Gender representations

 Explore how gender is represented in at least two examples from the media

Women are often represented as housewives or mothers and sex objects, women are often seen as inferior to men. The Crown subverts these stereotypes through their print poster as the Queen is in the front and dominating the poster, she is in the foreground of the poster showing the audience she is more powerful than the men. Olivia Coleman's facial expression is very stern and serious showing that she is not as emotional and caring as a stereotypical woman, her costume however, reinforces stereotypes as she is wearing a dress and a crown and these are very feminine itms of clothing. The poster also subverts stereotypes of women being maternal as she is looking away from her son and not showing any affection towards him. Having two men in the background could symbolise that she is intact still being controlled by men like her husband which could reinforces the stereotype of women obeying their husbands. The Queen is not sexualised as the clothes she is wearing are modest and regal despite having a low neck line. the audience can see she is wearing white gloves, white could symbolise purity and innocence which shows she's not being sexualised. The large amounts jewellery could reinforce the stereotypes of women loving jewellery and expensive items. The queen also has short hair which is down professionally this could enforce the stereotype of women being high maintenance and only caring about looks. Charles is behind the queen showing he is less important than The Queen, Charles is also wearing a suit which is a very stereotypical formal wear for men which could show how he is a working member of the royal family, the suit also makes him look masculine. The suit also emphasises his wealth and status which would be very important to men. Phillip is behind his wife, the queen, this subverts the stereotype of men dominating their wives especially considering the views of the 60s being very patriarchal. Phillip is also wearing wearing a suit this refers to his wealth and status which is something important to male stereotypes. The target audience for the crown is probably middle aged to older women as it shows a sense of women being the head of a family and empowers mothers or grandmothers to not be dominated by their male relations. The target audience is also middle aged to older women because the 60s could be nostalgic to them and emphasise how times have changed

Katy Perry in dark horse reinforces the stereotype of women being weak and needing protected as she has guards and men looking after her, this also shows a post feminist view as it shows men beings towards a woman. Katy is wearing a lot of eye make up which could emphasise how women are expected to look immaculate all the time. The narrative of the music video is for Katy to find a suitable husband/partner the man has to seduce her with diamonds and gifts, if she doesn't like them or the gifts are worthless she 'kills' them. This could reinforce the stereotypical gender roles in relationships where the man has to seduce the woman with romance or gifts. This also refers to Stuart halls representation theory as Katy is using her feminity and attractiveness to have power and authority over men. The male guards are also shirtless to expose their muscular physique, being extremely muscular and in perfect shape is a very common stereotype of men. Katy is on a boat at one point wearing a white dress with a high hemline,This is not an overly revealing dress but Katy's posture emphasises her natural curves as she has her male guards paddle the boat. This reinforces the idea that Katy is using her body and attractiveness to have power over men. Katy is at the top of a pyramid, this height shows her power and authority over everyone, this shows the music video focuses on a matriarchal society where a woman is in charge as Katy has her hair done in the style of Cleopatra a female Egyptian Pharaoh. Thy Egyptian style could try and reflect female empowerment as the Egyptians treated men and women more equal considering the time period. However, Katy Perrys need and want for a partner reinforce the tradition of women needing to marry and be looked after by a man. The man needing to buy gifts to have a chance with Katy is also a very stereotypical view of men and their role in a relationship. Katys lyrics are not explicit but Katy sings 'make me your Aphrodite' which could show how Katy could use sex and her body to influence and control men, this could be considered a post feminist view as women should be able to use their body and attractiveness to control men. Katy's target audience is young girls because she wants to empower them and make them feel comfortable with their bodies and the advantages it can bring, Katy also wants to show the power women can have over men. 

Jessica rabbit in who framed Roger rabbit- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy5THitqPBw

Jessic rabbit is hyper sexualised in the film clip, this reinforces stereotypes of women only being there as sex objects. At the start Jessica put her bare leg out of the stage curtains and then walks through, Her dress is extremely revealing as it is low cut, strapless and backless revealing her cleavage and her curves, this hyper-sexualises her as when she starts singing we hear men whistling and cheering which also stereotypes men as being only interested in sex.  Jessica is animated to be busty and curvey to show an ideal body type for women. When Jessica appears through the curtain we see a mid shot of Eddies shocked and amazed facial expression, this also reinforces the stereotypes of men being highly interested in sex. Jessica has her hair covering one side of her face, red lipstick and high eyebrows these are common features of a femme fatale as she uses her body to lure her lovers into potentially deadly situations. Femme fatales highlights the post feminist ideal that women can use their sexuality as a trap for men. Jessica is also sexualised by the way she seductively moves against the wall.