This analysis will explore how the portrayal of women in the media has evolved outside of the old traditional gender norms using Spike Lee’s, She’s Gotta Have It. This project will highlight the leading character, Nola Darling positive impacts towards the third wave feminist movement.
Literature Review and Rationale
The media portrayals affect real life women by portraying stereotypical characters. Therefore, we cannot blame anyone for their thoughts of the traditional virtues of a woman.
As soon as a woman is mentioned our first thoughts are the overwhelmed homemaker, the beautiful wife, or the talkative and sassy mistress. However, we can decide when these traditional stereotypes are no longer accurate for women. For example, a female dominant leading role such as Olivia Pope, in the political television drama Scandal created by Shonda Rhimes. Olivia Pope created a different expectation for women, she was a single, beautiful and brilliant political strategist. This type of character was a boost for professional women showing such as a dynamic character on television. Unfortunately, the affair Olivia Pope had with President Fitz was the only storyline people communicated about on Thursday nights. It was no longer about her Olivia Pope’s brilliant mind but, about her weakness to a male dominant role in the media outlets.
The truth is there are certain expectations of women in a traditional society and the media had reinforces existing stereotypes, attitudes, expectations and values which could decline a women’s advancement in society (Lbrahim, Yunus, Dil, and Amli, 2017, p.2). According to Lbrahim (2017), the positive words would foster good and healthy images for women and negative words would conjure negative. Therefore, negative depictions of women in the media continues to be harmful to other women in present day. Especially, when society doesn’t address the positive attributes of the woman in the media. This analysis will explore the evolution of female characters in the media using Spike Lee’s, She’s Gotta Have It.
She’s Gotta Have It is an original featured film produced in Brooklyn, New York in the 1980’s. In 1980, it was a lot of misperceptions about the film and the feeling about a woman being able to express herself. This black and white film was one of the first featured film written, edited and directed by Spike Lee. This film went on to not only to profit 7.1 billion dollars at the box office but created a new foundation to the meaning of feminism. In 2017, Netflix presented the leading character, Nola Darling to screens around the world. A young, brilliant and free-spirited woman who is unapologetic about her philosophies on sex, freedom, and the dismantling of gender norms.
The study of the character Nola Darling is about gender, equality, sexuality and political influence. The feminist movement in the nineteenth century (also known as the women’s liberation movement) involves social justice reform on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, sexual harassment, violence, and a series of issues which goes against equality for women. Since the beginning of time, the fight for women suffrage in the United States was extremely necessary for women to gain their respect in their household and society. The feminist movement is offered referred to in waves: second-wave feminism and third-wave feminism. In simple terms according to Viva Media, third wave feminism began in the 1990s and have lived up until the current day. Due to the different portrayals, outlets and beliefs of feminism the most important concepts are: breaking the Glass Ceiling, sex positivity. language, and fixing the media images. I believe this analysis will show a positive liberated woman is more than a promiscuous beautiful image.
This attachment is the Framework and Methodology:
She Gotta Have it Framework and Methodolody:)
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Auckland, T. U. (2012). About thematic analysis. Retrieved from Science: https://www.psych.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/our-research/research-groups/thematic-analysis/about-thematic-analysis.html
Boyatzis, R. (2008). Thematic Analysis. Retrieved from Foundation of Qualitative Research in Educationhttp://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=qualitative&pageid=icb.page340897
Freeland, A. M. (2012, November 12). An Overview of Agenda-Setting theory in Mass Communications. Agenda-Setting Theory, p. 1-9. Retrieved from Agenda-Setting Theory.
Ibrahim, F., Yunus, N., Dil Froz Jan Sayed,Halem Shah, Ilias, M., & Amli Hazlin, A. M. (2017). Portrayal of Women’s images in television dramas: A malaysian case. Paper presented at the , 33
Sandberg, S. (2018). Lean In: Women, Work, and Will to Lead. Chicago: Chicago Press.
McCombs, M., & Shaw, D. (2015). Agenda-Setting Theory. Chicago: Chicago Press.
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