Notes on: Representations of Women on Television

The Portrayal of Women on Television - Helen Ingham

• Television usually represents and reinforce mainstream ideology of contemporary western culture: patriarchy
• Representations of women in television has changed over 20 years though ideology may have not changed much
• More women than men in world, so if television is more realistic, this should be reflected
• women are outnumbered by men in: - tv drama (3:1 or 4:1), cartoons (10:1) and soaps (7:3)
• Soaps most watched by females
• Men dominate production side of television so masculine ideology is norm
• Gunter divides stereotyping into sex role stereotyping and sex trait stereotyping
• Generally, women in tv have a life dominated by the family and personal relationships than men outside the home, as well as in it.
• Study by McNeil, about 75% of men are depicted as employed whereas less than 50& of women are (Gunter, 1986: 11)
• Advertising will make some kind of effect on those who watch
• Paul Trowler in his study of women in adverts, women are 7 x more likely to appear in hygiene products adverts than not to appear
• 75% of adverts using females were for cleaning products (kitchen/bathroom)
• 56% shown to be domestic housewives
• OXO ad - The mother is punished for leaving the family and going to work, coming home finding that all the dinner is eaten - her punishment
• Even when women are shown in position of power, it is still shown through a patriarchal ideology
• If women have power position it is portrayed as unnatural - they are going against the grain in this dominant ideology
• Women either portrayed as housewives or sex objects
• Men in domesticated roles portrayed as not usually using a kitchen
• The sex object, according to Kilbourne, is a "mannequin" who is there to be conventionally beautiful
• Tall and think, long legs, perfect hair, teeth and hair - underneath there is nothing
  
• Mannequin's beauty is superficial - advertises cosmetics, health products and anything that works to improve the appearance of the body
• The body part which needs to be improved will be predominantly shown
  
• Naturalness of a woman is very much part of the dominant ideology but does not apply to men
• Women as sex objects also used to provide sexual pleasure for men
• Women expected to be sexy and virginal, experienced and naive, seductive and chaste
• If they don't achieve this, they are made to feel guilty and ashamed
• Rita Freedman: Glamour mag surveyed its readers in 1984, 75% felt too heavy, 15% felt just right. Nearly half of those who were underweight reported feeling too fat and wanting to diet.
• College women: 40% felt overweight, while only 12% were actually too heavy (Dines, Humex, 1995: 346)
• Adverts create a climate in which sex sells and impossible body images are seen as acceptable
  
• It used to be that domestic women were presented as sexless, having lost sexual desire after having a family