Movies Have Been Defining Gender Roles For Too Long…

 Mainstream media and movies play a big role in how modern gender roles are perceived. One example which demonstrates many aspects of gender is the 2004 classic Mean Girls. The movie portrays many obvious stereotypes as well as some that are less conventional. Characters such has Regina, Karen, and Gretchen represent the ‘female’ demographic. Their representation of female culture is very much based on harsh stereotypes that tend to exaggerate femininity and hold women to a very unfair standard that most women choose not to conform with. Contrarily, Janis Ian represents the polar opposite. She defies also all feminine stereotypes and is in-turn, labeled as abnormal and ‘weird’ by the high school monarchy that exists in the movie. Additionally, the other side character, Damian, represents a not-so-typical male student. In this case, the gay stereotype is utilized to try and set Damian away from his peers and make him appear as different. By including characters that challenge the norm that is trying to be portrayed, viewers see what is considered normal in the movie to be THE NORM in the real world as well. This creates a situation in which people are constantly trying to match the standard of normality portrayed in pop culture in order to avoid being labeled or outed as some characters unfortunately are. By having diverse characters that represent diverse gender norms, people can not only feel more free to express themselves, but also feel accepted by the movies and TV shows that they look up to. Defining gender norms is something that was once a way encouraging sexism and as been long since deemed as old-fashioned in its original form. Hopefully, the media will eventually stop having such am impact on what is acceptable in terms of gender, and would stop portraying differences negatively