Entertainment largely influences society’s perceptions of what is “male” and what is “female.” And for the most part, we simply accept what the media tells us about masculinity and femininity. Take these ads for example:
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Normally, I would never spend too much time thinking about these advertisements. The first one is set to the theme some of one of my favorite shows (Bewitched!) and I actually find the Old Spice commercials quite funny. However, upon closer examination we can see that these short clips are actually reinforcing gender stereotypes: woman in the kitchen, man providing for the woman. This can lead to problems when younger children watch television and learn to define themselves based on these simplistic advertisements.
Now the clip that I want to show is for a new movie about a woman who pretends to be a man so that she can survive in 19th century Ireland. I find it to be a refreshing challenge to the gender stereotypes that were exemplified in the above clips. Perhaps this movie will teach its audience a little bit more about their own gender as they relate to Albert Nobbs.
Although the movie does portray a few typical gender stereotypes, Glenn Close’s character complicates the idea the binaristic definition of gender because Albert Nobbs adopts masculine qualities while still possessing many feminine characteristics. The structure of the movie is set around Albert’s struggle as she realizes that she could never go back to being just a woman. This struggle is particularly emphasized by the sad music that begins to play when Albert is introduced in the trailer. I find it particularly moving when she says that her real name is “Albert” because it means that she has finally embraced her new identity.
Clearly, this movie is set in a different century which is why Albert felt that it was so necessary for her to be a man in order to survive. However, gender stratification is still occurring in the workforce today. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women are paid 19% less than men on average. Of course there could be many reasons for this and the debate could go on and on, yet the “glass ceiling” does still appear to be a current phenomenon as many employers find typical "female" characteristics to be burdens (we all have heard the "what will happen if she gets PMS?!" argument).
Regardless of your views on women's workforce equality, Albert Nobbs is an interesting movie that challenges these gender stereotypes by portraying a single character with male and female qualities.
I love Bewitched! I think I'll be Endora in my next life. I'd like to challenge you (and everyone else) to question your assumption that gender stereotypes are "challenged" merely through a portrayal of a figure who embodies both maleness and femaleness. How do these portrayals *reinforce* normative gender categories?
ReplyDelete"Albert Nobbs" looks like an awesome movie--definitely putting on my list of movies to watch. One issue that I think you could explore more to enhance your argument is Albert's motivation for presenting as male. While it may have been more advantageous financially and socially to be male in that era, it certainly would be highly disadvantageous to be transgender then. I would argue that Albert presents as male not for the ease of being male, but rather despite the hardships he would face as a transgender individual. It seems that he presents as male because of a personal identification with that gender rather than female, or perhaps because he is attracted to women and it would be entirely unacceptable to be an out lesbian in his time. This is all mere speculation and could use some investigation, but I think it would give a new dimension to your argument.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both suggestions above. As for Ed's comment, I think that although you didn't touch on this in your analysis (or maybe you did, and it just wasn't explicit enough for me to pick up on it), this clip/character challenges traditional gender stereotypes in more ways than just her embodiment of both genders; she notably displays that gender is not an ultimate state and can be up to the individual to decide. Even if you are born into a certain body, your behavior and the decisions you make can entirely alter your gender. This is a radical concept, and adds another dimension to the argument that someone who exists between the two sexes helps to abolish gender binaries.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kate's comment, I would like to add that I think Albert's emphasis of her real name being "Albert" shows that the persona she has adopted is, in fact, an expression of her true self--not simply a means to advance in society (although she did, perhaps as a byproduct of her maleness).