White Chicks Stereotypes

Learning Activity Paper “Performing Gender in the Movies” Gender is portrayed in many ways by the expectation of the society and sexual identity is expressed in the performances of the gender. In the 2004 comedic film, White Chicks, many stereotypes have been presented regarding gender and sexual identity. When talking about men and women, we tend to think of masculinity and femininity. This film emphasizes these major depictions of female and male sexuality and how these genders perform and interact with each other. In the movie, two African-American FBI agents, Kevin and Marcus, have gone undercover, disguising themselves as two sisters, Tiffany and Brittney Wilson. Kevin and Marcus attempt to take hold of the drug cartel and so, they

The Vanderberg sisters try to compete with the Wilson sisters throughout the film to increase their popularity and attractiveness toward men. The friends of the Wilson sisters at one point try to practice on a sex toy to be “fluent” in their job with their partner. The film overexpresses the message that females need to act too smart or too silly to be attractive. This is the concept of men, “masculinity,” holding the power over women. The females look up to “ideal” women, such as JLO and celebrities and try to be like them. The film also shows how male characters disrespect women and have negative comments about their character. The textbook, “Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings,” by Susan Shaw and Janet Lee states, “To be a man is to not be a woman. Weakness, softness, and vulnerability are to be avoided at all costs,” (125). Women have been looked down upon and this is what makes men feel they have the entire control and power over feminism. For example, at the event function, women are bidden off to men for a date. One of the men, Latrell, a basketball player, is appeared as very masculine, strong, tall, and broad. He is attracted to Tiffany (agent in disguise) and puts in, “Now that’s what I’m talking about. A white girl with a black girl’s ass,” (White Chicks,

Shawn & Lee state, “…gender is the way society creates, patterns, and rewards our understandings of femininity and masculinity, or the process by which certain behaviors and performances are ascribed to ‘women’ and ‘men’…” (116). Basically, femininity and masculinity are socially constructed, meaning they can be changed any time by the power of society. This is how characters learn and perform ender. Mostly, they look at whom they favor mostly. Usually, celebrities and icons are their “ideal” inspirational leaders. As discussed, the film has shown many ways that race has intersected with gender. The physical appearance, skin color, and gender behaviors has interlaced with how they are portrayed in the eyes of others. “Gender is not only what we ‘do’; it is what we ‘are’ or ‘become’,” (Shawn & Lee, 117). How we become and “do” a specific gender is shaped by the ideas of femininity and