Chapter 10 Student Activities

Gender in the Movies Activity

Films usually reflect the cultural assumptions of their makers and intended audience. As a result, we can learn a lot about a society from the movies it produces, in this case gender. Go see a film or video of a feature film. As you watch, focus on how gender roles are being presented. Some films, such as The Hangover, present the leading men in a very stereotyped way. What are these stereotypes? How does the film present women? Romantic comedies present men and women in stereotyped ways, but different from those in The Hangover. Identify the gender roles depicted in the film you watched. What can you say about how the filmmaker is constructing gender? How stereotyped is it? How realistic?

A Thought Activity: The Color of Gender

Think about the ads and posters aimed at college-aged women and men that you might see on campus. Think about the colors and combinations of color used to attract the attention of men and women in posters and magazine ads. Are there patterns that make ads for women and for men different? Why do you think these palettes are used? Why do they make sense?