Charlie's Angels Sociology
As we have moved throughout the semester, we have observed many instances where media is exhibiting violent or sexual situations, but have yet to focus on the combination of both. Sex and violence often are seen together in major forms of media even in the slightest instances and is not represented through violent sex crimes. Different representations of sex and violence in the media can tap into several different media theories such as Excitation Transfer, Users and Gratifications, and Social Learning theory. Sex and violence can be most commonly seen across film and television media in the drama, suspense, action, or thriller genres. Spring Breakers and Charlie’s Angels are two example of films with a combination of sex and violence, as well
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Charlie’s Angels is a crime/thriller film that features three highly attractive female private investigators fighting against bad guys to maintain the good in society. Throughout the movie, the three women travel the world using their martial arts skills to combat the antagonists. This level of violence is something that is not often seen in the real world amongst women, but is probably used to attract male viewers to this movie with the combination of violence and high sex appeal. This highly sexualized action movie can be seen as a fantasy pleaser for men because they are watching very attractive women act in a way that is very rarely seen in reality. Casting women as the ‘bad-ass’ main characters of this film can attract female viewers because they are seeing someone like themselves in a power position, but can also push away female viewers because of the increased violence. The viewers often overlook the violent aspects because since the main characters are attractive females you don’t really expect them to cause the worst possible harm on their antagonists. Charlie’s Angels can definitely be related to Excitation Transfer theory simply because viewer arousal can be attributed to dispositional characteristics of watching the liked protagonists facing distressing situations, but intensifying the enjoyment when the women succeed at what they were ordered to accomplished. The constant hoping for the liked protagonists to succeed is what allows for Charlie’s Angels to reel in the viewers and keep them engaged in the violent story
Charlie’s Angels is a crime/thriller film that features three highly attractive female private investigators fighting against bad guys to maintain the good in society. Throughout the movie, the three women travel the world using their martial arts skills to combat the antagonists. This level of violence is something that is not often seen in the real world amongst women, but is probably used to attract male viewers to this movie with the combination of violence and high sex appeal. This highly sexualized action movie can be seen as a fantasy pleaser for men because they are watching very attractive women act in a way that is very rarely seen in reality. Casting women as the ‘bad-ass’ main characters of this film can attract female viewers because they are seeing someone like themselves in a power position, but can also push away female viewers because of the increased violence. The viewers often overlook the violent aspects because since the main characters are attractive females you don’t really expect them to cause the worst possible harm on their antagonists. Charlie’s Angels can definitely be related to Excitation Transfer theory simply because viewer arousal can be attributed to dispositional characteristics of watching the liked protagonists facing distressing situations, but intensifying the enjoyment when the women succeed at what they were ordered to accomplished. The constant hoping for the liked protagonists to succeed is what allows for Charlie’s Angels to reel in the viewers and keep them engaged in the violent story