The Representation of Gender in the Films Bend it Like Beckham and Billy Elliot

The Representation of Gender in the Films Bend it Like Beckham and Billy Elliot

The society we live in today is full of stereotypes. Each job, sport,

item of clothing carries and many more carries a certain stereotype.

When people go against and challenge these stereotypes they are seen

as strange and unconventional and can end up stuck with these

stereotypes for life.

In both films Billy Elliot and Bend it like Beckham we see

stereotyping but in a different way in each one. In Billy Elliot we

see a lot of stereotypes with the main ones being that boys shouldn’t

do ballet and if they do then they must be gay. In Bend it like

Beckham we also see a lot of stereotyping, with the mains ones being

that girls shouldn’t play football and that all girl footballers are

lesbians. In both films we see characters going about their lives

trying to achieve what they want to do in life, but funding obstacles

in their way because of society’s prejudices. We see a variety of

people with different views and how the main characters Billy and

Jess, overcome these stereotypes and obstacles to do what they want

and to change people’s views on them. The focus of this essay will be

to identify the stereotypes, to explain why people stereotype in this

way and how Billy and Jess change people’s views and overcome these

stereotypes.

In Billy Elliot we see stereotypes about three main people in the

film. The main and most obvious one is Billy; then there’s his dad and

then his friend Michael. Billy’s dad is stereotyped as a tough Geordie

miner, who doesn’t care what his son really wants to do; he does

what’s best for his image in society of being ‘hard’...

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...at help to highlight the emotion again.

Both films help to challenge stereotypes and prejudice. They shoe how

the people in the film are not what are expected of those stereotypes

they are ‘normal’. They both show that you can achieve what you want

even if everyone seems to be against you and sex, race doesn’t matter.

The films make you realise that stereotyping is wrong and in the films

views are changed and after viewing them mine are as well.

My views have only changed slightly a is know that girls play football

and had stereotypes but I didn’t know that Indian girls play football

as I thought that they wouldn’t as their parents would not allow it.

Also I used to think that barely any working class boys do ballet a

sit is mainly an upper class sport for boys but know I realise that

anyone can do it if they want.