Gender binary opposites (2009) Power/weak Dominant/overpowered Physical/emotional NOTES PYSICAL/EMOTIONAL Girl appeared scared and insecurity demonstrated

facial expressions Looked down on, high camera angle First shown, people around her are men Men we are introduced to have guns. She is alone with nothing POWER/WEAK Gives in to orders hands over the device Obeys rules gets on her knees, metaphorical for king figure./bow head High angle for man Different levels low status for woman shows less power/stairs for man Woman doesnt speak as overpowered Man always speaks as he has most power DOMINANT/OVERPOWERED Woman fights back opinions/facts shows confidence (smug voice) Man then sits down to match her status of being lower (more equal) Switch levels woman stands, man stays sat. shows dominance and role reversal Change in power Woman gains control over thought what man used to have Man is overpowered by everyone else Man is overpowered by the Dr which woman made happen

In the sequence Dr Who we are essentially presented with a two people who live oppositional worlds, they are divided by gender. Both male and female roles are presented through different characters that control different power over each other. The stereotype is clearly defined when we see the male in the clip dominating the woman who has no control over the male. The girl is introduced to the audience to be overpowered and overwhelmed with a situation in which she has no control over. In the first introduction to the girl, we see her as being a small, intimidated character that clearly has no sense of control over the situation she has been brought into. Appearing scared and by there being an insecurity demonstrated, it reinforces the fact that women show their emotions through situations where they have no power. The fact that she is showing her emotions through her facial expressions shows that she is scared, intimidated and overwhelmed by her surroundings. The camera angle is high which shows that it is looking down at the girl. This shows the status that she has over the male in the clip. She is seen as venerable and less important person as she hasnt got the power the male has. Not only this, but the male gender dominate the scene as when we are first introduced to her, two men are at the door, holding guns when she has nothing. Holding weapons also reinforces the fact that they have a lot more power over the woman and can affect her. The male in this clip shows a more physical approach to how the woman has. We are first introduced to the male who has the most control over the situation by him walking towards the top of the stairs with a stern look on his face which shows the confidence that he has. The fact that he has started off on a higher level that the girl shows that he has an important role and it clearly identifies the role in which he has controlling power and the people around him. Having the camera at a lower angle looking up to him shows the figures of authority and emphasises the fact that he has more power than anyone else on the lower level. The male in this scene shows that he holds all the power by controlling what the female does and how he is dominant over her. As the male gives orders to the woman, this shows the stereotypical message of men overpowering women. From the woman giving in to these orders it shows that men can have a stronger approach on how to deal with things which can have a harsh effect on the way people act. The power is yet again emphasised from the fact that she obeys rules in which he has given her. Getting her to get on her

knees suggests that this is metaphorical for the male in this clip having a king like figure which holds power, dominance and control over the people around him. The high angle for a male would show that he is not in the clutches of other people around him as it is the place where he stands alone with no other male characters around him. It completely differs from how the female is portrayed as she is shown as more venerable and would be the sort of person who isnt so independent. The comparison of the levels that are shown of where the two characters clearly outline the structure of the authority. With the male standing at a higher level, it reinforces the importance of him and the amount of power he has. On the other hand, the female is on the lowest level which shows that she has to work harder to get to the same level as the male. The stairs are metaphorical for how much higher the male is seen to be in the levels of authority and power. As a result of this, it is showing the stereotypical values of which women are weaker than men as they cant achieve the same and show equality. The fragile, helpless and weak message that the female character is portraying to the audience from her facial expressions and body language also matches with how little she speaks. The lack of voice that is shown would show that she is overpowered by the surroundings in which the male has put around her. The dominating male character is the opposite of the female in this as he is constantly speaking, opinionated and very confident. Again, this reinforces the stereotypes of which men are better than woman. In one part of the clip, there is a clear role reversal. The female shows a contrast from her previous antics. Fighting back shows her confidence and how she is dominating the conversation from what it was. Facts and opinions being used by her show that she is overpowering the male. The differences between the previous sides of the characters are that the male sits down which is showing that he has let his guard down. The woman on the other hand shows control over the situation and stands up which is breaking away from the rules she was previously obeying. Switching levels shows the levels of authority changing. Role reversal also shows the woman becoming more dominant and the male becoming overpowered by the womans newly found voice. From gaining the control, the woman has now got power over the weak character of a male who has been broken down by her knowledge. In this stage of the clip, we have essentially been introduced to two new characters as they are nothing like we have seen before. The male shows his highest point of weakness as he allows to be overtaken by a woman. The power is now shown in the womans hands as she shows right at the end. The contrast of both characters from what we have seen before showed a more venerable and needing side to the male which the woman is dominating with her confidence and power.