Unit 1 Media Representations – Gender / Sexuality

Let’s Get Started BIG PICTURE

Understand why the media
creates representations.
• What is a matriarchal? KEYWORDS
Stereotypes, representations,
• What does scopophilia? oppositional reading,
semiotics
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Does Berger’s Gender opposition theory apply today? How to do the Media use
representations to create
meaning for the viewer.
SUCCESS CRITERIA
You have five minutes before you feedback to the Apply theories and
representations explaining the
class. meaning being conveyed.

Take your seat. Bag under

your desk.
Blog –
hpbtecunit1.wordpress.com
• How do advertisers target toys at children?

• https://hpbtecunit1.wordpress.com/representation-gender/
Representation
• Women in Film – blog
 Sexuality

• Sexual orientation is a pattern of emotional,

romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men,
women, both genders, neither gender, or
another gender
Stereotypes

Heterosexual male = Heterosexual

Tough, protector and woman= Weak,
leaders. They are usually
higher in society as
girly, feminine,
Strauss' idea of dominant damsel-like and
figures state the men who emotional.
are around their 40's who Strauss' idea of
have high paying jobs binary opposites is
dominate in the general
evident as they
public.
are typically seen
as subordinate
figures.
Stereotypes about
Homosexuals
It’s just a phase
All gay men will die of AIDS
All gay men are feminine
All gay women are butch
Gay men can’t marry or have children
Stereotypes about Bisexuals
People deny that bisexuality is real
They are confused, undecided, dabblers, insecure,
experimenting or “just going through a phase”.
People are either ‘gay, straight or lying’
They are promiscuous
They are greedy
Stereotypes about Heterosexuals
• They are always monogamous
• It is the ‘norm’
• ‘There is nothing at all wrong with
heterosexuality’
• Male partners are the abusers
• Straight couples always have children
 Stereotypes
Homosexual male= Camp,
girly, promiscuous, feminine
looking clothes and loud.
Homosexual female=
Butch, feminist, short hair
and hate men.
Examples of how homosexual males
and females are portrayed in TV
Drama:
Gay Men: Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel in Glee is conforms to the Stereotype of a
homo-sexual man in Glee.
This is due to his costume consisting of over-the-top, glittery
outfits, he has quite a feminine face and cares a lot about the
way his hair is styled and the products he uses in general.
He also is very outgoing as he is an avid member in the
school's Glee club and is not afraid to express his sexuality
and is very naive when it comes to typical male likes such as
sport.
Kurt conforms to the stereotype to add drama to the show
and create situations that can be humorous (e.g. his
ignorance of American football) to make his character more
comedic as a person. However his sexuality isn't a gimmick as
he is a regular lead character and his very manly father is
supportive of his sexuality thus he isn't just categorised by his
sexuality.
 Examples of how homosexual males and
females are portrayed in TV Drama:

Gay Men: Thomas Barrow

Thomas Barrow in Downton Abbey does not conform to
the stereotype of a typical gay man.
This is because due to his job of being high up in the
housekeeping ranks; he wears a formal costume every
day and speaks with no exaggerated tone and makes no
reference to his sexuality of tries to show off as a person.
He does not conform as Downton Abbey is a period time
and in the era it was set, being homosexual was illegal.
Thus Thomas defies the stereotype as he is represented
to be ashamed of his sexuality as he has to hide it and
furthermore this shows how the stereotype/s have
developed with the more welcoming view in society.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq45JPYxnA8
 Examples of how homosexual males
and females are portrayed in TV
Drama:
Lesbians: Shane Mccutcheon
Shane Mccutcheon in the US drama The L Word
conforms to the stereotype of a homosexual
woman.
This is seen in one clip as she has quite a deep
voice; her costume consists of quite baggy male
clothes (including a bowler hat) and is seen to
be uninterested with typically girly activities
such as shopping and taking great care in
materialistic appearance.
This shows that she conforms to the stereotype
of being quite butch and manly yet because
she's in a show which is centred on a group of
lesbian/bi people, her characteristics are most
likely present to show that there is variation in
sexuality and some people can conform to
stereotypes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0MMA4b
Examples of how homosexual males and
females are portrayed in TV Drama:

Lesbians: Sophie Webster

Sophie Webster in Coronation Street goes against the
typical stereotype of homosexual women.
This is because she appears to be very feminine looking
with long brown hair, she wears a fair amount of makeup
and wears costumes that consist of fashionable clothes of
the latest trends.
She is considered to fit in as she has both male and
female friends and has a job at the local corner shop and
gets on with everyone in the street without controversy.
Moreover she is a Christian meaning she defies the
stereotype that all lesbians are against religion as she
believes in faith herself.
Overall Sophie Webster represents what would typically
be a 'normal' heterosexual girl with the only difference
being her sexuality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpIx4PCAezI
Sexuality
• Prepare a short presentation identifying a show which
challenges the traditional values sexuality or gender.

• Half of you will present sexuality and the other half gender –
Friday.

• Include a video extract of your show – Youtube to high light

the points you are making – No more than four slides. It could
compare the represesentations of differing characters. Are
they positive or negative.