The representations of men in films.
In contemporary film the men’s roles in the films have been quiet constant in their representation of the male gender in the films by which they are depicted. Just like in past films the male roles have usually been in the lead thus the representation of the men are that of their leadership qualities due to them being the stronger more dominant sex they are represented as hero’s, villains and geniuses who must protect the weak and fragile public which usually is a female character. This presents a male iconography or profile that retains the stereotype of masculine traits of strength and protection of a muscular and handsome man who can do no harm to the innocent making him a morally responsible character. Yet the male gender can also be portrayed as a heartless, villain who cares about no one and is greedy in order to further himself no matter who he hurts on the way. In most contemporary films the representation of men in them are usually generalised and they can always be found in specific examples that are present in every film. Though the male role is much stronger, it actually works against the plot as this equation of plot type has been successful so many times before that directors have just stuck to it and not dare venture into new types due to production companies not wanting to lose profits therefore the male representation although it could be very dynamic in variety, it actually turns out to be similar and repetitive. However like all film gender representations there are of course the exception to the dominant rule of the social norms that are reflected by the film representations setting up an idol by which the male public have to look up to. This explains why the production companies reinforce the idea of a male character being a family man who stands by his family, the hero who will do anything for his sensitive and vulnerable wife and children. Therefore like all dominant representations there are the opposition to the rule, that is the likes of the drag queen character, the lonesome stranger, the handsome man to turns out to be gay, the lady’s man with something to hide. This shows that even this comedy is induced by the genre, for example, the ‘highly camp drag queens, who employ a drag aesthetic based on -like values like exaggeration, , dirty jokes, putting on airs, and so forth. Divine is an example of a camp queen.’ These are highly amusing comic relief and yet the means of representing the male character in this way does so it in such a way that it protrays it as socially wrong frowned upon. This is reinforced by the visual discourse that is applied within film and yet is highlighted by the relationship between the language engaged and the linguistics used. Not only are these representations evident in the film business but they are employed in nearly every aspect of the entertatinment business. To highlight this point it would be just as evident and useful to take an indepth probe at the representations that are produce in the music business. Therefore by analysing the messages mediateed through the visual and linguistical discourse and the opposite representations of gender that are in direct corrolation of those in the film business.
The representations of women in music.
Thus the diversity of women representations in music are a lot greater than in film this is due to the varying music genres and presentations having specific iconolographical goals and distinctive aspects that must be achieved in order for the artist/artists to fall into this category. However, the main theme that occurs in mainstream ‘pop’ music genre is the commercialized artists that usually gain there audience through the appearance of the individual rather than the music as the musical talents tend to be very good but nothing spectacular and very similar. It is the appearance that they sell singles through. Women must live by the fashions of the time whether they like them or not, they are made to gain the ideal image, in the media at the moment it is a size 8 in frame and they spend hours on an exercise regime in order to achieve the desired dance routines portray the ‘social psychology’ that are subconsciously being mediated and the production of the desired figure which every girl/women wants i.e. the muscular and toned look with the perfect tan and usually blond hair. The women are representations of what a woman wants they are scantily clad and their songs consist of love, hurt and the hunt for the man they need and want so badly. They are represented as a weak and sensitive person who needs protection from the world and in an attempt to get it they dress to impress the men and gain male attention. i.e. the “male gaze” (Mulvey, Male Gaze, 1998, Routledge) get the person managing them is usually male and does what he feels will sell the records and thus using the female body as a tool through the knowledge that the human psyche can be manipulated due to the structured means by which Freud states that the mind is established in that is the ‘Id of the males Ego’ (see Freud,ID and Ego,1997,2nd edition John Storey) also explained by Freud in this theory of the human’s innate sexual drive that is dominant in everyone and can be brought to the surface through the human body, this applies to both men and women. Therefore girls buy the records to try to learn more men buy the records to admire and the desire is present. In such genres as Rap and R’n’B women are portrayed as strong, independent women who can support themselves without a man. However they are still represented as mothers who have to single-handedly look after their children and show them how to live thus they are still controlled by a male dominance in society as well as being icons of sexuality and feminity that men find appealing to the eye they are constantly presenting themselves to the attention of men and are either trying to find a man or constantly hurt by a man. The songs they produce have strong theme involving men, however the image of the men from the female perspective can show the representation of women’s attitudes towards men in contemporary times, they portray them as cruel creatures, and yet they are also kind, loving humans who these strong independent women log for. Therefore, representing women as incomplete without a man in her life. Even in the more classical less mainstream music genres such as opera, country ‘n’ western, and even mainstream but still underground music genre like heavy metal or gothic. In all these genre categories the female representations are not typical or in some cases any reflection of the generalized images of women in society, the representations of them are a question of ‘verisimilitude’. They are in most of the cases fantasy images and unrealistic images of a longing desire that the artists are meant to be influential in social discussions and morals. In operas the female characters and artists tend to be strong and yet also so fragile and they can reach such powerful notes as well as such tender sensitive notes that produce a message of need for protection and longing for company. While country ‘n’ western artists usually exploit the sexual appeal they have to manipulate and put forward their message in their songs which usually have a straightforward yet a very strong and emotional lyrics of there true feelings on the aspect of there life in which they are singing of.
We find that in the more gothic genres and artists tend to be strong figures who have been hurt by so many factors that there image portrays a lonely, strong character who does not need men or anyone. Yet even in the darkest gothic artists they tend to be Satan worshippers and yet this representations means that they speck of being followers thus are being controlled by a man and they do not make decisions they are merely objects of a mans desires. Only the extreme feminist artists isolate themselves from the male control with there view that their ruler is female and yet the image they produce for the media is one of appeal to men as well as women as they are trying to get both audiences of the sales spectrum even if it is just to gain more money they still sell out to a mainly male audience in order to gain a sexual point of recognition. This is also noticed in heavy or light metal genres as the female artists tend to be more sexual and appealing than the male artists. Female “metalers” tend to wear more revealing clothing and more sexually diverse representation of themselves. This is seen in the presentation of two similar artist’s one male one female. The very few female artists you find are scantly clad and the male artists are full dressed and there are a lot more of them thus women are under represented in the metal music scene.
As these pictures show the male representations in this genre are strong, brooding icons of strength, power and dominance. Yet the female representation shown is a female figure exposed and vulnerable, in need of help and weak unable to protect her naked, and sexual figure that the whole world is able to see and she can’t stop them. It takes complete advantage of the exploitation of the erogenous zones, this is a brilliant example of fetishism this is the psychoanalytical term used by Laura Mulvey to show the audience was therefore an inevitable voyeuristic position in which women are rendered ‘to-be-looked-at’ thus there being a masculine control constantly present. Thus being an item of male vision and fantasy not a domiant figure like the one portrayed in the male icon. Therefore in all the female representation of women in the music business is usually under represented and those that are tend to represented a figures of sensitivity, weakness and insecurity as they provoke an emotional song that has a core theme of male wanting and desires as they try to lure men with their looks and sexuality that they use to their advantage to aim for their goal. This is therefore a similar representation of women as is portrayed in films, yet the difference is that the artist can put there own unique influence to it and yet they still must maintain certain boundaries that are unspoken of and get are mediated psychologically through pervious artists and there representations. The familiarities between these representations are that they are direct parallel to those that are represented in the films and yet they vary in influence. However music should be flexable enough to change its representations and ultimately change these portrayals as they have the scope to adapt the artists own personality and views into there music. Yet as noted this does not occur and can signify subconscious influences. The varying representations of gender can be seen by the close analysis of the representations of the male gender in music.
The representations of men in music.
As noted the male figures in the music business have quite a range of diversity in them from one extreme to another when considering every aspect of the music spectrum. If we look at all genres whether mainstream or underground the variation between the artist’s representations is more noticeable and obvious to acknowledge. By looking at the male representations in a variety of genres it is easier to highlight the representations of men that are common traits of representations of men throughout all genres and periods of time. As it is not just genre alone that affects the representations portrayed but also the geographical location, the audience it is being produced for, as well as the time of the productions and any major events that may affect the reason for this production. The male figure is usually portrayed as a strong, dominant figure of power and self-control and yet can also be a figure of malice and malevolence. These varieties of genres could be from mainstream Pop to underground gangster rap, and R ‘n’ B. The main iconography of men in the typical Pop genre spectrum appears to be a ‘pretty boy’ who is clean and well-cut always nicely dressed in the latest fashions and very appealing to women as a gentleman who would be perfect for meeting the parents and a brilliant symbol of what a man should be like. This is the media representation that is used as the majority of influencing propaganda promotional campaigns, by mediating the message that the male representation for the mass should be a man who is strong and healthily while well cut and clean, yet at the same time being appealing to women due to his sexually attractive body that show good breading in that he can maintain a strong build as well as being sensitive an emotional yet still maintaining his male source of identity, that he is so secure with that he can connect with women and there femininity thus being able to connect with his feminine side of his persona in a masculine way. Thus this representation is a strong figure and get at the same time he is sensitive and sexual. This is a contrast to the main underground gangster rap genre. These artists tend to be aggressive, strong and dominant figures that are very violent and rough, they gather in large groups and have a common theme of carrying weapons such as guns and knives in order to defend themselves. In their music they are very sexually explicit and vulgar especially towards women and show no respect towards the female sex as well as the minority groups or any group that the do not have a connection with or an ‘alliance’. They represent themselves as macho men who can handle themselves they don’t need women for anything but sex. Thus to the masses they portray themselves as ‘bad boys’ who don’t need anyone and they would be the groups you would avoid and not want your parents to meet, they mediate a message that for them they are above the law and they can do anything they want, for them there lives evolve around using women for sex, drugs, violence, and their gang. Yet both these extreme opposites have common traits they are that the male figure in the music business no matter what genre it is they are always portrayed as a strong, dominant figure who can control and always be better than women as they can either be there for them and be the woman’s love of her life or they can be strong and dominant and use women for what they want and then leave them as they are not dependant on women. Yet they both mediate a message that women need a man as they can not support or protect themselves. This is an ‘empowerment of the icon of masculinity’ that is echoed throughout the media in order to meet the norms of societies values inorder to maintain a sense of the patriarchal environment that is enforced so as to keep a sense of structure and allow a collective ideology that is easily identified in every genre. This is the acknowledgement of the masculine pride in a format that can be a ‘world-view’ for them that is frequently getting more influential, as the male position is jepodized by the increasing position of women in society therefore the male representation in the music business is an icon of there portrayal that is being reduced within society as it is identified in the music genres portrayed in the acknowledgement. The male representations are in such a way as to ‘produce a universal message through the language’(Saussure,Linguistics, 2000,Hodder & Stoughton) this is stated through the works of the structuralist Saussure of it inorder to create a support and influence to reinforce the manipulation and creation of the dominance of the male figure. Also it is due to gender that male artists can free themselves more and escape the dominance of the management by with they are held in due to record companies. This is evident when using the example of the artist formerly known as Prince. ‘ As Prince used more than he could to manage to change his name so that he was no longer manageable, due to the factor that he was not using the record company’s copyrighted name of Prince thus is was then free, this was only able to be done as he was male and able to do so due to this. That is that he was truly manageable of himself therefore Prince was a fee not free-fencing artist.’
Therefore as highlighted the above we can clearly seen a direct correlation and involvement in the lack of audience influence on the representations of gender and the boundaries by which they must meet inorder to be anyway successful. This results in an influence over society’s gender representations in an indirect method that is effective in maintaining an in-balance of gender equality in the visual and linguistically influence of the mass media machine that is film and music businesses all over the world no matter what period it is evolving from and originating. Thus in total it is very evident from all that is reviewed that there is a distinctive gender divide in representations in the mediation of mass media. We find that women are portrayed as sexual desired object for male attention, very caring, and motherly figures. In contrast men are portrayed as strong, masculine figures, who have dominance over the female figure as they are mature and have a strong hold as provider to women. This is the same representations presented for both music and film and therefore seems to be the dominant representations of both groups with evident differences in portrayal off figures. Thus I conclude that these representations seem to be the most dominant and closes representation of both groups that I feel could be described as universal. Yet I do realise that at the same time it is not to be considered universal as it does not apply to every gender representations and diversity is present, yet these are frequently the representations mediated to the audience, in the differing genres through the guidance of certain institutions.
