...Detailed Essay Plan...
“To What Extent Has The Historical Representation Of Women Been Challenged In Today's World? With Particular Reference To “She’s The Man”
My independent study pays close attention to the representation of women in todays world. I will be looking into historical and contempory text, my main focus however, will be on She's The Man [2006].
I will be breaking my argument up into two sections:
*The for argument that the historical representations of women is being challenged, and how. [Not so much of housewives, mothers, passive women.]
*The aganist argument that the historical representation remains, and that it is still very much dominant today. [ H, R ]
Other texts that will be linked and referred to in my study are, Just One Of Those Guys [1985] which is a teen movie and has a cross genre like my main text She's The Man [2006] Contemporary/more modern texts which I can refer to are, 10 Things I Hate About You or Mean Girls, both of which have a female protagonist but in stereotypical roles. 10 Things I Hate About You can be closely linked to my study due to both 10 Things I Hate About You and She's The Man being adaptations of novels. [G, R]
First Paragraph:
Talk about the past, and how females use to be typically represented, mention other text, preferably one in detail and bring in Laura Mulvey's theory. Mention Feminism, the different waves and how, in which way they enabled women to gain more rights within society. How adverts typically just use women to help promote products such as , hair and beauty or domestical products-Stereotypical roles. [ Theory, R, H ] Talk about the book: Hollows, Joanne (2000): Feminism, Feminity and Popular
Second Paragraph:
Bring in films such as Casion Royale, and how there is now a female gaze, Bond coming out of the water. Historical Rep is being challenged, as this would normally be a females role. In addition to this, talk about a specific scene from She's The Man e.g. when Viola is fond of football and wants to play as well as the men. Mention typical chick flick conventions, but talk about how the conventions are being crossed over. For example, in chick flicks women gain power at the end or some point in the film, show how this is taking place in other genres as well. Could also bring in Laura Mulvey Again - Visual Pleasures Book etc. [ H, R, Theory ]
Third Paragraph:
The effect of films such as Catwomen, Charlies Angels etc, on the auidence. Just how far do they portray empowered women. The different Genre's - how they all portray women, define it. Bring in Page 3, as a postmodern text, are women gaining power by portraying themselves this way? By most male directors being male, how much power do women actually have? This paragraph will be mostly about the power of females of and on screen, historically has it improved? Talk about directors of Dreamworks and the economical issue of Dreamworks. [ I, R, G, E ] Talk about the book, Neale, Steve (2003): Genre and Hollywood. USA and Canada, Routledge.
Fourth Paragraph:
Bring in MIGRAIN fully here, on She's the Man, what is do different about She's The Man? Compared to films such as Mean Girls? Bring forward, Just One Of Those Guys text. How stereotypes have changed, how socially women's acceptance in various roles has changed. How does society view women now? Media Language and Representation analysis-go into detail, what does this show. The narrative of chick flicks how it is always typical what does this show? Bring in Todorov's Theory here. [ M, R, S, N, Theory ]
Fifth Paragraph:
Bring forward, other media such a sitcoms, Sex and the city, Ally Mcbeal..Bring forward other theories.
Talk about the vamp, whore, madonna, queer theory-Good and Bad Vs each other-Binary Opposition-Levi Strauss. Bring forward, Cross dressing and link to queer theory, how and in which way cross dressing is used in this film. Historical representation of women-weak? Has to gain power through dressing as a man? [ Theory x2 , R, H, I &V,]
Sixth Paragraph:
Auidence, what attracts the auidence to She's the Man, and other films, Male auidence-Just watch it for the male gaze? The pleasure of looking. Femme Fatale. Bring in camera positioning, how it makes us view the characters, Can bring in Strauss' theory again and talk about how camera positioning helps us alienate or relate to the characters. How the male gaze is also reinforced by the camera positioning, does camera positioning show men with more power? etc. [ A, Theory, ]
If i feel i have more points, i will either connect it to one of the points above, or add another paragraph.
Conclusion:
Sum up the arguments, show how women's historical representation has either changed or not, answering my question. Give at least one theorist/theory/book to back up my final point, and represent how this is true in all texts but mainly in my chosen text.
