Media - Representation of Gender

Women

The representation of women has changed over the years, with past portrayals being stereotypical or negative. 

Examples of the representation of women:

- James Bond (Negative to Positive)

In the James Bond series, female characters were heavily sexualised by featuring them on posters as seductive while scantily dressed. By Die Another Day, the image of the Bond girl was presented as more independent, strong and less sexualised, especially as being equal to the character of James Bond.

- Once Upon A Time (Mostly Positive)

In Once Upon A Time, the protagonist is a female with typical Aryan features. She is shown to be independent and chases a man down in the pilot episode, a subversion of the gender roles. However, in the fairy tale storyline, Snow White is seen being saved by her prince, reinforcing the idea of needing a man to receive happiness. But Snow White is also seen holding out a sword at the witch and protecting the Prince, another example of subversion of gender roles.

- Lynx Advert (Mostly Negative)

The Lynx advert depicts the female characters as heavily sexualized, wearing swimsuits on a tropical island while frantically searching for a man. He is presented as spraying the Lynx over him as the women approach him. The tagline for the advert is "Spray More…