How Hollywood Demonizes Femininity

As we know, media has a huge influence on society. The way it portrays different characters, situations, and themes is what people consume and learn from. When there are no clear examples of good behavior or moral lessons, then more likely than not, they will use that as an example for their own lives.

Media also teaches us about ourselves. We look at our personal biases and decide if these things are positive or negative for us.

Hollywood today seems to have a very low opinion of women. They portray strong women as over-the-top dramatic and emotional, which is never attractive. Emotional females are sometimes said to be too dependent upon men, which is another reason why most men find them unattractive.

On the other hand, men are often portrayed as powerful and self-confident, both qualities that are considered attractive.

In fact, many theories about male attractiveness suggest confidence as one of the top traits. Unfortunately though, this isn’t always the case in mainstream culture. A lot of times men who think they are confident may be seen as arrogant instead.

Another stereotype about men is that they like lots of sex. This is definitely not true everywhere, but it is popularized in some TV shows, movies, and books. In fact, some male oriented genres even focus on having as much sex as possible!

There was a time when this wasn’t the case however.

They portray women as being self-centered

Many films feature female characters that are totally focused on themselves for their own personal growth or improvement. This is very rarely seen in male oriented media, where character development often comes more from interactions with others and understanding of other people’s points of view.

In recent years though, we have started to see this kind of characterisation of women emerge in popular culture. Films like The Hunger Games and Beauty And The Beast show strong independent females who strive to achieve their dreams but also acknowledge their need for emotional connection.

However, these types of movies are extremely rare. Most examples you will find are either completely misogynistic (e.g. All About My Baby) or romantic comedy tropes (e.g. Mean Girls).

These types of stories seem to heavily rely on sexist caricatures of feminisic qualities, usually characterized by them thinking about themselves first and never considering anyone else's needs.

They portray women as being jealous

Recent examples include the actress who accused her co-star of making sexually suggestive comments, while also accusing him of threatening violence; or the actor who was fired for allegedly throwing his phone at another person’s face during an argument.

These incidents seem to indicate that some men in media feel entitled to sexual attention from attractive people, even if it is not wanted or asked for. This attitude towards sexuality is damaging and sexist, because it teaches men that they are worthy of such attention and praise, instead of feeling that they have to work hard to earn it.

This perception then encourages them to believe that their sex appeal is more important than what they do with their lives, which can lead to mental health issues.

By portraying women as being “jealous” or “envious” of other women’s good looks, society gives male celebrities power over us. By associating beautiful things with jealousy, they subtly tell women that we are to blame for his beauty.

This can be extremely harmful to young girls, whose self esteem may take a nosedive after being made to feel inadequate because of their own appearance. It can also put pressure on already insecure individuals to match these appearances so as not to be seen as ‘bad’ or ‘unpretty’.

They portray women as being bossy

In addition to portraying strong, powerful men, Hollywood also demonises feminine qualities. Women are portrayed as having to be constantly commanded by their husbands or boyfriends, or even themselves.

This is very common in action films where the heroine has to save the day with her wits while her man looks on passively. She must ask for his help before he will actually do anything!

In romantic comedies, the woman always needs to be convinced that she should give into a guy’s demands because she feels something for him.

She must convince herself that he is the one for her before she can trust him enough to let go and enjoy life.

And in stories about power, women need to learn how to assert themselves so they don’t get pushed aside and ignored.

These attitudes hurt society at large because people who grow up thinking that it’s wrong to want what you want and demand respect from others may end up not seeking out these experiences until much later in life.

But we need self-confidence, we need to know what we deserve, and we need to feel safe in order to strive for our dreams.

They portray women as being aggressive

In media, we see an epidemic of over-sexualized female characters that appeal to men’s insecurities about their own sexuality.

These character types are very different from what most people would consider feminine. The term "feminine" is typically associated with qualities like compassion, empathy, and desire to help others. These traits are totally absent in many popular movie heroines.

Instead, they emphasize sexiness at all costs, which often includes emphasizing body parts that are rarely seen in real life (e.g., large breasts or a small waist).

This effect goes both ways. By portraying more masculine male characters, we get messages about how men should be. Messages that say, for example, that it's okay to be aggressive and strong take away important lessons such as, "It's not acceptable to be strong."
or "You shouldn't treat your partner kindly because you don'd rather have someone who will put up with your bad behavior than one who wants your happiness."

Overall, this effects how our society functions. We no longer feel comfortable acting in way that are outside of gender norms.

They portray women as being unattractive

A growing number of people in this world believe that modern-day feminism is very much to blame for our current state of affairs. Some claim that feminists are just ugly, hateful individuals who want to destroy not only men, but also the feminine ideal.

This perception is most common among those with no experience interacting with feminist activists or members of the feminist community. Because there are so many stereotypes about what it means to be a feminist, some think that just by being a feminist, you’re automatically looking to hurt others.

Furthermore, because feminists have media exposure, they often come across as loud, obnoxious, and outspoken - which isn’t always appreciated.

However, while these things may be true at times, they can sometimes go too far.

They portray women as not being smart

Many films make it seem like all women are dumb, beautiful fools that do nothing but look pretty. This is very misleading to young people who may find themselves thinking that this is what women are supposed to be in our society.

It teaches girls around the world that their place is to stay at home and have babies while their husbands work hard so they can eat well.

This is totally false! We will talk more about why in another article, but for now just know that these movies contribute to the stereotype that has been perpetuated for years - that of the weaker gender.

Weaker gender? What does that mean?! It means men are given higher value than women. A few examples of this include:

* Men are paid better than women for the same job (this includes pay raises)
* People give boys bigger balls (no pun intended)
* Boys are encouraged to play football and other sports more frequently than girls

These things show that men are given greater importance over women. And since women are made to feel weak and inferior, they believe that if something bad happens to them, there’s little they can do about it.

Because of this, many women don’t seek help when they need it because they think no one will understand or care.

Another reason why some women don’t come forward is due to fear of prejudice and discrimination.

They portray women as not being creative

In many popular movies, female characters are either totally dependent on or completely controlled by men. This is very limiting for their potential lifestyles because it assumes that they will always have a partner.

This also contributes to an unhealthy culture where people feel like they need to be in a relationship to prove themselves as successful or worthy.

In these stories, women lack self-confidence and believe that everything they do must be perfect since it could be criticized.

They feel pressured about what colors to wear and whether to make expensive purchases.

These stories contribute to our society which says that having a lot of money means you are wealthy and powerful, so why not strive to look rich?

It creates a perception that anyone who does not live a luxurious lifestyle is lacking in success. Many people outside this group feel discouraged when they see people living modestly, because it seems like they cannot achieve their goal.

This influence can be seen everywhere - from advertisements telling us how to use our looks to create more confidence, to movie plots where women are undermined for going after what they want.

The media gives off mixed messages about beauty and success, making it hard to find your inner strength balance.

Many people learn that being pretty makes you happy, but it is never easy to know if those pictures of beautiful people were put there purposefully.

They portray women as not being independent

A common theme in many popular movies is how much men depend on, rely on, and trust women. This dependence is usually framed in terms of romantic relationships or business partnerships.

In these stories, the male character often makes significant decisions after consulting with his female partner. In some cases she even comes to him with ideas instead of doing her own thing.

This perception of women has become increasingly prevalent in our society. It seems like every week we are reading about another case of a man posting pictures or videos online without checking first for whether there were children present.

Or how about the reports of powerful men using their position to take advantage of less powerful people? We have heard of too many examples to count of rich guys taking full benefits of the health care system while leaving most of the paying for their drinks and meals to others.

These acts are so frequent that they form a pattern. People learn by example and then apply what they see to themselves and other individuals.

With this growing dependency culture, it becomes more difficult to identify as an individual. You are expected to conform rather than be defined by your personal beliefs and values.

It also puts a lot of pressure on women to satisfy men at all costs. If you do not agree to go somewhere or do something, someone else can feel discouraged or even rejected.

Many times women come away from a movie feeling bad about themselves.