Books
David
Knox, Caroline Schacht Choices
in Relationships: An Introduction to Marriage and the Family (P103)
Olvia Biondi- "Gender Stereotypes in Reality TV: An
Investigation of "The Real World" (P3)
Attwood, F. (2010). Mainstreaming Sex the Sexualisation of
western culture London
DiCenzo, M., & Delap, L. (2011).Feminist media history: suffrage, periodicals and the
public sphere. Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Internet
Are Women Presented Fairly
in 'The Big Bang Theory'?- http://voices.yahoo.com/are-women-presented-fairly-big-bang-theory-11051078.html
‘New Girl’ Creator Liz Meriwether on
Jess, Sexuality, Schmidt & more- http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/08/new-girl-creator-liz-meriwether-on-jess-sexuality-schmidt-more.html
Gaye
Tuchman-Symbolic annihilation- http://feminineidentity.blog.com/2011/04/14/symbolic-annihilation-of-women-are-we-witnessing-a-shift/
Moving image-
Big Bang
theory- season 1 episode 8
New girl-
season 1 episode 1
30 rock- season
5 episode 1
[1]
Nesbitt-
Larking , P.W (2007). Pg.83
[6] Gray. G
(2010).(Pg.54)
[7] Women on Big
Bang Theory http://blog.sciencewomen.com/2008/05/women-on-big-bang-theory.html
[8] Mulvey.L. (1975).Pg.14
[12] Fourie.P (2001)
pg.294
[13] Perry. N
(1998) introduction
[15] Groves.J
(2007) pg.84
[16] ibid
[17] ibid
[19] Holtzman. L.
(2000). PG 36
[21] A Serious Business: the Politics of Two American
Sitcoms http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM38_Politics_Sitcom.html
[22] Manic pixie dream girl http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ManicPixieDreamGirl
[23] Bechdel test
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/TheBechdelTest?from=Main.TheBechdelTest
[25] Smurfette principal http://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/07/magazine/hers-the-smurfette-principle.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
[26] Levy. A (2005)
Pg.1
[28] US sitcoms http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM38_Politics_Sitcom.html
