This essay discusses the role television soap operas have in generating discussion about the issues of gendered identity and sexuality. It is based on the study conducted by Chris Baker and Julie Andre, who argue that because soap operas draw huge audiences and centre on the sphere of interpersonal relationships and sexual identity, the talk generated from them will reflect such aspects (Andre and Barker 21). The discussions generated from the study show examples of working through, gender differences, and add evidence to the ‘active audience’ concept discussed in early media audience studies and research, as opposed to research that proposes a ‘media effects’ orientated argument.
To ensure honest opinions were provided, the research methodology was developed with the aim of producing natural, non mediated results. Research was conducted by voluntary 14-15 year old school pupils, who were given a tape recorder and asked to have a discussion on soap operas and relationships at a time of their choosing. The recruitment took place through schools, involving 20 groups of self-selected young people of varying ethnicities. The conversations were carried out predominantly at lunch time, in private. The aim of this approach was to stimulate natural, everyday conversation to gain insight into the perceptions of young people, unmediated by adults and reducing the “interviewer effect” of adult presence (Andre and Barker 22).
Participants expressed their ideas and perceptions on gendered identity in relation to the British soap opera East Enders, and Australian soap opera Neighbours (Andre and Barker 24). Characters were used to stimulate debate on which traits and characteristics participants perceived as socially acceptable. Participan...
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...when people treat people differently” (Andre and Barker 28). Males tended to express homosexuality with more hostility and negative terms; “that’s out of order. Who wants to see that?” (Andre and Barker 29) Suggesting homosexuality is something they believe should not be expressed through television. Male participants also appeared unconvincing in their hostility towards being homophobic, with one speaker stating “I’m not against, I’m not scared of them, you meet people who are really scared of them, but I don’t want to kill them and everything” (Andre and Barker 29). This may instead underline his insecurities about sexuality. Male conversations were also significantly shorter in comparison with females, and boys showed more excitement on ‘action’ or ‘serious issues’ such as drugs and football, while girls sustained longer conversations on issues of relationships.
I reached many other people since last week, some of them did not show much interest in doing the interview when they heard it was about homosexual representation analysis; the other people were unable to do the interview because the lack of time or other reasons. Anyway, diverse interviewees were picked to convey a considerably fair research for the attitudes toward the homosexual representation in the show Glee. These three chosen interview subjects not only vary in race (Both my boss and my roommate are Asian-American and my friend’s sister Lily is Caucasian) but also in gender (My boss is male and the other two are female). Because the main focus of the show Glee is about daily life of a group of high school students who attend their school glee club, the audience’s age range is unavoidably narrow. Despite the fact
Sex and Gender was the subject of the two movies Dreamworlds 3 and Further Off The Straight & Narrow. In Dreamworlds 3 Sex is portrayed as a status of life and happiness in the media. This media displays people as objects that can be manipulated for sexual pleasure. As the media is populated with sex it tiptoes around gender, specifically that of gays or lesbians. The film Further Off The Straight & Narrow emphasized the movement through media gay and lesbian topics. This text analyzes iconic television programs and how they reflect the societal stance during that time. As a member of a generation that has had the topic of these issues prominent I believe they are important but are banal. In this reflection I will be responding to two questions, what would woman driven Dreamworlds look like? And Do you agree with the statement that if you are not on television you don’t exist?
Phillip Bell talks about the rise of Australian ‘soaps’ in his article, for example Neighbours which began in 1985, he talks about how the show deals with ‘Australian’ issues. (Bell Phillip, ‘Television’), this isn’t necessarily true. In fact many of the storylines in Neighbours are taken from American soaps like Day of our lives or Bold And The Beautiful. Our screens are increasingly filled with disturbing storylines which continually push the boundaries of human depravity.
only shows you where the programme is set and the name of it, not much
Desperate Housewives (2004) was a “primetime soap opera” shown on the ABC network and premiered as number one, with an audience of 21.6 million viewers. It is a satirical female-centric comedy-drama series about suburban life that deals with divorce, infidelity, dating, the duality of being a stay-at-home mom versus a career woman, raising children, marriage, and household struggles. During the 1950s family structure started to change, and the term housewife became known. In typical domestic soap operas, housewives are shown as “sexless” because they have only time for the family and household chores. (Cheryl N, 2007). The keyword of the title: “desperate” reflects upon common issues of w...
Gender is also a factor in Australia’s national image (Carter 14). Society deems gender as the biological difference between male and female. However, this belief is problematic because sometimes certain people cannot place themselves in one of those two genders. For instance, there are transgender people. The image of the ‘typical Australian’ is controversial in many ways.
Tate, Julee. "From Girly Men To Manly Men: The Evolving Representation Of Male Homosexuality In Twenty-First Century Telenovelas." Studies In Latin American Popular Culture 29.(2011): 102-114. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Mar. 2014.
Soap Operas' Success in Their Construction of Realism One of the main appeals to the audience of soap opera is realism. Realism is the attempt to recreate the real, or to create a perception or representation of reality. This is created through a number of ways, such as settings which appear to be realistic, language including slang and even low-level swearing, and a wide range of characters in an attempt to reflect society. The events found in soap operas are usually realistic, and even the dramatic events are within the possibility of reality.
The hit show "Sister Sister" aired between 1994 and 1999 starring Tia and Tamera two twins who were separated at birth and adopted by a different parent. The twins meet shopping at a clothing store in the mall; this encounter leads to the two families becoming one and living under one roof. Despite being fraternal twins, Tia and Tamera are completely different. Tia is extremely literate and from inner-city Detroit, while Tamera is mostly concerned with attractive males and comes from the Suburbs. The sister 's differences are magnified throughout the entire series. Typically, people expect those who come from well-educated and affluent households to be more literate, "Sister, sister, instead debunks this through challenging the influence of
Works Cited Kane, Matt. “Transgender characters that changed film and television”. Entertainment Media at GLAAD. 12 November 2013. Web.
Relationship Between Soap Operas and Reality TV Dating Shows Tania Modleski’s “The Search for Tomorrow in Today’s Soap Operas” proposes that the unique appeal and function of soap opera lies in (a) the viewer’s ability to inhabit the text’s prescribed spectatorial position of ‘the good mother’, and (b) using the archetypal ‘villainess’ to displace one’s own repressed anger and powerlessness. It can be argued, using Modleski’s analytical perspectives on the interpellated spectatorial positions of soap operas, that a new genre of television programs (namely the reality dating shows) function in a similar way. An examination of Modleski’s thesis renders these statements more likely. Modleski argues that soap operas are essential in understanding women’s role in culture.
The 1990s saw a surge of gay characters in both television and movies. From Ellen Degeneres and her character Ellen Morgan coming out under much scrutiny on the TV show ‘Ellen,’ to Julia Roberts and Rupert Everett comedically playing off each other in the motion picture ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding.’ Sure, gays and lesbians have been around forever, especially in Hollywood. But never has there been a time to be more out. With the popularity of shows like Will and Grace, which feature leading gay characters, as well as Dawson’s Creek
The mass media is well known for its power to create the discriminating social system by producing misleading or simplified media representations of male and female and constructing the criteria for gender stereotypes (Ott 2010, p196). Sex and The City, a popular television series produced by Home Box Office since 1998, is recognized as a significant drama since it not only won a lot of awards but also became a cult hit. Unlike the other television shows which consolidated the stereotypes, the characters in Sex and the City go against the stereotype and leave an incredible mark on American TV history. Therefore, Sex and the City challenges female stereotype in American media and gives a picture of women who are not relegated by the two extremes. This article is going to analyze how Sex and the City obeys the gender stereotypes in four sections: active/passive, public/private, logical/emotional, and sexual subject/sexual object.
Gender is a socially constructed phenomenon, and how acceptable one’s relationship is determined by society’s view of gender roles. Because the majority of the population is characterized as heterosexual, those who deviate from that path are ...
11 Ellen Seiter and Mary Jeanne Wilson, “Soap Opera Survival Tactics”, in Thinking Outside the Box: A Contemporary Television Genre Reader (Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 2005), 138.