11:44 a.m. - 2003-04-15
SooHian, F. & Albert, F. & Adrian, S. (2003) Anti-feminist, post-feminist text.
CS221: Media and Culture Analyses
Final Term Paper
Nanyang Technological University
School of Communication and Information
Tutorial Group 3
Group Members:
Foo Soo Hian
Albert Foo
Adrian Sim
An anti-feminist post-feminist text?
Media Text:
3 Women And A � (Episode 9 & 10)
Prologue
A didactic text of new women empowerment or more?
Since the feminist struggles in the 1950s to its amplification in the 1960s, much literature has been accredited to the pursuit of female rights and equality. Despite this, according to Gaye Tuchman (1978), women are still �symbolically annihilated by the media through absence, condemnation or trivialisation�. However, in recent years (1990s onwards), there seems to be a shift from the traditionally denigrating media stereotypes of women to a post-feminist representation of the �modern corporate women�. This celebration of the newfound (maybe not so new) power of women, i.e. the power to juggle their professional careers, personal (family) relationships and femininity independently, is an overriding theme in especially local prime time dramas.
Female representations have also evolved from purely essentialised forms, e.g. the housewife in limbo in her domestic setting and circumscribed in her domestic duties, to more �balanced� and multifarious forms, e.g. the extremely cool career women and the �slutty� corporate vixen (Press, 1991, p. 40).
Our chosen text, �Three Women and A Half�, which was shown over national television, i.e. MediaCorp�s TCS 8, from 22 August 2001 to 18 September 2001, is one example that demonstrates the above-mentioned form of hybridised or �balanced� femininity. It depicts the seeming exultation of these hybridised forms of femininity in society as well as the confounding issues that arise.
Another overriding theme in 3 Women And A Half is the representation of the power relation between the men and the women. The women are portrayed to be insouciant leaders who hold the cards both in professional and personal situations, although not necessarily resulting in successful ends. On the other hand, the men are depicted as indecisive and �soft� who play second fiddle to the women both at home and at the workplace.
Are these images accurate representations of the roles and traits of women and men in the society or are they merely ideological inventions? Are they glimpses of possible new television gender stereotypes? What are the possible social ramifications? How do these representations translate to the audience?
The masculinising of the female and the feminising of the male?
As discussed by Ceulemans & Fauconnier (1979), seven major characteristics typify gender portrayals in television dramas (Gunter).
Based on the below-mentioned assumptions, we shall examine if 3 Women And A Half subverts these assumptions of female gender-traits and gender-roles. (Please refer to the appendix for brief character descriptions).
1) Female characters are fewer in numbers and less central to the plot
As the title of the film suggests, the protagonists are three women (Jane, Monica and Rachael) and a sensitive old age guy (SOAG), Heng, who is nefariously labelled as a �� women�. As observed from the two episodes, the plot hinges on the professional and relational tribulations of the three women. Heng is merely a supporting character. The other male characters played by Rayson Tan (Jane�s brother-in-law) and Nick Shen (Monica�s younger brother) are also less central to the plot.
2) Marriage and parenthood are considered to be more important to a woman�s than to a man�s life
The three single women are in their late 30s (Monica and Jane) or early 20s (Rachael). Careers take precedence over much of everything else in their lives.
The time committed to their professional careers takes a toll on their personal relationships. Although Jane enjoys tormenting and manipulating Jeffrey in a bid to climb up the corporate ladder, she feels lonely. She yearns to find a partner for life. In episode 10, this is accentuated, as there are lingering shots of her looking dejected when she looks on enviously at her sister and the latter�s husband. This is in contrast to episode 9 where she seems to be enjoying herself while wreaking havoc on Monica by manipulating Jeffrey.
Rachael feels lonely when she resigns from her job at and she calls her long distance on-off boyfriend. An inkling of dejectedness is gathered when she sheds tears and exhibits a lackadaisical facial expression when her boyfriend replies disinterestedly to her over the telephone.
Heng�s ex-wife divorces Heng because she wanted to concentrate on her career. She is not close to her daughter. Compared to his ex-wife, Heng is the more responsible parent who is largely more concerned with his daughter than in his job.
3) Television portrays the traditional division of labour in marriage
The �traditional division of labour in marriage� is such that the husband who is the breadwinner of the family is less bound by domestic duties. The wife undertakes the domestic duties, which ranges from child mending to cooking.
In this text, women are depicted as focused on their professional careers. There is little room for them to consider marriage much less a relationship, maybe until the finale.
It is interesting to note that the serial does not start with the assumed narrative equilibrium of �married women�, which entails the above assumption. It starts with the narrative equilibrium of �single career women�. Thus, we do not get the depictions of the �traditional division of labour in marriage�. What we get in the serial is women striving to obtain a �balance� in both their professional and relationship aspects of life, albeit with an inclination to the former.
There are hints of budding romances between Monica and the strait-laced Heng, Jane and her brother-in-law (the romantic subplot between Jeffrey and her is not considered as it is just Jane�s game of sexual conquest), Rachael and her on-off long-distanced boyfriend.
It is most likely that their respective relationships will end in marriage only in the finale, as in most �happy endings� of television dramas. Therefore, we never get to see this �traditional division of labour in marriage� being played out.
We can only second-guess that their marriages may lead to one that is similar to the subplot centering on Heng and his ex-wife. In this subplot, Heng assumes domestic duties and his ex-wife is clearly more career-minded.
4) Employed women are shown in traditionally female occupations, as subordinates to men with little status or power
Although they are subordinated to men initially, the women are rather high-powered and highly competitive white-collar executives compared to their male counterparts. In episode 9, Monica and Rachael are the only promising candidates who show potential to take over their boss� position. The lack of possible promising male candidates shows the lack of professional capability of the male workers. The men mainly just sit around in the pantry and gossip.
They talk about their unhappiness over their jobs or Rachael blatantly. This is in contrast to Monica and Jane who prefer to keep their ideas or schemes to themselves. This portrayal of the male goes against the myth that women gossip more than men.
When Monica finally assumes the male boss� position, she yields considerable power than the men in the office.
5) TV-women are more personally- and less professionally-oriented than TV-men
There is a stereotypical portrayal of women in Chinese television programmes. In these programmes, women are portrayed as placing more emphasis on their personal relationships with other people. The men are relatively more ambitious and career-oriented, sometimes to the degree that their relationship with their families are often neglected. Some examples of Channel 8 (previous name of TCS 8) television serials that portrayed such stereotypes include Tofu Street and Pretty Faces among others that were shown mainly in the late 1980s or early 1990s.
According to Holaday & Hao (1998), the portrayal of women in televised programmes were such that romantic relationships were more crucial to their lives and women were usually set in the roles of �wife� or �mother�; roles seemingly bounded in their domesticity.
However, in the text of 3 Women And a � , this stereotypical notion has been subverted. The female characters are portrayed as empowered individuals in the workplace and they are more ambitious in their careers than the men. One of the characters in the text, Rachael, is so obsessed in her ascent up the corporate ladder that her relationship with her brother is strained; in one of the plotlines, she spitefully blamed her brother for spoiling her chances of being promoted. The diegetic themes of professional independence, office politics (e.g. jealousy and spite) and competitive client pitching are demonstrative of the professional inclinations of the three female protagonists. However, that is not to say that the personal lives of the women are not equally explicated in the narrative. The �feminine corporate themes� just seem unusually pronounced for a melodramatic television drama serial. This is because serials have mostly in the (prefeminist) past shown women�s existence as �closely bound with, and by, others in their family group, particularly their male partners� and they are �rarely�shown to be mature, independent individuals� (Press, p. 29).
Another interesting subversion of the traditional stereotype (about the role between males and females) is the domesticated male character, Heng. He is portrayed as more mild-mannered and family-oriented than his sister, Rachel. He is separated from his wife and he is seen taking leave from his office to take care of his sick daughter. In contrast to his sister, he is also more passive in the office where both of them work.
6) Female characters are more passive than male characters
In many cultural products, there is a prevailing notion that female characters are more passive than their male counterparts.
In Holaday & Hao�s (1998) analysis of Chinese-language programmes, they found that female characters were more likely to be weak-willed and submissive and �often portrayed as more restrained in the expression of their feelings�.
Similarly, Alina Bernstein (The Media Book, pg 287-288) has also written that �being aggressive, autonomous, and active have been considered for a long while as male qualities�whereas being caring, warm and sexually passive have been, and many would argue still are, considered female qualities�.
However, in 3 Women And A �, the female characters are not as passive, weak-willed or submissive as stated above. They are financially independent; more capable in their work abilities than the men; and have goals in their lives that they consciously strive towards. For example, the rash go-getter Rachel decides to resign from her advertising executive position in the office because she assumes her career prospects would be dim under Monica�s supervision. She resigns on her own accord without consulting anyone, even her brother, and is determined to become more successful than Monica. This is in contrast to her more pragmatic and easily placated brother, Heng, who has worked in the company for years and is still a relatively low-level employee.
With regards to their personal relationships with men, the women seem to be taking the reins. They do not wait for the men to initiate contact. Instead, they are quite comfortable in taking the lead. Jeffrey�s initiation into the modelling world by Jane is an example of this aggressive lead undertaken by the women in the text. Jane also emanates sex appeal actively (and aggressively) by consciously flaunting her assets by wearing low-cut blouses and short tight skirts. Instead of being merely consigned to the role of a passive and masochistic object of attraction (as in traditional television serials), Jane becomes the �sadistic� active subject who uses sexuality as her tool to entice Jeffrey to subserve her devious scheme of deceit.
An interesting point to note is that Jane�s and Jeffrey�s relationship might be regarded as quite unconventional or taboo (by the characters around them or by viewers of the text) as Jane is much older than Jeffrey. Psychoanalytically speaking, Jane comes to assume the matriarchal role towards Jeffrey as he looks at her with affected eyes as she has �actively� liberalised Jeffrey from his implacable mother.
In addition, Jeffrey, the young and rash male character who is still unsure about what he wants to do in life, seems to be �tamed� by the attractive older female, Jane. When he sms-ed Jane, asking to see her, he is rebuffed by the reply that she is working and not free. Yet he is portrayed as always eager to meet Jane and do her bidding. Hence, in terms of power relation, Jane has considerably much control over Jeffrey.
Therefore, the text seems to have subverted the traditional stereotypes of women who are weak-willed and passive in relationships or careers.
7) Television dramatic programming ignores the existence of the women�s movement
On a superficial level, the text seems to be a celebratory piece on the individuality of the female. However, we believe the text is a subversion of this assumption by �symbolically annihilating collective feminism� on a primary level (Press, p.39).
There is an ostensible acknowledgement in the text with respect to the advancement of women�s status in society, i.e. their fight for equal rights, equal wages, etc. In 3 Women And A �, the dominating representations of white-collar female workers in contrast to pre-feminist relegated representations of blue-collar female workers show this advancement. In addition, �individuality� also seems to equate with the women�s �advancements�.
On a deeper level, the feminised discourse with respect to the patriarchal society where dominant ideologies have underlined the production of cultural products such that social differences (in this case, class and gender) are repeated and naturalised in order to maintain male power, is very much evident in this text.
This is apparent by the text�s tendency to further �media annihilation of the women�s movement, encouraging as it does the lack of any group identity for women� (Press, p.39). The episodes are rife with women portrayed as �competent or even superior� individuals who solve their own problems without consultation (Press, p.39). Moreover, they are depicted as strident females, who are loners and disconnected souls, and failures in their personal relationships. They are also portrayed as iniquitous beings, i.e. they cheat and lie for selfish purposes.
In addition, the text seems to subtly suggest that women have �deservedly� called upon such problems because they have chosen to step out of their circumscribed domesticity to ask for equal rights. These are vindictive (or reactionary) representations of women created by the male hegemonic powers-that-be, who do not even appraise the feminist movement but merely dismiss it.
As such, we suspect a somewhat vindictive didacticism belying 3 Women And A �. We believe it might be unconsciously composed by the supercilious anti-feminist producers on the negative moral consequences of women who break out of their pre-feminist demarcations and familial enclaves.
Monicas, Rachaels and Janes in real life?
Fiske (1991) says, ��the representation on TV is constructed rather than a reflection of reality.� We want to discuss to what extent is reality portrayed in the serial. Are the three fictitious protagonists mimetic representations of the reality in society today? How �fictitious� are these characters? Are they representational �clones� of what modern women are in society or merely constructed out of the imagination of the producers�
The images of corporate women in 3 Women�s �reel world� are representations of the emerging phenomenon of independent women climbing the corporate ladder in the �real world�. One just needs to stroll down any central business district area in Singapore to note the throngs of women dressed in power-suits everywhere. Another possible �reality� portrayed is the domesticated Singaporean male although it is moot whether such representations are accurate or generic portrayal of the males in the �real world�.
What is �constructed� in the serial are the specific behaviours and reactions of the protagonists in solving their daily problems in terms of �constructed simplification� of the complex traits and roles of people �real life�. Logically speaking, these psychologically and emotionally over-simplified characters are not totally accurate in reflecting people in �real life� as real people in �real life� react differently (possibly in unexpected ways) in similar but more complex specific situations. Because of the intrinsically �limiting� format of the televisual frame, representations of the �real world� have to be simplified. However, this is not an excuse for a syllogistic reading of these representations.
In short, we can see clearly that in most media representations, the �truthful televisual representations� lie most often in social positioning whilst the representations of behaviours of people in these positions are constructed.
Referring to our text, the generic �reality� of the growing socio-economic position of women is reflected and portrayed but depictions of such female behaviours are merely constructed.
Nevertheless, both representations, regardless of their authenticity, are powerfully didactic to the audience because of the way these representations are made to seem natural (Newbold et. al, 2002, p.260).
Audience reception of the new representations
So how does the subversion of these �traditional� media representations of women translate for the audience? According to Gerbner�s Cultivation Theory, the more a viewer watches TV, the more s/he will form expectations about reality based on the represented world rather than the experienced world.
Since 3 Women And A � was a drama serial shown every weekday night, audiences are regularly bombarded with the celebration of female empowerment (on a superficial level) and the sublimate ideology (on a deeper level) embedded within the text over time.
Over time, female audiences gradually begin to identify themselves with the three female protagonists and see similarities in the struggles they go through. Viewers will take to the portrayal �1/2 women�, Heng, and gain acceptance of �corporate feminity� portrayals and hermaphroditic representations of the male transpiring in a perceptual �reel to real� credibility of male traits and roles.
As expounded above, 3 Women And A � is a potentially dangerous didactic text that �teaches� female audiences, who make up the bulk of local prime time television, a �superficially acceptable� way of behaviour, i.e. surrendering to individualism and independence, while sublimely prescribing the negative effects of embracing these forms of �empowered femininity�.
The text�s sublime didacticism works via the process of interpellation where the viewer� �misrecognises� himself/herself through his/her identification with the fictional characters on the screen. (Goldberg, 2002). In this sense, the viewer is prodded to be in the subject position of morally judging the female protagonists.
As 3 Women And A � marks one of the few TCS drama serials to deal with issues of femininity and emasculation of the male in recent times, one wonders the prolonged effect on viewers when more of such stereotype-subversive but sublimely dangerous serials are churned out.
Emergence of new stereotypes?
Stereotypes are inevitable in the process of self-identification and identification of others. The �Implicit Personality Theory� explains that human beings unconsciously form stereotypes in their minds. This unconscious categorisation of people helps us better identify and understand people and they are formulated with the aid of the media.
We have theorised that the subversion of traditional television gender stereotypes might come to a point where these �subversions� become �saturated representations� resulting in the formation of new gender stereotypes (class and races also).
Besides the media text discussed in this essay, a proliferation of Western media texts like Ally McBeal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gilmore Girls have shown these �subversions� of women to the point that they have become stereotypes. The old stereotypes of women being docile, obedient, domesticated, na�ve, obliging etc have been replaced by new ones like deviousness, independence, competitiveness and rationality.
This point to the question: Do these �new� stereotypes make positive the image of women as compared to the seemingly negative �old� ones? If portraying women as domesticated and subservient is regarded as demeaning, then does portraying one as successful but scheming necessarily put them in a better light? It seems that after all the efforts to pursue women�s rights, it does not help position women in a more socially pleasant manner. It merely evolved into a different presentation, one that makes women feel socially and economically more secure because of their material independence. The society-at-large however does not necessarily see this as a plus point but might rather sneer at the negative repercussions that it brings about. Therefore, these post-feminist representations do not necessarily equate to an �improved� version of �femininity�.
Conclusion
�Postfeminist television retains some of the aspects characterising feminist era television, but repackages them with a twist�The trend on postfeminist television is to take women out of the workplace-family and put them back in the home, in a revitalisation of traditional family values that melds with a superficial acceptance of feminist perspectives concerning women and work.� (Press, 1991, p. 38).
The 1960s feminism movement seeks equal rights for women in all spheres of life and to be socially as important as men. Post-feminist television serials represent gender equality in socio-economic spheres and at the relational and family levels too. In 3 Women�s case, the caricaturised female representations and exaggerated narratives frequently depict women to the extent that they are more superior (note not equal) to men.
The discussed text clearly demonstrates its underlying post-feminism ideology. The distinct, stereotyped roles of women in the past are now blurred into a �best of both worlds� situation, i.e. professional and personal orientations. Women are at par with (or even edge out) men in socio-economic spheres and at the same time embrace their femininity via exultation. They still wish to enjoy the �privilege� of being the fairer sex at the receiving end of acts of chivalry from men although ironical, as it may seem they no longer see themselves as the weaker sex.
Another interesting point we have raised is that even though women representations are financially more independent and hence able to set opinions in a male-dominated domain, these representations remain emotional insecure and vulnerable, which constitute the subliminal ideological strategy of the anti-feminist media producers.
In fact, it is the �professional success� of the depicted women that might be causing strains in their inter-personal relationships with others. As a result, these female characters constantly use their elevated socio-economic status to hide their struggles in a bid to look �strong� amidst the tribulations. In television representations, no matter how �successful� women become, they always find themselves in the rut. 3 Women and other media texts often portray this dilemma.
This change of representations have translated into the formation of new stereotypes which does not necessarily mean women are in a better social standings and hence, the dominant ideology of our patriarchal society is fading and feminists can celebrate their emancipation. As apparent in the text, the didactic and cautionary tone of the narrative about the socially-bankrupt lives of the female characters has an over-riding effect upon the portrayal of their financial independence and supposed power over men.
Although females are may no longer be trivialised as frequently as before, the incessant portrayals of morally decadent women might lead to a new form of �negative� femininity, a feminity pre-judged by their existence in a society where morals and so-called taboos are slanted in favour of the men. In the end, the image of the woman might not be better than before.
The text also demonstrates that masculine and feminine representations are no longer monolithic/essentialised categories as immutable traits are found in gender representations throughout modern media texts. Gender representations have become more androgynous with time, leading to ambivalent gender identifications.
(3890 words)
References
Gunter, B. (1995). Television and Gender Representation. London: John Libbey & Company Ltd.
Fiske, J. (1991). Postmodernism and Television. In Curran, J and Gerevitch, M. (eds) Mass Media and Society. (p.55-67). London: Edward Arnold.
Newbold et al. (2002). The Media Book. (p. 260).New York: Oxford University Press Inc.
Clarke, D. (1990). Cagney & Lacey: feminist strategies of detection. In M. E. Brown (Ed.), Television And Women�s Culture. (p.117-133). Sydney: Southwood Press.
Ang, I. (1990). Melodramatic identifications: television fiction and women�s fantasy. In M. E. Brown (Ed.), Television And Women�s Culture. (p.75-88). Sydney: Southwood Press.
Press, A. L. (1991). Women Watching Television: Gender, Class, and Generation in the American Television Experience. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Holaday, D. Hao, X. M., & Loy, T. H. (1998). Television and identity in Singapore: the Chinese majority. Media Asia, 25 (2), (p.78-87).
Goldberg, M.L. (2002). Brooker, A Concise Glossary of Cultural Theory. Retrieved 14 April, 2003 from http://www.bothell.washington.edu/faculty/mgoldberg/courses/definitions/Interpellation.html
Appendix
Important character descriptions in 3 Women And A �
Monica (Huang Biren) is the most sensible and fortuitous of the three women. She rises to the rank of a manager strictly by her capabilities. She is portrayed to be cool and calm. In most ways, she is the most rational of the three.
Jane (Aileen Tan) is the most scheming, manipulative and sexually promiscuous of the three. She feigns a friendship with Monica and plots to destroy her life (both personal and professional). She is also a scantily clad nymphomaniac who seduces men, e.g. her brother-in-law and Monica�s younger na�ve brother, for her pleasure or to do her bidding.
Rachael (Vivian Lai) is the youngest and rashest of the three women. She lacks the experience and savviness of her older counterparts like Monica and Jane. Like every other young graduate, she is idealistic and very impractical.
Heng (Huang Wen Yong) is Rachael�s soft-spoken and bookish elder brother. He knows how to cook dishes and does housework. He is mostly seen as a domesticated househusband (although technically-speaking, he is not a husband as he is divorced).
Jeffrey (Nick Shen) is Monica�s younger impressionable brother. His personality is starkly different from Monica�s as he is less pragmatic. He is a bummer and spends his days getting drunk and beaten up by thugs.
