Media and Gender

Today Radio channels, newspapers, magazines, and televisions are present in countries all over the world and advertisements and commercials have influence of people’s lives. By creating a certain type of message, media can manipulate people’s attitude and opinions. Moreover advertisements control the belief and behaviour of the society. The mass media uses gender stereotypes, representing the opinions among members of a certain group about the other groups. They are often based on tradition and are resistant to change. For example men have been considered to be financial providers, career-focused and independent, whereas women have been shown as low-position workers, loving wives and mothers, responsible for raising children and doing housework. Nowadays a family model is based on a partnership rather than on patriarchy.

In this essay we want to examine the role of gender in the media especially in movies. Therefore we want to have a look at two blockbusters: ‘James Bond’ and ‘The Hunger Games’. We want to consider the role of the leader, and how they appear to the viewers. Also we want to show the differences, the similarities and the effect of an one-sided media. Is it true that the women are the weaker sex? Can only a man be a hero? And what is in reality?

‘The name is Bond – James Bond.’ with this typical sentence he introduces himself in every movie exactly at one time. The series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. However the most people know James Bond from the movies like ‘Skyfall’ or ‘Casino Royal’. Nowadays we link agent 007 with ‘Daniel Craig’. He is a very charming and loyal gentleman, who is surrounded by beautiful women, the so-called ‘Bond Girls’. The women usually succumb to his charm. Also the secretary Miss Moneypenny is flirting with Bond, but always in vain. He always saves the lives of the ‘Bond Girls’ but only because he sees them as part of the mission and not because he loves the females. That makes him insensitive, unfriendly and unromantic. Also sometimes a little bit unlikable, but in the end he is a hero and favoured by the crowd. Bond fights supervillains, therefor the agent uses vehicles with integrated weapons. Often the duels take place in unusual localities, such as under water or on a space station. Typically the MI6 agent together with the ‘Bond Girl’ are able to deathward at the last minute in every case. Mostly he was previously threatened with firearms and a simple shot would be the end. Before his death, the bad guy reveals their plans specifically, which gives 007 the change to escape. James Bond reflects some typical stereotypes as male hero. He loves fast cars, the danger, beautiful women and fighting. Moreover men are called for non-emotionality, jerkiness and desire of freedom. Whereas women are called for emotionality, steadiness and family ties.

To find a movie with a female protagonist was not easy nevertheless. In our days gender stereotypes and biases are still common. Most modern day heroes are called, James, Harry, or John. That is why we wanted sides, a male protagonist and a female protagonist in comparison.

Katniss Everdeen is the female hero in “the hunger games”. She won the Hunger Games and later on she becomes the poster child of the rebellion in Panem. At the beginning Katniss was an ordinary girl, trying to survive in a divided world. On the one side there was the Capitol with a lot of rich people, power and fame. On the other side there was the working class split into 13 districts depending on the product they produce. Katniss lived in District 12. As in many movies an unexpected event had to happen in order for Katniss to become a hero. One of the exceptions is James Bond who is a MI6 agent right at the beginning. Unlike Bond however Katniss does not except her role throughout the most part of the trilogy. She only wanted to safe her younger sister from being reaped to participate in the 74th Hunger Games. Therefor she went instead. In the first two movies she does not represent the typical hero as such. Katniss does not fight against an evil rival such as Dr. No or other bad ladies or guys. She wants to survive to see her family again. She has a complicated relationship to Peeta Mellark. During the Hunger Games they are supposed to act as couple whereas back in District 12 Gale Hawthrone waits for her to return. Where instead male heroes like Mr Bond have one girl after another and always have lose relationships only Katniss is torn apart by her feelings and feelings are still considered to be a female thing. To add this inner battle of her gives the spectator a whole new perspective on what a hero represents. For instance are boys shown that there is more than fighting and being though and girls are shown that even her hero has feelings and that this is a good thing. They belong to everyone’s lives. Bond for instance does not show many feelings or emotions throughout the movies. He is a contending, tough, lone wolf kind of guy.

In our minds it is not good to have only male heroes because they show mostly the guys perspective. Our world is very competitive already. Therefore a sophisticated media is needed, which shows us the whole picture. Our heroes should represent every angle of an human being and of course women can be heroes just as good as men can. We need feelings, emotions, love and tragedy as much as fighting and competition. Bond represents a typical man but there is more to it. In order to get the whole picture we need to show different types of heroes. Even though Katniss eventually starts to fight as well. She adds at least an emotional aspect to her role as hero. In our minds we still need more female protagonists to show more facets of human beings in order to avoid an one-sided media. There are still many more male heroes than female ones but we believe this is going to change. Not really quick however but slow and steady.