This week I will be writing my blog about an episode of the TV sitcom What I Like About You. This show is centered on a high school girl (Holly) who is living with her older sister. In this particular episode her older sister, Val is in a strange position because she eloped with a man (Vic) one night after drinking and now that they are married she is starting to fall in love with him (she hated him at first). A little background on Val is that she was previously engaged to a man named Rick and was suppose to marry him one year ago on Thanksgiving (the episode takes place on Thanksgiving day). Rick is now married to another woman.
Val’s friend, Lauren, is falling in love with a married man she met in an online poker chat room but she has never met him in person yet. Lauren says that she is so interested in this man because he is funny, sweet, sensitive, honest, caring, sincere, and a good listener. This statement sends out a gender message because it is saying that this is what women are looking for in a man. They want someone who isn’t unafraid to show emotion, even though typically, men think they should never show/talk about their feelings because women will things it is feminine or they are less of a man. On Thanksgiving morning she plans to meet him and it turns out to be Rick. They are upset at first but then once they start talking they end up kissing even though Val is Lauren’s best friend and Rick is married to someone else.
Another message sent out in this episode goes along with the first one. Vince (Holly’s boyfriend) spends the whole episode drooling over an old friend of Vic’s that comes over to the apartment for Thanksgiving dinner. The woman is beautiful and while Lauren (women) is interested in the emotions and feelings of a man Vince (men) is solely focused on her beauty. This sends the message that men are only interested in physical attractiveness, not a woman’s personality.
Towards the end of the evening Val ends up finding out about Lauren. Everyone is terrified when she does and assumes she is going to go crazy or have an emotional breakdown right then and there. This is sending the message that women are highly emotional and unstable because it is expected by everyone that she will be so upset. In actuality though, she is not upset about hearing about Rick, just that Lauren betrayed her. Val surprises everyone by appearing (and being) completely over Rick and their broken engagement.
On a final note, there is one more gender message in this show/episode that has to do with women in the workplace. Val owns her own a business and is very successful with it. While at first this may appear to be sending the message that women are just as equal to men in the business world and so forth, but actually it is sending the message that women belong doing feminine things. Val’s business is a bakery/cupcake shop. Baking is typically seen as a feminine or domestic thing. Women are expected to do it, not men. So, while Val is out making herself a career we still view her as a stay at home mother figure because she is spending the day baking in a bakery with pink and purple walls and big cupcakes everywhere. Even though she is spending a large portion of her airtime at “work,” we still see her in a domesticated sort of way.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Full House
This week I am writing my blog about an episode of Full House. In this episode Joey is offered the opportunity to take his comedy show on a six week college tour. At first, even though he is really excited about being offered such an exciting opportunity, he doesn’t think that he should go because he should be there for the family and to take care of the three girls. This is sending a gender message contradictory to the social accepted idea that women, not men, hold the responsibility of caring for the children and household. In Full House though the family is headed by three single men, there are no woman in the family except for the three daughters. This show sends a message that even though it is not typical, men are capable of caring for and nurturing woman. Even though this is the message of the show, there is some humor throw into the episodes that reinforce the ideas that women are the sensitive, emotional gender and men are the work centered bread-winners.
This show use humor and funny situations to send the message that even though these three men are successfully running a family and household without any women around, they still are out of place doing things like ironing and cooking. (Things that would typically be considered domestic, feminine chores.) Danny holds the head (masculine) role in the family. The three girl are his daughters. He makes all the final decisions about what the family and children can do. He especially is dominant in financial situations and decisions. Joey and Jesse alternate as the feminine or secondary role in the family. They are the ones that do the household chores, care for the girls, cook dinner, and chauffer the girls between their various after school activities.
Because Danny is the masculine figure in the family and he is the one that holds the final say so, this show sends the message that men (being the masculine figures) are in charge and are the heads of families. They make the decisions and the feminine (typically women) figure/figures are there for suppose and assistance (and make sure the household runs smoothly). Danny is never once seen cleaning or cooking himself during the episode, but both Joey and Jesse are seen multiple times through the show dressed in aprons roaming around the kitchen.
Along with the previous messages I have talked about, this show also sends the message that men are out of place in the kitchen and household and that they belong out in the working world. This is shown because while it is true Joey and Jesse are often doing domestic things they also, often, look out of place doing such things. For example, when Joey is ironing clothes in the kitchen he beings playing the drums on the ironing board. By making this scene into a humorous situation the show is demonstrating that Joey is out of place doing household chores. A few moments later when he voices his concerns about leaving the kids and house for six weeks while he goes on tour Danny and Jesse tell him that he should go and it will be great for his career. This says that the main job of a male is to have a successful career and bring money home to the family. Taking care of the house and children is a secondary figures (feminine figures) job.
This show use humor and funny situations to send the message that even though these three men are successfully running a family and household without any women around, they still are out of place doing things like ironing and cooking. (Things that would typically be considered domestic, feminine chores.) Danny holds the head (masculine) role in the family. The three girl are his daughters. He makes all the final decisions about what the family and children can do. He especially is dominant in financial situations and decisions. Joey and Jesse alternate as the feminine or secondary role in the family. They are the ones that do the household chores, care for the girls, cook dinner, and chauffer the girls between their various after school activities.
Because Danny is the masculine figure in the family and he is the one that holds the final say so, this show sends the message that men (being the masculine figures) are in charge and are the heads of families. They make the decisions and the feminine (typically women) figure/figures are there for suppose and assistance (and make sure the household runs smoothly). Danny is never once seen cleaning or cooking himself during the episode, but both Joey and Jesse are seen multiple times through the show dressed in aprons roaming around the kitchen.
Along with the previous messages I have talked about, this show also sends the message that men are out of place in the kitchen and household and that they belong out in the working world. This is shown because while it is true Joey and Jesse are often doing domestic things they also, often, look out of place doing such things. For example, when Joey is ironing clothes in the kitchen he beings playing the drums on the ironing board. By making this scene into a humorous situation the show is demonstrating that Joey is out of place doing household chores. A few moments later when he voices his concerns about leaving the kids and house for six weeks while he goes on tour Danny and Jesse tell him that he should go and it will be great for his career. This says that the main job of a male is to have a successful career and bring money home to the family. Taking care of the house and children is a secondary figures (feminine figures) job.
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Office: Valentine's Day
This week I choose to blog about another episode of The Office. This week the episode was about Valentine’s Day at in the office. The show started with a scene with Michael (the boss) and another of the male works riding in the elevator complaining about being alone on Valentine’s Day. This was sending the message that it was strange for these two men to be talking about being so upset and sad because men are not suppose to hangout and talk about their feelings. It was apparent in this episode that it was inappropriate for men, who should be emotionless, to spend time together talk about how they feel.
Another gender message of this episode was that men are the dominant one in relationships. Pam and Jim are engaged and both work in the office. In one of the first scenes in the show Pam is sitting at the front desk when someone walks in and requests to speak to Michael. The man is a sales representative from a phone company trying to sell Michael a new phone system that will allow all the phones in the office to be connected to directly by the caller pushing a number. Pam doesn’t want Michael to buy it because she says it will replace her job.
First of all, this shows that woman do not belong in the work place because they are dispensable. This idea is also supported by the other members of the office staff. All of the higher or more important jobs in the office are done by the male workers. For example the boss, Michael, and all of the sales people are men. There are also more men in the office than woman. The women that do work there do administrative jobs for the man. For examples, Pam is the receptionist.
As Pam is trying to make the salesman leave before Michael comes over, Jim comes up to the desk and pretends to be Michael and asks the man to leave. This says that Pam needed Jim to come rescue her. Jim saved Pam from a situation she did not want to be. This scene defends the damsel in distress stereotype of woman.
Another example that reinforces the damsel in distress stereotype is when Michael is giving blood in a blood drive. Michael meets a woman while they are both giving blood and then when she leaves to go to back to work, she leaves her glove behind. Michael decided that he will try and return it to her and they will fall magically in love- like Cinderella. This is saying that women need a man to come to the rescue and that a woman will fall in love with a man if he does save her. Michael believes that he will be her prince charming and they will live happily ever after.
Another gender message of this episode was that men are the dominant one in relationships. Pam and Jim are engaged and both work in the office. In one of the first scenes in the show Pam is sitting at the front desk when someone walks in and requests to speak to Michael. The man is a sales representative from a phone company trying to sell Michael a new phone system that will allow all the phones in the office to be connected to directly by the caller pushing a number. Pam doesn’t want Michael to buy it because she says it will replace her job.
First of all, this shows that woman do not belong in the work place because they are dispensable. This idea is also supported by the other members of the office staff. All of the higher or more important jobs in the office are done by the male workers. For example the boss, Michael, and all of the sales people are men. There are also more men in the office than woman. The women that do work there do administrative jobs for the man. For examples, Pam is the receptionist.
As Pam is trying to make the salesman leave before Michael comes over, Jim comes up to the desk and pretends to be Michael and asks the man to leave. This says that Pam needed Jim to come rescue her. Jim saved Pam from a situation she did not want to be. This scene defends the damsel in distress stereotype of woman.
Another example that reinforces the damsel in distress stereotype is when Michael is giving blood in a blood drive. Michael meets a woman while they are both giving blood and then when she leaves to go to back to work, she leaves her glove behind. Michael decided that he will try and return it to her and they will fall magically in love- like Cinderella. This is saying that women need a man to come to the rescue and that a woman will fall in love with a man if he does save her. Michael believes that he will be her prince charming and they will live happily ever after.
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