It’s now 2012. And even in the last 50 or so years, things have changed incredibly whether it be through technological development or through society. Through the recent study of Collective Identity in our A2 Media Studies area, one of the main things to discuss is homosexuality, and an insight into how this is represented in cinema, television or just within its cultural acceptance.
It is clear to see that we, universally, have become a more acceptant of races, gender and sexuality, etc… But it would be ignorant to say that everything is fine now, and that nothing is a problem, because there are still people out there that have very strong and negative views on homosexuality in particular.
There are tonnes and tonnes of shows on tv, or films which depict a stereotypical character of a gay or lesbian orientation, and with this stereotypical image comes judgement and prejudice. If you had to sum up in general an average gay guy, I’m pretty sure you’d describe them as camp, feminine, maybe a girly voice that uses words like ‘oh fabulous!’, likes musicals and shopping. And if you had to sum up a general lesbian female, you may say they’d be quite butch, short boyish hair, piercings, camoflauge jeans and a tank top. However, there is also the male fantasy of the lesbian which is completely different, which would consist of a tanned, slim, ‘hot’ female with big boobs, which is mostly been depicted from pornography.
It is a common theme to know that homosexuality is a sin within many religions and there has been a huge uproar recently when same-sex marriages have been happening. It becomes evident that people have very different views on the matter entirely, some people are totally against it, some people don’t particularly mind it but don’t want it flashed in their face all the time, and some are just completely fine about it and love and embrace the homosexual culture. However, this opinion isn’t just taken from heterosexual people, it is a known issue that many gay or lesbian people themselves, actually hate their sexuality and feel ‘dirty and unnatural’. And this problem comes from the stereotypical depiction placed on homosexuals and the way that the world conceives them. On the other hand, there are many homosexuals who are so open about their sexuality that it can often seem like they’re conforming to the stereotype as an act. Take for example, Alan Carr, now obviously I don’t personally know him so I can’t say whether he is actually like that behind closed doors or it is just for the media, but he acts very verrry camp, makes innuendos about other men, has a high pitched voice and uses sentences like ‘oh you go girlfriend!’, all of which are very loud statements which can create either a positive/happy or a negative/annoying persona.
However it’s not just homosexuality that has been creating a stir in recent media years. Lately, there has been much talk about gender identity disorder, and with much relation to a particular 4 year old boy, Zach Avery, who wants to be a girl so much after becoming obsessed with Dora The Explorer, that when he was 3 he tried to cut his own privates off and wore all girls clothing and insists on being called Zachy. This particular story provoked a lot of controversy, and after reading many news articles and reports, it’s clear to see that there are very split concerns on the case. Zach is the youngest person to ever be diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder, but I can’t help but think that… it must be remembered that this little boy is 4 years old. I remember being 4 and believing I was genuinely a fairy after watching Peter Pan. I know this is a completely different example but at the age of 4, our brains are by no means fully or even partly developed in terms of understanding our surroundings and discovering the boundaries of our curiousity. Of course a lot of research and analysing went into decided if Zach had GID afterall, and he may well wish to be a girl his whole life, but right now, it may be too young to place such a disorder on a child. Perhaps this child has been given too much rein and free will, which has led his disorder to become so extreme. It’s such a vast area to talk about. I suppose if the situation was a little different and the child was a teenager, then it would be understandable and acceptable. This links well with another report on parents who have been bringing up their child completely gender-neutral, not telling anybody if they are a girl or boy and letting their own child decide what gender they wish to be when they are ready, despite their genitalia. Now, I know that we should be allowed to wear what we want, believe in whatever we wish and live life to what we are in accordance with, but this child has been given no discipline or guidance whatsoever. To give a 2 year old complete rein of their life and their own moral decisions when they can’t even read or write is absurd. Again, if this person was older and decided they didn’t want to conform to a stereotypical gender, then fair enough. But it’s the fact that this child is only a toddler and has no idea about life other than what the mother is placing on him/her.
In class we’ve also been discussing the stereotypical gender roles that we naturally and unconsciously take on. For example, a typical stereotypical girl? Loves shopping, looking pretty with her hair and make-up, loves fashion, loves cute things like kittens and puppies, talks about crushes and love and girl problems and watches chick-flicks and cleans and cooks. And a stereotypical guy? Well he’d burp and fart, laze around watching football, love drinking beer, talk about sex constantly, talk about music and violence and farts and burps and the size of their willy. It’s madness that these stereotypes have been put on typical genders! But it’d be ignorant to intentionally NOT conform to a gender just to rebel against society, it’s political correctness gone way too far. Because at the end of the day, you know if you’re a male or a female. There is a difference, no matter what anybody says. Take it back to caveman times, as simple as it is, men would be very egotistic, strive to be the dominant male and be the leader of a group and hunt, whereas the woman would be more gentle, more nurturing, carry children etc… So whether you believe that it’s only media and society today that has put stereotypes on gender, you have to realise that in the beginnings of time, with NO invention of media etc etc, male and female had very different strengths and qualities which defines the difference. But I don’t think this is a bad thing. Of course it depends on the individuals personality too, but on a general level, if you look at a womans body, it is softer, more gentle, curvier, whereas a males is built more stronger, more defined in terms of muscle and just bigger than a female. And if a man decided to wear a dress, then of course I don’t see why that should really be a problem, it’s just a bit of material, but this should be done if that really is genuinely how the person wants to be perceived, and not just to intentionally rebel against society and cause problems, and make a headline story in the OK! Magazine for a bit of money. In my opinion, putting aside the cases of the toddlers with gender confusion, you should be whoever you want to be if that’s what you want to do. Regardless of what anybody thinks and says.
Chelsey's A2 Media Studies Blog 