This is a summary of some research into the presentation of women and men in TV shows.

1. Gender in TV Drama: A
Summary
By Meghan Moore

2. Key Vocabulary and
People

3. Dictionary terms for Gender
Vocabulary
• Gender- the state of being male or female (typically used with reference to
social and cultural differences rather than biological ones)
• Mediation- the reconciliation of two opposing parties by a third. In Media
Studies, the central mediating factor of a given culture is the medium of
communication itself
• Stereotype- a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a
particular type of person or thing. In Media Studies this often demonstrated in
the characterization of a role (ex. women must work in the home, men must
earn the money)
• Archetypes/ Archetypal- a very typical example of a certain person or thing (ex.
he was the archetype of a typical man because he loved football and was very
muscled and masculine)
• Hegemonic norms- a dominant idea that has stayed dominant within society.
(ex. anything that is the norm. Heterosexuality is “normal” and is a hegemonic
norm whereas heterosexuality is “other” and not a hegemonic norm)
• Male gaze- The male gaze is a concept coined by feminist film critic Laura
Mulvey. It refers to the way visual arts are structured around a masculine
viewer. It describes the tendency in visual culture to depict the world and

4. Who are they?- Laura Mulvey
Laura Mulvey- The male gaze is a concept coined by feminist film critic Laura
Mulvey. It refers to the way visual arts are structured around a masculine
viewer. It describes the tendency in visual culture to depict the world and
women from a masculine point of view and in terms of men's attitudes. The
male gaze occurs when the camera puts the audience into the perspective of a
heterosexual man. It may linger over the curves of a woman's body, for
instance. The woman is usually displayed on two different levels: as an erotic
object for both the characters within the film and for the spectator who is
watching the film. The man emerges as the dominant power within the created
film fantasy. The woman is passive to the active gaze from the man. This adds
an element of "patriarchal" order, and it is often seen in "illusionistic narrative
film".

5. Who are they?- Marjorie
Ferguson
Marjorie Ferguson- Marjorie Ferguson used the insights gained through a career in journalism in
the Fifties and Sixties to inform first her studies in sociology at the London School of Economics
and later her teaching as Professor of Journalism at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. She
is also famous for her thesis “Forever Feminine” and her theory concerning facial expressions-
models (usually female) only use four facial expressions.
The facial expressions are put into four sections:
• The Chocolate Box- the model shows innocence and kindness through a friendly, warm smile.
Half or full-smile, lips together or slightly parted, teeth barely visible, full or three quarter face
to the camera. Projected mood: warm bath warmth, where uniformity of features in their
smooth perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individuality.
• The Invitational- the model shows mischief and mystery. This pose usually has the model
facing away and a slight hint of a smile. on this pose the emphasis is on the eyes. The mouth
is shut with only a hint of a smile (teeth barely showing at times), head to one side slightly. The
mood is suggestive of mischief or mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than sexual
promise.
• The Super-Smiler- the model shows an arrogant “look at me” attitude through a care-free,
toothy smile. this is of a full face with a wide open smile with teeth visible. Looking happy and
giving off a good vibe. The Head is forward and the chin is back. Hair is often wind blown and
suggests 'Look at me' approach.
• The Romantic/ Sexual- the model or models will not be smiling. There will usually be two
people and this shows availability. Dreamy, heavy-lidded and unsmiling. Overtly sensual or

6. Who are they?- David Gauntlett
David Gauntlett- a British sociologist and media theorist. His earlier work
concerned contemporary media audiences, and has moved towards a focus on
the everyday making and sharing of digital media and social media, and the
role of such media in self-identity and self-expression. He had many theories.
Media Studies 2.0
Gauntlett published this online in 2007, and it argues that classic Media Studies
fails to define when the categories of “audiences” and “producers” unite, and
that new, altered teaching methods are needed. We as audiences can
become our own producers thanks to websites such as YouTube. Through this
we can create our own identity and even influence other peoples.
Web 2.0
Through this, gender identity for example, has become less constricted to
previous representations. Web 2.0 allows us to create our own unique identity
that doesn’t necessarily follow traditional understanding’s of gender. The
ability and freedom that web 2.0’s allows means it is now far more acceptable
to be different and accepted for our individuality

7. Summarizing Reading

8. How are men presented?
“It's not all a world of transformed masculinities, though. Images of the conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man still
circulate in popular culture. And as incitements for women to fulfil any role proliferate, conventional masculinity is increasingly exposed as
tediously monolithic. In contrast with women's 'you can be anything' ethos, the identities promoted to men are relatively constrained. We noted
evidence in chapter one that, whilst young females are taking to the full spectrum of school subjects and jobs, their male counterparts still
generally avoid subjects and work that they see as 'female'. These things are continually crumbling, though. It is worth remembering, as we noted
in chapter four, that even that archetype of masculine strength and independence, James Bond, cannot be too hard and self-reliant in today's
Bond movies without being criticised for it by another character.” – David Gauntlett
Representations of men across all media tend to focus on the following:
Strength - physical and intellectual
Power
Sexual attractiveness (which may be based on the above)
Physique
Independence (of thought, action)
Male characters are often represented as isolated, as not needing to rely on others (the lone hero). If they capitulate to being part of a
family, it is often part of the resolution of a narrative, rather than an integral factor in the initial equilibrium. It is interesting to note that the
male physique is becoming more important a part of representations of masculinity. 'Serious' Hollywood actors in their forties (eg Willem
Dafoe, Kevin Spacey) are expected to have a level of 'buffness' that was not aspired to even by young heart-throbs 40 years ago (check
out Connery in Thunderball 1965).
Increasingly, men are finding it as difficult to live up to their media representations as women are to theirs. This is partly because of the
increased media focus on masculinity - think of the burgeoning market in men's magazines, both lifestyle and health - and the increasing
emphasis on even ordinary white collar male workers (who used to sport their beergut with pride) having the muscle definition of a
professional swimmer. Anorexia in teenage males has increased alarmingly in recent years, and recent high school shootings have been
the result of extreme bodyconsciousness among the same demographic group.
As media representations of masculinity become more specifically targeted at audiences with product promotion in mind (think of the
huge profits now made from male fashion, male skin & haircare products, fitness products such as weights, clothing etc), men are
encouraged (just as women have been for many years) to aspire to be like (to look/behave in the same way) the role models they see in
magazines. This is often an unrealistic target to set, and awareness of this is growing.

9. How are women
presented?In more recent research, NOW (National Organization of Women) have found that:
In children's television, male characters appear at about twice the rate of female characters.
Animated programs in particular are more likely to portray male characters.
Females are almost four times as likely to be presented in sexy attire and twice as likely to be shown with a diminutive waist.
In a study of G-rated films from 1990-2005, only 28 percent of the speaking characters (both live and animated) were female. More than
four out of five of the narrators were male. Eighty-five percent of the characters were white.
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)
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.
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. And they get their comeuppance, particularly in the
movies. Think of Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) in Fatal Attraction or, more recently, Teena Brandon/Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) in Boys Don't
Cry. 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 drugtaking) for the US remake, High Society (which was a
flop).