1. GenderGender
The representation of men and women.
Gender is perhaps the basic category we use for
sorting human beings, and it is a key issue when
discussing representation. Essential elements of
our own identity, and the identities we assume
other people to have, come from concepts of
gender - what does it mean to be a boy or a
girl? Many objects, not just humans, are
represented by the media as being particularly
masculine or feminine - particularly in
advertising - and we grow up with an
awareness of what constitutes 'appropriate'
characteristics for each gender.
The representation of men and women.
Gender is perhaps the basic category we use for
sorting human beings, and it is a key issue when
discussing representation. Essential elements of
our own identity, and the identities we assume
other people to have, come from concepts of
gender - what does it mean to be a boy or a
girl? Many objects, not just humans, are
represented by the media as being particularly
masculine or feminine - particularly in
advertising - and we grow up with an
awareness of what constitutes 'appropriate'
characteristics for each gender.

2. Representation of WomenRepresentation of Women
• Feminism has been around for over 30 years yet media
representations of women are worryingly the same.
Representations of women across all media tend to
highlight the following:
• beauty (within narrow conventions)
• size/physique (again, within narrow conventions)
• sexuality (as expressed by the above)
• emotional (as opposed to intellectual) dealings
• relationships (as opposed to independence/
freedom)
• Feminism has been around for over 30 years yet media
representations of women are worryingly the same.
Representations of women across all media tend to
highlight the following:
• beauty (within narrow conventions)
• size/physique (again, within narrow conventions)
• sexuality (as expressed by the above)
• emotional (as opposed to intellectual) dealings
• relationships (as opposed to independence/
freedom)

3. Representation of WomenRepresentation of Women
• Women are often represented as being part of a
context (family, friends, colleagues) and
working/thinking as part of a team. In drama,
they tend to take the role of helper (Propp) or
object, passive rather than active.
• Often their passivity extends to victimhood. Men
are still represented as TV drama characters up
to 3 times more frequently than women, and
tend to be the predominant focus of news
stories.
• Women are often represented as being part of a
context (family, friends, colleagues) and
working/thinking as part of a team. In drama,
they tend to take the role of helper (Propp) or
object, passive rather than active.
• Often their passivity extends to victimhood. Men
are still represented as TV drama characters up
to 3 times more frequently than women, and
tend to be the predominant focus of news
stories.

4. Representation of WomenRepresentation of Women
• The representations of women that do make
it onto page and screen do tend to be
stereotypical, in terms of conforming to
societal expectations, and characters who do
not fit into the mould tend to be seen as
dangerous and deviant.
• The representations of women that do make
it onto page and screen do tend to be
stereotypical, in terms of conforming to
societal expectations, and characters who do
not fit into the mould tend to be seen as
dangerous and deviant.

5. Representation of WomenRepresentation of Women
• America seems to expect its women to behave
better than their European counterparts -
British viewers adored the antics of Patsy &
Edina in Absolutely Fabulous, but these had to
be severely toned down (less swearing, NO
drug taking) for the US remake, High Society
(which was a flop).
• America seems to expect its women to behave
better than their European counterparts -
British viewers adored the antics of Patsy &
Edina in Absolutely Fabulous, but these had to
be severely toned down (less swearing, NO
drug taking) for the US remake, High Society
(which was a flop).

6. Representation of WomenRepresentation of Women
• Discussions of women's representation in the
media tend to revolve around the focus on
physical beauty to the near-exclusion of other
values, the lack of powerful female role
models, and the extremely artificial nature of
such portrayals, which bear little or no
relation to the reality experience by women
across the planet.
• Discussions of women's representation in the
media tend to revolve around the focus on
physical beauty to the near-exclusion of other
values, the lack of powerful female role
models, and the extremely artificial nature of
such portrayals, which bear little or no
relation to the reality experience by women
across the planet.

7. Representation of WomenRepresentation of Women
• Discussions of women's representation in the
media tend to revolve around the focus on
physical beauty to the near-exclusion of other
values, the lack of powerful female role
models, and the extremely artificial nature of
such portrayals, which bear little or no
relation to the reality experience by women
across the planet.
• Discussions of women's representation in the
media tend to revolve around the focus on
physical beauty to the near-exclusion of other
values, the lack of powerful female role
models, and the extremely artificial nature of
such portrayals, which bear little or no
relation to the reality experience by women
across the planet.