Adra Maner

Writing II

Bibbs

03/05/12

Hyper-feminization, and the changing roles of Women.

In our culture today I believe there is a gross over usage of the hyper-feminine character however the hyper-feminine is presented in my opinion in a negative light. Usually the most 'girly' members of any TV show or movies live a very posh life and tend to have a rather bitchy attitude. Take for example the show Glee where the posh cheerleaders who are some of the more feminine members of the club have rather foul attitudes and loose morals at times.

This stereotype is played out over and over again in many different TV shows. But it wasn't always that way, the more feminine characters were seen as wholesome girls next door or the gentle home-maker wives of the 1950's, 60's, and 70's. Though unconventional Lucy from I love lucy was an example she was mostly a very feminine character who was scatter brained but still preformed the tasks expected for women of that time. Such as raising, the children, cooking (though she might have burned quiet a few things), and cleaning.

Now In todays culture there alot more examples of non-feminine characters then there were in the past. Tom-boyish girls or nerdy girls who care little about wearing makeup or heels. Sometimes these girls may jsut be less feminine then their counter-parts on the shows and they are lost in the crowd because they tend to have more lax personalities compared to those of the hyper-feminine bitchy characters on a show.

 

In 'The Lesson' the hyper feminine character is judged to be a bitch by the younger less feminine girls they talk about how they were forced to dress well because of her "And our parents would yank our heads into some kinda shape and crisp up our clothes so we'd be presentable for travel with Miss Moore, who always looked like she was going to church, though she never did "(Bambara 265). This may have been the start of this tend of hyper-feminine women being pigeon holed into the role of the bitch. In the past women however it was assumed that if you did not dress properly you were not a good woman such as when the girl in the poem 'Girl" is scolded by her mother "This is how to hem a dress when you see the hem coming down and so to prevent yourself from looking like a slut" (Kincaid 525). Women who dressed well were seen to a higher standard and considered to be good women unlike in todays culture.

 

We have a lack of Female role models in our culture. There are very few characters that represent Femininity well so it cause girls to see these woman and begin to rebel becoming the typical character who is seen in a tomboyish or lazy light on tv; thus continuing the cycle. Maybe it is because of the posh nature of a culture today, which of course causes a reflection in todays tv program but I'm sure though we need more positive role models we may be waiting for quite awhile.