Media Content Reflects Changing Dominant Discourses About Femininity and Masculinity.
The notion that media content reflects changing dominant discourses with regards to masculinity and femininity appears to be an on going debate, although traditional representations of men and women are still very much evident in media content, for example domesticity, motherhood and women’s role in the home, it is notable that due to shifts in a cultured society, one that claims to be of fairness and equality, that there are still repetitious marginalisation’s which currently proliferate within media content with regards to the representation of femininity and masculinity. (Allrath et al, 2005, p.29)
For example, there appears to be a noticeable trend with regards to gender, between programmes aimed at smaller niche audiences and those of mainstream Hollywood cinema. The primetime soap opera ‘Eastenders,’ for instance plays on these traditional attributes of femininity by depicting female characters in ‘motherly,’ or ‘sensitive roles,’ The current story line between Martin and Sonia Fowler and the fight for custody over their daughter, also highlights Sonia’s needs as a mother to be with and care for her daughter. However, what is most interesting about this plot line is the instance in which Martin is granted full custody of daughter Rebecca. Although the characters still display traditional attitudes of masculinity and femininity, the issue of Martin obtaining custody over the mother, is a possible juxtaposition of the genders, a ‘role reversal,’ as with the emergence of contemporary assertive and independent female characters, comes the development of more sensitive, responsible males, which could be the only option of overriding the prevalence of this new confident female archetype. ( MacKinnon, 2003, p.13)
This current representation of masculinity could in conclusion be a contemporary attempt by media institutions to place women back into the original stereotype of which they previously came, as secondary to men, as the sex with the least power and
For example, there appears to be a noticeable trend with regards to gender, between programmes aimed at smaller niche audiences and those of mainstream Hollywood cinema. The primetime soap opera ‘Eastenders,’ for instance plays on these traditional attributes of femininity by depicting female characters in ‘motherly,’ or ‘sensitive roles,’ The current story line between Martin and Sonia Fowler and the fight for custody over their daughter, also highlights Sonia’s needs as a mother to be with and care for her daughter. However, what is most interesting about this plot line is the instance in which Martin is granted full custody of daughter Rebecca. Although the characters still display traditional attitudes of masculinity and femininity, the issue of Martin obtaining custody over the mother, is a possible juxtaposition of the genders, a ‘role reversal,’ as with the emergence of contemporary assertive and independent female characters, comes the development of more sensitive, responsible males, which could be the only option of overriding the prevalence of this new confident female archetype. ( MacKinnon, 2003, p.13)
This current representation of masculinity could in conclusion be a contemporary attempt by media institutions to place women back into the original stereotype of which they previously came, as secondary to men, as the sex with the least power and
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