Can commercial cinema fight against Gender Stereotypes?

In the current digital era, characterized by hyperconnectivity and the need to be constantly informed, the media Digital media have taken a new direction taking into account the representation of minorities and realities other than those regulations. As a consequence of the debates generated by ethnic and sexual minorities and dissidence in general, with each becoming more forceful, these debates regarding the need for diversity are reflected in all of our screens.

And it is that commercial cinema and the big Hollywood productions also opt little by little for the greater representation of stories and diverse realities, moving away for example from the exclusive representation of cisheterosexual white men in superhero movies or the appearance of women in hypersexualized or purely plot-based roles romantic. Many people wonder if this new way of representing stories on the big screens It is useless or if it does not stop being a purely commercial movement and with the objective of winning money. While it is clear that these story changes represent a new business and a new vein from which to monetize, It is also positive that speakers as big as the big film distributors represent realities that have normally been ignored.

As it is a topic of current debate, in this article we are going to reflect on the ways in which commercial cinema can fight against gender stereotypes, proposing some examples of commercial films that have had a real impact on the deconstruction of gender stereotypes.

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What are gender stereotypes?

It is important to first define what these gender stereotypes are in order to fully understand how commercial cinema can influence their deconstruction and struggle. Gender stereotypes refer to the beliefs acquired through the socialization of all people about the entire set of desirable attitudes for men and women.

Basically, gender stereotypes dictate everything a man and a woman should do to meet the social expectations that are held of them.

Gender stereotypes are harmful to society and to the construction and implementation of diversity because represent outdated values ​​based on the differentiation of men and women based on patriarchal ideals and macho. These mean that femininity is closely linked to care functions and a secondary role with respect to men. While the role of the man is that of strength, work and business, women are in charge of raising and domestic chores. These gender roles also make it more difficult for men to show their emotions in public and women are understood and represented as more emotional, even going so far as to associate them with hysteria and craziness.

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How can commercial cinema fight against them?

Many studies on gender stereotypes echo the maintenance of them largely due to the representation that they have had in the media of masses. Returning to the concept of socialization, there are many values ​​that are taught to us through the gradual and complete exposure of these ideals in different components of society. One of them is, indeed, the media and the cinema.

Throughout the history of cinema, the stereotypical gender roles for men and women have been maintained in the vast majority of commercial films. Romantic comedies have been shown in which the male leads are much more intelligent and shrewd than their female companions, who are usually only characterized by love plots or spite. Action movies have almost always had male leads; the policeman who discovers the murderer is usually a man, and sometimes has a female companion or lover whose only interest in the plot is this romantic or sexual story.

For this reason, there is talk that commercial cinema can fight against these gender stereotypes by generating cinematographic stories that are more in line with reality. Men are not the engine that keeps the planet moving, and women do not guide all their behaviors exclusively with seductive or sexual objectives. Women are also protagonists, and, taking into account the patriarchal reality of our society, it would not be wrong to understand that the greatest antagonists are, in some cases, men.

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cinema examples mainstream that breaks stereotypes

As we have commented, commercial cinema does fight against gender stereotypes. Some films and productions do generate a debate around the change in established roles. We are going to propose some examples of films that offer a different vision of the main roles and the gender roles typically associated with masculinity and femininity:

1. Thelma and Louise (1991)

Thelma and Louise represented roles and roles that were well ahead of their time and generated much debate at the time. The two protagonists and main characters in this film are women who do not follow traditional and established gender roles..

Two women in frustrated romantic relationships and subjected to the care of their partners (men, of course) who decide to escape their situations on a road trip. But also, it represents the fight against sexist violence when one of the protagonists murders a man who tried to sexually abuse her partner. For this reason, the film generated much controversy due to the violent and armed response to sexist and sexual violence. However, it is important to ask yourself, why does violence only generate debate when it is carried out by women, but not when it is carried out by men? Basically, because violence is expected in men, it fits into the masculine role; but not in the feminine.

2. Lara Croft (2001)

The Lara Croft film based on the main character of these video games of the same name marked a before and after in the characterization of female characters in action movies. This heroine uses force and violence in ways similar to the male leads in other action blockbusters. She is adventurous, and the story focuses on objectives other than a love or romantic plot. Although it is true that she was a pioneer for the time in the representation of women in action films, this character has aged in a different way, finding different criticisms around the excessive sexualization of the protagonist. It is true that she presents action behaviors that would fit with those of the male characters, but at the same time, she physically represents an object of desire aligned with masculine sexual ideals.

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3. The Hunger Games (2012)

The Hunger Games saga was one of the most successful movie chronicles of the 2010s. Many girls used as a reference to the protagonist of the films, Katniss, as a feminist icon. This protagonist also takes on roles and attitudes that are far removed from traditional femininity; she is not excessively sexualized, she does not base her main plot on a romance with a man, she uses force and weapons and, at the same time, is a person with a sensitivity that does not dehumanize her or relegate her to a purely masculine role. She is a woman who does not follow the stereotyped values ​​of women, but that does not mean that she takes on the role of "man". It represents a more realistic image of women in our society, despite its plot being a dystopian reality and far from our real world.

4. Barbie (2023)

On everyone's lips in recent weeks, the Barbie movie is presented as the highest grossing of the year, as well as being the one that is generating the most debates. This film takes an icon systematically associated with femininity, the Barbie doll, to make an ironic and comic reflection on the patriarchal foundations of our society. In satirical tones, the film encourages the questioning of these gender stereotypes and traditional values, implying that they affect all people, both men and women. Patriarchy has not only punished women for a long time as objects of male desire and forced to earn attention or social validity through masculine approval, but it has also generated difficulties in men to be emotional and to respect realities in a two-way way feminine.

There is still much left to do

As we have commented, yes; commercial cinema can and does fight against gender stereotypes, giving rise to stories in which the protagonists do not represent traditional gender roles. However, there is still much to do. Of all the films discussed above, only the latest, Barbie, has been directed by a woman. Differences in Hollywood regarding the pay gap between actors and actresses also exist, and there are many actresses who raise their voices about the lack of female workers behind the cameras. Big commercial productions are still a world run by men, who, although they want to represent values ​​that are more open to diversity, will almost always do so under the male gaze. It is everyone's responsibility to integrate these values ​​and gender roles that are far from the conceptions traditional in order to build, through everyone, a more just, diverse and representative society for all people.