Table of ContentsFindingsPretty WomanShe's All ThatPersonal ReflectionConclusionWorks CitedOne of America's favorite pastimes is watching movies. Whether that takes the form of going to the movies or simply staying at home and watching it in the comfort of your own home. It's an activity that many use to bond with each other. Conversely, it could be one of many factors that pit us against our peers. Has it ever occurred to you when watching a movie how the movie portrays women versus men? Have you ever noticed the roles that women and men play? What attracted me to this topic was the fact that it is something that goes very unnoticed. For this article, I decided to create a floor-breaking space to highlight bias on screen. By analyzing two high-profile popular films and studying an extensively researched article, I will provide unambiguous examples of how the media uses sexism and gender norms to reach audiences. The choices individuals make in the media industry are by no means a coincidence. They are well calculated and the article explains how the public can be internally affected by the way women, men, sexual activity and body expectations are presented. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Results After determining what topic I wanted to pursue my study, I came across “The Sexual Objectification of Women by the Media, l rape myth acceptance and interpersonal violence. ". In this article, the authors note that "people who view women as objects or as less than human are likely to excuse treating them as less than human through emotional abuse, violence physical and rape. This piece draws attention to how the use of controversial and provocative images not only generates distorted images of women in the eyes of men, but also how this can lead to domestic violence. Their study was conducted on participants who underwent many different tests and questionnaires to receive the feedback they were looking for about rape, dehumanization, and objectification. The authors note that women are often used to create capital to sell goods at the expense of their bodies. Since our world has become very technological, these tactics are effective and leave us vulnerable to developing a distorted lens. The aspect of this article that I think is key to this topic is the fact that it uses college-aged individuals and real-life situations. It establishes credibility through direct contact with interviewees and is a relatability factor for almost everyone who watches films. Two films that explicitly show examples of this are Pretty Woman and She's All That. As I was considering films that fit the description of this project, I came across Pretty Woman. I chose to observe and analyze this film because it is a film that I have seen a million times, but every time I see it I discover new and unknown details. I chose this one specifically because it revolves around a sex worker who meets a wealthy businessman who needed a date for a big event; when he came on the scene, he essentially “changed his life.” Portraying her as a damsel in distress who needs saving. It is worth mentioning the fact that hegave her money and essentially “remade” her. Not only that, but before she became this "pretty woman", no one wanted to respect her not only as a woman; but as a woman who makes money doing something she willingly puts her effort into. Even if it's just his idea to make ends meet as a means of financial survival. This film shows how society has unrealistic beauty standards that are almost impossible to meet; as well as unspoken guidelines for what acceptable careers for women look like. This film follows a rather well-known plot in which there is a rich man who plays an essential role in the success and happiness of a poor and struggling woman. Thanks to her kindness in lowering her standards and being open-minded, they find love and she finally gets her "Prince Charming". loop. In this film, the male protagonist plays the desperate sportsman who has everything in life except the girl. This leaves the female to play the evil heartbreaker, cold and selfish, while the male is showered with praise and swooning females. Not only does he essentially play a seemingly nice guy, but he also wins the girl of his dreams. Meanwhile, Laney must not only change her appearance, but also her values ​​and her view of herself. She's All That is based on the story of high school students and young teenagers just trying to survive the end of year festivities. These young athletic high school students make a bet among their group of friends that recently dumped and idolized Zack Siler can not only attract any girl, but also make her prom queen. They call it their “project” and their “shopping”. Their eyes turn to the quiet, art-obsessed Laney Boggs, who doesn't at all fit the standards of their popular group of friends. Laney, different from other female leads, is strong-willed and tough. At the beginning of the film, she wants nothing to do with the senior class president but, as expected, she soon gives in and takes a liking to Zack. As if it was expected to fall into the hands of man. However, she is not the only female protagonist to have been subject to inverted gender norms and sexist portrayals. Taylor, Zack's ex-girlfriend, is portrayed as a self-centered, abnormally tough and scatterbrained young woman. Much like Julia Robert's character in Pretty Woman, Taylor is easily swayed by money, power and male attention. Taylor meets a young TV star on spring break and quickly latches onto him in hopes of moving up. To run back to her prince charming when the big plans she has for herself don't come true as expected. What ties Laney and Taylor together is the fact that they are seen as objects by the men in the film. Zack, the so-called nice guy, even refers to Taylor as having no importance to him. Going so far as to say that she's basically nothing without her attitude and looks, i.e. her beauty products. Throughout this film, we see the men compete to make Laney prom queen. However, what we don't see is that they consider his feelings. Laney is treated as an object throughout this film – just as many women are treated in the real world. She's All That is a perfect representation of how men perceive women as "things" who are there for their disposal instead of human beings. This directly relates to the article based on how these women's feelings are completely neglected when the men leave. to achieve their goal. Whether their goal is status, winning abet, have a date at an event or even self-esteem; the women in their lives are just accessories that you can put on and take off as you please. We see in Pretty Woman when Edward Lewis chooses a sex worker as his date because he thinks she is easily dispensable and needs the money. While it is true that Vivian Ward inevitably needs money, has it ever occurred to her that she is a woman with feelings and that the actions they take to make her more attractive to supposedly beings can hurt her and harm her self-image? The creators of Pretty Woman clearly understood that sex appeal attracted viewers and could be extremely profitable. By having the main female character work as a sex worker, they use provocativeness to sell the film. We also see examples from this article in She's All That when the guys are in the schoolyard looking for women. The young woman they are looking for must meet certain conditions and then undergo a transformation just to obtain a title. Laney was seen as a source of downfall for Zack's friends and a source of fulfillment for Zack. Laney was sought after and ultimately the victim of a fake flirtation by Siler. At the end of the film, Zack's supposed friend tries to play games with Laney behind his back in hopes of fulfilling his "sexual conquest"; disregarding the fact that he is not only a friend of Zack's, but that Laney is also a human being who is much more than her reproductive organs. Dean, played by Paul Walker, attempts to force himself on her despite her giving numerous signs and warnings that she is not interested in sexual activity. Returning to the point made in the article that because Laney Boggs is seen as an object, it “excuses” her actions of attempted rape. Although many would consider both of these films to be great works, it is undeniable that they both show various illustrations of sexism. Personal Reflection Before this class, I would never have thought about these plots and the characters that help tell these stories. However, with a little knowledge under my belt, I couldn't help but question every element of these two sexist films. Why did they choose a woman to play the prostitute? Why not a male? Why wasn't Laney's original appearance good enough to be seen with this Zack? I have so many questions I would ask the creators of these films. As someone who was once unaware of the fact that sexism and bias against women is so prevalent, I have a whole new understanding and view of media. What struck me the most was the fact that these producers, screenwriters and directors feed on our forgetting. Our society has become so obsessed with this idea of ​​a perfect world. The only way for this to change is to normalize the concept of imperfection and respect. If we respect each other, we will be more willing to accept the faults of our peers. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Participating in movie watching in itself can be harmless. However, if we do this without understanding and sorting out what is being shown to us; we will always be defenseless against underhanded tactics used by the media to get a message across to the public. Pretty Woman and She's All That use normative gender roles and sexist language to create a narrative that appeals to a civilization with a skewed view of the world. As it says “The sexual objectification of women by., &, 31(1), 1-15.