Gender Tropes in Film
Location
Ponderosa Room D
Presentation Type
Presentation
Presentation Topic
Gender bias and stereotypes, movies and television
Start Date
3-3-2023 10:10 AM
Event Sort Order
17
Abstract
What we watch shapes our views on gender as surely as our parents and teachers do. Gender norms within the media we consume are enforced in our heads time and time again. By looking at aspects of women and men in on-screen media and concepts such as the male gaze, heteronormative tendencies, stereotypes, and the effects of diversity and lack of it, we see how those often harmful ideas are perpetuated within society by popular culture.
We find various examples of the media marketed towards men versus women, what that entails, and how it shapes our viewpoints. These factors reinforce stereotypes and biases within people’s own lives, despite evidence showing that more diverse media performs better.
In recent years, an expansion of media across genres has begun, fighting stereotypes and heteronormative standards. Genres such as superhero media previously marketed towards men are expanding their horizons and battling stereotypes. However, there is still a long way to go. So what can we do? We can support groups bringing awareness to diverse media, promote the diverse movies we see done well, and promote education accessibility. Stem programs are appearing for women, but what about programs encouraging female directors? Within majors such as film majors, are students being taught about biases within the film industry? Through a critical analysis, this presentation argues that the more diverse and representative the media content, the more we can ingrain and normalize the importance of diversity in people from childhood on.
Gender Tropes in Film
Ponderosa Room D
What we watch shapes our views on gender as surely as our parents and teachers do. Gender norms within the media we consume are enforced in our heads time and time again. By looking at aspects of women and men in on-screen media and concepts such as the male gaze, heteronormative tendencies, stereotypes, and the effects of diversity and lack of it, we see how those often harmful ideas are perpetuated within society by popular culture.
We find various examples of the media marketed towards men versus women, what that entails, and how it shapes our viewpoints. These factors reinforce stereotypes and biases within people’s own lives, despite evidence showing that more diverse media performs better.
In recent years, an expansion of media across genres has begun, fighting stereotypes and heteronormative standards. Genres such as superhero media previously marketed towards men are expanding their horizons and battling stereotypes. However, there is still a long way to go. So what can we do? We can support groups bringing awareness to diverse media, promote the diverse movies we see done well, and promote education accessibility. Stem programs are appearing for women, but what about programs encouraging female directors? Within majors such as film majors, are students being taught about biases within the film industry? Through a critical analysis, this presentation argues that the more diverse and representative the media content, the more we can ingrain and normalize the importance of diversity in people from childhood on.
Presenter Bio
Ella Ferguson attends the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She is an English major with a double minor in Public Law and Women's and Gender Studies. After she earns her bachelor's degree, she plans on attending law school. When not working towards a career as an attorney, Ella loves to write, and a one act play she wrote was performed by her high school in the fall of 2022.