Response to "Credibility, Gender and Media"

This is a response to Sofia's "Credibility, Gender and Media"

Here is the original post: http://christianityandpopularculture.blogspot.ca/2012/03/credibility-gender-and-media.html

Sofia, I totally with you on the lack of credibility we see in the portrayal of women in the media. To be honest, I’m not really a news person, so I never really paid attention to the female portrayal in news reporting, and you’ve brought up really interesting points about that! I realize that the lack of credibility in the portrayal of women is very common in the media, especially in movies and television shows. As a huge fan of shows like Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives, I notice that even though these shows target female audiences, there are always negative portrayals and stereotypes found in them, and these messages could reinforce female stereotypical roles in the society, and send wrong messages to young adults.

All about gossips.

Sex and the City (SATC) - an extremely popular television show during 1998-2004, it was so popular that there are two movies made to continue the story 4 years after its finale. SATC was so hit that it became a huge popular culture in North America, there are special tours organized for SATC fans, sales boosted dramatically after the SATC actresses were seen using or wearing certain products/clothing, and recently the apartment that the main character Carrie Bradshaw lives, is now for sale asking for millions. SATC demonstrates an excellent example of the interaction between popular culture and the portrayal of women in the media. The four main characters-Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, are portrayed as four middle aged, educated and highly successful women. The show is mainly about these four women gathering around and gossip about men, this illustrate one of the common ways of female portrayal in television that we covered in lecture. The television show is based on the assumption that even successful and beautiful women’s lives would not be complete without men, and the entire show surrounds on the theme of the four single women, each searching for the perfect man. Interestingly, the characters personality and encounters seem to counteract with each other to enforce the stereotype that women are weak and that men are the ultimate remedy for their problems.

Charlotte paid the price for her "Happy Ending".

For example, Carrie and Charlotte carry a very traditional stereotype of women. Carrie is dreamy and constantly tries to get attention from men, and she can never get enough of her prince charming-Mr Big, and often gets very emotional when she does not receive enough attention. Charlotte is the typical girl next door that would give up everything for the man she loves, even though she is very good-looking, she ultimately has to convert her religion to settle for a guy that isn't very attractive. Miranda and Samantha are shown as rather masculine characters, they are independent, strong, and highly successful. Miranda ultimate falls for a guy that is a lot less successful than she is, and gives up many aspects of her success to be with the guy and her children. Samantha, is most untypical female character in the show, she is strongly opinionated, doesn’t like dating and makes it clear that she only enjoys sex but nothing else, though at certain times, she is revealed to be weak and just like the other characters, she craves the attention from men and struggles to keep her feelings apart from just sex. The SATC movie was release 4 years after its finale, and it shows a “happy ending” for all characters, which is-finally finding their prince charming. This television show assumes that these gorgeous, fashionable, well-educated, independent and successful women are not happy, and the show surrounds on their gatherings and conversations they have with each other about their failure to meet the right guy, as long as they have found a significant other, that’s the “happy ending”. This sets another example of the lack of credibility in the portrayal of women in mainstream media.

Typical conversation and gathering in SATC, and Samantha falls for the guy that previous cheated on her.

Television shows or movies that carry similar themes often have high ratings. It is difficult to figure whether it was popular culture that influences people to make films or shows like this, or if it is these shows that shaped the culture somehow. I personally tend to believe that the media saw the culture, create based on it, and produce shows or movies that further reinforce that culture in the society. And why do people like these shows? Perhaps it has something do with religion. North America is Christian-centric, and like we discussed in lecture, women are often perceived as inferior to men in religion. Perhaps audience who grew up from this culture got comfortable with this idea, and therefore tends to favor shows or movies that convey this stereotype. The relationship between religion, popular culture, and the portrayal of gender is complex, and I think SATC is a perfect example to illustrate this complexity.

Sick Samantha: Though portrayed as a strong female, the most masculine character out of the others, Samantha shows her desire for a man when shes weak and says "I should have gotten married".