Thursday 25 April 2013

Final Draft Critical investigation


“Your ovaries are squirting so much goofy juice into your brain that you don’t know which way is up”[1]
Despite the fact that we're supposedly living in a post-feminist society, why are female characters in contemporary US sitcoms such as "The Big Bang Theory" still being negatively represented? 

This critical investigation will focus particularly on female representation within US sitcoms. As over the years there have been many debates on female representation and female’s empowerment within society. Such as if we look within books and articles. We have heard how the 21st century is the era to gender equality and female liberation and post-feminism[2]. For example we have movies which are with female protagonists or TV shows that are female centric, and are successful. Such as 30 Rock which was a successful show that ran for 7 seasons, as Tina Fey’s was the main female protagonist and despite her character subverting the stereotypes, the show was highly successful. However other arguments are that sitcoms over the years still perpetuate negative stereotypes. Which is similar to the argument of this critical investigation and my hypothesis, which is females are negatively represented because 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”. We can see that even today there are TV shows that perpetuate negative stereotypes of females and US television plays an important part in this, as "Americanisation" is a big part of the media and of our lifestyle. 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"[3]. As in general television is an example of liberal pluralism as due to the variety of shows on TV, appeal to different groups and represent different groups as “liberal-pluralist view the media are seen as mirrors reflective of the achieved cultural consensus”[4] reflecting the current values and views of contemporary society. Following to the argument the main example for this critical investigation will be, The Big Bang Theory. This is an example of contemporary text and a popular US sitcom. This enables the investigation to deconstruct today’s media. Where we can discuss Penny’s representation but also how Amy and Benerdette’s characters are shown to represent “positive” female representation. But just fall into the TV trope of “retro-sexism”[5]. Furthermore historical texts are equally important; in order to spot patterns in changes of female representation for example Bewitched (1964).  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 focused on the representation of women in television. However if we look back at US television during the 70’s and 80’s, we can see how the representation of women has changed “Zeitgeist”[6]. As comparing it to Bewitched, a US sitcom that came out during the 1960's and if we look at society back then.  We can see during that time there was an improvement in women's position during that decade. They became more independent and more career oriented. But also there was an increase in negative aspects of society, as we saw fewer women having children and increase in divorce rates. 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. Referring to how all American women should go back to the norm of being the typical housewife as they are being a “femininity failure”[7]. In addition looking throughout the first episode the husband finds out his wife is a witch and he asks his friends for advice, where instead taunting comments are made by the friends saying for example, Dick York tells the bartender: “My wife’s a witch” where in reply he says “cheer up, you should see mine”[8]. 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”[9]. 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.[10] As also we see Darrin in Bewitched and in Big Bang theory Leonard are the victim of female mind games and their “Bastard Girlfriends”[11] how they suffer from never understanding the complicating women. For example during seasons we see Penny being confused about her relationship with Leonard. Showing how even though we say we are in a post-feminist society we are actually still having casual sexism towards female characters.

An important problem with female representation in US sitcoms is the character types[12]. The show Bewitched shows every negative stereotype of women, for example the seductress is represented in Sheila, the arrogant and rude mother in law. Then we have Samantha who is shown as flawless and beautiful, but being a witch shows women 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”[13]. 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”[14] . For example, 30 Rock: "Men infantilize women and women tear each other down”[15]. It reflects 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"[16]  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"[17]. Furthermore we can see that how US sitcoms affect 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 created debates on how they affect audiences. As there are some debates on the hypodermic needle[18] theory. Values are injected into the audiences and they accept the meanings. Which are negative representations of women which encourages audiences to build this “Hyper reality”[19] 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 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”[20].

Furthermore another argument is the majority of male writers have resulted in the prejudice representation of females. As “dream through the dreams of men”[21], ‘make herself object’[22] and ‘renounce her autonomy”[23]. Showing that how we are viewing an image of the writer’s reality, referring to cultivation theory[24] as by watching repeated images of women as "house wives" or playing the emotional roles. For example Penny as a waitress . Also society has accepted that image and has related to the dominant ideology. As media reflects “dominance and resistance”[25] and having a long term effect on the audiences. In addition female characters that go against these stereotypes, audiences tend to disapprove of these characters. For example in 30 Rock Tina Fey’s role, as a career oriented woman she is considered as grumpy, and to some extreme extents seen as a lesbian[26].  Showing how society and writers traditional views are reflected in the show.  Due to American society’s conservative views in the sitcoms, audiences relate to the values.  Women are portrayed in all media as being primarily involved in relationships and men are more often portrayed in the context of their careers" reflecting the traditional views of society that has been in shows for many years. This has become the norm of society and going out the stereotype makes society reject 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"[27]  . But even though Tina Fey is shown to be the “boss” in the company, she still goes through problems such as being stereotype and sexism from employees. Representing 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!”[28]. The Manic Pixie Dream Girl is every male characters dream. She’s the funny and pretty character. But this is a negative representation of women, as this character is put in the show just for the male’s satisfaction and doesn’t have a quality input to the story line. For example in Big Bang Theory we have Leonard who is a smart guy but has a low self-esteem. However later enters Penny that sparks up Leonard’s life and then becomes the character that is most wanted by women. Penny is a perfect representation of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl as we never really have an idea about her family. But is only there to help Leonard so he can go back in the “real world” and live up to his “full potential”. This can give an explanation of why females are still negatively represented in the sitcoms. As over the years the same tropes are being represented. Resulting in women behaving the same way in society and men expecting that behaviour from each female. Which could relate to how feminists argue women are the takers of “shit”[29] as men like to release their problem on women such as how Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory, releases his frustration of failures in experiments on Amy.

Another point and problem with US sitcoms is the “Bechdel test”[30]. 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"[31], 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.

US sitcoms have been said to give audiences what they want as “female chauvinist pigs of today are doing them one better making sex objects of other women and of themselves they think they're brave"[32]  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 in modern society women are sexually objectified, other women see this as normal for example in 30 Rock, Tina Feys character is not your normal US sitcom female character which brings the whole comedy aspect of how they think she’s 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.  Showing how Women objectify other women and if they don't reach the stereotypical image, they will be isolated from audiences. Also in a documentary on BBC two "Family guy? US sitcoms" they refer to the idea that US sitcoms mostly 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.  Such as the norm of traditional roles of females e.g. emotional roles.

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”[33]. 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. Opposite characterization 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”[34] characterization.

In conclusion US sitcoms continue to negatively represent females due to society’s beliefs and acceptances. A s due to patriarchy within society and the media industry. Looking today 90% of sitcoms are written and directed by men[35] and watching the shows directed/written by men we are watching a sense of their reality. The cultivation theory shows 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[36]. These negative representation women aspire and identify with and then tend to accept and imitate these traits and then making a cycle of women behaving like that in society and then the media. As the notion of “post feminism is one that has largely been constructed by the media in order to discredit the real gains that feminism has made over the past forty years.”[37]

Word count- 2281

Final Bibliography

Work Cited

Books

Bernard, Jessie (1982) The Future of Marriage. United States (P202)


Fourie, P. J. (2008). 6. Media studies (2nd ed., p. page 294). Cape Town: Juta.
Gauntlett, D. (2002)5. 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.
Houchens, Chris. "1." Brand zeitgeist: embedding brand relationships into the collective consciousness. New York: iUniverse, 2010. 4. Print.
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 .
Neil Campbell, Jude Davies, George McKay Issues In Americanisation And Culture(P1)
Olfman, S. (2009). something happening here. The sexualization of childhood (p. 73). Westport, Conn.: Praeger.
Olvia Biondi-  "Gender Stereotypes in Reality TV: An Investigation of "The Real World" (P2)
Perry, N. (1998). introduction. Hyperreality and global culture (p. page 1). New York: Routledge.

 

Paul Wingfield Nesbitt-Larking Politics, Society, and the Media (P83)

 

Tasker, Yvonne, and Diane Negra. "1." Interrogating postfeminism: gender and the politics of popular culture. Durham [N.C.: Duke University Press, 2007. 22. Print.
Zoonen, L. v. (1994). Chapter 1. Feminist media studies (p. page 3). London: Sage.

 

 

 

 

 

Internet







Feminism, post feminism, Liz Lemonism http://www.genders.org/g55/g55_mizejewski.html


http://www.amptoons.com/blog/2007/04/26/sexism-against-and-for-men-on-tv-sitcoms/


Moving images
Big bang theory Episode 1. Season 6. (27th Sep 2012)  Chuck Lorre Productions Warner Bros. television.
United States
Big Bang Theory episode 7.season 1 (5th Nov 2007)  Chuck Lorre Productions Warner Bros. television.
United States
Big Bang Theory Ep 12 season 6 (3rd Jan 2013) Chuck Lorre Productions Warner Bros. television.
United States
Bewitched Ep 1 season 1 (17th Sep 1964) Ashmont Productions. United States
30 Rock. Episode 16. season 5 (24th Feb 2011) Broadway Video Little Stranger, Inc. NBC Universal Television Studio(2006–2007) Universal Media Studios (2007–2011) Universal Television. United States

Works consulted
Books
Attwood, F. (2010). Mainstreaming Sex the Sexualisation of western culture London

David Knox, Caroline Schacht Choices in Relationships: An Introduction to Marriage and the Family (P103)


DiCenzo, M., & Delap, L. (2011).Feminist media history: suffrage, periodicals and the public sphere. Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Olvia Biondi-  "Gender Stereotypes in Reality TV: An Investigation of "The Real World" (P3)

 


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 (20th Nov 2007)  Chuck Lorre Productions Warner Bros. television.
United States
New girl- season 1 episode 1 ( 20TH Sept 2011) Elizabeth Meriwether Pictures American Nitwits Chernin Entertainment 20th Century Fox Television. United States

30 rock- season 5 episode 1 (23rd Sep 2010)
Broadway Video Little Stranger, Inc. NBC Universal Television Studio(2006–2007) Universal Media Studios (2007–2011) Universal Television. United States

 





[1]     Big Bang Theory Ep 12. Season 6
[2]    Mc Robbie. A. (2007). Pg.27
[3]     Campbell. N. (2004).Pg. 1

[4]    Nesbitt- Larking . P.W  (2007). Pg.83

[6]    Houchens.C.(2010).Pg.4
[8]  Bewitched Ep 1 season 1
[9]   Big Bang Theory episode 7.season 1
[10]  BBC 2 documentary Family guys? What sitcoms say about America Today?
[12]   Gray. G (2010).(Pg.54)
[13]  Women on Big Bang Theory http://blog.sciencewomen.com/2008/05/women-on-big-bang-theory.html
[14]  Mulvey.L. (1975).Pg.14
[15] 30 rock. Episode 16. season 5
[16]  Ibid
[17] Olfman. S(2009) pg.73
[18]  Fourie.P (2001) pg.294
[19]   Perry. N (1998) introduction
[20]  Olfman. S(2009) pg.73
[21]  Groves.J (2007) pg.84
[22]   ibid
[23]   ibid
[24] Biondi.O.(2007) Pg.2
[25]  Holtzman. L. (2000). PG 36
[26]  Feminism, post feminism, Liz Lemonism http://www.genders.org/g55/g55_mizejewski.html
[28] Manic pixie dream girl http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ManicPixieDreamGirl
[29] Bernard,J. (1982) pg.220
[30]  Bechdel test http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/TheBechdelTest?from=Main.TheBechdelTest
[31] Big bang theory Episode 1. Season 6
[32]  Levy. A (2005) Pg.1
[33] Zoonen. L (1994). Pg 3
[36] US sitcoms http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM38_Politics_Sitcom.html