1. Gender Stereotypes
By
Spencer Johnston

2. • Gender Stereotypes are generalisations about
both genders that are very common in Film
and Television.
• Gender Stereotypes tend to represent Men as
being hard-working, strong and dominant,
while they tend to show women as
dependent, home-oriented and weak.

4. Female Characters who follow the
Gender Stereotypes
• An example of women in film and television that abide to the
gender stereotype would be Vicky Thailer from Raging Bull
and Penny from the Big Bang Theory. The character of Vicky
Thailer is very coherent to the gender stereotype of woman.
She is very submissive to her husband who acts agressively
towards and treats her as if she is below him. She also cries a
lot and is very home-oriented.
• Penny from The Big Bang Theory also follows the gender
stereotype as she is made to be a lot less intelligent than all
the men around her and is dependent on their help for a lot
of things.

5. • The appearances of both these woman are also very
coherent with the gender stereotype. They are both
very attractive to men and they are both dressed
very feminine.

6. Female Characters who go against the
Gender Stereotype
• However in Film and Television there is an increasing
number of female characters who contrast to the
Gender Stereotype.
• An example would be Ellen Ripley from Alien 1-4.
Ripley contrasts the female stereotype as she is very
strong and independent. She is a dangerous fighter and
is willing to risk her life in order to save her child.
• An example of a television character who does not
abide to the gender stereotypes would Frankie from
Skins. This is because her character is not materialistic
and is not obsessed with her appearance. Frankie is
also very shy and is not home-oriented.

7. •
The appearances of these woman also contrast the gender
stereotype. They are both dressed in a masculine way and they
both have very short hair.

8. Male Characters who follow the
Gender Stereotype
• An example of a male character from film that follows
the gender stereotype would be Henry Hill from
Goodfellas. Henrys character follows just about every
stereotype there is about the male. But to be specific
his character is extremely dominant, worldly and cruel.
He also follows the gender stereotype for men of
treating woman as if they are objects.
• An example from television would be Peter Griffin from
Family Guy. Excluding his crude sense of humor, Peter’s
defining attributes as a character are his greed,
enjoyment of action, dominance and his insensitivity.

9. • Both characters conform to the male stereotype.
They are both big and appear to be strong. They are
are both dressed very conservatively.

10. Male Characters who go against the
Gender Stereotype
• Ricky Fitts from American Beauty is a character
who does not conform to the male gender
stereotype. He is very sensitive and caring and
cares more about the beauty in the world than
about sports or cars.
• Kurt from Glee is another character who goes
against the gender stereotype. His character is
very gentle and emotional. His character also has
very feminine qualities such as a high voice.

11. • Both characters are very thin. Kurt’s appearance is less
compatible with the male gender stereotype due to the
clothing he wears which is usually feminine.