is cinema sexist?

Question

do you think that cinema is sexist and does it all come down to female beauty in the end? Do you think that women are at a disadvantage?

Answer 1

not in and of itself no. Media in general is a reflection of societal trends and, as Rio pointed out, what sells.
There is a thriving indie movie industry that mostly does not follow those rules, but in mainstream you can see a great deal of sexism, women displayed as weak and ornamental, or men displayed as emotional idiots that are incapable of being domestic, among a multitude of other examples.
you find social myths that are classist and racist as well within many "mainstream" films as well as indie films.

This does not mean that there is a group of rich white men in a shadowy smoke filled room laughing evilly about how they are going to display one group or another badly yet again. It is a reflection of what the public expects, and I think that the rising popularity of indie cinema which challenges these concepts shows a growing trend of people refusing to accept the myths anymore.

Answer 2

Well it depends how you look at it. Nowadays they inject the "tough chick" into almost every action movie. She weighs 90 pounds... is super tough... & beats up men that outweigh her by at least 150 pounds.

Empowerment sells.

It may be the fact that she's kicking butt will offset the fact that she's wearing hotpants & a teeny sports bra for some of the ladies that might have been offended if she were only wearing the tiny outfit...

so the "disadvantage" there is muddled.

And if you look at a movie like Stepford Wives that spends the whole time mocking men & closes with a handy little joke about Bette Midler's characters new book about "cutting IT off"...you'll see a very anti-male vibe to modern cinema. "Jokes" about male mutilation. ...Nice.

If anything, I'd say modern cinema does more to try & empower women than anything else.

After all... there are the "pretty boy" types of men in movies just like there are the beautiful actresses.

Answer 3

It's been sexist at different times throughout its history. There are periods during which most movies feature women only as happy housewives, embittered career women who want to be happy housewives, sex objects, or villainesses (in order: Beth from Fatal Attraction, Daisy from Surrender, Marilyn Monroe's characters, Alex from Fatal Attraction). There are periods before that during which movies feature women in roles that require them to break free from oppressive patriarchal standards (i.e. Goldie from Private Benjamin, G.I. Jane).

Answer 4

Perhaps.

Is the word misogynist in your vocabulary, because it might help you out.

Unfortunately, (or not, all things considered), it appears that money really has a central influence upon it, that is to say, if something is not profitable, few people will see it, and people will stop making it. Our system is a capitalist one.

Answer 5

Cinema just portrays what sells. It's content is dictated by market forces. If cinema is 'sexist', then reality is. Maybe 'sexism' is just a pejorative description of a normal, truthful mode of thinking in that case.

Answer 6

No feminism is sexist, VAWA is sexist and NOW.org is sexist.

Cinema creates what will sell. People would much rather watch a crappy movie (which most are) with people in it that are easier on the eye than have to sit around watching a crappy movie with people that dont interest your sensors.

Answer 7

That reminds me I havent watched a cinema for ages! Thanks, I will watch some this week.