I'm a women who stands up for herself and others...........not the "B" name!

Chick flicks have gotten more mature in the late 90’s and 2000’s with films developing a sense of strength in women’s roles. From “A League of Their Own in the early 90s to recent films like “Avatar”. Strong women are now in the driver’s seat. The stereotype of women fall into two categories: those categories I like to call , “girls” and “tomboys”.
There never was a middle ground; that was until Sandra Bullock played a head strong mother fighting for a child who wasn’t even her’s. For a women to be strong and assertive means that she is a “bitch”. When Sandra Bullock played a mom in The Blind Side, she joined another strong female role that I automatically think of: Rose in “Titanic”. She got the courage to stand up and break away from high society’s rules. It’s like the double standard in life; for women to be strong in life means she’s a bitch. But when men are tough, it’s considered macho and cool. Strong female characters have been pushing boundaries to prove that they can be stronger then men. But when a strong female role is played, it could send to the audience a negative message. One such film is Changeling, where Angelina Jolie played a desperate mother in search of her missing son. Everyone thought she was crazy when she didn’t accept the so called “son”. This is an example of double standard between men and women. I think if a man went looking for his son in the 1920s and knew that the child returned to him was an imposter, people would listen and trust his judgment, not think he was crazy. Women have a right to be strong and fearless!!

Strong Women in flim can be roll modles to our daughters

In many films women play an important role as being the leader. I thought in the film “Whale Rider”, Paike was a strong female presets. The message that I got from the movie “Whale Rider”, is that we are all one and connected. I also liked how much courage Paikea had. She wanted to be a warrior. Paike was a brave person, she didn’t care what anyone though. Paika had to fight to prove to herself she was a courage warrior. This has been a common problem in women. To be a strong woman in this world of dominatrix of male, is sad to think that people think that women are weaker then men. I also get that a lot of people may think, that white men might be superior to everyone else. In my mind there a lot of strong women in film and in the world. We throw the phrase “Chick flick”, a lot but there’s an underlining message. These so call “Chick flicks” have portrayed women in powerful women in movies. Movies that have strong females are in an entire different category. I feel like in recent teenage films, may have an impact on our young teens. But they have no strong female role models, which leads our youth to look to themselves and pears to lead the way. This makes me concern about the media, at times media images might portray women in a negative way.

But in the world of youth media is control by what I can only say, as negative messages. If only the teenage film genre could only make their characters more realistic. The film companies need to find a balance between; adult chick flicks, strong women rolls and teenager films. Teenage films have never been more graphic or violent since the early 90s. Even back in the 1950s, when “Rebel Without a Cause”, we see Judy is portrayed as a niave women. A women that needs a man to carry her, as a weak innocent women under the control of her father. Now of days women have taken charge and made strides to not be as protected of women, but to give women strong outstanding roles in film.

Media MAn Vr.s Reality Man

Thanks to media many guys are rethinking what it means to be a real man. Recently men have joined forces with women to determine what it means to be a man. In Tarrant’s article “Guy Trouble” she asks guys how they define violence and also how violence has been made into a pop culture money maker. A good example of media male violence is in the form of wrestling. Tarrant’s view point on that topic “…World Wrestling Entertainment’s Friday Night Smack Down regularly features a male wrestler assaulting his female love interest who, thrown from the ring in spandex and gummy-boo implants, writhes provocatively on the floor, visually melding sex with abuse.” This portrays not just abuse, but specifically sexual abuse towards women. Is the show giving young boys the perspective that it’s okay to abuse women. Not only have men physically abused women in the media, but they have also mentally abused women through name calling, by was of describing the status of their sexuality. While some men are all for women and violence in the media, there are a hand full of men who have put their foot down to end violence in the media. Tarrant goes on to say in her article Guy Trouble; “…Men look at masculinity and pop culture knowing that violent masculinity is not good for – to adapt the old antiwar slogan - women, men, genderqueers, children, plants, the planet, or other living things. And when it comes to nonviolent but equally limiting depictions of men and boys, critically analyzing masculinity in pop culture of the Man Box, expanding gender options and ending homophobia, transphobia, and sexual assault.” The media these days are trying harder to support non violent acts against not only against women, but every minority group around the world. The latest epidemic is violence in schools and these acts of violence are probably influenced by violence in the media. These acts of violence in schools such as Columbine can give boys negative messages.