Callie Khouri's Thelma and Louise - Moving Beyond the Male Experience

Representation in media is hugely important as it influences, both consciously and subconsciously, culture and society. Gender representation is especially important in this day and age because more and more media is being consumed by younger audiences. In G-rated animated movies and televisions shows targeted for young girls, the female characters are hyper-sexualized and, 9 out of 10 times, their stories revolve around finding a man to love them, facilitating our cultures obsession with heteronormativity. Boys are encouraged to watch male dominated action movies, full of violence, sexy, scantily-clad women, and heteronormative, hyper-masculine stereotypes. Boys who are interested in any media designated “for girls” is seen as less masculine and may face bullies and pressure from all walks of life, at home and in school. Society begins teaching boys and girls how to gender immediately, what is appropriate, tolerated, encouraged, and what is unacceptable. As we grow up our media becomes more violent, more sexualized, and even more gendered. I will be exploring gender representation in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls, and The 100, discussing the problematic and the progressive representations of gender, starting with Gilmore Girls.

Desperation is seen in many different instances throughout the clip. Thelma and Louise (Susan Sarandon and Gena Davis) are finally pushed to their limit in this final scene. Thelma (Gena Davis) comes to the realization that the two

Media influence is one of the most powerful economic and cultural forces today. By deciding who gets to talk, what shapes the debate, who writes, and what is important enough to report, media shape our understanding of who we are and what we can be. You could go to a film, switch on the TV, tune in to the radio, turn the pages of a magazine, or surf online. Regardless of your choice of media, you’d have a good chance of encountering stereotypes that perpetuate gender discrimination. The “Miss Representation” documentary film written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom exposes how mainstream media and culture contribute to the under representation of women in positions of power and influence in America.

In light of this year’s monumental and thought provoking presidential election between business magnate, Donald Trump, and New York senator, Hillary Clinton, the misogynistic rhetoric drew controversial division amongst the country. The value and significance of a woman have advanced from the cult of domesticity to a politically intricate executive, but that graduation exhibits seldom progress for women in media such as television, film, and theater. The depiction of females deters the accuracy and complexity of African American and latino women and limits their characteristics as peripheral, unoriginal, and one-dimensional objects of a man’s pleasure. Absurdity conveys in continuously seeing women setting the tables, giving a kiss on the cheek

Finally, Baillie uses simple emotive statement “the two women clung together in the back of the crowded truck” to show that Leah has now matured up and has rediscovered the lost mother-daughter relationship she had had with her, and realising how she has an important part in her

In Miss Representation, many female actresses, news anchors, politicians, directors and producers talk about how females suffer a lot of social, political and economic inequalities in today’s society. There are double standards against women in magazines, on TV, in movies, the news, politics, and the workplace. The media is an influential part of modern culture. When women are portrayed as objects for men to use -- never as the protagonist or president -- and when female news anchors are objectified, this will cause girls of all ages to begin viewing themselves as objects. Girls grow up in a world where their voice does not count; where our culture does not embrace them in all of their diversities, where

Louise Beal was done. She was worn out. She was over it. Louise tired and coming home from work. When she turned down her street and saw cop cars and ambulances everywhere, with blue and red lights flashing and sirens blaring, Louise got scared, worried for her children’s safety. She got increasingly more worried as she got closer to her lifeless, dull home, when she saw Ian’s commodore out the front she broke into a hysterical run. The police officers looked at her, their faces showing sympathy and concern. She only stopped running when she got to the front door, about to enter only to be held back by an officer. Louise thrashes around, screaming out for her children, to be released. Louise only screams more when she sees a body bag on a stretcher

Section A: Analyse the treatment of bonds between men and bonds between women in Thelma and Louise The film Thelma and Louise, directed by Ridley Scott and released in 1991 (Dir. Ridley Scott, 1991), is a movie that challenges gender expectations. It features two belligerent female protagonists, Thelma and Louise, who move away from the stereotypical ideas of a woman. Thelma is married to an over controlling and unappreciative husband who cares not for her, while Louise has relationship troubles with her boyfriend Jimmy who is always away.

Some expectations we grow used to as we get older and time passes by which is called gender roles. Basically, a gender role is limiting to what a man and woman are supposed to do and how they are supposed to act. In the movie titled "Thelma and Louise" all of the things, they did change the perception of women. Louise was a worker at a diner and Thelma was a housewife who had a controlling husband. As years passed women have started playing more stronger roles and having more power and self-esteem.

In Boozer’s article, he describes how Thelma and Louise breaks away from the typical Western or classical road film genre, particularly how females are portrayed in these types of movies. It definitely gave me more of a sense on how this has changed over time, such as how female rebellion was typically not political in nature and are typically driven by greed and/or romantic intentions. However, in this film, it is clear that the two protagonists are trying to liberate themselves from their oppressive domestic and work situations. They escape, commit several crimes, and eventually realize there are two possible choices: they could be arrested and/or go back to their old lives or could drive off the canyon to their deaths and be as free as possible. The women take the more extreme action and leave all of their concerns behind them.

Thelma and Louise find themselves to be trapped between the troops and the abyss. The situation seems to be hopeless but the protagonists manage to find a solution. Knowing that coming back entails with submitting and with the arrival to the patriarchal society, they decide to keep going and drive the car over the edge of the canyon. By committing suicide Thelma and Louise become finally free and prove that they are against the world dominated by men. The ending may seem to be tragic, however, by such a move Thelma and Louise show that they are completely in control of their fate and that they have transformed into powerful and strong women who would rather die with dignity than

According to Rapping, Thelma & Louise is a film that opened up feminism in earnest. Also, Rapping believed that the effects of the film have had a profound impact on feminist thinking about gender discrimination and sexuality issues that have been in the public eye for the last 20 years. There are scenes of Thelma & Louise in violent scenes from the movie; They commit crimes such as murdering a rapist, stealing money from a mart, and putting a police officer in the trunk of a car. If Thelma & Louise were men, not women, they would not have thought that no one would have fought in a violent scene and that it was a problematic scene. In this regard, it can be seen that the difference in the point of view of women and men at that time is quite

Studies regarding gender roles in media show that the feminine essence tends to be depicted as inferior, with women often being marginalized, disempowered and humiliated through a status that is based on their youth and looks; whilst men tend to be portrayed as superior with higher and longer lasting careers

Moreover ever since the 1960s, the feminist movement has raised awareness of gender inequality in society and has since helped to challenge the traditional stereotype of a woman’s role in society, in and outside the home, in work, education and the law; by highlighting the importance of self-esteem and personal choice for a young woman (O’Leary, 2015). These changes are reflected in the media, a good illustration

The simplest way to increase gender equality is by creating more roles for women. According to 2007-2012 film statistics reviewed by the New York Film Academy, the “average ratio of male actors to female actors is 2.25:1.” With less females onscreen than males, men continue to be the majority in movies. It is important to portray realistic representations of everyday life in where “women comprise 50 percent of the population” (Green, Women In Film Los Angeles). It is also important for women and young girls to have a variety of role models to look up to. With more women in movies, young girls will begin to understand that being a woman does not limit what they can do. Organizations such as Women in Film were created to help by “promoting equal opportunities for women, encouraging creative projects by women, and expanding and enhancing portrayals of women in all forms of global