Today I'm diving into how female characters are portrayed in films (next blog tackles the male side of things). There are, of course, stereotypes out there about what it means to be female, and I need to explain those before I describe characters. We have all seen several of these film stereotypes and you may recognize several of them.
Stereotypes of Women
1. The "perfect" wife - We see this in several sitcoms from the 50s. Women are serving, cooking, and being primarily domestic in this stereotype. Men would be doing almost no domestic work compared to the women in their lives, so if you're searching for an example in your head look for who's doing the most domestic work. Look up Bewitched or I Dream of Genie if you're stumped.
2. All about the man - In this stereotype you see a woman focusing her whole life on having a happy ending with one man. Think Cinderella and Grease and you have the perfect picture of this. They may even change to please the man, especially in the case of Grease.
3. The strong independent type - This is more common now than it used to be. Think Alita Battle Angel or Captain Marvel. These women don't need a man at all because they are sometimes stronger or as strong as the men. They may end up with a romance, but it doesn't cause them to change themselves or their drive to go for their goals.
4. Pretty face/everyone loves a blonde - There are several movies that focus on what women wear and give them a grand total of two infuriatingly stupid lines in the script. They are there to be "decorative". They could be cut out of the plot entirely and the movie would still make perfect sense. Several blonde actresses with great bodies (Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, etc...) have been cast in these roles in several films, mostly in the early days of Hollywood.
Today's Films
Today we still see all of these, sometimes intermixed together. What has been trending, with all of the superhero movies we see put out year after year, is stereotype 3. We are seeing more and more examples of princesses that don't need men, female action heroes that lose their men and continue on with their lives, and intelligent women that don't depend on men for their worth.
Sadly, we also see all of the other ones mixed with it in some of the reruns of old sitcoms and film classics. Watch anything involving Marilyn Monroe and you will see her objectified and made sexual by her clothing. I dream of Genie is a clear example of one who only serves her man (mind you, she's a genie, but still...). Westerns do every stereotype, sometimes all in one film.
I am not saying classic film and sitcom shows are evil (They Arent!). What I'm saying is that old ideas of female roles exist in every classic film because they were made in a time where that was what society expected. Today women are in the workforce and have fought (and still fight) for film and minority representation. There are always films that break the mold and go against the grain, but most films (and novels) represent the society that made them.
Wrapping it up
Next blog will take on the male stereotypes and film representation, and much like the stereotypes above, not all of them are good. Keep in mind that when we write our novels, or read our favorite authors, we need to understand what society the author is pulling from. Be careful writing historical novels with a 2019 outlook on life, because I guarantee you they didn't treat women's rights the same in the roaring twenties.
As always, let me know what you want to hear about. I want to inform my fellow writers well.
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