E-Journal Entry 1- January 28, 2009

Media is omnipotent. It’s everywhere…that simple. Yet, we often don’t take time to analyze the effect media plays on us and the dominating role media and its corporate counterparts play on our society. Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, a meeting of the minds concurs in NDSU’s Politics of Popular Culture, where we dissect the true hold media has on society.

Politics of Popular Culture (PPC) is more than just watching TV and looking at ads; it’s about answering the questions and dissecting the concepts presented to us. What is the feminine ideal? Does media’s portrayal of gender really affect our own gender identity? Is there a “crisis of masculinity”? We may have to face that some of the questions may never be truly answered, but as media critics we need to realize that they do actually connect to our real life media intakes.

ABC’s Desperate Housewives is a cultural phenomenon. The show last Sunday, Jan. 25 (which was a re-run) attracted just over 6.5 million viewers, according to TV by the Numbers website. Men and women alike are attracted the primetime “soap opera” shown every Sunday evening, and I admit, I am one of the 6.5 million viewers who tuned in last Sunday. I am a Desperate fan.



But, maybe it’s time for me to analyze the gender roles and stereotypes Desperate portrays. Maybe there is more behind the drama filled storyline than I thought.

David Gauntlett brings attention to interesting and realistic concepts on gender portrayals in his text: Media, Gender and Identity. With the help of class discussions and Ganutlett's text, I am going to dig deeper into his idea of "demasculizing" male characters. Finally, I will dissect the female stereotypes created in the show and bring attention to the combination of "post-feminism" characters while still using 1950 and 1960's traditional ideals.

Morphing Male Characters and Tempering of "Machismo"
From Mike, the plumber, to Orson, Bree's devoted husband, or Tom, the house-dad; Desperate has created many levels to their male characters.

"...the depiction of masculinity has become less straightforward, and more troubled," Gauntlett points out in chapter four.

For example, Carlos, Gaby's (Eva Longoria) husband was once a greedy, rich business man and gave Gaby whatever she wanted, but when he lost his sight and couldn't work, his stereotypical arrogant male character disappeared. In fact, Carlos didn't want to go back to his powerful career, he wanted to help others, and in this case, his sensitive and caring personality won out.



Another example of the more complex, multi-level male character is shown through Orson, Bree's husband. Orson is created to be a much more feminine male character. As cliche as it is, "it is obvious who wears the pants in the family" and it isn't Orson. For example, watch this clip where Bree was bluntly called out for demasculizing her husband. (This is the full episode, the clip I am pointing out starts at 7:00 and ends at 8:35. You may possibly have to click into Episode 12.)

However, Orson doesn't always mind. He understands the role each partner plays in the relationship and appreciates the agreement that they have came too. Later in the show, he points out to Bree how he respects her dominating role in their household.

I don't think we consider enough analyzing the male characters in dominating female shows, but nonetheless, I think Desperate Housewives is very modern in their male gender identities. Just like many TV ensembles, each character has their own quirks and differences, but on Desperate they stay consistent by giving males a more complex personality. I applaud them, because I feel they created realistic male characters.

The Ladies of Desperate Housewives:
A Combination of Post-Feminist and Traditional Roles

Directed towards female audiences, Desperate Housewives has many different types of women characters that reflect the variety of women in the world today. One thing to point out, it that Desperate does break from traditional norms in gender ratios in media pointed out by Gauntlett on page 63 of his text:

In prime-time TV shows, 1992-1993, men took 61% of the total number of speaking roles, with women having the other 39%. The 1995-96 study found that men took 63% of the speaking roles, with women having the other 37%.

Desperate is an out lier, especially as the five main characters of the show are female. The whole storyline focuses on their drama filled lives, and their husbands/love affairs are just a spin off.

More importantly though, each woman has her own character with flaws and strengths. Yet, even with their differences they all are a symbol of the feminine character portrayed today on television. I especially want to bring attention to the combination of "postfeminism" and traditional femininity characteristics in the Desperate ladies. This analysis is similar to my last critic on the multi-level male as I believe that today we also witness the multi-level female and the media mongrel of Desperate Housewives encourages it.

One of the characters that show a traditional representation of gender in the past is character, Bree Van De Camp, played by Marcia Cross. Bree is the typical 1950's housewife...in some sense.
When comparing both pictures, it's easy to find similarities. The first picture is a classic image of the 1950's housewife that was the cover of many magazines. Gauntlett explains the image of "blissful domesticity" is more than a stereotype, however.

" The advice offered to women was not about how to fulfill their own potential, but was instead focused on bringing happiness to their family. Unlike some stereotypes, this one was based on reality: these mags and ads really did exist," Gauntlett explains on page 54 of his text.

However, while Bree may appear to be the "perfect housewife" as ABC's website for the show describes, she still isn't the typical 1950's stereotype. Bree excels in classic femininity in the way that she entertains and presents a perfect household, but Bree's dream isn't to "to impress her authoritative, working husband by using the latest kitchen accessory or washing powder," like Gauntlett claims was the typical housewife's goal.

As I previously mentioned, Bree normally dominates her relationships. She doesn't keep up her charade for her husband, she chooses to keep up the charade for herself. This is an example of "post feminism backlash," a concept we discussed in class.

After the push of feminism, we saw many texts alter their female characters to reflect the new ideals.

"Some shows, of course, put successful professional women at the forefront, and have focused on their quests for sex, pleasure and romantic love," Gauntlett writes on page 65 of his text.

Desperate Housewives is one of those shows that fit perfectly in the "post feminism" age. It shows strong characters that want more out of life than a family and a husband. The women are not afraid to show embrace their sexuality and be proud of being temptation to men. Their sexuality is brought to the forefront with their ad below. The actresses are laying in a bed of apples, referring to the temptation of Adam and Eve and playing up their control over men and pleasure.



While the show contrasts with gender representation of the past, it still points out a very important concept that came about as a reaction to the feminist movement: that women have the right to choose.

Bree Van De Camp is a perfect example of how media today often blends different generational representations of women. Bree is the 1950's housewife, but she has strong personal values and is independent of her husband. This character recognized the need for gender equality that is represented in today's media, however, she chose to continue on with the traditional role women played in the past. Her "backlash against feminism" isn't much of a backlash, but is more of a personal choice to keep strong the good parts of femininity of the past with modern ideals of today.

Conclusion
Desperate Housewives may be a "prime-time soap opera" to some, but it also is a useful text for analyzing gender stereotypes. The show is atypical as it is a female dominated show, but it still provides insight on both male and female media representation. The male characters show many different complex levels to their personality, something that Gauntlett points out as a growing trend in media. The female representation is similar though. Media is addressing the issue of "post- feminism" but it is even going one step forward and acknowledging the idea of "feminism backlash." Many characters on the show embrace their sexuality and independence, while also striving to maintain a working, functional household for their families. They chose to embrace both traditions of today and of the past to create a more balanced character. I appreciate that both can be represented in the show, because I feel many young women hope that for themselves some day. These multi-level characters are a step in the right direction since, let's be realistic, they exist in everyday life.