Year: 2013. Semester: Group No.: Group 10

Roskilde Universitet Roskilde University Den samfundsvidenskabelige bacheloruddannelse The Bachelor Study Programme in Social Science Cover page for the project report 1 st semester, BP 1: Year: 2013 Semester: 1 st semester House: House 21 / P9 Project title: Objectification in media Project supervisor: Tatiana Matejskova Group No.: Group 10 Students (full name and student ID No.): Agnese Auzane : 52963 Asta Volungeviciene : 53133 Aysha Ahmed : 52072 Elizabeth Kaunda Benaya : 52667 Kata Balint : 52669 Lila Karki Sorensen : 52077 Maja Riber Nielsen : 52789 Number of characters in the assignment (excluding appendices): 143,817 The requirements towards the size of the project report depend on the group size: In groups of two to three members, the required size is 30 to 50 standard pages. In groups of four to five members, the required size is 40 to 60 standard pages. In groups of six to seven members, the required size is 50 to 70 standard pages. In groups of eight members, the required size is 60 to 80 standard pages. Appendices are not included in the calculation of the number of pages and characters. If the project report deviates from the above specification of the number of pages and characters, it will be refused assessment, which means that the student(s) cannot participate in the examination. Appendices are not included in the calculation of the number of pages and characters. A standard page has 2,400 characters per page. 1

Chapter.1 Introduction... 3 1.1 Road map... 3 1.2 Problem Area... 4 1.3 Problem Formulation... 7 1.4 Project Motivation... 7 1.6 Project design... 9 1.7 Concepts... 10 Chapter.2 Methodology... 13 2.1 Epistemology and Ontology... 13 2.2 Research strategy... 14 2.3 Data Collection... 16 2.4 Limitation... 16 Chapter.3 Theoretical Framework... 17 Chapter.4 Introduction to movies.... 19 Chapter. 5 Examining Data... 22 5.1 Qualitative Analysis... 22 5.2 Sub Conclusion... 39 5.3 Quantitative Analysis... 40 5.4 Sub-conclusion... 45 Chapter.6 Analyzing the findings in relation to Theories... 45 6.1 Qualitative Analysis... 45 6.2 Content analysis on screen and speaking time... 56 Chapter.7 Conclusion And Discussion... 57 Chapter.8 Biblography... 61 2

Chapter.1 Introduction 1.1 Road map During the course of this project work, we will establish the background that will result in our relevant research and raise different questions for the analysis of objectification. We will do this throughout several different chapters, starting with the introduction. The introductory chapter consists of different sub-chapters, the first being the Problem Area. In the Problem Area, we set the field for our research by establishing both the historical and modern relevance. We introduce some facts and authors who are relevant to our work and thus present our point of view. The research question is then introduced and it is during the next several sub-chapters that we decompose it in three working questions. Further on, we present our personal as well as modern socio-cultural relevance of our work in Project Motivation. We will use the subchapter, Project Design to introduce the reader to our way of constructing the paper and outline the main parts of it. After the project design we will present the concepts used in the project. We will start to put an emphasis on the definition of Objectification, considering it being the most important concept throughout the project, and then briefly define the rest of the concepts. Thereafter, we present the Methods chapter. In the first subchapter of methods we present our epistemological and ontological stances. Further on in the Research Strategy we list different methods and tests that we will use to perform our analysis. In Data Collection we explain our choices on the data we use and finally we recognize and discuss different limitations of our work in the subchapter of Limitations. In the next chapter we present the reader with different theories that we are going to use during our work and state the relevance as well as the ways in which they are going to be used. Our next chapter will be based on our analysis of the top five Box Office movies of 2012. In the analysis part we will start by presenting our quantitative analysis, which will include the screen time, speech time and the Bechdel Test. Later, we will move 3

on by presenting qualitative analysis, which will be based on different characteristics of the portrayal of male and female roles in the movies. After analysing the movies separately, we will combine them and analyse them in relation to the theories, in our next chapter. In the Discussion section of our paper, we will discuss our findings, and the overall possible implications of objectification in media, as well as, we debate how our analysis would differ, if we were to use a different stance. In conclusion, we connect our findings to answer our problem formulation. 1.2 Problem Area Examples of different roles for men and women can be found throughout human history. According to Ernestine Friedl, The men hunt for meat and control the economy. Women perform all the other duties that support life in the community, and are virtually treated as objects (Friedl, 1978, p.129). From the statements of Friedl it seems that the women are treated as objects in male dominated societies. These perceptions and roles that follow male domination and female submission are still present in modern and globalized societies. Equality between the sexes is rare; in most known societies females are subordinate. Male dominance is so widespread that it is virtually a human universal; societies in which women are consistently dominant do not exist and have never existed (Friedl, 1978, p. 127). The state of women as subordinates in perception or in interaction is, however, not unchallenged. Democratic principles of equality became dominant in western political regimes throughout the 19 th and 20 th centuries (Heywood, 2012). In spite of this focus on equality, the need for action to protect women against discrimination still prevailed. Many feminist groups fought to alter the traditional thinking that has led to gender division. An example of this can be found in the global issue of the United Nations (further referred to as UN) As the international feminist movement began to gain momentum during the 1970s, the General Assembly declared 1975 as the International Women's Year and organized the first World Conference on women, held in the Mexico city (UN, Women, 2013). Many female activists started to fight for women's rights, equality, and security; thus, they began to contribute towards and participate in the global female empowerment movement. The UN then formed a 4

General Assembly (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, 1979) that was focused on implementing equality between sexes. It was agreed upon that the definition of gender discrimination would be any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex (...) irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field (UN, General Assembly, 2013). In the modern and democratic world, we still find sociologists acknowledging the division of gender roles. An example may be observed in the academic textbook `Sociology`. Parsons and Bales, specialists on the expressive and instrumental tasks of men and women, elaborate on their perception in a manner that states that the role of a woman is to perform the expressive tasks of childbirth and nurturing within their society; whilst men are responsible of the technological aspects of living as well as the work that needs to be done outside of the home (Aakvaag et al, 2012). This perception is criticized and argued against by Alva Mydral as well as other British sociologists, who believe that modern women maintain the role of working individuals as well as primary caregivers, whilst the role of the modern man is to serve as the provider of the family. We can see that these two arguments of modern sociologists bring about a conflict within the perceptions of the roles of women in society. The research that Alice H. Eagly and Linda L. Carli have conducted on the topic of female leadership advantages, has concluded that women have changed over time and have strengthened their abilities to perform within the modern market, As women shift more of their time from domestic to paid labor, they assume the personal characteristics required to succeed in these new roles. In addition to women s increased human capital investments, women s psychological attributes and related behaviors have changed in concert with their entry into formerly male-dominated roles (Eagly & Carli, 2003:815). The female liberalisation movement towards the new role of leadership in the global market has encouraged women to grow from only being engaged in household activities to being world leaders. There are many examples of successful and powerful women in modern societies who serve active and world-renowned politicians such as the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Danish State Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the US secretary of state 5

Hillary Clinton etc. The modern reality in which we live is often portrayed by mass media and also molded and shaped by it. In an interview with Anthony Giddens, Terhi Rantanen the Editor of The Global Media and Communication at the London School of Economics and Political Science, stated that global reality wouldn t exist without the international media and communication (Rantanen, 2005, p.63). We all use different mediums of media and communication in our daily lives - we listen to radio, watch TV, use the Internet, mobile phones and various others. We, as modern human beings, tend to take all these features for granted, though the implications and the impacts of everyday media to the modern global reality that we live in are tremendous. Anthony Giddens, as well as other social and media scholars such as Arjun Appadurai claim that media plays a crucial role in globalization and modern reality as a whole (Rantanen, 2005). Given the vast impact of mass media, the portrayal of gender roles in media becomes interesting. In the entertainment industry of modern society, there seems to be a trend leaning towards the objectification of women; women are often depicted as objects rather than subjects and tend to be portrayed less sovereign and dominant than men (Feminist Perspectives on Objectification, 2011). Croteau, Hoyes and Milan state, Audience learn and internalize some of the values, beliefs and norms presented in media products. This implies that the audience does not only use media to convey information, but the media does, in fact, also influence the way that the audience acts, thinks and lives their lives, i.e. they internalize the medias presentation in their daily activities. The media, thus, plays a vital role in bridging the private life and their relation to the globalized world. We can say that different media contents constitute an integral part of the way in which we perceive social, political and economic aspects of society (Croteau et al, 2012). When both men and women are susceptible to the ways in which the media portrays envisioned reality, they are also affected by the objectification that occurs in movies, TV, music videos, magazines etc. There has been a lot of focus on the way that women are being portrayed in movies and many claim that women are being portrayed as sexual objects (Feminist Perspectives on Objectification, 2011). We find it interesting to examine the portrayal of different genders in relation to objectification in the most popular contemporary movies. We have chosen the top five Box Office Hollywood movies of 2012 as our case in which we will study the different ways in 6

which women are being portrayed. We will make a comparison between the way men and women are being portrayed and from this, analyze the differences. This will be done on the basis of a thorough initial review of scientific literature on the topic of the sexual portrayal of women. 1.3 Problem Formulation How does the portrayal of women differ from the portrayal of men, in terms of objectification, in the top five Box Office movies of 2012? The movies, examined in our project, are: 1. Marvel`s The Avengers 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. The Hunger Games 4. Skyfall 5. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 1.4 Project Motivation This project originally started out with having certain ideas and opinions on how women are viewed in society. From our point of view, it seemed that there might be a connection between how people in society view women, and the way women are portrayed in media. All around, we agree that it is a peculiar phenomenon that in our modern society, where women are corporate managers, prime ministers, and in many ways equal to men, the media still sends a message of a woman s worth that is still tied to their sexual appeal to men according to Sarah K. Murnen and Linda Smolak. According to the American Psychological Association (APA) s task force on the sexualization of girls, the sexual objectification of women in these messages can involve basing women s primary value on their sexual appeal to men (Murnen & Smolak, 2011, p. 726) This topic was chosen because it may be measured effectively, as there may be a notable difference between the portrayal of men and women. Another reason is that movies usually have a broad range of communication; they contain messages and are able to be perceived at a visual, sonar and emotional level. The role of movies in our everyday life is described by George Gerbner, as it follows: 7

For the first time in human history, children are born into homes where massproduced stories can reach them on the average of more than 7 hours a day ( ) These stories do not come from their families ( ) they come from a small group of distant conglomerates with something to sell (Gerbner, 1998, p. 176). The relevance that our paper has to society is extensive: Firstly, in the modern age, human beings live in a complicated world where media has an influence upon society (Giddens, Pierson, 1998). Secondly, movies have a broad and large influence. This is due to the fact that they communicate on such different levels, and reach a wide audience. Thirdly, media in general is a huge part of our everyday life. The average Dane spends 3,25 hours in front of a television every single day (The Average Dane, 2013). Media is a huge part of the world we live in today, there are constantly images being sent out, to try to influence us. And as Victoria D. Alexander points out some observers believe that the contemporary world is dominated by the visual. (Gilbert et al., 2008, p. 463). According to the International Film and Television School, a definition of movies are moving pictures who are created by culture, express that culture, and impact our culture. Movies are thought about as diversion that could also contribute to instructing people. The visual factors in movies give moving pictures universal power of sending messages to the public (Glossary, EICAR). The reason that we chose movies over other media contents, can be described by Pietari Kääpä it is increasingly clear to me that cinema is one of the most efficient ways to debate political and cultural issues in a global society It is also a crucial pedagogical tool that facilitates efficient learning and motivates participation from new generations of audiences (Ed. Yazdani, p.12). Furthermore, according to Masoud Yazdani, movies are significant, because When we sit down to watch a film, the sensual experience sight and sound is familiar (Ed.Yazdani, 2011, p. 3). Movies exists in every part of our modern society, its messages can reach wide and far (Ed.Yazdani, 2011, p. 18). Furthermore movies gives us a process of emotional cleansing, a cathartic process, so to speak, it gives us the opportunity to live out fear, anger and other emotions that we could not usually express and live it out through others, through the characters in movies (Bushman & Anderson, 2001, p. 480). 8

The motivation of this paper is to portray movies as a possible tendency for all media, although we need to acknowledge that there might not be a direct correlation between the two. By performing an analysis within these sample movies in relation to objectification, we will not only be able to expose a possible larger tendency of objectification, but also may shed light on the current rate of it in the media industry in general. 1.6 Project design Our project starts with setting a scene for our research in the Introduction chapter. We present our research area, and we also include our motivation to conduct a study in this field. In the next chapter, we clarify our methodological stances and explain how we plan to examine the samples. We include a description of the different theories that will be relevant to our work. The elements that will be required in order to observe, analyze and describe objectification in movies will be extracted from these theories in order to record the findings that our analysis may bring forth. In the next chapter we analyse the top five Box Office movies in order of their rankings, starting with Marvel's The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hunger Games, Skyfall and finally The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The analysis will be divided in two parts. The first part of the analysis will include quantitative analysis of the movies, whereas the other part will consist of the qualitative analysis. The reason, behind analysing each movie separately, is that we aim to start by presenting them as fully as possible. The next chapter is dedicated to conjoin the theories together with the movies in order to form a response towards and a conclusive answer to the problem area. Here we not only show what the tendency of our sample movies is, but also indicate the possible tendency in the media industry in general, although, we are aware that it may not directly correlate. Finally, there is a brief discussion of any and all possible conclusions that relate to the findings that were made within in the previous chapter. The conclusion of the paper will be focused on pointing towards any new interesting areas of research, which could have been brought forth during the duration of the project work and may have assisted in providing a different outcome. It also includes a critical analysis of any of the possible shortcomings of the project, these may 9

include but are not limited to the level of experience or possible access to any resources that were required in order to complete the task at hand. 1.7 Concepts Objectification: As mentioned by Heldman (2011), few people today are able to identify objectification within the media due to the resilient level of shock value that people have become accustomed to, especially in western societies. The term shock value is used to explain how the media industry finds it necessary to produce more and more extreme imagery in a fight for more attention from the public. Though it must also be noted that it may be the public, rather than the media, who require this ever-escalating shock value. Heldman (2011) believes that an increase and disregard of objectification is largely due to the media industry and the war for attention that occurs within it. In her paper A Feminist Overview of Pornography, McElroy (2006) argues against the perception that objectification is degrading. Though her work is more focused on sexual objectification, she poses a viable argument. Usually, the term 'sex objects' means showing women as 'body parts', reducing them to physical objects. What is wrong with this? Women are as much their bodies as they are their minds or souls. No one gets upset if you present women as 'brains' or as 'spiritual beings'. If I concentrated on a woman's sense of humor to the exclusion of her other characteristics, is this degrading? Why is it degrading to focus on her sexuality? (McElroy, 2006). In opposition to this, Mackinnon (1992) contends that objectification reduces the value of a person; she blames mass media for the development of a culture of the objectification of women in society today. This may attributed to the development of the male gaze, as depicted in the theory of the same name that was developed by Laura Mulvey. As stated by Miller (2013), it is the argument for the role of the female for the sexual objectification of the male spectator,the theory elaborates on the manner in which media is posed to be observed by and benefit the views of the male audience. Objectification is generally ignored as a problem that shapes social constructs due to the fact that it mostly only appears in feminist literature, since it is a stigmatism that is mostly only applied to women in a demeaning light. It may be observed in many different ways in modern media such as the inclusion of nameless characters or 10

faceless bodies. Names are the very first form of identity that people hold within all societies; thus, nameless characters are essentially placed in a category that is inhuman and the viewer fails to relate to or empathize with them as they are seen as inconsequential and othered. The developers of objectification theory, Frederikson and Roberts (1997), use their theory in order to evaluate and explain the effects of objectification. After they observe the works of Goffman (1979), they propose that instances of objectification may be observed by the notion of the anchored drift. This term is used to describe a medium of media during which the male character is blatantly observing the female. The anchoring drift also specifies that the female character has her gaze focused on the distance, is daydreaming, or is seen to be mentally detached from the present (Frederickson and Roberts, 1997, p. 176). After observing the work of Nussbaum (1995, p. 257), Papadaki (2012) concludes that objectification may be composed of seven different criteria which may be observed either alone or together. Even though these components were originally intended for print media, they may be applied to movies most especially when analysing visual aspects. Doing so would not change the fundamental aspects of their meaning in any way.these components are referred to as: instrumentality: the treatment of a person as a tool for the objectifier's purposes; denial of autonomy: the treatment of a person as lacking in autonomy and selfdetermination; inertness: the treatment of a person as lacking in agency, and perhaps also in activity; fungibility: the treatment of a person as interchangeable with other objects; violability: the treatment of a person as lacking in boundary-integrity; ownership: the treatment of a person as something that is owned by another (can be bought or sold); denial of subjectivity: the treatment of a person as something whose experiences and feelings (if any) need not be taken into account (Papadaki, 2012). After a revision of the existing work, additions to the list have been made by Langton (2009, pp. 228 229). These additions, as described by Papadaki (2012) are : reduction to body: the treatment of a person as identified with their body, or body parts; reduction to appearance: the treatment of a person primarily in terms of how they look, or how they appear to the senses; 11

silencing: the treatment of a person as if they are silent, lacking the capacity to speak. For the purpose of this project work, objectification will thus be defined as the discardment and disregard of a person s ability to influence their environment. This includes the basing of their existence on their ability to serve the needs of the people around them, essentially regarding them as an object that one may encounter, the only difference is that this one can speak. It occurs when a person only exists for the sole purpose of adhering to the will of other subjects who are able to manipulate and assert their power.the presence of the objectified individual is depicted in such a way that they are seen as bodies that exist for the use or pleasure of others (Frederickson and Roberts, 1997). When relating this definition to the ten components of objectification, we will be able to directly correlate our findings to at least of 8 of them in order to portray objectification within the top 5 Box Office Movies of 2012.These 8 include Silencing, Reduction to Appearance, Instrumentality, Inertness, Fungibility, Violability, Ownership and Denial of Subjectivity. This may be observed in various ways. Objectification can also occur in ways that may not be as blatant as others such as the casual sexualisation of a character, or the ways in which the person has no consequential effect on the people around them or the situation that they are in. Other subtle occurrences include the quiet nature of an individual, someone casually speaking on behalf of their superior, or the coincidental use of an individual to represent or act as a symbol for certain values or characteristics, who is then defeated. Gender: Gender refers to categories like masculine, feminine, etc. (Stokoe, 2004). Gender is a constitutive element of social relationships based on perceived differences between sexes, and gender is a primary way of signifying relationships of power (Aakvaag et al, 2012, p. 218). We will be using the concept of gender to find out how the portrayal of male and female differ in the movies. Stereotype: Stereotype is a concept, that comes out of a thought that a certain type of people behave in a certain way. It generalizes people and their thoughts by categorizing them into a certain type (Schneider, 2004). The concept of stereotyping will be used in order to identify how behavior of the females differs from the males in the movies. 12

Subject-object relation: Subject-object relation follows the concept that a man is the subject whereas a woman is the object (Karioris, 2012). This concept will be used in order to have a look upon how women are objectified in the top five movies. Mass Media: Mass media is a way of communication aiming for a large amount of audience (Michael Gurevitch, 1982). We are going to use the concept of mass media by analyzing movies. Movies: Movies are one of the mediums which have a long time impact on the viewers. (Aakvaag et al, 2012). The Box Office movies are the movies viewed by most of the people, that is the reason why this project is based on top five Box Office movies of 2012. Femininity and Masculinity: The concept of femininity and masculinity is based on some traditional stereotypes that represent womanhood (Stets & Burke, 2000). Being feminine or masculine follows some specific characteristics. Femininity is characterized as being dependent, emotional, receptive, intuitive, weak, passive, sensitive, attractive in terms of physical appearance, etc.. Masculinity, on the other hand, is represented as being independent, intelligent, strong, active, Chapter.2 Methodology 2.1 Epistemology and Ontology Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that focuses on the existing relationship between the researcher and the reality (Carson et al, 2001). It helps us to identify what is (or should be) regarded as acceptable knowledge in a discipline, meaning - how do we know that something is true? According to Alan Bryman there are three epistemological positions: positivism, realism and interpretivism. Our project focuses on objectification in media, which cannot be measured and researched with natural science methods. Therefore, for our project purpose we are using interpretivist approach; it is a contrasting epistemology to positivism, which is natural science epistemology. Interpretivism suggests that society and social constructions require different approach - one that reflects the distinctiveness of humans as against the natural order (Bryman, 2013, p.28) ands is trying to understand human nature rather than to explain it (Bryman, 2013). 13

Ontology, which means modes of being or modes of existence, focuses on how one perceives the world. There are two different ontological approaches in social sciences. Objectivism views social world as something that exists independently of social actors. Constructionism, on the other hand, regards social phenomena and their meanings as something that is being constantly changed and produced by social actors (Bryman, 2013). Due to the fact that our main choice of epistemology is that of interpretivism and as objectification is a social construction created by society, our ontological stance is constructionism. 2.2 Research strategy For our group project, we have chosen to analyze the top five box-office movies of 2012.To successfully analyze these movies, we will use different methods, both quantitative and qualitative, and a simple test, called the Bechdel test. Content analysis is argued not to be a specific research method, but rather an approach to analyze documents and texts, that can be used to study varieties of mediums. The two main criteria of using content analysis are objectivity and being systematic. Objectivity refers to creating neutral rules, which help us divide the examined material into categories, therefore leaving less opportunity for the development of any possible assumptions and biases of the researcher. Being systematic as a criteria means that these categories are applied consistently. These criteria maintain a clear overview of the analysis, and indicate that if the analysis was to be repeated, the results would turn out to be the same. By using these categories that are previously determined by the rules, content analysts produce mainly quantitative data, thus content analysis is considered as a quantitative method. When using content analysis, we have to create a coding scheme, including a coding schedule and a coding manual. The coding schedule is a form where the collected data will be found, while the coding manual serves as instructions for the different dimensions of the schedule. The manual helps us understand the derived data of the schedule. We will have to decide on different variables for the coding schedule, according to our research question. These variables will include the difference between male and female main roles, screen time and speech time. Content analysis is a useful way to examine our materials, as it is flexible and transparent. (Bryman, 2004) 14

Another simple test, that can be linked to our content analysis, will be used to examine the movies. The Bechdel Test was originally a comic strip created by Alison Bechdel. The test has three rules that can be applied to films or other forms of media. The three rules are the following: 1. There has to be at least two female characters that have names. 2. These female characters have to talk to each other in the movie. 3. The topic of their conversation has to be about something other than a man. (Power, 2009) According to the Bechdel Test Movie List, in 2012, out of the 248 movies, that were tested, 162 could pass the test for all, 11 could not pass the test for either of the rules. (Bechdel Test Movie List, 2012) Another method of analysis, we use, is interpretative analysis. This form of analysis investigates deeper meaning and searches for hidden messages in the visual content. (Gilbert, 2001) We argue that movies can be analysed similarly to advertisement in a way presented by Williamson (1978). Different messages are sent through attributes of a film - language, connection between the characters, places and details including scenery, costumes and important items being used. Using interpretative analysis we intend to explore the latent content as it s defined by Williamson (1978). We use a full analysis, including textual elements, which, based on the concept of semiotics are... integral elements of their meaning. (Gilbert, 2001, p. 348). The way in which we analyse our material is intended to be extensive. We are analysing relatively small amount of samples - five films, thus we are combining content and interpretative analysis; furthermore we use interpretative analysis together with semiotic analysis to capture as complete results as the extent of our work and the data allows. Using combined methods of analysis is argued to be a more complicated choice when conducting studies of big volume, though it is also recognized to give more complete results. We decided upon the previous year, because we were keen to examine our hypothesis within recent media contents. Movies are an area of media that allows for certain trends to be explored without too much difficulty. These trends tend to differ from time to time, showing us the current and latest similarities in the industry. The five best selling, Box Office movies were selected, as these movies attracted the most viewers in theaters worldwide. 15

2.3 Data Collection In order to ensure that our project research work is conclusive, unbiased and wholesome, we will be required to obtain sufficient data that will substantiate our claims and work. This project will require the extensive usage of existing qualitative and quantitative data; thus, certain journals, articles, books will be examined in order to perform the research that is necessary. The group will also be sure to watch the top five Box Office movies of 2012 and will personally analyse them in order to not be biased towards any of the existing literature. The reviews and current articles that are relevant and well written will also be examined in detail. We will take note of the relevant screen times, speech times and imagery in order to obtain the information that will prove vital to the response towards our problem area and research question. 2.4 Limitation We are aware of different limitations of our work and would like to mention the most significant ones. Our research question is a result of numerous discussions and even though we are aware of it s descriptive nature, we chose to form it the way we did in order to avoid subjectivity and make the operationalization executable. Another limitation worth mentioning is our definition of objectification. Our way of defining objectification is rather broad, but as we argue further in the text, this definition fits our research best. Definition highlighting sexualisation could have been chosen, but for the purpose of analysing both genders, we found it most impartial to use more general definition. Data was also one of the limitations during our research process, not due to lack of data on the topic, but because female objectification has a lot of feminist data which is viewed from a very biased perspective. We attempted to be unbiased, however we are aware of certain degree of subjectivity being present in our work. In this project we chose to analyse top five Box Office movies of 2012. Five films are not enough examples to show how the entire film industry works. However for the volume of our project we chose to deal with bestselling movies of 2012, so we would 16

examine the tendencies in most influential movies of last year thus pointing toward current trends. Chapter.3 Theoretical Framework This project will require the use of different theories and methods within the analysis part as well as throughout the entire work. This part will contain a short overview of the theories that will be used and will mention their relevance to our work. We will also outline the main connections between the theories and the ways in which they are going to be used in our work. The theories of our choice could be divided into two main groups according to the general importance and relevance to our work or parts of it. First group of the theories we use will be covering the general discussion about the media and media consumption, as well as establish the relevance of our topic. Second group will concentrate on gender roles, gender representation and it s implications. Some of the theories we will use are not originally written to analyse gender relations, but, as we argue further in the work, can be used for that matter. First we want to present the more general media theories. The first theory we use is cultivation theory. Cultivation theory concentrates on media as an agent that shapes the general views of the society. Theory suggests that television, throughout time, contributes to shaping our general views about the social reality (Gerbner, 1998). This theory discusses the concrete field of television, and since films are a big part of television content, we find it relevant to our work. The next theory we use could be categorised as more concentrated on our specific topic - representation of different groups in the media. Agenda setting theory analyses and describes the power media has to set an agenda - to direct consumer s interest toward specific topics of concentration. This theory suggests that agents controlling the media direct society's views toward (or away) from the direction of their interest (McCombs, Shaw, 1972). We use agenda setting theory in attempt to examine the supply - demand interrelation of specific content in context of social power ratio of our society. We are going to set the field for our research through the two mentioned theories. Cultivation and agenda setting theories extensively cover the research area and 17

establish the crucial importance media has in forming societies views. However, these theories do not analyse gender relations specifically and thus it will not be used in the actual analysis of the films. Second group of theories we will use to analyse the difference in male - female representation specifically in films. The following theories analyse female - male, subject - object and a general power relations between genders as represented in media. Objectification theory is one of the main theories we will use for our analysis. The theory explores different ways in which female body is presented. Theory not only suggests that ideal body cult is imposed upon society through popular media, but furthermore explores how female body is represented as being equal to the entirety of a woman as a person (Frederickson, Roberts, 1997). These and other aspects of the theory are going to be used in our work in order to analyse the way women and men characters are portrayed in the movies and used to express the ideas of creators. Moreover, the theory analyses female representation specifically, even though it can and will be used to discuss male representation to an extent. According to our hypothesis as well as works of different scholars we cite above, female representation in media is significantly more reliant on the body representation, thus making objectification theory a great tool to analyse female representation in films. The next theory we use for film analysis is the male gaze theory. This theory explores similar area as the theory described above. However the male gaze theory, differently from objectification theory, explores different male - female character roles, different purposes they have in relation to audience and the gender-powerrelation (Mulvey, 1989). We will be using the male gaze theory to analyse gender relations more equally. Even though the theory suggests that different genders have very different functions in films, it does discuss both male and female roles thus enabling us to analyse the relation. It is worth noting that we are aware of the fact that some of our theories are rather controversial and bias as well as have a historical validity. We will try to critically approach these limitations in our work, thus creating a fare and up to date analysis. 18

Chapter.4 Introduction to movies. In this chapter we will introduce the sample movies, which we will be analyzing in the upcoming chapters, to simply give our reader an overview of the movies, so that it will be simpler to follow our analysis. It will especially help in the cases where the reader has no background knowledge of our sample movies. "Marvel's The Avengers Marvel's The Avengers is known to be an exceptionally successful movie being the highest-grossing movie of 2012, as well as the third highest-grossing of all time. (McClintock, 2012). The Avengers is based on a science fictional universe in which Nick Fury is the director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Loki, the main antagonist of the movie, steals the Tesseract, an unlimited power source from the agency to destroy the world. Nick Fury assembles The Avengers team to defeat an unexpected enemy that threatens global safety and security. At the end of the movie, the collaboration of The Avengers succeeds in winning a victory over the enemy and save the world. The genre of the movie is action, fantasy ( The Avengers,IMDb). Table of female and male characters in Marvel s The Avengers. Female Character Male Character 1 Maria Hill 1 Loki 2 Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) 2 Dr. Erik Selvig 3 Pepper Potts 3 Nick Fury 4 Phil Coulson 5 Dr. Bruce Banner 6 Tony Stark 7 Steve Rogers 8 Thor The Dark Knight Rises The Dark Knight Rises is the final episode of the Batman trilogy that started with Batman Begins in 2005 (Hanlon, 2012). The Dark Knight Rises is the second best-selling movie of 2012. The leading character of the movie, Bruce Wayne / Batman became a fugitive due to taking the blame of a policeman`s murder. With the arrival of a new enemy, who threatens Gotham and its residents, Batman is forced to take action. Bane, the main antagonist takes over the city, using an atomic bomb as leverage; he then governs 19

according to his own rules. Batman emerges from his self-imposed exile to defeat Bane and his army, and to defuse the atomic bomb that is set out to destroy the city. With the help of Catwoman and police officers, he manages to save Gotham. According to Internet Movie Database (IMDb) the genre of the movie is action, crime, thriller. Table of female and male characters in The Dark Knight Rises. Female Character Male Character 1 Selina Kyle (catwoman) 1 James Gordon 2 Miranda Tale/Talia al Ghul 2 Bruce Wayne 3 Jen 3 Philip Stryver 4 John Daggett 5 Bane 6 John Blake 7 Alfred Pennyworth 8 Lucius Fox 9 Dr. Jonathan Crane 10 Ra s al Ghul 11 Mayor Anthony Garcia 12 Dr. Leonid Pavel 13 Barsad The Hunger Games The movie The Hunger Games is based on the best-seller book trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games is the first adapted in movie of the upcoming series. (Scolastic, 2013) The nation of Panem is formed in North America, which consist of, a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by twelve deprived districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by 13 th District against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of the annually held event known as The Hunger Games. Each district must select one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to play the Game. The movie is centered around the 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen from District 12, who volunteers to go to the game, instead of her little sister, Prim. Katniss, as a volunteer tribute, is chosen together with Peeta Mellark, with whom she has a romantic affection throughout the movie. The participants are supposed to fight to death, leaving only one survivor, but Katniss and Peeta forces the organizers to stop the game, before they both die, making both of them winners. According to IMDb the genre of the movie is adventure, sci-fi, thriller. The characters of The Hunger Games are mentioned in the table below. 20

Female Character Male Character 1 Katniss Everdeen 1 Peeta Mellark 2 Effie Trinket 2 Gale Hawthrone 3 Rue 3 Haymith Abernathy 4 Clove 4 Cinna 5 Primrose Everdeen 5 Caesar Flickerman 6 Glimmer 6 President Coriolanus Snow 7 Foxface 7 Seneca Crane 8 Mrs. Everdeen 8 Claudius Templesmith 9 Cato 10 Marvel 11 Thresh Skyfall Skyfall is the 23rd James Bond movie in the longest-running film franchise of all time. ( Skyfall official Movie Site, 2012). The franchise has had its 50th anniversary in the year of 2012, as the first James Bond movie was shot in 1962. ( Dr.No, IMDb) MI6 is the Secret Intelligence Agency of Britain, and James Bond, known as 007 is an agent of MI6. The hard disc, containing the names of secret spies of MI6 is stolen, Bond chases an agent, who owns the disc through Istanbul with the support of the field agent Eve. M, head of the Agency, orders Eva to shoot the agent, but she misses the target and hits Bond and he is presumed to be dead. M is jeopardized, that the spies name will be released. Bond reappears, to help save M and her Agency. He meets Severine in Shanghai and he uses her to find the person behind the threat, who is a former MI6 agent, known as Silva. He seeks out to pay revenge, because he feels betrayed by M. The genre of the movie is action, adventure, thriller ( Skyfall, IMDb). The characters of Skyfall are mentioned in the table below. Female Character Male Character 1 M 1 James Bond 2 Eve Moneypenny 2 Raoul Silva 3 Severine 3 Gareth Mallory 4 Prime Minister 4 Kincade 5 Q 6 Bill Tanne 7 Patric 21

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey movie is based on J. R. R. Tolkien`s novel from 1937.. It is the first movie adaption of the upcoming trilogy (Child, 2012). The movie a reluctant hobbit, called Bilbo Baggins who is urged by Gandalf, the great wizard to join in with the dwarfs on a journey. He is swept into a quest to retrieve the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was conquered by a dragon. Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by Gandalf and the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Throughout the journey, Bilbo meets Gollum, a scary creature living on the shores of an underground lake. The unassuming Bilbo not only discovers the depths of cunning and courage, and he gains control of Gollum s precious ring that holds unexpected powers. The genre of the movie is adventure, fantasy ( The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, IMDb). The characters of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey are mentioned in the table below. Female Character Male Character 1 Lady of Lorien 1 Bilbo 16 Bofur 2 Thror 17 Bombur 3 Smaug 18 Radagast the Brown 4 Thorin 19 Lord Elrond 5 King Thranduil 20 Galadrid 6 Gandalf the Grey 21 Saruman the White 7 Balin 22 Gollum 8 Dori 23 Azog the Defiler 9 Nori 24 Thranuil 10 Dwalin 25 The Necromancer 11 Fili 26 Great Goblin 12 Kili 27 Yazneg 13 Ori 28 Lindir 14 Oin 29 Gloin 15 Bifur Chapter. 5 Examining Data 5.1 Qualitative Analysis In this chapter we examine the movies from an interpretivist point of view and using semiotics in order to ensure that our research is more extensive and concrete. We investigate the movies according to the following aspects: the internal structure of the 22

film, the main values and pursuits, the main characters and their appearance. When it is essential, the aspects of relationships between characters, objects with special meanings and language are also observed. By analysing the movies separately, we aim to understand them in a deeper meaning. Marvel s the Avengers Internal structure Villain threatens the earth, team of avengers is assembled and war is declared. Villain wins the first fight. Avengers go through transformation each personally and as a team and finally win the battle. Values and pursuits The movie consists of a clear opposition in terms of values. The main value that is represented by the Earth, more explicitly by The United States of America, can be best described with the notions of freedom, equality, patriotism, and private sentiment. This ideology is threatened by the Villain, as he claims that the Earth is incapable of functioning on the principles of freedom. He expresses his will to take over the Earth, and rule it. Therefore, the primary conflict lies between freedom and oppression. The secondary conflict is between the arrogant, all knowing God figure and the imperfect, yet understanding and free humans. Female characters In Marvel s the Avengers, we meet three significant female characters. None of the three characters are portrayed in a truly powerful role, in comparison to the male characters. Nonetheless, the most influential female role is of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, as she is the only female member of the Avengers team. She is lacking superpowers, but acts as a valuable member of the team. Her actions are comparable to the actions of other superheroes, but her femininity is highlighted. As a spy, she uses her vulnerability and manipulative skills to get her way, while during the fights, her main asset is her flexibility. Although she ends the final battle by closing the portal, towards the end of the movie, her victory is overshone by Ironman, who saves the city from a bomb. Her exposed feelings towards Hawk also make her more vulnerable, as other characters are not shown to possess as much sensitivity as her. Her parlance could be agreed to be rather flirtatious and persuasive, but this quality is beneficial to her in her professional field, spying. 23

In appearance, she has a lot in common with the second most prominent female character, Agent Maria Hill. Throughout the movie, we see them almost only in tight, figure-hugging, head-to-toe costumes that highlight their femininity. They share the same type of weaponry, a small handgun that is used so as not to distract from their feminine qualities. Apart from this, Maria plays a distinctive role, she is the assistant of a main male character, Nick Fury. Her actions reflect that she takes orders from Nick Fury, and fulfills her duties, but not make her own decisions. We see her fighting alongside the team, thus, actively participating in the battles, unlike her leader, Nick Fury. As Nick is less physically active in the movie, Maria seems to be taking action in his place as she is dependent on the orders of Fury. Furthermore, she addresses meaningful questions to Fury that make him explain his decisions. A very distinguishable character is that of Pepper Potts. She is closely linked to Tony Stark, the Iron Man. Pepper only appears in the movie thrice, therefore, the viewer doesn t get to know her character very well. She plays the role of a girlfriend and secretary of Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries. The first time Pepper appears in the movie, she persuades Stark to join the Avengers and gives her blessing to him. When Iron Man decides to carry the bomb into outer-space, he tries to call Pepper. This scene indicates that Pepper is his inspiration and motivation to save the city, she is worth fighting for; making Pepper`s role significant in the movie. Male characters In Marvel s the Avengers, we get acquainted with a number of main male characters. It could be argued that there are certain similarities, and diversity between them; however, almost all male characters are generally portrayed to possess unnatural powers. Likewise, many of them hold stereotypical male qualities, especially the members of The Avengers team. A clear example of this is the character of Steve Rogers/Captain America. He plays a strong, heroic ideal, with old-fashioned values; he is willing to sacrifice himself in order to ensure the wellbeing of others, while some of his modern counterparts, specifically Iron Man would not represent the same values. Captain America, therefore, becomes an aspiration to him. Tony Stark/Iron Man plays the role of a dual character. On one hand, he is a successful and confident businessman, who gained fortune and fame because of his intellectual abilities. On the other hand, he is a true hero, a role model for others, after he learns the lesson of self-sacrifice from Captain America. 24

Another dual role is of the character of Bruce Banner/The Hulk. He is portrayed as a simple, ordinary, but uncommonly intelligent doctor, yet we soon learn that he is capable of turning into a strong, invisible and uncontrollable creature, called The Hulk, when incensed. His main feature is the inability to control his special power, it s something that takes over him without him being in control. His personal transformation in the movie is clear-cut: he gains control over his own power, as he accepts his other half. Once he truly realises, that his alter-ego is not only a beastly creature he needs to suppress, he is able to contribute to the greater good. A similar personal development happens to the character of Clint Barton/The Hawk, who has to learn to regain his self-control throughout the movie. In the beginning, he is made to follow orders from the villain, he is forced to be evil and thus loses his agency. However, he manages to overcome the difficulties and regains his power, becoming a hero again. Throughout the film, several struggles in terms of power relations occur, regularly, for one or another leading position. Female characters do not engage in these struggles, thus, it can be argued that they are not seeking the position of leadership. These battles serve not only for the portrayal of strength, but also transmit the message that since women are not involved in these, they do not intend to be as powerful as their male partners. One of the main power struggles is between the characters of Thor and Loki, as Loki threatens the safety of Earth, that is under Thor`s protection. It is the main alpha battle that spans the duration of the whole movie and is the challenge to solve. The character of Thor is a fitting illustration of a man being portrayed as a leading male - his character is strong and he gets most of his power from his peculiar weapon. Thor`s personal relation to the villain motivates him on a different level to win over Loki. Although, his love for his brother enfeebles him. When he sets his personal feelings aside for the greater good, he is capable of winning. The character constitutes the signal that a personal sentiment may be an obstacle in a battle. Thor is portrayed, similarly to his companions, with stereotypical male features. On the other end of the spectrum, we see the character of Loki, the main antagonist. His power is rooted in his weapon, his spear. With the power of his weapon, he alters his personality from weak to wicked. His objective in the movie is to take over the Earth and challenge his brother. He is determined to succeed over his brother, who has always overshadowed him. Eventually, Loki loses against The Avengers, because 25

of his lack of heroic features. He is not portrayed as sexually appealing or desirable, rather as asexual and odd. In his conversations with other characters, he appears cold, distant and disdainful, Low performance issues, not uncommon, 1 out of 5 - Ironman says to Loki after defeating him. This quote is an example of humiliation, emasculating the antagonist in the moment of defeat. A symbolic emphasis on male capacity is connected to a well functioning penis. This quote is a clear representation of male dominance on the side of the Avengers. The character s power originates in his weapon, thus instead of being a source or owner of power, making him a transmitter. The character declines from powerful to emasculated, as he is deprived of the power source. After mentioning the members of The Avengers and the villain, it is essential to examine two other male characters. One of the most influential characters is Nick Fury, the leader of the agency which the Avengers works for. He represents the subject as he is domineering and he sets the other characters in motion. Yet he never takes action himself, he is never involved in a physical deed. Fury has advanced leader abilities, he spurs the others towards the goal. His subordinate, on the other hand, has an easily-distinguishable character. Agent Phil Coulson, as an ordinary man, without any significant power, plays as a contrast to the masculine, manly heroes. His death gives motivation for the others to fight back, as he sacrifices himself, he becomes a secondary hero. The victory in the film is connected to stereotypical male features, similarly, the success of female characters is connected to stereotypical female qualities. However, it is worth noticing that only male characters are portrayed in leading positions, thus, creating unequal power relations. Costumes Clothing for men is designed to indicate a sense of strength or power, whether in simple (but padded) clothing, such as the formal suits that Phil Coulson wears, or the more theatrical costumes of Loki and Nick Fury who stick to the connotations of their bull-horned dress and eye patch. The bull-horns that Loki wears are made to accentuate a sense of physical strength and regality ; whilst Fury s eye patch implies that he has survived a hard and brutal battle and is, therefore, also strong. The rest of the male characters are dressed in a way that is aimed at implying brute strength, heroism in a way that is hidden from the blind eye. The Hulk is only ever dressed in 26

ripped and gagged shorts, which add to his characteristic of an immense power that is difficult to control. Heroism is implied in the flow of the costumes that men such as Fury wear; otherwise, like Loki and Thor, they simply wear capes. Guns and other weapons in the film are the symbols of power, connected to masculinity. The male Avengers all have large, emphasized weapons, a symbolic extension of their masculinity, whereas female characters only use small hand guns. Ideology The film promotes classical American values through the plot, characters and other frequently used symbols such as the American flag, the empire state building, etc. One of the three female characters (Pepper Potts) is used as an inspiration for a male Avenger (Iron Man), promoting a classical message that women are to be fought for. The female character appears in crucial moments in order to inspire the fighter to fight. She is not active in fighting the war; instead she passively relies on male hero to save. The notion of a female as an inspiration, someone to fight for, places her into the position of being a value in itself. One of the female characters, Natasha, is represented as a part of the Avengers alongside five male characters, giving a sense of equality between the two sexes. Thus the female character does not have any special power and displays qualities connected to stereotypical femininity. The Dark Knight Rises Internal structure Events from previous films are introduced and Gotham is threatened by a new Villain. Protagonist loses the first battle, but he then undergoes a personal transformation and comes back with attained new strength. In the second confrontation Batman reaches victory. He then returns to retirement enriched with new qualities. Internal opposition The film follows the typical conflicts of the hero genre. The internal opposition is between peace, harmony, prosperity and chaos or destruction. Batman and the city of Gotham represent the main values of the film. Gotham is a symbol of home, a certain lifestyle and classical western values, whereas Batman represents justice, honor, strong will and intelligence. On the other hand, the Villain comes from a dark, desolate place, representing cruelty and despair. 27

Female characters In The Dark Knight Rises, we come across two main female characters. They are very distinctive in both portrayal and personality, but they are equally important in guiding the story-line. The first main character worth mentioning is Selina Kyle/Catwoman. She is a complex figure that goes through a great development through the movie. The audience gets acquainted with her as a seductive, selfish and clever character, her actions carried out only for her own benefits. She uses her sex appeal, intelligence and seductiveness to play men, becoming superior to them. She is independent, cruel, and appears to lack compassion or care for the welfare of others. It is, in fact, Batman who induces her to be attentive towards the citizens of Gotham, by showing her the right way. Catwoman`s character turns from a thief into a hero. Quite the contrary happens to the second major female character, Miranda Tale/Talia al Ghul. Miranda is first introduced as trustworthy, loyal citizen, fighting for her city and its citizens. The audience is made to believe that she is a genuine character, every action of hers is in a light of a considerate cause, she is trusted by every other character of the movie. Close to the end of the film, it is disclosed that Miranda is the villain behind the attack. The sudden realization of her true intentions gives the audience a shock value. Transforming a sincere, good-hearted character to the ultimate enemy makes her complicated. We realize she used her sexual appeal to get closer to Wayne, and earn his trust, while she only aimed to destroy the city, and finish what her father has started. Male characters There are three main male characters: the main protagonist, his helper and the main antagonist. Bruce Wayne or his secret character, Batman is the main protagonist. He starts out as a physically unhealthy, lonely figure, who is hiding away in his villa. He goes through a personal transformation in the movie during which he recovers from his weaknesses and regains the power to defend his city. He becomes a true hero again. We learn that he is loyal and feels responsible to his city, he is willing to sacrifice his fortune as well as his well-being for Gotham. He also tends to put trust into others, even if they betray him. This is illustrated, when Catwoman betrays him numerous times during the movie, he still keeps pleading for her help. Even though, he finds himself in disadvantaged situations he still gains the strength to keep fighting. The character has two distinctive voices according to his different characters, a softer, more common voice for the character of Bruce Wayne, and the other, a 28

deeper, more muscular voice for Batman. The difference between the voices also marks the transition between ordinary man and hero, adding an extra masculine quality in the image formation of a hero. The character`s armour, automobile, jet and other supplementary machines are an extension of the character`s power as well. Batman s traditional costume which is pitch black, is built to accentuate the male form, with extra padding and form fitting material. His cape also symbolises his sense of heroism and his mask, which has taken on a new and more angry form, makes him seem intent on fulfilling his mission. Batman`s main helper, another heroic character is John Blake/Robin. He is in many qualities similar to Batman. Blake is an orphan and has an inner drive to fight for justice and peace in the city. He has endless faith in Batman, Robin inspires him to act. At the end of the movie, it is disclosed that John Blake`s first name is Robin, which leads us to think that he will take over Batman's role as Gotham's guardian, as in the original comic strip, Robin is his companion in the fight for justice. In contrast, the audience is introduced to Bane`s character, who can be best described as brutal, dominant, physically strong and mentally disturbed. The audience believes that he is the main villain and his role supports that, until we find out that he has only been ordered to destroy Gotham by Miranda, a female character. Bane wears a mask on half of his face that is never to be removed. The viewer finds out that when he helped Talia/Miranda escape from Blackgate, the prion they were both inmates in, Bane was attacked by the rest of the prisoners and suffered permanent injuries that left him in constant pain. The mask is there to provide him with an anaesthetic. However, the mask makes it impossible to see his facial expressions or emotions. It dehumanizes him, makes him invulnerable. The prison, where Bane spent the majority of his life, gives context to his character - it s the place, where he was formed. Batman regards his ability to escape from Blackgate, in the same manner that he assumes Bane succeeded the task, to prove that he is now equalled, if not better, than Bane as he achieved this in a shorter period of time. Batman had been in the same place which had corrupted the villain, but managed to escape intact, unlike Bane, who had become a monster through the same experience. During the movie, Bane transforms from being seemingly invincible, to being a fallible male, controlled by a woman. In the end Bane loses his superiority when it becomes apparent that he has been working for Miranda and not for his own purposes. 29

Ideology In relation to gender portrayal, the film sends a message that depicts women as inferior to men. Although the main female characters in the film are active and in complete control of their actions, they lack certain positive features as justice, empathy and honor. Catwoman dwells as she is forced to decide between upstanding and villainous as she is on the verge of both. However in the end she makes the virtuous decision and thus proves herself a worthy romantic interest for Batman. Miranda displays a few positive values as she is determined, brave and patient in most situations. However, she lacks crucial values such as empathy and good will. She fights for a harmful and unfavourable cause, and is thus destined to fail. A secondary message, sent by the villain is that there are no excuses for doing bad deeds, difficult background and experienced hardships do not justify evil behavior. The Hunger Games Internal structure Historical context and the characters are presented. The main character, volunteers to participate in the fight to death. The preparation for the fight takes place concluded by the fight itself. Main character goes through personal transformation throughout and wins the game. Internal opposition Several contrasts can be detected in the movie such as cruelty versus compassion, power of authority versus individual power and distorted sophistication versus raw emotion. All these different conflicts could be merged and expressed by the contradiction of Katniss and Effie Trinket. They both play a significant role, and also represent the two oppositions of the film. On one hand, Katniss depicts empathy, responsibility, individuality, love as a weakness and strength. Effie Trinket, on the other hand, defines shallowness, lack of empathy, conformity, and fear of authority. Values and pursuits The Hunger Games is the most complex of the five movies we analyse. However, the values promoted in the film are stated clearly through the main character and her journey to survival. Katniss s goal is to win the Games with Peeta and the values are being displayed through her journey. The right values are Katniss s main tools of survival and are, thus, promoted as the ideology of the film. 30

Female characters When analysing the female characters of The Hunger Games, we shall start with the absolute hero, Katniss Everdeen, as the movie is centered around her survival. Her main positive qualities are her responsibleness, kind heartedness and modestness. She takes care of others, before and during the Hunger Games, giving her caring motherly features, and becoming the main hero of the movie. Her attitude towards the authorities is rather antipathetic, she obeys the rules set for her, but she does not do it willingly. Her character`s contrast is portrayed by Effie Trinket, who is a representative of Katniss` district. She can be described as shallow, superficial character, lacking sensitivity or even sincerity. Effie s character is an exaggeratedly civilised, her appearance, manners and attitude all submits to the presented standards of the capital city. She is presented to a viewer not as a profound personality, but rather as a representative, carrier of the values of the civilization. Two other female characters are comparable to each other. Primrose Everdeen is the sister of Katniss. She is a young, weak character, who needs to be taken care of by Katniss. Similarly, Rue, the youngest participant of The Hunger Games, is protected and cared for by her. When Katniss leaves her to get supplies, she can not defend herself, and she is trapped by another participant. She can be described as a sincere character, strong for her age and her death adds tragedy and illustrates the viciousness of the system. Katniss has a strong connection with both Prim and Rue as a motherly figure, they both represent objects of care for Katniss`s character. Male characters Three main male characters are present in The Hunger Games. The most important male character is Peeta, who is shown with positive qualities, however, it is made clear for the viewer that he is in many ways inferior to Katniss. He is unable to protect and support himself, he does not believe in himself and survives mainly because of the help of Katniss. In contrast, Haymitch Abernathy, the mentor of Katniss and Peeta, can be characterized differently. He, firstly seems to have a careless, rather rude, and straight-to-the-point character. He does not bother to help Katniss and Peeta in giving advice to them. It is likely that he enjoys the advantages of being a mentor, rather than taking responsibility to his participants. Nevertheless, he changes his attitude once he 31

sees that Katniss has the needed qualities to win. He transforms from inattentive to sympathetic figure. Another character worth mentioning is Gale, who plays a supporting role to Katniss. He discloses Katniss qualities through conversations with her and an implied sympathy. In terms of costumes, the male characters are resigned to bland or dark colours, though their costumes are not necessarily built to make them appear more powerful, even though there may be a bit of extra padding on muscles in a few instances. Clothing is mainly used to distinguish the difference between the capitol and the village, the civilization, power and purity, rusticity. Costume style is not so much connected to gender as to social class and agency in the film. Ideology The whole film could be interpreted as a parallel version of the world we live in. The theme of unfortunate people fighting for survival, being manipulated by authority, can be understood as a political or social commentary. In relation of the points made above, we can analyse gender representation deeper. In many ways one could claim that the film is relatively stereotype free and thus free of objectification related to gender. Throughout the film different male and female characters possess both negative and positive attributes. The values and faults are connected to specific characters, representing symbolic classes and groups, but not specific gender. The movie communicates values as attributes of a good person and tools to succeed, without creating a subject-object relationship between genders. By creating a contradiction between the two female characters, the film promotes personal emancipation; and considering that the main character is a female, the film can be considered as portraying genders equally. Furthermore, if we analyse the relationship between Katniss and Peeta, Katniss is the agent in the situation. She is strong, smart, possessing a special ability whereas Peeta is portrayed as a weaker, less likely to survive and throughout the film relatively reliant on Katniss. This power relation could be interpreted as the only full female emancipation case in the films we analyse. 32

Skyfall Internal structure A fight that set background to the film is showed. Threat is introduced and the main protagonist appears to fight it. Protagonist loses the first battle, but later undergoes personal transformation and wins the final battle. Internal opposition The Primary opposition is between Bond, the protagonist and Silva, the antagonist. Bond represents loyalty, love to his country and dominant heterosexuality. Determination and strong will are a few of other important characteristics of Bond. Although he kills and uses others to serve his own purposes, he does it for a greater good and displays empathy on some occasions. The antagonist, on the other hand, represents direct opposite aspects of Bond`s qualities. His qualities include disloyalty, lack of empathy and confusing sexuality. Another important opposition in the film is between technology and tradition, the new and the old. Old age, sentimentalism and lack of physical strength are the main weaknesses of Bond and M, the head of the agency. The main protagonists are accused of not being competent due to the aforementioned weaknesses. It is suggested that there is no place for them in the new age. The villain, on the other hand, has absolute power over new technology and uses it as his main weapon. It is only when Bond fully refuses to use new technology and virtually goes back in time, finding strength in traditional methods, he is able to win the battle. This last opposition brings clear promotion of traditional values, personal sentiments and loyalty for the old ways. Female characters In Skyfall, two diverse kinds of female characters can be found. The main female character, represented by M, is the head of Bond`s agency, MI6, she is the one who issues orders to the agents and is in control. The structure of the film is built upon life threatening threats to M. All of her actions are significant, and consequential. The viewer gets to know her as an independent, powerful, fearless leader. Her orders are followed by her agents without question. Throughout the movie, we experience her different attributes. M takes very little action herself, she always expects to be protected by her agents. By not being able to protect herself, her fragility is implied. It could also be argued, that M plays a motherly role. The true loyalty of her agents towards her, her endless trust in Bond, and the love that Silva feels for her all show 33

that her character is presented as a mother figure. However, her power is gradually descending and her death at the end of the movie is therefore expected by the viewer. The relationship between M and Bond is an important connection to examine. Bond feels betrayed by her, but helps her when in need nonetheless. Her figure as a mother is the most visible in this relationship, as the fact that M dies in the hands of Bond underlines this. M`s character is not in any way portrayed as sexual, being older than any other character, wearing clothes that do not reveal, or highlight particular parts. On the contrary, the two other female characters, Eve Moneypenny and Severine, are quite similar in that manner. The main similarity, we get acquainted with immediately, is their costumes. They are both portrayed in revealing, sexual clothes, combined with mostly high-heels. As their exterior, their personalities can also be likened. Eve Moneypenny is present throughout the whole movie, playing an interesting character. She is an assistant agent of Bond, helping him on his mission. Eve and Bond may or may not have an intimate relationship, it is left for the audience to decide. Eve is a strong character, but is presented inevitably weaker than any other male character. After shooting Bond, she does not feel comfortable working on the field, providing the audience with the insinuation that she does not belong in the field. Another detail that should not be overlooked is that even though Eve and Bond seem to have been working together for a long time, Bond only learns her name at the end of the movie. Severine is a flirty, very feminine, weak and sexual character, but her role is significant. She appears as a strong character in the beginning of the encounter, but Bond exposes her weaknesses and uses her to reach the villain. Severine uses her sexual appeal to get what she wants, but she is weak, and dependent. She portrays the image of a confident and powerful woman, but it does not take a long time for Bond and the audience to figure out that she is scared, and needs help. Her parlance also supports her flirty and sexual character. Her entire character is portrayed as a sexual being, depending on a man, not being able to rescue herself. Her death shocks Bond, it does not showed as an important turning point in the film - it does not become Bond s motivation to defeat Silva. In conclusion, both of these characters are rather shown weak in one aspect or another, making their portrayal similar. While the nameless woman living on the beach plays no crucial role, she is still worth mentioning. After Bond gets shot by his co-worker and the agency believes that he has died, he secretly spends his time living with a woman and being nursed to 34

health. This part of the movie is represented without any dialogue, we see blurred pictures changing fast, but the message that is sent is clear. Bond has an intimate relationship with her, she is positioned in a way that the subject-object relation becomes obvious. Bond barely seems interested in her, though she is shown to have a devoted affection for him. This part of the film emphasizes on nursing, serving qualities of a woman. The main protagonist is the narrator, thus sending audience a message of a female being kind and nursing, opened to a use of a man. Such notion is justified by coinciding user with a hero and the main protagonist. Male characters We can differentiate two main male characters, the protagonist and the antagonist. They both play a crucial role, and are equally important in directing the story-line. James Bond is the main protagonist. He possesses many qualities of a strong, leading, loyal hero. He could be described as a brave, self-contained, physically and mentally strengthened figure. He seems invincible, and in control of the action, until he is shot by a fellow female agent by accident. His character undergoes a personal transformation after his accident. He becomes weak and powerless, emasculated by two female characters. Yet, he decides to contribute to saving his agency, and M. It is a challenge for him to get back in the field, to gain enough power and strength to be able to defeat Silva, the antagonist. To regain his status as a hero, he has to go through the process of a symbolic manhood ritual, going back to his childhood mansion to become a man again. It is crucial to examine the element of a maternal figure, M. Bond feels strongly negative about her, as he feels betrayed, but his loyalty brings him back. There is an element of a superiority struggle between M and Bond, that are eliminated when she dies in the hands of Bond, resolving the feeling of betrayal. Other female characters in relation to James Bond, could be argued to be consumed by him. In general, Bond`s behaviour reflects that he treats women in a particular way, it could be argued that he handles them as disposable. He seduces women, using them mainly for his benefits. An example could be his relation to Severine. She is used by him to satisfy his sexual desires, and for her to lead him to the antagonist. Accordingly, he persuades Eve Moneypenny, the woman who shot him, that she does not belong to the field, she should not be as active in action-taking as he is. As 35

another illustration to Bond`s stance towards women is expressed by the scenario, when he is put through a psychological test. His associations are expressed as follows: Agent - provocative. Woman - provocatrix. There are certain objects presented in the movie, that empower the Bond's distinctive qualities. One of these object is the scorpion on his hand as he takes a shot of alcohol; it represent his bravery, as he drinks while the scorpion could sting him. Bond`s old 007 car, and his childhood family villa illustrate his old-fashioned values. The choice of drinks is a classical symbol, as it emphasizes gender difference - when in a casino, Bond orders a martini, while Severine, his company, sips champagne. Bond s style of dress is the traditional 007-agent clothing. He wears dark suits for the majority of the movie, even at the most inconvenient of times and situations, which implies that even though their work is tedious and difficult, they are not average men and can overcome it easily. While Bond`s character dealt with the betrayal of M in correct and noble way, Silva reacts differently, which gives a clear contrast between their personalities. In response to M`s abandonment, he plans to backstab his agency and M. He is a symbol of what Bond could have become. Silva`s sexual orientation is complex, he is on the edge of homosexuality and asexuality, by this, he is alienated and being looked at as odd. To create a contrast to the protagonist`s old-fashioned, masculine, strong character, Q is presented as the modern, fragile-bodied, but intelligent and his own way influential figure. Ideology Male-female relations in the film are also presented in the light of traditional values to say the least. The main characters are male, possessing qualities such as strength, leadership skills, cruelty and other characteristics that are traditionally considered to be more masculine. Most of female characters are portrayed as tools at Bonds disposal. Eve Moneypenny, the female agent works as equal to Bond, but makes a crucial mistake, that Bond fixes throughout the film, and in the end she submits to Bond`s suggestion that her place is in the office. Severine, appears as a strong character in the beginning, but is later displayed as not having any sense of control in her life. She is used as a mere tool for communication between the antagonist and the protagonist. She is, at first, consumed by Bond and shortly after used as a tool by Silva to highlight a flaw in his masculinity. M is the only female character that has 36

an important and active role in the film. She is Bond s superior and displays some qualities which are traditionally not associated with females. She is strong-willed, determined, and makes meaningful decisions throughout the film. M does make a use of sexualized clothing or flirt in order to achieve her goals. On the other hand, she makes a few notable mistakes throughout the course of the film and in the end Bond is the one saving the situation. She, thus, partially concedes her power to Bond. She dies during the climax of the film leaving Bond as the only victor. Out of 3 important female characters in the Skyfall, two are murdered and one is emasculated by submitting to a notion that she is not fit for position equal to Bond`s. Such turn of events implies the connotations of only one domineering alpha male he viewer is left with unequivocal message of the superiority of the main character. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Internal structure Historical context and characters are presented. The main protagonist is recruited and the quest begins. Throughout the film team of heroes are travelling frequently encountering challenges and overcoming them. By the end of the film the main protagonist has underwent a personal transformation and is accepted by the group. Values and pursuits The values are presented to the viewer through Bilbo`s personal experiences his home is a symbol for something which the company of dwarves are in pursuit - a cosy, safe and lovable place. The opposition of the concept of home is found in the wilderness where there is much uncertainty and danger, which are symbolised by the characters travel and the different challenges that they meet on the way. Female Characters Lady of Lorien or Galadriel is the only female character represented in The Hobbit, and only appears for a few minutes, while the group stays in Rivendell with the elves. She is one of the greatest elf rulers and is highly revered. Her character is very complex and contradictory; while being a respected and strong leader, her appearance is soft, moderate and angle-like. She appears to be superior to the other men she is surrounded with and gives advice whilst offering help to Gandalf. In comparison to her power, her voice and tone are very mild, and sophisticated. She is able to communicate telepathically, which she uses in order to exchange information with 37

Gandalf without the others hearing her or him. Her clothing underlines her angel-like appearance, but it is not different from other elf-costumes. Male characters In The Hobbit, we discover a number of different characters, even species. Their personality, value-system, and qualities are easily separable. The character of Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, is that of an ordinary, humble figure, who is comfortable in his own world. His personal progression starts when he receives as offer to join the Dwarfs on a journey. Throughout the movie, he gains knowledge of the outer world, and develops himself in many ways. He becomes more masculine and he gathers strength. His transition continues when he receives a sword, and it finalises when he first uses it with the intention to harm another person. Weapons often have symbolic meanings in literature and media contexts, as they are a physical illustration of a character`s power. Bilbo s sword is a symbol of desired and later deserved strength, attained maturity and masculinity. The near opposite of Bilbo, is the Dwarf leader, Thorin Oakenshield. He is a physically strong and powerful leader of the remained Dwarfs. He sets out to restore the Kingdom Under the Mountain and rebuild his homeland for his people. He serves as an example, as an inspiration to other characters, as he is respected by all of them. Another leader of the group, is the great wizard, Gandalf. His character`s main role is to bring the participants together, and direct them throughout their journey. He controls the action and guides the others, as he is the wise and almost all-knowing head of the group. It is worth to take notice of the two main villains. Gollum, an almost inhuman creature, is a contrast in himself, he has two very distinctive personalities; a weak, but kind one and a cruel and sly one. His weak personality can be interpreted as more feminine, and his cruel side as masculine. He does not imply any severe endangerment to the group. Alternatively, a remarkably stronger villain makes an appearance as well. The White Orc, who takes over the Kingdom under the Mountain, plays a strong, aggressive and brutal character. He is a contester to Thorin s authority. Although Thorin possesses a controlled power, the White Orc rather represents uncontrolled power. Ideology Following the fairy tale structure, we can analyse the messages that are delivered to the viewer. Classical fairy tale messages are presented as such that the protagonist has 38

to go through personal transformation in order to achieve the ideal. This is initially followed in the storyline of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey where the hobbit undergoes a journey in order to regain the lost land. The ideology promoted by the story appears to be that of classical values, like bravery, integrity, intelligence and good will. It also promotes a notion that one who appears weak and vulnerable, can be proven to be victorious by following the classical values. In relation to gender portrayal, the film does not follow classical fairy tale roles, as there are relatively no female characters. The highest aim and value in The Hobbit is the kingdom and the symbol of home, whereas in a classical fairy tale such aim would usually be a hand of a princess, marriage and a fortune that comes with it. Taking the parallel into consideration, one could argue that, although, there are almost no female characters, the kingdom and all it represents is a symbol of femininity. The absence of female characters could be interpreted in many ways, but we believe it s important to mention the character analysis in relation to gender features. There is a great quantity of characters of different species in the film. Certain gender fluidity is present. As an illustration, elves are portrayed as gentle, womanly and handsome in a rather feminine manner, while orchs are showed as brutal, huge, masculine and bold. The gradation of gender features can thus be interpreted as a tool to identify the portrayal of different species. 5.2 Sub Conclusion To conclude our findings, we can argue that there are a few similarities in terms of our determined variables. Generally, in our sample movies, the main roles are fulfilled by male characters, with the only exception of The Hunger Games. Men dominate the screen, as almost all the protagonists and the antagonists are men, while female characters rather play significantly less influential, or supplementary roles. We learn through our analysis, that the main values and pursuits are associated with the protagonists, therefore, in most cases with men. Consequently, the ideology of the movies, and the bearing of the meaning are correlated with the male characters. Commonly, they have similar characteristics in the analysed movies. Male characters often share the qualities of strength, activity, intelligence, dominance. The story-line is ordinally directed by them, as they are the one presented in more powerful more influential, action-taking positions. This leads to male characters being related to the 39

victories of the movies. On the other hand, our data suggests that female representation meaningfully differ from male representation. In most of the movies, women were tend to be less active, some may even be characterized by being specifically passive. Females are significantly less forceful, less dominating, a part of them could be best described as being soft, feminine, dependent. Even so, we also get acquainted with relatively strong female characters, whose influence on the story-line could be comparable to the males, yet, we found that they were presented with an emphasis on their feminine qualities, or were made less powerful during the movie. The difference between female and male representation, is also accentuated with clothing and power symbolizing assets. 5.3 Quantitative Analysis Content Analysis: Measurement of screen time and speaking time In this section of the paper, we discuss a previous work of Smith et al, and submit her part of her findings about the top 100 movies of 2013. Further on, we present our own calculations about the speech and speaking time division of male and female characters. Gender inequality in movies is not a recently arisen phenomenon, as many researchers have directed their attention towards it, conducting a number of divers studies. Smith et al recorded a series of reports about gender inequality in 500 films. She examined 100 movies per year, since 2008-2012, focusing on the portrayal of male and female characters on screen and the ratio of female and male behind the screen, as producers, directors, writers, in movies released in this period. Smith argues, the sexualization of female speaking characters is alive and well popular in motion picture content (Smith et al, 2013: 8). She found in terms of speaking characters that approximately three-forth of them are male in the top 100 movies of 2012. Another aspect she studies is the appearance of the characters. Her findings suggest that almost one-third of all female characters are dressed sexually, and the same amount is partly naked, whereas, only seven pct. of male characters is presented sexually, and only nine pct. is partly naked. These results seem to suggest that the notion of objectification is not uncommon in recent media texts. Figure 4: The distribution of males and females speaking character and Sexualization 40

80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Speaking characters Attire Partially naked Sexualization Male 71,2% 7,0% 9,4% Female 28,4% 31,6% 31,0% Source: Dr. Stacy L. Smith et.al Report on Gender inequality 2013 (pg.2) Smith et al`s report also states that the prevalence of male and female behind the camera is significantly disparate. Astonishingly, more than 95 pct. of directors are male, similarly, nearly ninety pct. of writers, and 80 pct. of producers are men. Given the unequal gender division behind the scenes, it may contribute to the under representation of women. Figure 5: Behind the Scenes. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 95,9% 4,1% 87,8% 12,2% 80,0% 20,0% 83,3% 16,7% 2012 Male 2012 Female Source: Dr.Stacy L. Smith et.al Report on Gender inequality, 2013 The analysis of Smith does not include our sample movies individually, hence, we conducted a content analysis on the top five Box Office movies of 2012. Taking into consideration the way Smith studied the speaking characters, we also include the screen time of male and female characters. 41

Our findings indicate that, in the five movies in total, male screen time reaches approximately 70 pct., thus leaving only 30 pct. for females. With the exception of The Hunger Games, the male characters dominate the screen on the spectrum of 67.6 to 97 pct. of all screen time. These findings are shown in Figure 3 below. The percentages are calculated from the total amount of screen time, and not from the running time of the movie. Figure 1: Screen time of male and female actors in the top-5 box office movies of 2012 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Avenger The Dark Knight Rises The Hunger Games Skyfall The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Screen Time (Approx) Male 70,7% 76,2% 39,0% 67,6% 97,0% 69,9% Screen Time (Approx) Female 29,3% 23,8% 61,0% 32,4% 3,0% 30,1% Total Source: Own calculations The data in the figure above only provides one aspect of our content analysis. The other aspect, the speaking time, reveals a similar but an even more pronounced difference. The male characters dominate the speaking time by an average of 85 pct. Surprisingly, in the movie The Hunger Games, where women are on the screen for a longer duration for time than men, nearly two-thirds of the speaking time belongs to men. This is indicated in the figure below. Figure 2: Speaking time of male and female characters in the top-5 box office movies of 2012 42

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Avenger The Dark Knight Rises The Hunger Games Skyfall The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Speaking time (Approx) Male 84,8% 86,5% 63,5% 71,9% 98,8% 85,1% Speaking time (Approx) Female 15,2% 13,5% 36,5% 28,1% 1,2% 14,9% Total Source: Own calculations As we presented in Figure 3 and Figure 4, the screen time and the speaking time of the two genders outstandingly differ. However, we need to acknowledge that the screen time is largely a prerequisite for the speaking time, thus, consequently, if men appear for a longer time in the movies, they are likely to also have more speaking time. To test whether this is the reason for the speaking dominance of men, we have constructed a screen time / speaking time ratio. At level one, namely at 50 pct., the ratio is at an ideal level, although it is distant from our findings. Figure 5 below, shows that men engage in colloquy more than women, even if their screen time would not indicate that. The domination is most evident in the movie "The Hunger Games, as the males speak 63 pct. more than the screen time indicates they should do. Figure 3 below shows this ratio. Figure 3: Screen time/speaking time ratio in the top-5 box office movies of 2012 43

1,80 1,60 1,63 1,40 1,20 1,00 0,80 0,60 0,40 1,20 0,52 1,14 0,57 0,60 1,06 1,02 0,87 0,39 1,22 0,49 Screen time/speaking time ratio Male 0,20 0,00 Screen time/speaking time ratio Female Source: Own calculations The Bechdel test The Bechdel test is a supplementary part of our content analysis, an easy set of rules used to test media texts. We apply the three rules set by the Bechdel test to our movies: In the movie, there has to be two female characters, who have names (1), at some point, they have to talk to each other (2) about something other than a man (3). Out of the five sample movies, two movies do not pass the Bechdel test. The Avengers, with its eight male and three female characters, is one of them. Although two of the female characters are present throughout the movie and have individual conversations with almost all the male characters, the two never communicate with each other. Whereas the third female character appears thrice in the movie for two to five minutes and only speaks once. Since there is no conversation between any of the female characters, The Avengers fails the Bechdel test. The second movie that fails to pass, is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. In the movie, we meet twenty-nine male characters, whereas only one female character with names, consequently, the movie does not pass any of the rules. Our other three movies, on the other hand, pass the test. In The Dark Knight Rises there are fourteen male and three female characters with names. Two of the female characters are present throughout the movie, whereas the third one appears twice in the movie. Two of the girls communicate twice in the movie about something other than men. Likewise, in the movie Skyfall, out of the four named female characters, two of them have two conversations. One of the conversations revolves around the actions of James Bond, 44

the other conversation does not include any man. A different movie from the above mentioned also passes the Bechdel test. The Hunger Games includes eleven male and seven female characters with names. One of the female characters is present throughout the movie, the rest of the female characters appear at different points of the movie. The main female character has conversations with different female characters and the topic of their conversation does not always involve men. In conclusion, the majority (three out of five) of the movies does pass the test, leaving us with the education, that most of our movies have main female characters, communicating about other than a man. 5.4 Sub-conclusion Throughout our quantitative analysis, we learned that there is a meaningful gap between the male and female screen time and speaking time. In total, men s screen time / speaking time ratio is nearly two and a half times higher in comparison to that of women. This finding may indicate that while for women, the visual message, for men, the verbal message is distributed. Additionally, we have tested our sample movies according to the rules of the Bechdel test, to point out the under representation or stereotypical representation of women are not really seen in the central points to the action. Three out of five movies have passed the Bechdel test whereas two of them failed it. Chapter.6 Analyzing the findings in relation to Theories 6.1 Qualitative Analysis In this section of our paper, we correlate our findings to the theoretical base. We divide it into the main aspects that we elaborate on in the lights of the theories. Even though, this way of analysing gives a division in the text, yet we believe that it serves greatly in its ordination. Power relations In this section, we begin our analysis with examining the aspect of power and its significance in the films. Each film typically has one leading role and a collection of main characters. The films we analyse follow this structure with one exception. Four out of five movies have one leading character and one film has a group of protagonists that serve as the main role. The leading character usually carries the story line and is often connected to the narrator, or he is the narrator himself. 45

In the films we analyse, four out of five main characters are male (we include Marvel's the Avengers, as five out of six main characters are male). In all five films the leading character (characters) is portrayed as the main protagonist and/or as actively participating in the action. There is one female main character, Katniss ( The Hunger Games ), who has the qualities of the leading role - she is the main protagonist, and could be described as a narrator (the story is shown through her perspective) and she is an active participant in the events. The films that have male characters in leading roles can be submitted to and analysed through the lense of classical feminist film theory (Chaudhuri, 2006). According to Mulvey (1989), the viewer is encouraged to relate to the main character, as the narrator or leader of the action, and in the case of our analysis, the main characters are mostly men. The viewer is prompted to see the events in the film through male eyes and furthermore, adopt their values. Such sequence has two important aspects - the frequency of female-male characters and their values, characteristics that are connected to them. The first aspect is measurable in relation to the portrayal of gender - there are mostly male characters in main, meaning bearing positions. That, according to Mulvey (1989), shows that men are portrayed as in active positions in a movie. The quantitative insignificance of female characters does not automatically put them in a position of being passive or objectified, however, it partially makes a point by showing almost only male characters in powerful and active roles. The second aspect, of the mentioned sequence, has deeper meaning to what messages are being transmitted to the viewer. Regardless to gender, the main role in all our analysed films is also the main protagonist and carrier of ideology of the film. As such, the main role communicates and promotes ideas to the audience. Hypothetically, a male character in the main role, could communicate any message, that can or cannot be related to gender relations. In the case of our analysis, however, leading male characters are promoting rather unilateral ideology of gender relations. Values Each film communicates different ideology to the viewer. Furthermore, different aspects and characters in the film carry or are assigned some specific ideas, features and values, that throughout the film identifies them, reinforces and explains their actions, and endorse their fate in the story line. Each film has a protagonist and an 46

antagonist or at least different forces that create an opposition and thus give basis for the plot. Depending on which side of the opposition the character belongs to, he/she possesses features and carries values that are connected to succeeding or failing in a film. In this way certain values and ideas are presented as good or victorious, while some others as negative and leading to a defeat. The values and features of the main protagonists in the films are thus the most meaningful, as they carry the main message of the film. The fact that most main characters are male, communicates to the audience some of the points stated by Mulvey (1989). Not only are most of our analysed films shown through a male perspective, thus expressing the activeness of male and putting the viewer in a position of the controlling male gaze (Mulvey 1989), but the way the main male characters are portrayed transmits a significant message. The main male protagonists in our sample movies are portrayed in a similar manner. Physical strength, emotional restrain, intelligence and insightfulness are the main features of the male protagonists. Bond, in Skyfall, is portrayed as almost allmighty - active, powerful, masculine and dominant; similar qualities are possessed by Batman ( The Dark Knight Rises ) and most of The Avengers ( Marvel's the Avengers ). The one main male character that does not fully possess these features, is Bilbo Baggins ( The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ), but he works throughout the film to achieve them. Furthermore, the process is showed as a sort of initiation, thus validating the values as the main ones being promoted by the film. The main antagonists in our analysed films, are also mostly men. They possess qualities and express values that are flawed or lacking an important aspect, thus drawing the viewer to feel antipathy. All the villains have some features or values that are commonly accepted as negative and dislikable. Most of them lack empathy, are brutal and disturbed in some manner, and often act out of revenge. Loki ( Marvel's the Avengers ), Silva ( Skyfall ) and Bane ( The Dark Knight Rises ) are all shown as disturbed, traumatized villains acting out of vengeance. Some others, such as different evil forces in The Hobbit, are portrayed as violent, strong and primitive - rather animalistic as in comparison to the dwarfs and the hobbit. Females in most of our analysed films have secondary roles. Thus, in a context of a whole film, they support the values and ideas, expressed by male characters. However, being represented in a given way, they communicate certain values about femininity and female behavior. Furthermore, the way relationships between male and female characters are built, transfers a message to the viewer. 47

One out of five films has a female in the leading role ( The Hunger Games ), we will analyse it later in the text. In Marvel's the Avengers a female character (Black Widow) is one of the main heroes. Even though, she has most qualities equal to the male heroes, the main actions in the film are done by male characters. The important accomplishments of Black Widow are achieved using manipulation and charm rather than qualities associated with male heroes. For instance, in the beginning of the film, where Black Widow interrogates a group of men by surrendering and being questioned, but later shows the manipulative nature of the act by easily freeing herself. Another example is shown later on, when Black Widows talks to the captured villain in a flirtatious manner. It appears that she is emotionally vulnerable, but in the end of the scene she sarcastically thanks him for the information, showing that this was in fact a manipulative interrogation. These examples show Black Widow in a double position in relation to the values she carries and thus in relation to objectification. The character is portrayed possessing most of the qualities that male characters possess, however the ones she uses most are the qualities associated with femininity, thus making those qualities more important in the film. She uses her sexuality and supposed vulnerability to reach her goals. Such duality of the character neutralizes the aspects that are associated with male characters and confirms traditional values, described by Mulvey (1989) - female as a sexual object, using her sexuality and the to-be-looked-at-ness to validate and control male s desire. The main values communicated through the character thus are the ones of female sexuality and desirability. Additional female characters in supporting roles are naturally less developed and more fragmented, carrying less complicated messages to the viewer. Most of them are less (especially physically) active and have roles that are described by Mulvey as bearer of meaning, not maker of meaning (Mulvey, 1989, p.15). Examples of that could be Maria Hill ( Marvel's the Avengers ), Jen ( The Dark Knight Rises ), and different secondary characters from The Hunger Games. These characters appear in a contextual manner - they neither actively steer the action in films, nor slow it down. One could argue that most secondary female roles serve as erotic objects for the viewer, since most of them (all except some characters in The Hunger Games ) wear skin-tight, revealing clothing. We have encountered in our analysis some female characters that bear unambiguous message of female objectification and submit to most or all aspects of the theories we 48

use as well as our definition of objectification. Such characters are Eve Moneypenny, Severine, Bond s nameless lover ( Skyfall ) and Pepper Pots ( Marvel's The Avengers ). The mentioned characters can all be described as lacking autonomy, inert, violable and reduced to appearance (Papadaki, 2012). All characters are largely defined by their appearance, they are all to some extent being controlled by a male character - Eve Moneypenny and Pepper Pots are inferior to men in working environment and follow their orders, while Severine is shown in complete control of the villain and later Bond ("Skyfall"). All mentioned characters act as helpers or just an accessory to male characters. Severine is however an example of most extreme objectification. Apart from all other mentioned aspects of her character, Bond uses her instrumentally to reach the antagonist and she gets killed by the antagonist in a dehumane manner - by treating her as a fungibil gun practicing object (Nussbaum, 1995). All the discussed female characters communicate similar values to the viewer. Even though some of the female characters possess physical strength, independency and some other qualities otherwise associated with male characters, they are mostly defined by feminine features. As Mulvey puts it, a woman stands (...) as a signifier for the male other, bound by a symbolic order in which man can live out his fantasies and obsessions through linguistic command by imposing them on the silent image of woman still tied to her place as a bearer of meaning, not maker of meaning ( Mulvey, 1989, p.15). Most female characters, we analyse, don t bear a significant value in the context of the film, that is done by the male characters, but they send a message of certain female behavior or appearance. We choose to analyse The Hunger Games separately in this section due to a significant difference of values being communicated by this film in relation to the rest of films in our list. In The Hunger Games values of the film are communicated directly to the viewer without being divided and transfused through a lens of gender bias. The characters are communicating the values of the film rather than the values of a gender. The main character, Katniss represents the ideology of the film. Her personal values such as empathy, honesty, intelligence and personal strength are values communicated by the film. The unique outlook presented in the film is that of equal distribution of qualities and features to create individual characters, rather than using classically recognised gender moulds with assigned extra features. None of 49

the characters in the film submit to our definition of objectification. All roles are active in the film in relation to development to the story and the meaning of it. There is no sexual objectification and relative passiveness and dependence is used as a tool to express contradictions needed in the plot. Example of that could be Effie Trinket`s character. She is portrayed as submissive, superficial and decorative, however the role is used as a representative of a certain civilization and class, not gender. Some male characters are presented the same manner, depending on the role they have in the film. One could argue that according to one point in our definition of objectification, Peeta, the second main character (male), is objectified. He is a weaker character according to Katniss and during most of the film, he is dependent on Katniss` help. It could thus be argued that Peeta lacks agency and activity. Papadaki (2012) However, Peeta s character has a strong meaning in the plot and does act in important situations in the film. He is also a romantic object of the main (female) character, but she is not acting out in a film inspired or influenced by a romantic or erotic motive. Characteristics/qualities Even though, our sample movies are quite dissimilar in story-line, and in other aspects, we can still see a comparability between the male and female characters in terms of their characteristics, and qualities. In general, it can be argued that females are characterized by traditional feminine qualities, as they are often observed acting seductive, flirtatious, manipulative and showing vulnerability. Even though, a fragment of all female characters can be described as strong and influential, they still use classical female traits to obtain their goals. Black Widow from Marvel's the Avengers and Cat Woman from The Dark Knight Rises are good illustration for this, as they are depicted closely as strong as their male counterparts, but they manipulate often to get their way. As a consequence, for a female character the desired quality is manipulative skills, as we can see that as a tendency in Marvel's the Avengers, and The Dark Knight Rises. A direct way of showing feminine qualities is described by Frederickson and Roberts (1997). They insist that, from the point of camera angle, the male character is viewed with a focus on his face, while the equally substantial female character will be shown with a focus on their bodies. This highlights the feminine figure of the otherwise 50

strong female characters. The above mentioned examples can be also mentioned here. Catwoman and Black Widow are both viewed with emphasis on their bodies. In controversy, we distinguished female characters that portray strength similarly to their male partners that were not in any way sexualized. Katniss from The Hunger Games and M from Skyfall are, in fact, clearly strong characters, but they both represent a set of differentiating qualities, such as sensitivity, motherly love, softness, in order to keeping their femininity. As Mulvey argues (1989), to avoid for the males and the viewer to feel emasculated by a woman, this form of portrayal is used. There are three methods to successfully implement emasculating the female characters: One way is by revealing femininity as a quality of the character, which can be applied to Katniss and M, secondly by saving or punishing the female character, and thirdly by endowing her body with extreme perfection. Some of the female characters` qualities, apart from the classical feminine characteristics, include great dependency on male characters. According to Mulvey (1989), a female character is a representation of the male character`s love, fear or any other emotion, but by herself the female character has no real importance. Both Pepper Potts from Marvel's the Avengers, and Severine from Skyfall, are clear examples of Mulvey s argument. Pepper is only shown in context with Iron Man, she is only important in the sense that she gives her blessing for him to get involved in the fight, and as she serves undoubtedly as an inspiration to him. An illustrative example for Mulvey`s thesis, is Severine`s role. Her purpose in the movie is clearly articulated, she serves as a tool for the male characters, but she is quickly discarded soon after her first appearance, and quickly forgotten about, by both the characters and the viewer. Frederickson and Roberts` objectification theory (1997) can also be applied to Severine`s character. The theory states that females may be treated as objects for the pleasure of another. Severine does, indeed, satisfy the sexual desires of the main protagonist. Furthermore the way she dies illustrates the consumption of her character by the main male characters for their purposes. Male characters, in comparison, often share the characteristics of being strong, dominating and masculine. They often use pure strength to reach their goals. In relation to the male gaze theory, the male characters are expected to control the action in the movie, by being active, strong and taking control. As mentioned before in the section of values, an obvious division between the qualities of a male is rooted in the intentions of the character. An upstanding character 51

will be best described by being heroic and honorable, while the villainous character is rather cruel, eccentric and inhuman. We could argue from most of the movies to this, but to give an exact case, the difference in characteristics between the protagonist and the antagonist is most visible between the members of The Avengers and Loki. The Avengers` members are portrayed as heroic, victorious and manly. Loki, on the other hand, is brutal, freakish and is clearly alienated from his environment. Commonly, the villain`s sexual stance is problematic, as he could be portrayed either with a homosexual or asexual interests. (Ed.Gurevitch et al, 1982) Silva, the main protagonist from Skyfall, indicates this to be true, as he represents both sexual stances. Another quality to examine, when it comes to defining male characteristics, is the strong leadership abilities: some of the main male characters are shown as the subjects directing the actions, leading them one way or another, while if any woman expresses these abilities, they either have to be portrayed feminine, or throughout the movie, they will lose their leader-status. Accordingly, M from Skyfall, as a leader of an influential agency, loses her power, and contributes it to Bond. It is worthwhile to mention that the characters that possess super or special powers are more often men. Yet, if a female character is shown bearing similar powers, in most cases, they will be surpassed by the abilities of the male characters. To this, the difference between Batman`s and Catwoman`s abilities make a good example. Qualities that are tied to victory, are also mostly possessed by men. Heroism, sacrifice and loyalty are the qualities are often not depicted in female characters. It is also crucial to mention that, in four out of five movies, triumph over the antagonist was conducted by a male character, with The Hunger Games being the only exception. Disposability In our analysis, an aspect of disposability was necessary. As we discuss above, there are different ways in which male and female characters are portrayed differently in relation to objectification. Disposability is one of the ways of objectifying a character. Some, mostly main role characters are present throughout entire films, creating, carrying and communicating film message to the viewer. Some however are episodical and appear disposable. The disposability of a character does not automatically mean objectification, since every film has small roles of unimportant characters that only appear in the background and are infungible in relation to the 52

plot. However we do treat disposability as objectification in cases where a role being played is treated as disposable by other characters in the film. In relation to theories, disposability could be directly related to fungibility, one of the objectification criteria (Nussbaum, 1995). It usually also relates to other aspects in our definition of objectification, since disposability is often supplemented by reduction to the body, instrumentality, violability and denial of subjectivity (Frederickson and Roberts 1997; Nussbaum 1995). The clearest example of disposability is Severine ( Skyfall ). She submits to most of the points described in our definition of objectification, however regarding disposability, her character is being used by other characters in the most bluntly manner. Severine appears in a part of the film, she is seduced by Bond, used to reach the villain and in the end of the scene she is killed by the villain in a dehumanizing manner. Her death does not create any reaction and is forgotten by characters as well as the viewer as soon as the scene finishes. In this way Severine s character is not only used by the creators to perform certain role in the film, but it is being shown as being used by other characters in order to achieve their goals. Another example of a character being treated as disposable is Bond s nameless lover ( Skyfall ). It is a woman that appears in one scene, where Bond recovers from his wounds. The character doesn t have a name, she is defined by her body and showed as a commodity in Bonds recovery. The viewer doesn t get to know her personality and does not meet her later in the film. She is treated as fungible and objectified in other different ways. Agent Coulson s character ( The Avengers ) could also be argued to be treated as disposable. We also see instrumentality in Coulson s character. It is only by dying that he is able to have any effect on the development of the characters or the plot. The character s death is used by other characters in the film to motivate The Avengers to fight. His importance thus comes mostly from the fact of his death rather than his actions or personality in the film. However the character does not submit to other aspects of our objectification definition, he is only partially objectified if at all. Similar could be said about numerous characters from The Hobbit. As it is common for action genre, many characters die in fight scenes, thus they are treated as disposable and contribute to development of the story through their death. However, we argue that these characters are not being objectified due to one important aspect - the characters in numerous fight scenes are not presented acting as individuals, but 53

rather agents of a greater force. These characters work as groups and usually don t have major roles. Objects Throughout the movie there are different objects that are used to represent power relationship between the characters, to highlight their characteristics and to emphasize gender roles. For example, it is mostly male characters that own the objects that represent power grand automobiles, aircrafts, large guns, swords etc. These symbols often serve as extensions to their masculinity and help the male characters to steer the story line. Referring to the male gaze theory, the male characters are supposed to bet the ones who take control of the action in the movie (Mulvey, 1989). Good examples might be Thor s hammer in Marvel's The Avengers which he uses for channeling the lightning and defeating the enemies or Batman s flying vehicle - Batplane - from The Dark Knight Rises, which makes Batman more mobile and capable of escaping from enemies. Antagonists often possess powerful objects in the beginning of the movies and lose them in the end, when they are defeated by protagonists. In some cases these objects afterwards are used by the protagonists, like in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey the company of Thorin Oakenshield together with Gandalf takes swords from the troll cave and uses them throughout the rest of the movie. Losing weapons represents emasculation and loss of power of the antagonists. In some of the movies, objects signify that a character has gone through an initiation process which signifies transformation in a new role - more heroic, a better self. As an illustrative example, in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey after proving his courageousness Bilbo Baggins earns the honor to carry a sword. In few cases female characters posses some of the power representing items as well guns and other weapons, but they are usually more modest and smaller compared to the ones owned by male characters, like those of female characters: Natasha Romanoff and Maria Hill in Marvel's the Avengers. According to Mulvey (1989) the man controls the film fantasy and also emerges as the representative of power (Mulvey, 1989, p. 20), it explains the difference in the significance and power of the weapons owned by males and females. Female characters also often own objects that emphasize their femininity and sex appeal, like jewellery and high heels shoes (e.g. Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises and almost all female characters in Skyfall ). 54

Items like these fortify physical beauty and mold female characters into objects of desire, which contribute to the male gaze theory, that states that the man is the source of looking, while the woman is the source of being looked at (Mulvey, 1989). Costumes The overall appearance of the characters in our sample movies is crucial to examine when conducting our study, as it is based on theories that focus remarkably on the outward form of the characters. The costumes are one of the characteristics that the audience immediately takes notice of, and it always illustrates an easily distinguishable quality to the characters. The feature of clothing gives an identity to them, that the viewer can effortlessly interpret. Therefore, in the light of our theoretical base, we need to examine our findings regarding the costumes. When combining our data, we can see the resemblance in appearance in a number of characters. In three out of five movies, the gender division of clothing is clear. Most of the movies` male characters` clothes tend to highlight masculinity, while female characters are displayed in clothes that underline their feminine features. Male characters are delineated with clothing that stresses on their physical strength, their muscular shape. In some instances, the costumes add to their figure, making them more shapely. For that a good example would be Batman from The Dark Knight Rises, whose armour makes his form more muscular. In comparison to him, Bane, one of the main antagonists, can be seen mostly with bare upper-body, as he has an uncommonly rugged body. A similar comparison can be drawn between Thor and Loki from Marvel's the Avengers. Thor, who is a member of The Avengers, is very manly in appearance, but his brother, the villain, Loki, has rather fragile characteristics. When a female character is portrayed in a figure-hugging, thin-layered, revealing attire, it can be associated with an element of objectification theory. As Langton argues (2010), one can be found to be objectified if they are reduced to be identified with their bodies, body parts, or with their appearance, their attractiveness. In some cases in our research, we have found that to be adequate. Some female portrayals resembled the notion of reduction to appearance or a high emphasis was put on their look. As an illustration, Severine from Skyfall, apart from her minor role in the movie, is a good example. Her appearance and character is highly sexualized, stressing on her womanlike attribute. Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises, is 55

another character, that is shown with inappropriate clothing, especially during scenes that involve her engaging in physical activity. We see her with high heels and tight clothing that is not functional. This applies also to Black Widow from Marvel's The Avengers, as their costumery is almost identical. These findings can be associated with an aspect of male gaze theory as well. It is argued by Mulvey (1989), that women can be described as isolated, glamorous, on display, sexualized. (Mulvey, 1989, p.21) This description can be applied to these characters. Also, these portrayals contribute to the pleasure of being looked at. In the male gaze theory, it is stated that the man is looking, while the woman is looked at. On the other hand, we get acquainted with costumes on female characters that are not particularly effeminate, or in any way objectifying. Even though, Katniss from The Hunger Games is a young female character, her clothing does not differ from the male characters`. Accordingly, M from Skyfall, is not shown in that way either, although, we need to acknowledge that older female characters are rarely portrayed in a sexualized way. In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, there is no significant difference between Lady Lorien`s and the other elves` attire. 6.2 Content analysis on screen and speaking time This segment of our work serves to correlate our derived data from the content analysis to our theoretical base, as we aim to understand our data in relation to the components of our theories. We have conducted our content analysis by using screen time and speech time as our variables. Combining the two indicated the ratio of all main male and female characters as well as the proportion of their presence and conversational engagement. When the ratio is at the first level, namely at 50 percent, then the screen time and speaking time is equitable. Our findings were unfavorable for the female characters, as in all five movies, it is indicated that the male characters` speaking time is above the ratio of one, whereas female characters are below it. Consequently, it can be argued that there is significantly less focus on the discourse of female characters. According to Mulvey In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female (Mulvey, 1989: 19), This signifies the apparent necessity for the presence and not the discourse of female characters. The dominant character in movies, as Mulvey argues, is often the male, 56

while the dominated is the female. Aligning passivity with femininity and activity with masculinity is the main rationale Mulvey argues for. Similarly, whilst discussing the top 100 Box Office movies of 2012, Smith (2013) concluded that the speaking time of female characters is the lowest of the last five years, since 2008. Women in movies are more likely to be portrayed in a silent manner, usually by lacking the capacity to formulate their own sentiment. This exemplifies to objectification by means of Silencing as defined by Langton (2009) who added this to Nussbaum s seven components of objectification. An illustration of this may be observed in The Hunger Games where the main protagonist is a woman who carries the crucial values of the movie. Yet, we discovered that approximately two-thirds of all speaking time belongs to the male characters, leaving only one-third for the female. This clearly depicts the fact that male characters dominate the speaking time. As a part of our content analysis, we have used the Bechdel test that can be linked to our original findings, where three out of five movies passed the test. In relation to the Male Gaze theory, two women being present at the same place, yet not communicating with each other makes them passive. (Mulvey, 1989: 19) Chapter.7 Conclusion And Discussion Conclusion Throughout our project we present five films; we use content and interpretative analysis to extract data and later on we analyse them in relation to the theories of our choice. We use interpretative analysis to systemise the films and extract certain features and aspects that we later analyse in relation to theories. The films were watched by the group and analysed in different aspects. Our findings, that are presented in chapter 5 are later analysed further on in chapter 6. In the first part of the conclusion we will present our main findings; in the second part of the conclusion we will shortly discuss our findings in relation to their relevance and finally we will present some limitations of our work together with suggestions of different strategies that could be used to answer same or similar research question. We analysed five Box Office films using quantitative and qualitative analysis. Quantitative analysis revealed significant difference between male and female screen and speaking times. Male characters screen and speaking time ratio is nearly two and 57

a half times higher in comparison to that of the female characters. Additionally using the Bechdel test has shown that female characters are underrepresented in numbers and the action aspects in the films. The interpretation analysis revealed structure of the analysed films, main ideas communicated and values being pursued. Furthermore, deeper meaning was extracted in relation to the main characters in the films. Important aspects such as costumes and relationships were studied. Further in our work we examine our findings through a lensis of two different theories and our specific definition of objectification. The findings from theory analysis reveal some tendencies, that are common for three, to some extend four of our analysed films. The general trend is that most of the main characters submit to the main aspects of the theories we use. Male characters are in most main roles bearing the meaning and the ideology of the films. They are portrayed in a similar manner representing similar traits such as strength or cruelty, dominance and activity. They also possess super powers more often than female characters and furthermore are more often showed in possession of important power symbolizing assets, such as cars and large guns; costumes tend to enhance the tendency. Male characteristics are more often related to victory and male characters are more often showed as survivors and victors in the films. Female characters in comparison tend to be portrayed in secondary roles, supporting the meaning of the films, primarily expressed by male characters. Female characters are more often than male portrayed as erotic objects, defined by their femininity rather than their actions. Even in cases where female characters are shown possessing some masculine features such as strength, activity, ability to fight, those characteristics are neutralised by supplement of very feminine features or assets such as sentimentality, sexualised appearence, tight clothing, high heels etc. For the bigger part of the films we can conclude that female characters tend to be portrayed in objectifying manner more often than male. Furthermore, in cases of female characters, objectification is mostly executed through different aspects described in the Male Gaze theory. Female characters are often positioned on the receiving side of the gaze (Mulvey, 1989) in different ways, which we explore earlier in the work. Other ways of objectifying that we describe in our objectification definition are also present periodically in the films. 58

Objectification regarding the male characters appears significantly less throughout the films. There are characters and scenes that could be argued to be objectifying toward male characters; however, as we argue in chapter 6, those instances only submit to some single features from our objectification description - one or some of the 10 criteria (Nussbaum, 1995; Langton, 2009). One film stands out notably in relation to objectification. The Hunger Games, as we demonstrate throughout our analysis, relates to very few aspects of our description of objectification and the aspects that could be considered objectifying are not connected to gender but rather serving the general ideas of the film. We thus conclude that The Hunger Games is relatively objectification free. Altogether we can conclude that portrayal of men and women in relation to objectification differs in frequency as well as in ways it is being exercised. While female characters tend to be objectified more often and more explicitly by several aspects of our definition, male characters are objectified less frequently. In the occasions male objectification does happen, it submits to less aspect in our definition and is, as we showed in our work, debatable. Discussion We have throughout our work analysed the tendencies of female and male portrayal in relation to objectification. As we present in the conclusion, women are generally more affected by the occurrence and thus we want to shortly present some of effects of objectification. Due to limited volume of the project we did not examine the societal input of objectification. However we would like to present some of different information that we found relevant and could be used in further research. The input of objectification is a contradictory topic among researchers. Munro and Huon (2005), point out that research has shown television being tied with body discontent. According to Murnen and Smolak objectification will lead to females turning the objectification, which they meet in everyday life into themselves. They will judge themselves by the narrow standards of attractiveness (Murnen & Smolak, 2011, p. 726). This phenomenon has been connected in relation with eating disorders, depression, and sexual dysfunction (Murnen & Smolak, 2011, p.728). Graff, Murnen and Smolak makes the point that this standard of attractiveness will reach young children, and that young girls may believe that there are rewards for 59

appearing alluring (Graff, Murnen & Smolak, 2012). A research described by Murnen and Smolak, claims that four out of five children viewing film content with different characters saw positive social qualities associated with the pleasant appearance of characters (Murnen and Smolak, 2011). Frederickson and Roberts (1997) describes power in a pleasant appearance, they go further on and point out that attractive women have a higher chance of being successful in getting accepted to college and having a promising stance in the job market. However, considering the same phenomenon from the other angle Graff, Murnen and Smolak claim that sexualized women can be seen as not being capable enough in the job-market. Graff, Murnen and Smolak (2012) describe an experiment where a man, who is the executor of jobinterviews, is primed with sexual objectifying ads before the interview. He will in general take notice of the women s appearance more than her qualifications; but if he is primed with non-objectifying ads he will notice her qualifications rather than her appearance (Graff, Murnen & Smolak, 2012). Here the core dilemma is, as presented by Graff, Murnen and Smolak (2012), that in media, women are encouraged to have a sexualised exterior, yet they are punished for sexual activity. If we investigate further in the spectrum of these effects, it is shown by Milburn, Mather and Conrad (2000) that watching objectifying material in films do have a clear effect on the way men view women. In their research, they measured men s willingness to rape a woman in a rape scenario described to them. In cases where the men were not exposed to an objectifying film, one out of twenty of them said they would, while if they were exposed to objectifying material almost four out of twenty said they would rape the woman in the rape scenario. An all-round effect for all participants was less empathy with the victim after viewing objectifying material (Milburn, Mather & Conrad, 2000). On the other hand, it is also pointed out by Graff, Murnen and Smolak (2012), that some women describe feeling more empowered by dressing more sexually appealing and reaping the power as earlier described (Graff, Murnen & Smolak, 2012). Furthermore, McElroy (2006) argues, in her paper A Feminist Overview of Pornography, against the perception of objectification as degrading. Though her work is more focused on sexual objectification, she poses a viable argument; Usually, the term 'sex objects' means showing women as 'body parts', reducing them to physical objects. ( ) Women are as much their bodies as they are their minds or souls. No one gets upset if you present women as 'brains' or as 'spiritual beings'. If I 60

concentrated on a woman's sense of humor to the exclusion of her other characteristics, is this degrading? Why is it degrading to focus on her sexuality? (McElroy, 2006). Mather and Conrad (2000), draw attention to Dr. Leonore Tiefer. She presents an argument that stifling pornography will not help in improving women's rights. Instead she points out that one should have usage of empowerment, not protection (Milburn, Mather & Conrad, 2000, p. 96). Author suggests that banning pornography will not be effective, instead she propose that women should express their sexuality and take control of it. Furthermore, she indicates that pornography might have a positive effect in women learning to embrace their sexuality as women (Tiefer, 1993). Throughout our work we have discovered some significant instances of female objectification and we consider the discussion above to be an interesting and fruitful field for further research on an actual impact of objectifying media on different segments of society. Chapter.8 Biblography Books and articles Aakvaag, Gunnar et al, (2012), Sociology: Scandinavian Sensibilities,Pearson Education Limited. Appadurai, Arjun, 2005, The Media and Globalization, Public Worlds, vol.1, Sage Publications. Berkman, RI 1994, Find It fast: how to uncover expert information on any subject, HarperPerennial.. Bryman, Alan, 2004, Social Research Methods, Second Edition, Sage Publications. Bryman, Alan, 2013, Social Research Methods, Forth Edition, Sage Publications. Bushman, Brad J.; Anderson, Craig A., Jun-Jul 2001, Media Violence and the American Public - Scientific Facts Versus Media Misinformation, American Psychologist, Vol 56(6-7). Carson, David; Gilmore, Audrey; Perry, Chad and Gronhaug, Kjell, 2001, Qualitative Marketing Research, Sage Publications. Chaudhuri, Shohini, 2006, Feminist Film Theorists: Laura Mulvey, Kaja Silverman, Teresa de Lauretis, and Barbara Creed, Routledge Critical Thinkers. Croteau, David; Hoynes William, Milan Stefania, 2012, Media/Society, Media Influential in Society, 4 th edition, Part 1, Pine Forge Press. 61

Eagly Alice H.; Carli, Linda L., 2003, The female leadership advantage: An evaluation for the evidence, The Leadership Quarterly 14: 807-834. Frederickson, Barbara L. & Roberts, Tomi-Ann. (1997), Psychology of Women Quaterly. Objectification Theory - Toward Understanding Women s Lived Experiences and Mental Health Risks. Friedl, Ernestine P., 1978, Society and Sex Roles, Human Nature, Article 23. Gerbner, George, 1998, Mass Communication & Society, Cultivation Analysis: An Overview, Scholarly Milestones Essay. Giddens, Anthony, Pierson, Christopher, 1998, Conversations with Anthony Giddens Making Sense of Modernity, Polity Press. Gilbert, Nigel et al., 2008, Researching Social Life, 3rd edition, Sage Publications. Graff, Kaitlin; Murnen, Sarah K. & Smolak, Linda, 2012 Too Sexualized To Be Taken Seriously? Perceptions of a Girl in Childlike vs. Sexualizing Clothing, published online, Springer Science + Business Media. Heywood, Andrew, 2013, Politics, 4th edition, Palgrave Macmillan. Heldman, Kim, 2011, Project Management JumpStart, third edition, Wiley. Karioris, Frank.G., 2012, The Subject and the Object of Gender: Men, Women Becoming the Subject of One`s Own Story, Good Men Project. McCombs, Maxwell E., Shaw, Donald L., 1972, The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media. The Public Opinion Quarterly. Goffman, Ering, 1979, Gender Advertisements, Harvard University Press. Gurevitch, Michael; Bennett, Tony; Curran, James; Woollacott Janet, 1982, Culture, society and the media, Methuen & Co. Ltd MacKinnon, Catharine A., 1992, Only Words, Harvard University Press. Milburn, Michael A.; Mather, Roxanne & Conrad, Sheree D., 2000, The Effects of Viewing R-rated Movie Scenes That Objectify Women on Perceptions of Date Rape, Psychology Department, University of Massachusets /Boston. Monro, Fiona & Huon, Gail, 2005, Media-Portrayed Idealized Images, Body Shame, and Appearance Anxiety, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, Wiley Periodicals. Mulvey, Laura, 1989, Visual and Other Pleasures, Palgrave. Murnen, Sarah.K.; Smolak Linda, 2011, Social Considerations Related to Adolescent Girls Sexual Empowerment: A Response to Lamb and Peterson, Feminist Forum. Nussbaum, Martha, 1995, Objectification, Sexualisation and Conservative Hypocrisy Volume 24, Issue 4. Nussbaum, Martha,1999, Sex and Social Justice, Oxford University Press. Langton, Rae, 2009, Sexual Solipsism: Philosophical Essays on Pornography and Objectification, Oxford University Press. Power, Nina, 2009, One-Dimensional Woman, Zero Books. Rantanen, Terhi, 2005, Giddens and the `G` word, An interview with Anthony Giddens, Global Media and Communication, Volume 1(1): 63 77 Schneider D.J. (2004), The Psychology of Stereotyping, The Gullford Press. Smith, Stacy L. ; Choueiti, Marc; Scofield, Elizabeth & Pieper, Katherine, 2013, Gender Inequality in 500 Popular Films: Examining On-Screen Portrayals and Behind-the-Scenes Employment Patterns in Motion Pictures 62

Released between 2007-2012, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California. Stets, Jan E. & Burke, Peter J., 2000, Femininity/Masculinity, Encyclopedia of Sociology, Revised Edition, Macmillan.. Stokoe E.H. (2004), Gender and discourse, gender and categorization: current developments in language and gender research, Qualitative Research In Psychology, Volume 1, Issue 2. Tiefer, Leonora, 1993, Some Harms to Women from Restrictions on Sexually Related Expression, New York Law School Law Review. Yazdan, Masoud, 2011, Why Does Film Matter?, Intellect Books. Web sources The Average Dane, 2013, Statistics Denmark, viewed 6 November 2013 http://www.dst.dk/en/statistik/emner/gennemsnitsdanskeren.aspx Bechdel Test Movie List Statistics, 2012, viewed 18 November 2013 http://bechdeltest.com/generated/years_bars.png EICAR The International Film & Television School- Paris, viewed 16 December 2013 http://www.eicar-international.com/definition-film.html Feminist Perspectives on Objectification, 2011, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, viewed 17 November 2013 http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-objectification/ McElroy, Wendy 2008, A Feminist Overview of Pornography -- Ending in a Defense Thereof, viewed 13 December 2013 http://www.wendymcelroy.com/freeinqu.htm Miller, Gina, The Consequences of the Male Gaze and Sexual Objectification, Gina Miller E-Portfolio, viewed 13 December 2013 http://ginacalnan.pbworks.com/f/themalegaze.pdf Overview of UN General Assembly (CEDAW), Unated Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, viewed 6 November 2013 http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/ Papadaki, Evangelia (Lina), 2012, Feminist Perspectives on Objectification, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2012/entries/femini sm-objectification/ Women, Unated Nations website, viewed 6 November 2013 http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/women/ Non-academic web sources for general information about films The Avengers, Internet Movie Database, viewed 14 December 2013 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848228/?ref_=nv_sr_1 Child, Ben 2012, The Hobbit works as a trilogy, says Peter Jackson, The Guardian, viewed 28 October 2013 http://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/dec/06/the-hobbit-anunexpected-journey-peter-jacksonculturefilmthe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey The Dark Knight Rises, Internet Movie Database, viewed 14 December 2013 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/?ref_=nv_sr_1 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Internet Movie Database, viewed 13 December http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/?ref_=nv_sr_2 63

The Hunger Games, Internet Movie database, viewed 14 December 2013 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/?ref_=nv_sr_2 The Hunger Games, Scholastic, viewed 15 November 2013 http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/about-the-books.htm McHanlon, John 2012, The 10 Best Things About Chris Nolan s Dark Knight Trilogy, Screen Rant, viewed 5 November 2013 http://screenrant.com/batman-dark-knight-trilogy-best-parts/ Milestone: 'The Avengers' Becomes No. 3 Pic of All Time With $1.331 Billion, Hollywood Reporter, viewed 28 November 2013 http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-milestoneavengers-number-three-332331 Skyfall, Internet Movie Database, viewed 14 December 2013 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1074638/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 Skyfall - Official Movie Site, viewed 5 November 2013 http://www.skyfall-movie.com/site/ 64