subvertising

This subvertisement highlights the way that females are depicted as stupid and Aswariya Rai plays up to the stereotype which is conveyed through her ditzy expression. Typically, the central focus her face which in turn ignores her intellegence. Therefore she becomes an aspiration for the target audience and she has a large appeal because of cultural background.



However, this advert demonstrates the different way men andwomen think and the image further illustrates that women are simply sexual objects.




This image positions women as 'eye candy' and her sole purpose is to serve as entertainment for men.

Female directors

Sanaa Hamri
Born in Tangier, Morocco. Sanaa immigrated at the age of 17 to America where she study theatre at the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She is most famous for her music video directing; however in 2005 she began to direct films and series.

She studied theatre at the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College in New York. Shortly after receiving her degree, Hamri learned that legendary music video cinematographer Malik Sayeed was looking for an assistant to oversee his post-production company, Salaam Inc. . Hamri landed the job at Salaam Inc., where her duties primarily consisted of, as she describes it, “sitting in the office waiting for deliveries and answering phones.” But Hamri, a self-confessed workaholic, explored the machinery - “I had no editing skills when I started--nothing,” she recalls.
Her videos include but are not limited to Jadakiss's "U Make Me Wanna", Prince's "Musicology" and Mariah Carey's "Crybaby", Bringing On The Heartbreak, "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)", and Mariah Carey's unreleased video for "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life."

With a distinguished roster of high-profile artists including Mariah Carey, Destiny’s Child, Dr. Dre, Prince, Jay Z and India Arie, Hamri has proven that she is a force to be reckoned with—accomplishing this in just 3 years!
Mariah Carey was so impressed with Hamri’s work that she asked Hamri to direct her “Thank God I Found You” remix, since she has helmed several clips for Carey including her video for “Don’t Stop” featuring Mystikal and her video for “Cry Baby” featuring Snoop Dogg. Hamri also directed Carey’s “Oh Holy Night” clip, a special Christmas video to benefit children in need These projects were soon followed by videos for Bilal featuring Jadakiss “Fast Lane”, Destiny’s Child “8 Days of Christmas” and “Nasty Girl”, Solange “Feelin’ You”, Common featuring Mary J. Blige “Come Close to Me”, Kelly Rowland “Stole”, India.Arie “Little Things”, Heather Headley “He Is” and Jay Z “Song Cry”.

The films and episodes Sanaa directed include:
· The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
· "Men in Trees" (1 episode, 2007) - The Indecent Proposal (2007) TV episode
· "Desperate Housewives" (1 episode, 2007) - No Fits, No Fights, No Feuds (2007) TV episode
· The Adventures of Mimi (2007) (V)
· Something New (2006/I)
· Prince: The Art of Musicology (2004) (TV)
· Prince Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas (2003) (V)

Jamie Babbit
Jamie Babbit was born 16th November 1970, Ohio. She is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She studied West African Studies at Barnard College (graduating in 1993) and began taking film classes at New York University during her summer vacations. Babbit's partner is producer Andrea Sperling[4] with whom she has collaborated on several projects.
After graduating from Barnard in 1993, Babbit's first job was as a production assistant for Martin Scorsese on The Age of Innocence. After that she worked as a production assistant on John Sayles's The Secret of Roan Inish where she worked with fellow aspiring filmmakers Karyn Kusama and Jasmine Kosovic.

She directed the films But I'm a Cheerleader, The Quiet and Itty Bitty Titty Committee. She has also directed episodes of television programs including Gilmore Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, Nip/Tuck and The L Word. She is involved with film production company POWER UP.

But I'm a Cheerleader
In 1999, Babbit directed her first feature film, But I'm a Cheerleader. Starring Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall, it is a romantic comedy about a high school cheerleader who is sent to a so-called "reparative therapy" camp when her parents suspect she is a lesbian. The film was inspired by an article that Babbit read about a man who had been sent to a similar camp. The camp in the film was partly based on a halfway house for young people with drug and alcohol problems run by her mother. In 2000, the film won the Audience Award and the Graine de Cinéphage Award at the Créteil International Women's Film Festival, an annual French festival which showcases the work of female directors.

The Quiet
Babbit's second film was 2005 thriller film The Quiet. Starring Elisha Cuthbert and Camilla Belle, the plot revolves around a deaf girl who, when sent to live with her godparents, discovers some dark secrets about the family.

Television
Babbit has directed episodes of several television programs including Undressed, Popular, Maybe It's Me, The Bernie Mac Show, Malcolm in the Middle, Miss Match, Nip/Tuck, Gilmore Girls, Alias, Ugly Betty, Dirty Sexy Money and The L Word. She enjoys working in television because it helps her to "keep her skills up". She says that because television directors have less overall responsibility than film directors, she is able to concentrate on working with actors. Television work also enables her to earn money while pursuing her long term goals of making feature films.

POWER UP
Babbit is on the board of directors of non-profit organization and film production company POWER UP. Founded in 2000 by Stacy Codikow and Amy Shomer, POWER UP promotes the visibility of lesbians in entertainment and the media.Two of Babbit's films, Stuck and Itty Bitty Titty Committee were produced by POWER UP. She has also been involved with feminist group Guerrilla Girls and pro-choice groups.

Lucy walker
Lucy Walker (born in London, United Kingdom) is a film director, mostly of theatrical feature documentaries.

Lucy was born in London, United Kingdom, read English Language and Literature at New College, Oxford receiving first-class honors. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to attend the graduate film program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she won a contest to direct a video for Cowboy Junkies, directed three award-winning short films and received an MFA.

Lucy's directing credits include Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues, for which she was twice nominated for Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Directing, and Devil's Playground - Amish Teenagers in the Modern World, a feature-length documentary about the struggles of Amish teenagers during the period of rumspringa. Financed by HBO, Wellspring and Channel 4, Devil's Playground premiered at Sundance Film Festival and went on to many accolades and awards, including winning Sony-AFI digital Best Documentary Award as well as overall Best Film Award, a Special Jury mention at Karlovy-Vary Film Festival, Audience Award at Sarasota International Film Festival, and nominations for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary, and for three Emmys (for Best Documentary, Best Directing, and Best Editing). She was named one of the "Top 25 New Faces In Independent Film" by Filmmaker Magazine.

Films directed by Lucy include:

• Blindsight (2006/I)
• Devil's Playground (2002)
• "Blue's Clues" (1996) TV series (unknown episodes, 1998-2001)
• Blue's Birthday (1998) (V)

Samira Makhmalbaf
Samira Makhmalbaf was born February 15, 1977, Tehran and is an internationally acclaimed Iranian (Persian) filmmaker and script writer. She is the daughter of Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the film director and writer. Samira Makhmalbaf belongs to New wave movement of Iranian cinema. At the age of 20 Samira studied Psychology and Law at Roehampton University in London.

At the age of seven, she acted in Mohsen Makhmalbaf's film The Bicyclist. She left high school when she was 14, to learn cinema in the Makhmalbaf Film House for 5 years. At the age of 17, after directing two video productions, she went on to direct the movie The Apple. One year later, the 18 year old director went on to become the youngest director in the world participating in the official section of the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. The Apple has been invited to more than 100 international film festivals in a period of two years, while going to the screen in more than 30 countries.

In 1999, Samira made her second feature film, entitled The Blackboard and for the second time participated in the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival as the youngest director in the world, in 2000, this time winning the jury prize.

Samira Makhmalbaf has been the winner and nominee of numerous awards; winning a total of 15 awards for her works. Some of her achievements:
“Sutherland Trophy”, London Film Festival 1998, UK.
“International Critics prize”, Locarno Film Festival 1998, Switzerland.
“Jury’s Special prize”, Thessalonica Film Festival 1998, Greece.
“Jury’s Special prize”, São Paulo Film Festival 1998, Brazil.

Filmography
The Apple (Language: Persian)
The Blackboard (Language: Kurdish)
God, Construction and Destruction as part of 11'9''01 September 11 (Language: Persian)
At Five in the Afternoon (Language: Persian)
Two-Legged Horse

Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron (born May 19, 1941) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and blogger.
She is best known for her romantic comedies and is a triple nominee for the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay; for Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally... and Sleepless in Seattle. She sometimes writes with her sister, Delia Ephron.

Ephron was born in New York, New York, eldest of four daughters in a Jewish family and grew up in Beverly Hills; her parents, Henry and Phoebe Ephron, were both East Coast-born and raised screenwriters. Ephron's parents based Sandra Dee's character in the play and then Jimmy Stewart film Take Her, She's Mine on their 22-year-old daughter Nora and her letters to them from college. Ephron graduated from Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California in 1959.

Ephron graduated from Wellesley College and was briefly an intern in the White House of President John F. Kennedy.

Ephron got a job at the New York Post, where she stayed as a reporter for five years, after a satire she wrote lampooning the Post caught the editor's eye. Upon becoming a successful writer, she wrote a column on women's issues for Esquire. In this position, Ephron made a name for herself by taking on subjects as wide-ranging as Dorothy Schiff, her former boss and owner of the Post, Betty Friedan, whom she chastised for pursuing a feud with Gloria Steinem, and her alma mater Wellesley, which she said had turned out a generation of "docile" women. A 1968 send-up of Women's Wear Daily in Cosmopolitan resulted in threats of a lawsuit from WWD.
Some of the films include:
Producer, director, and screenwriter
(1996) Michael
(1998) You've Got Mail
(2005) Bewitched
(2009) Julie & Julia

Director and screenwriter
(1992) This Is My Life
(1993) Sleepless in Seattle
(1994) Mixed Nuts

Producer and screenwriter
(2000) Hanging Up
(1990) My Blue Heaven

Producer and director(2000) Lucky Numbers

The number of female directors can increase if:
· More females take an interest in this forte by exploring media and realising they can achieve these goals
· They are well balanced and manage family life by not letting interfere with their work
· Work with prestigious people or mingle with people who can enhance their skills

Women in adverts

Noticeably all the adverts are selling food and cleaning products as a woman’s traditional role is to be a housewife which these adverts conform to. Shockingly, pizza advert uses a blunt portrayal of the division of labour with the women being subject to her husband’s dominance. Her husband orders her yelling ‘chop chop’ to make a pizza and she gleefully makes it despites his rude attitude towards her. Stark contrast between the hard working rushed of her feet women and her lay about television junky man but the advert depicts these opposing positions as socially acceptable.

Sex objects

During the montage a modestly dressed young women rips of her skirt when she spills drink on it. It positions her from a formal woman to a sex object, maintaining that women are simply there to serve men.

Similarly, at the beginning of the adverts a women is attempting to fit in her jeans but she has clearly put on weight. Therefore she will have to diet in order to please her man- suggesting that women should satisfy their men and live up to men’s expectations.

Housewives (adverts include tide, whirlpool, hovers, Mr Muscle etc)
In one of the adverts a child drops the drink but as she goes to clean it the mum says ‘’It’s alright, I’ll clean up’’. Women are consistently being shown as domestic Goddesses that are satisfied with their role as house slave. These adverts are also inaccurate as they assume that all women stay at work and ignore the fact that an increasing number of women are now in paid labour and this figure is rising dramatically. Despite the family offering to assist the mum in hamburger helper as they say ‘’let’s give mum a hand’’. However, it is ‘mum’ who is doing the chores and is the leader whilst it is the other family member that help. Although ‘mum’ has full responsibility nobody offer to do the chores for her.

Stereotypes like multi-tasking are also displayed in the advert whilst the women is hovering she is carrying her baby. The ideal woman is illustrated as superhuman and somewhat flawless. The underlying message further exemplifies that perfection equals being a domestic Godesses and submissive to your partner; which the female voice encourages by telling women to behave in this manner.

Unusually even in cleaning adverts patriarchy is being promoted as the women is told by the controlling male voice over ‘’You’ll never clean the same way again’’ Mr Muscle rescues her from the burdens of cleaning. Even in areas that are considers a women’s domain it is men that teach women the way succeed.



The lighting mainly focuses the models breast to enlarge them and make the model appear more curvaceous. Moreover, dehumanisation ignores the women’s contributions and intellectual capacity to portray them in an animalistic manner, for instance the women liking the floor. The faceless women does not allow them to have an identity and groups them as all the same.

Key quotations
’We are exposed to over 2,000 adverts a day, constituting perhaps the most educational force in society’- Jean Kilbourne

‘In an extremely competitive environment, you kind of go back to T & A (tits and ass)’’- Bugle Boy clothes publicists

‘We often find no representational connections in contemporary advertising. One of the common registers of print advertising is of the naked or sexually-posed woman selling a product’- cf. Lazier Smith 1989, Furham and Bitar 1993.

‘Clearly, the construction of masculinity involves a dual defamation of women as sex objects and a maintenance of male sexual superiority.’- cf Hood 1995

Turkish delight also draws on typecast to sell the product. Props theory is applicable to this advertisement, the women is waiting for her prince to rescue her whilst she is stuck in the desert (damsel in distress). Therefore, the man is the Proppian hero whilst the woman is the Proppian princess; a direct binary opposition is being displayed which mirrors patriarchal ideologies. The central focus of the advert is the woman’s face which the camera often subject to close-ups again her main purpose is to be ‘eye candy’. Continuous shots focusing on her eyes relate to the idea of mysteriousness which is significant as it is correlates to the Arabian theme.



Shake and vac uses obvious stereotypes of women to sell their product. The way the woman prances and cleans reflects the notion of multi-tasking; suggesting that the ideal housewife can do everything at once. Stereotypically, bursting into song is associated with women as it represents femininity implicitly indicating that perfection means living up to generalisations about females. Although the women is wearing modest attire her jives and beauty highlight that her only purpose is to serve as ‘eye candy’ because she is being projected through the male gaze (Laura Mulvey). Constant zooms on her legs further exemplify her objectification because the central focus is her body. Lastly, her blonde hair conveys a ditzy persona and despite the absence of men their presence is still felt as her cleaning ritual is ultimately to please her husband.

Femme fatale

Femme fatale rejects traditional portrays of women and are a direct on the nuclear family. She refuses to be a dutiful wife and has no aspirations to be married as marriage to her closes off excitement often being sexless and loveless. As Janey Place points out, "She is not often won over and pacified by love for the hero, as is the strong heroine of the forties who is significantly less sexual than the film noir woman." Highlight the double standards whilst women must be outstandingly attractive it is the unconventional looking man that she falls for. Similar to Disney the woman’s appearance is vital and she must appear to be flawless.

She remains fiercely independent even when faced with her own destruction. And in spite of her inevitable death, she leaves behind the image of a strong, exciting, and unrepentant woman who defies the control of men and rejects the institution of the family. Enchanted (2007) also has an inevitable ending however it often results in the ‘evil’ characters death rather than protagonist yet the message is clear the ‘whore’ always dies leaving behind the innocent virginal character.

Classic femme fatale resorts to murder to free herself from an unbearable relationship with a man who would try to possess and control her, as if she were a piece of property or a pet. According to Sylvia Harvey, the women of film noir are "[p]resented as prizes, desirable objects". Although women are indirectly sexualised they remain the trophy for the man with little focus placed upon her intelligence. Often it is the man enticing the women but she is labelled as the ‘bad one’. Edward in Enchanted also lures Giselle to break the traditional story of a princes getting the princess however, Giselle is not punished because ultimately she is a virgin.

They feel trapped by husbands or lovers who treat them as "standard equipment" and by an institution — marriage — that makes such treatment possible. Marriage for the femme fatale is associated with unhappiness, boredom, and the absence of romantic love and sexual desire. In some films, the husband's lack of interest in his wife seems almost sadistic. Despite men being in control of women in Disney films they are put on a pedestal and respected in contrast to the poor treatment of femme fatale’s.

Another sign of the sterility of film noir marriages is the absence of children produced by these marriages. Childless couples are far more common in film noir than the traditional father-mother-children nuclear family. However, Disney films depict women with installed maternal instincts and imply that after marriage they conceive bt Enchanted (200) sees Giselle becoming a step-mother. It is possible that Enchanted (2007) is challenging traditional stereotypes as she is a ‘’good’ step-mother but also fits in with the diversity of modern families.
The family home only intensifies this atmosphere of coldness and entrapment for the married femme fatale. The lighting and mise-en-scène of the family home contribute further to its image as a trap whereas the bright spacious apartment in Enchanted (2007) exemplifies Giselle’s freedom.

Noir films create this image of the strong, unrepressed woman, and then attempt to contain it by destroying the femme fatale or converting her to traditional womanhood. Her determination to change often leads to her death and like Disney implies that we are born with certain characteristics that we can not change. She refuses to be defined by the male hero or submit her sexuality to the male-dominated institution of the family; instead, she defines herself and resists all efforts by the hero to "put her in her place." Akin to this Giselle never changes herself to impress Edward which is partly the reason he feel in love with her.

The explicit messages of film noir seem to be clear regarding women and the family: Women who transgress the boundaries of conventional family life meet with and deserve the most extreme punishment, and the men who fall victim to their sexual charms meet a similar fate. The simplistic message is also echoed by Disney that if a character goes against stereotypes they are severely punished and good always triumphs over evil.

It could also be argued that the Femme fatale never achieves ultimate control because she dies and uses her sexuality to lure men. Similar to Disney’s women’s intellectual attributes are ignored. However, the duplicity nature of the women highlights intelligence unlike the passive Giselle. Overall, ‘evil’ women are always punished whilst the innocent character is rewarded no matter what the genre.

Disney accused by Catholic cleric of corrupting children's minds

A leading Catholic cleric has launched a fierce attack on Disney, claiming it has corrupted children and encouraged greed.












Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth in West Sussex, has accused the corporation of "exploiting spirituality" to sell its products and of turning Disneyland into a modern day pilgrimage site.

He argues that it pretends to provide stories with a moral message, but has actually helped to create a more materialistic culture.

Corporations and industries have benefited from promoting false notions of fulfillment. Disney he says is "a classic example" of how consumerism is being sold as an alternative to finding happiness in traditional morality.

While he acknowledges that Disney stories carry messages showing good triumphing over evil, he argues this is part of a ploy to persuade people that they should buy Disney products in order to be "a good and happy family".

"The message behind every movie and book, behind every theme park and T-shirt is that our children's world needs Disney," he says. "So they absolutely must go to see the next Disney movie, which we'll also want to give them on DVD as a birthday present. "They will be happier if they live the full Disney experience; and thousands of families around the world buy into this deeper message as they flock to Disneyland." He continues: "This is the new pilgrimage that children desire, a rite of passage into the meaning of life according to Disney. "Where once morality and meaning were available as part of our free cultural inheritance, now corporations sell them to us as products." "Once planted there they can make us endlessly greedy. And that is exactly what they are doing."

The Walt Disney Company, founded in 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy Disney, is one of the world's biggest entertainment companies. It owns 11 theme parks and several television networks, while its Hollywood studios have produced more than 200 feature films.

Similar to my research Jamieson explores the notion that Disney has an underlying message which it conceals through the overly joyful innocent characters. However, whilst Jamieson examines the capitalist message I am analysing patriarchal ideology. Nevertheless Jamieson is a critique of the way Disney feed children corrupt message. He even goes as far as to say that secularization is due to Disney ignoring religion and celebrating wealth.

By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent
Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk

"Disney Is Not Sexist" by Susie Kopecky,

In the opinion piece, the Disney label came under fire for alleged subliminal sexism. It was argued that the classic Disney movies of the last 70 years have been inherently sexist; I couldn’t disagree more.

In the 20th century, Disney was called a revolutionary entertainer; in the 21st century, Disney is called sexist, up high in its ivory tower of misogyny. The great irony is how people seem to be missing the greater point: All of the classic Disney movies that we all grew up on, like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, are character-driven stories. And more than that, they are uniquely female character-driven. With the exception of The Lion King, all of the highest grossing classic Disney movies are about women, and generally women who are significantly disadvantaged. The women of these stories are clever, and somehow manage to overcome great odds, sometimes with a little help from friends, and often with their own cunning. Therefore Disney is not a suppressive tool for women but it enables them to succeed in society which is said to be the main focus of the films.

In Disney’s Pocahontas, is it not Princess Pocahontas who saves John Smith and truly brings the term “roughing it” to new light? In Cinderella, the eponymous heroine has everything working against her: Her only ally is deceased, her step-mother and step-sisters are cruel and domineering, and she has no visible hope of ever raising herself up in society. And yet, her unflappable optimism and refusal to give in to cynicism (and a little help from her fairy godmother) are ultimately the keys that allow her to end up with everything she had ever dreamt of, and more. And don’t forget: Cinderella wanted a wonderful prince of a man (like every girl dreams of), but she wasn’t the one chasing the prince out of the ball, and she sure wasn’t the one making every woman in the kingdom try on a slipper made out of possibly the very worst material with which to construct a slipper, glass! Snow White is a very interesting story, as the drama entirely revolves around the beautiful, young Snow White and the beautiful (but crazy) Queen. Really, the prince of this story is little more than an afterthought; his only role is giving Snow White a kiss – yup, that’s about all. Of course, the message of love is celebrated, but the Prince has no direct impact on Snow White, as Snow White’s character is forged by her own life experiences, and her decisions to think positively, regardless of the fact that her only remaining family member wants nothing more than to see her dead.

Clearly, these stories never really happened, and there was never a Snow White to eat a poisoned apple. Such fables were constructed long ago to pass on a positive message of the endurance of the human (and perhaps specifically female) spirit, and the ability to change the playing field, even when the game appears set. In summary: The Disney women faced terrible odds, and through their positive character traits, intelligence, deep sense of humanity, understanding and innate cleverness and cunning, they triumphed. Even Peter Pan was not much of a hero until his contact with Wendy. Overall, the main message of Disney films is that men depend on women to succeed, without a female touch the men would be failures.

Ali Wachutka, The Transition From Individual to Sex Object

Jack Zipe a leading expert on fairy tales and German professor at the University of Minnesota, the movies have “a type of gender stereotyping . . . that has an adverse effect on children, in contrast to what parents think ... Parents think they’re essentially harmless – they are not harmless” (Giroux, “Roared” 103).

Maria Tatar, Harvard folklorist, also sees harm in the movies since “[Disney] capitalizes on the worst part of fairytales”. Maria clearly believes that the Disney films profit from unrealistic portrayals of characters i.e. the harmful gender roles being taught to young children. Moreover, they are placing the focus on the material world and removing the cunning and intelligent roles that the females once played (Healy). Female roles do not differ from one another but are all dulled down to glamorise the male position.

“People always talk about the ‘magic of Disney.’ Well, that’s the magic of Disney: it’s addictive. It’s like crack for 5-year-olds”(Healy). Disney ignores the pain and corruption of reality which they hide behind the innocent images. It acts as a false release for children and they become somewhat dependent on the films, they take away the troubles of life. Often when children come home from a long day at school they watch Disney films and this leads to comfort for them (similar to drugs) because it is so familiar.

Research done by Arthur Applebee has conclusively shown that “story characters become part of a child’s ‘real world’ and form part of their cultural heritage” (Zipes, “Preface” xii). Children become familiar with characters and begin to emulate their patterns of behaviour, girls want to be princesses and boys want to be price charming. Mean that according to uses and gratification theory young audiences use Disney films to form personal relationships but this can be rather damaging as the message being taught to children teaches racism, sexism and encourages capitalism.

Tatar also worries about the message the Disney movies present to young girls especially since they change the folk tales to express “the importance of beautiful dress and gorgeous good looks. Again society has become obsessed with image and this is further mirrored in Disney films. Possibly this could correlate to the rise in anorexia and low self body image amongst young people.

Disney opened their princess line in 2000 and in just one year they reached $300 million in sales, after three years their sales reached $2.5 billion (Healy). There is no doubt that they are reaching their target audience and their message is being made available to young children around the world. To Disney profit is vital and parents continue to purchase, as the corrupt ideals being put forward are very subtle and concealed by the cheerful tone. The corporation achieve their purpose to pass their values across by expanding the line through introducing dolls, clothes and other merchandise, literally there is no escaping temptation.

Snow White (1937) is one of the first recognised sexist films; her only emphasised qualities throughout the entire movie are her appearance and housekeeping skills. The evil queen is jealous of her because Snow White is the “fairest one of all” and the only reason the hunter, who was supposed to kill her, spares her life is because she is too pretty to kill. These scenes present the message that the greatest quality a woman can possess is beauty. It loses touch with females real assisted and implies that looks are the key to success, to an extent it is true and must be presentable to do well but beauty is not a necessity.

The filth and disorder of the cottage makes it apparent to Snow White that whoever lives in the house does not have a mother (Maio), because, after all, if they did, it would be the mother’s role to keep the house in order as that is a female’s one true calling in life. Women are domestic goddess in contrast to the incapable men. Disney’s version does so to a greater extent because they suggest that domestic chores are part of female nature.

Background Knowledge of Henry A Giroux

Unfortunately, the credibility of Henry A Giroux work can be questioned as he is widely known as a American cultural critic. Therefore he is overtly negative about his view towards America and American institutions. It has been argued that Disney has such a great influence over people as it shapes their mind from a young age and that the power is so great that they have emerged to become part of American culture. The preppy overtly happy clean innocent images being projected are supposed to represent American culture and foreign audiences believe this a true portrayal of Americanism. However, this is not the case but it teaches audience America is a promise land (American dream), Giroux is attacking this distort of reality.

Giroux has published more than 35 books and 300 academic articles, and is published widely throughout education and cultural studies literature. Thus, Giroux negative theory is due to his public anti- American culture beliefs.

Racism in Disney

Racism is also prevalent in Disney films with racial generalisations being put forward in them. It is disguised through the use of animal characters such as the cats in Lady and the Tramp as they embody characteristics associated with Chinese people like slanted eyes. Yet it is so careful constructed that often it goes unnoticed, subtle racial stereotypes empower the white man like Tarzan who is the white heroic saviour whereas ethnic minorities are portrayed as strange or unpleasant. Automatically children learn that non-white citizens are corrupt individuals which is an outdated perception as it embraces the white saviours.

Disney somewhat celebrates Imperialism as the white man seems to dominate and tame other people i.e. Pocahontas. Interestingly, the original story of Pocahontas represented the historical mass assassination of Native Americans but Disney decided to distort the real story and make the white man the saviour whilst the Native Americans were depicted as the violent party. Their explanation for the alteration in the story is that they made its suitable for children by cutting out the violence. However, Disney never actually address the criticism implying that the films are rest and it is swept under the rug. Despite many complaining about the offence lyrics of the Aladdin song claiming it was discriminatory Disney kept them in but lowered the music.

As these powerful messages are exposed to many from a young age in effect Disney are responsible for the way a lot of people are socialised to behave. Thus, they maintain the ideology that white people are superior to other races and maintain their dominance.

Sexism in Disney

The documentary ‘Mickey Mouse Monopoly’ is based around Henry .A. Giroux‘s book The Mouse that Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence. (1999) and explores the way Disney is constructed to corrupt young minds. It does these through its racism, sexism and capitalist ideology that is being feed to young children. They get away with its dark messages through sugar coating it with its overtly innocent messages. Thus, it people do not question the motives or the norms and values being passed on to young generations of children Disney because it’s considered harmless wholesome family viewing.

Yet, Disney still portray women as the weaker sex although over time women have rebelled against male authoritative figures in the end they succumb to their commands. Females are often large busted, small waisted curvaceous, white with long waist length hair and these stereotypical images have been prevalent in early Disney films. Again the idea of ‘perfection’ is being inflicted upon young minds with children feeling they have to conform to the concept of beauty. Disturbingly, the beast in beauty in the beast physically and mentally abuses Belle but she sees his rage ads merely a bad temper with out addressing the seriousness of his violence. It is simply suggesting that domestic violence is acceptable and encouraging girl to stay with violent partner because inside the monster is a ‘prince’.

Children cannot escape Disney’s influence (especially in America) as Disney cooperation owns a large sector of the media, ranging from television channels to magazines. Therefore the only messages being shown to children are from an old white male’s perspective which is the reason Disney film paint an incomplete picture of reality.

•"The equation of female sexuality with glamour is a major public theme in our own culture. It's there in our fairy stories, the little girl's first lessons in romance: a kitchen girl, she learns, can only win a prince if she has a comprehensive make-over and some glamorous new clothes" (Leroy 262). This links to the subliminal way Disney passes their negative messages to children.

GHD advert analysis

How does the advert reinforce stereotypes?

The advert stereotypes women and generalises them into groups rather than representing intellectual attributes. The woman at the start of the advert is depicted as the virgin innocent character which is symbolised through the white dress connoting purity. Historically women were either seen as pure or corrupt, the virgin/whore dichotomy. Similarly as the innocent girl fall from grace she becomes a fallen women (whore), thus exemplified through her parted leg position. The camera seems to focus on her private area in contrast to the previous close up of her innocent face. Her anatomy is the main focus of the advert.

Yet, the woman with the voodoo doll portrays the evil side of women as shown through her sadistic laugh. As she pushes the nail in the voodoo doll it proves her violent nature, the phallic symbol (nail) makes the virginal character falls from grace. Therefore, like Freud’s notion of 'penis envy' and the fact that women envy the power the penis gives men. Ultimately suggesting that women must embody male characteristics to demonstrate their power.

Moreover, the voodoo doll event is proceeded by a cat fight presenting the animalistic nature of women. As the 'sister' chuck each other down in an almost pornographic manner is made even more suggestive through the lingerie and the slightly parted dressing grown. Again there is a Binary opposition between the good sister in white and the corrupt sister in black, highlights the simplistic stereotypes of women. But as the sister in white is chucked down she too has a fall from grace. Therefore showing her naughty side and corresponding to Mulvey’s male gaze as she serves to arouse the male audience. Additionally, the advert suggests they are fighting over the hair straighteners which are also a phallic symbol. Despite the fact that a male is unseen his presences is felt throughout the commercial.

However, a male then enters the scene but he is on top of woman and seems to be pushing her down implying that men have the ultimate control. Although she is seductive in her expression he is superior. She is cheating with her best friend's boyfriend portraying women as sexual predictors with little self-control, characteristics associated with men.Lastly, the woman at the end is represented as evil with her glasses giving the audience little insight into her facial expression. In addition, the glasses create a demonical facade, but her stern expression during the emotional funeral indicates that she is cold hearted.

All these representations of women are overtly negative and the sole purpose of women in this narrative is to entertain men. In every scene a women falls down for a man highlighting their passive nature. it can also be interpreted as being blasphemes as looks override religion. All the women are money grabbing and consumerism is vital (post-modern idea). However, the use of female voice over could suggest that the film conforms to matriarchal ideologies and women control the advert.

Theories
Laura Mulvey- 'male gaze' women are eye cand; to some extent Giselle is simply in the film to serve as a beautifil symbol but she is more of an aspiration for young audiences.
Feminism- it explores females postions throughout history; it can relate to Enchanted and discover if the female representation is relavent.
Barthes- narrative enigma; the storyliner remains conventional but her shocking choice for her prince is ambigious throughout the film.
Levi- Strauss- Binary opposition between good and evil.
Uses and gratification theory- the protagonist is an aspiration tool to young audiences.

This reflects Enchanted (2007) because the females are assigned certain roles and they cannot change these positions. It classifies women as having the certain personality traits but ignores female diversity and their intellectual capacity. Although Enchanted (2007) is not sexualised like the GHD advert women still serve as the man’s ‘eye candy’. Giselle may control who she ends up with but men’s beliefs are ultimately forced upon her. However, Giselle’s main focus in life is not based on her appearance because Giselle naturally looks ‘perfect’ whereas the girls in the GHD advert are extremely self-centred. Additionally, the women in the GHD ad embody nasty characteristics such as jealousy whereas Giselle appears to be kind with no evil agenda.

Postmodernist theory

• Postmodernists feel that the media creates gender roles rather than reflects them.
• Through consumption we now construct our identities

Postmodernism is a relatively new way of viewing society but is widely accepted within the media. Enchanted can be considered very much postmodern as it pokes fun at the genre of film and could also be mocking gender stereotypes rather than encouraging them. Possibly the Binary opposition between modern trouser wearing Nancy and traditional dress wearing Giselle could be further ridiculing the concept of gender roles in postmodern society.

Disney often depicts a simplistic view of life and ignores the complexity of life such as money. Money struggles are not addressed once in Enchanted (2007) instead characters purchase objects without considering the cost. Thus relating to the idea of consumerism, it teaches children that to be successful or to get the Prince or Princess you must be wealthy. In addition to this children are taught that to gain status they must be better than their counterparts which creates competition. Corresponding the idea of keeping up with the Jones, from a young age we are aware that material wealth equals high status.

Feminist theory

Feminists argue that women in the media are perceived as passive because they tend to play subordinate roles in society. Therefore Giselle in Enchanted (2007) conforms to this tradition as she is the damsel in distress that needs to be rescued by her Prince. The representations can also be challenged to some extent which can be exemplified through the wicked witch as she is dominating and ultimately has control over Prince Edward (her stepson).

According to other feminists the media creates female roles and justifies them through the way these positions are glamorised. Women then feel that it is their duty to conform to these roles rather than a natural instinct. But because these roles are so often reinforced by the media women believe it is a nature way to behave without questioning it. 'A woman is made, not born' (Simone De Beauvoir) therefore women are made to feel they have a certain role but in reality women can behave as they wish. Enchanted (2007) enforce the old cliché of the tradition motherly nurturing position, as well as not question not her standing Giselle also embraces it. Thus women are moulded to fit in with patriarchal ideology and serve men’s needs.

Gaye Tuchmann created the phrase 'symbolic annihilation of women' which simply refers to the way women are ignored, marginalised, excluded and trivialised in the media. Stereotypes of women include housewives and sexual attractiveness which are patriarchal notions of the sexual division of labour. Not only is Giselle conventionally beautiful but she is also a domestic Goddess suggesting that women only serve to meet men’s needs. Her ditzy persona simply highlights the way women are classified as beneath men and with their help can succeed. In these types of films women usually do not embody intelligence which means they can be suppressed or controlled by somebody else.

However, Wilmott and Young suggested that this is in fact ridiculous and both men and women now share the domestic labour. They argued that a new symmetrical family has come into play and men now participate in household chores. This has given rise to a 'new man' who takes on roles that were once consider the women’s jobs such as clean. Yet, if this is the case why does Enchanted (2007) portray clearly gender divided roles. Either Wilmott and Young theory is irrelevant in Western society or Enchanted (2007) depict an outdated view of the way society is constructed.

'The media act as socialization agents...teaching children in particular their appropriate sex roles...It is thought the media perpetuate sex role stereotypes because they reflect dominant social values' Van Zoonen, quoted in D. Strinati, An Introduction to the Theories of Popular Culture. Enchanted (2007) evidently appears to be reinforcing this notion as Giselle is type casted as thee less object. Despite appearing to have control over her fate through choosing her unexpected true love it is he that shows interest first by initiating the first kiss when Giselle is asleep.

On the other hand Gamman and Marshment feel that patriarch can be challenged sometimes and a female gaze can be possible. They describe the media 'as a site where meanings are contested and dominant ideologies can be disturbed’. Therefore, it is not necessarily true that all media are created through the male gaze nor is it fair to suggest that audiences are so passive that they are incapable if understanding that certain texts prompt the maker's ideologies whether they are capitalist ideology or patriarchal ideals etc.

Jean Baudrillard is a philosphier who criticszed the hidden corporate nature of the company in his book America:
"The whole Walt Disney philosophy eats out of your hand with these pretty little sentimental creatures in grey fur coats. For my own part, I believe that behind these smiling eyes there lurks a cold, ferocious beast fearfully stalking us."

Narrative theories

Todorov is a Bulgarian intellectual of the Russian formalist school.

• He is particularly known for his work on ‘narratology’, or the structuring of narrative. His approach is founded on his belief in a common basis of human experience and the underlying narrative behind all human activity.
• Todorov’s sequence is made up of five propositions outlining a basic state of narration, which is disturbed and then re-established:
  · A state of equilibrium where everything is in order
  · A disruption of the order by an event
  · A recognition that a disruption has taken place
  · An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption
  · A return to some kind of equilibrium

Propp, Vladimir

His research refers to the types of character in folk tales and the events that involve them. He found that folk tales begin with an initial situation where the characters are introduced. This is followed up with 31 functions, not always occurring in the same order.

His work emphasises the role of character in structuring narrative and is useful in helping to understand generic conventions, but it is rigid and of limited use in deconstructing complex contemporary narrative. Propp’s character types include:
· The villain
· The hero
· The donor, provides an object with magic property
· The dispatcher, who sends the hero on his way with a message
· The false her
· The helper, aids the hero
· The princess
· Her father

Key concepts

Disneyfication is a term used by critics of the Disney style to describe the way in which a story is sanitised by the removal of controversial sexual, morally ambivalent, or violence content in order to make it suitable for family viewing. Disneyfication also involves the neutralising of cultural differences and variations, either through the creation of safe ethnic stereotypes or their elimination from the narrative.

• For example Pocahontas (Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg, 1995), a pro-colonial; narrative with stereotyped ethnicity and patriarchal values. The genocidal behaviour of early white settlers in their conduct towards Native Americans is conveniently sanitised.

This term originates from the word 'Disney' and is allegedly applicable to all Disney films as well as other films targeting young children. It links to my study as it is the counter argument to my hypothesis. It suggests that Disney edits its stories to create child friendly tone by removing morally corrupt events. However, it ignores the deep underlying tone which can be interpreted as subconsciously teaching children that patriarchy is acceptable.

Moreover, it neglects the economical influences a film has; Disney alters a story in order to profit from them. Therefore they are concerned with the money rather than the storyline. Capitalist ideologies and values are also placed upon children as they learn that to live happily ever after and get the princes you have to be a princess in a castle. Thus, you have to be affluent which is further exemplified through the princesses’ extravagant attire (dresses).

Lastly, traditional images such as girls wearing dresses and boys wearing trousers are still very much evident in Disney film and are possibly classified as outdated. Additionally, Disney also paints a distorted reality as these stereotypes no-longer holds relevance in modern socity. Again the Disneyfication censorship is possibly harming children through the dark message rather than preserving their innocence.

A parody is the imitation of one media text by another for comical effect.

For example Blazing saddles (Mel Brooks 1974) parodies all the iconographic, narrative and character features of the Western genre; Scary Movie (Keenan Ivory Wayans, 2000) parodies the horror genre.

In relation to Enchanted (2007), it certainly is a parody as it makes constant reference to previous Disney films by mocking them. For example when Giselle (Amy Adams) sings in a Snow White fashion as the animal flourish in the apartment it ridicules the impracticalities of animal, in particular vermin, in the home. Fairytale references include Snow White and the seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Interestingly parallel to old previous Disney films instead of producing three dimensional (3D) computer graphically enhanced animation for the first thirteen minutes Enchanted uses traditional cel animation. Through the conventional techniques and through the plot lines Enchanted emulate its Disney predecessors in a humorous fashion.

According to director Kevin Lima, "thousands" of references are made to past and future works of Disney in Enchanted, which serve as both a parody of and a "giant love letter to Disney classics". (Wikipedia)

Disney Corporation (the Walt Disney Company): a vertically integrated, diversified, international media corporation founded by Walt Disney.

• The company has wide holdings across media industries including publishing, broadcasting, film, multimedia, music, theatre, sports and theme parks.
• Disney companies include ABC television (USA) and US regional television holdings, the History channel, the Disney Channel (worldwide), Buena Vista Television, Touchstone Television, Walt Disney Pictures, Miramax, and Buena Vista International together with internet, music, sports and Disneyland theme parks.

In relations to my research this highlights the extent of control that Disney have over children’s viewings. Therefore, like Rupert Murdoch, Disney has a significant influence over the messages they send out and can selectively choose the portrayal of the sexes. Thus, subconsciously from a young age children are taught the way in which they ought to behave according to their sex (gender roles). Children are unable to escape Disney’s messages as they have immense control over the media that targets young children. Often they represent princess as feeble which teaches girls to be passive and the prince/hero is depicts as brave and that encourages boys to behave in a dominate manner.

Pixar is a digital animation company, maker of Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995), Monsters, Inc (Peter Docter, 2001) and Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich, 2003).

• Pixar was involved in a distribution deal with Disney, which ended in 2004 to allow the company greater independence.
• Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995) was a landmark production breaking new ground in the use of computer-generated imagery technology.

Pixar has the same young target audience as Disney. However, Pixar appeal more to boys than Disney. Despite this difference Pixar like Disney has remained conventional in its portrayal of girls and boys. I will be exploring the different approaches and representation of females by both institutions.

Hypodermic needle theory: early attempt in the 1930s and 1940s to explain the effects media texts have on audiences.

• Based on the assumed ‘passive’ nature of a mass audience, the theory argues that consumption of media texts is like the injection of a drug and that the audiences’ behaviour and opinions are opinions are therefore directly affected.

The hypodermic needle theory is applicable to my analysis of Enchanted (2007) as the primary target audience are children and are considered to be a passive audience. Due to children’s innocence and lack of knowledge, in particular under 7 year olds, they are unable to challenge a text because they are not media literate. Therefore the images they have seen are taken at face value (absorbed) as their perspectives are so simplistic they being to emulate the behaviour they have seen. For example young girls watch children cleaning like Cinderella so they mimic this behaviour. Cleverly, institutes use children’s naivety to pass on dark underlying messages onto children. Feminist may argue that these subtle messages help to maintain patriarchy as they allocate positions to both sexes and educate them into accepting these responsibilities.

Controversially, it has been suggested that Disney injects youngsters with rubbish, through the unrealistic view of life that the creators depict. However, it can be argued that the influence that Disney has over its viewers is overestimated. Nowadays, Disney films (like Enchanted, 2007) target older audiences as well as children through the satire and the purpose of Disney is fun family viewing not corrupt young minds.

Stimulus response theory: the theory is associated with passive audience theory which views a media message as a drug administrated to a passive audience with immediate behavioural effects.

Possibly Enchanted (2007) could psychologically affect the audience and cause them to behave like the character whether it’s costume, attitudes or image that the audience are copying. So whatever passive audiences watch it impacts their interaction or opinions.

Levi- Strauss (1908-90): French structuralist anthropologist whose analysis of human culture and myth argued for a common origin of all narratives, based on shared human life experiences fears expectations.

• Using the techniques developed by Saussure, Levi Strauss identified the underlying structures of all myths as being the same. His narrative theory of Binary opposition is based on the essential difference between such concepts as culture and nature, the raw and the cooked, good and evil. Narratives are based on oppositional forces and the resolution of conflict. Audiences are positioned on the side that justifies their own cultural values and resolution reduces underlying anxiety about threats to their way of life.

Enchanted (2007) similar to all fairytales crates a Binary opposition between good and but all there are also character Binary oppositions. Giselle’s purity is contrasted with the tainted witch’s evil intentions. Robert's (hero) generosity is opposed with Prince Edward (false hero) self-love. Although the Binary oppositions basic nevertheless they generalise women either they are good (beautiful) or bad (ugly) which is a harmful assumption. It shows children they have to conform to what is ‘beautiful’ and teaches them the false notion of ‘perfection’.

Musical: a film genre that incorporate songs as part of the films narrative.

• The genre has provided versatile, adapting to different musical tastes and changes in expectations.
• For example, Classical musicals through the decade include: Top Hat (Mark Sandrich, 1935), The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming, 1939), The King and I (Walter Lang, 1956), Moulin Rouge (Baz Luhrmann, 2001) and Chicago (Rob Marshall, 2002).

Enchanted has a hybrid genre and uses a variety of conventions. Often Giselle randomly burst into song to express feelings and emotions. This encourages audience interaction and becomes a form of escapism for the audience. Her random singing reflects unpredictable personality. Stereotypically, in the main song Giselle is singing about love which portrays women as romantic as well as being obsessed with love.

Feminism is a political movement to advance the status of women by challenging values, social construction and socioeconomic practices which disadvantaged women and favour men.

• The movement emerged from liberation culture of the 1960s, although individual feminist argued for women’s rights from much earlier in time.
• Feminists have provided an important perspective for the critique of the media products, especially from the standpoint of representation, and have sought to challenge dominant ideologies which reinforce patriarchal values.
• Feminism encompasses various perspectives e.g.: black feminism, liberal feminism, Marxist feminism, radical feminism and post-feminism.

Feminist might argue that Enchanted (2007) maintains a patriarchal meaning through the constant stereotypes. The stereotypes exemplified through the traditional attire. The predictable narrative can be interpreted as promoting sexist ideals e.g. Giselle is rescued by Robert.

Stereotype: the social classification of a group of people by identifying common characteristics and universally applying them in an often oversimplified and generalised way, such that the classification represents value judgements and assumption about the group concerned.

• For example ‘dumb’ blonde, the ‘mean’ Yorkshire man

Stereotypes are prevalent throughout Enchanted from gender stereotypes to class stereotypes. The poor builder is not well articulated compared to the affluent well spoken Giselle.

Sexism: representations that discriminate on the basis of sex, especially against women, which is seen to derive from and sustain patriarchy.

• Some feminists would see any media representation of women that confirmed a stereotype as sexist, for example, the display of women’s bodies as sex objects in lads mags for the entertainment of men.

Enchanted (2007) demonstrates its sexist nature through the stereotypes. However, the Disney representations may have remained constant as audiences expect it or that it still reflects society.

Fantasy – a genre built around an artificially constructed reality which can never exist in real life, often involving classical mythology at all fairy tale.

• Fantasy films generally set real human characters against mythological or supernatural creatures in an imaginary world.
• Computer generated images have made possible a dramatic extension of the fantasy universe.
• For example, the seventh voyage of Sinbad (Nathan Juran 1958), Jason and the Argonauts (Don Chaffey1963), Willow Ron Howard 1988, the Lord of the Rings Trilogy Peter Jackson 2001-2003.

Corresponding to my research, the fantasy life that Giselle leads links to the way certain men view women. Some men feel that women are living in a fantasy world and her deluded nature symbolises her innocence. For a woman to be attractive she must pose a pure virtue.

Men’s and women’s magazines reinforce stereotypical representations of women as sexual objects.

From being portrayed as domestic goddesses to being depicted as sexual beasts the representation of women has altered immensely within the past fifty years. Years ago the archetypical representation of women was a housewife or they were absent from the media whereas nowadays they are profoundly recognised within the public domain. However, men and women are represented in stark contrast to one another, whilst men are strong heroes women are the weaker sex. It has been argued that these segregated roles are outdated but Haralambos and Holborn (2004) implies that these portrayals will never disappear because old programmes are recycled on satellite and cable. Even nowadays men and women have separate representations in the media and many feel that magazines as well as other media reinforce stereotypical depictions of them.

Well endowed semi-nude women have been thrust upon front covers of numerous magazines from ‘lad mags’ to women’s magazines and has become socially acceptable. It is now considered normality for magazines to depict explicit images of the female anatomy. Corresponding to Mulvey’s male gaze theory women are objectified, becoming somewhat a fetish for the audience. Therefore females are being projected as the male fantasy through the male gaze rather than showing a realistic portrayal of women.

Recently ‘lads mags’ (magazines targeting 15-25 year old males) have developed, usually the magazines are pornographic or semi-pornographic but deal with other aspects of interest such as gadgets and jokes. FHM is the epitome of a ‘lad’s mag’, as exemplified through January 2007 addition front cover. Conventionally Tamara Ecclestone (the model) is outstandingly beautiful; she is flawless and creates a false notion of ‘perfection’. In addition to this she is extremely sexualised demonstrated through her hand caressing her slightly parted legs pose, which is extremely suggestive to a young male audience. Tamara has been captured wearing sexy black lingerie which symbolises corruption and indicative of her ‘dark side’. Often tainted black is sported by models on pornographic magazines, similarly Hayden Panetire, Olga Kurylenko have posed on FHM in black.

However, women magazines like Ok! , More! and Heat! portray semi-nude women as an aspiration tool rather than titillation. Unusually despite being aimed at a slightly older audience on the OK! magazine front cover (the October 2008 issue) Melanie Brown is photographed wearing lingerie but unlike ‘lads mags’ this is not the central focus. Her new appearance appeals to the audience but the ideal representation creates negative competition amongst females, low self esteem and low self-image. Debates have arisen that put forward that women magazines with their scrutinising of ‘fat’ celebrities have led to the drastic increase in anorexia especially amongst young girls. Hannah Whittaker essay ‘Glamour models made me sick’ comments that the airbrushed ‘perfect’ images of models cause damaging psychological affects:

‘it teaches women such as myself that they’re ugly and imperfect when really there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them’.

More! has a younger audience appeal which is reflected through the central focus (teenage actress). Representing the teen soap star ‘Helen Flanagan’ on the front cover intrigues young readers to respond to her appearance as it creates personal relationship. Instead The young actress embodies features associated with conventional beauty for example her white pearly teeth, radiant flawless skin and glowing blue eyes further reinforce the notion of ‘perfection.’ This can be a prompting tool as the readership may aspire to the star. But rather than being domineering, like on ‘lads mags’, the actress looks approachable. In addition, the curvaceous actress is represented parallel to her curvy acting predecessor Marilyn Munroe she is depicted in a fan blown pose. Yet, with debates such as size 0, unusually More! embraces the fuller figured woman.

Similar to FHM’s Tamara Ecclestone, Jessica Simpson on Maxim (July 2006) is wearing black although Jessica’s cleavage is slightly on display; however, it is far more tasteful than Tamara on FHM. Whilst Tamara’s top is slipping down, it is invites readers to undress her with their mind therefore leaving little to the imagination whereas Jessica less provocative. Both Maxim and FHM’s typography is red; red connotes passion as it’s a fiery fierce colour which mirrors their facial expressions their glares are wild and mysterious. It has been argued rather than degrading women ‘lads mags’ empower them as it is the female luring the male audience. But Rosie Boycott believes ‘lads mags’ purely fulfils one purpose:

‘Every month, magazines such as FHM, and now Zoo and Nuts, serve up page after page of breasts, bottoms and sexual titillation’

Moreover, Loaded directly exemplifies patriarchy on the October 2007 cover 50 cent is dominantly standing in the middle of two barely dressed women. One model’s hand is placed upon her knickers insinuating sex whilst the other places her bottom so that it is touch his thigh. Even though he is receiving this female attention, he has a stern expression implying that it is normality for 50. Parallel to other ‘lads mags’ the women appear unblemished and ‘anyone with any sense will realise that women in magazines...have all been airbrushed’ (Simon Guirao, editor of Loaded). Yet, women still feel they have to live up to this great image. Capitalist ideology is also promoted highlighted through 50 cents hand positioning over his pocket, the emphasis of the word ‘money’ and the headline ‘The man who made $410 million dollars in a day’. The list of three bold typography Guns! , Girl! and Money! uses the Hip Hop culture stereotype to encourages violence, the objectification of women and an irrational love for money. Thus, loaded is justifying the exploitation of women suggesting that it is acceptable as it is part of Hip Hop culture.

Additionally, females in women’s magazines can be presented as dutiful mother and devoted wives. Jade Goody is pictured hugging he two sons whilst they are all giggling on OK! magazines cover October 14 2008. Despite her cancer ordeal Jade manages to maintain a jovial facial expression stereotypical women have to be emotional strong. Dunscombe and Marsden found alongside their career and housework, they have to emotional support the family. Motherhood is considered by most women as undoubtedly the most rewarding moment in life but is argued that the media over-exaggerate women’s roles with family.

Finally, ‘lads mags’ often uses clichés when referring to women as honeys on FHM (January 2007) again degrading women as Mulvey suggest just viewing women as ‘eye candy’. Stereotyping women are sweet like honey ignores women multiple personalities and generalises them as passive. As well as referring to her a princess as they are considered dependent on men (the prince). Similarly, Loaded refers to them as girls which group them and girls refers to the child-like innocence of women like ‘honey’. Additionally, Maxim describes women as ‘hotties’ again objectifying them.

Synopsis

Enchanted (2007) is a Romantic Comedy created by Bill Kelly and directed by Kevin Lima. This no ordinary Disney film cleverly it combines Classical Disney animation with modern chaotic urban society. The naive Princess Giselle is banished from the animated land by the wicked witch to New York City. Giselle (Amy Adams) blissfully lives in Andalsia (Cartoon world), where magical beings frolic freely and musical interludes punctuate every interaction. At this point Giselle is engaged to be married to handsome Prince Edward (James Marsden), her fate is altered as the villainous Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) banishes her to the hectic merciless streets of New York City. As she begins to warm to her new surroundings and the fairy-tale exterior of the once-carefree princess Giselle soon finds herself falling for a friendly but flawed divorce lawyer (Patrick Dempsey). His kind compassionate nature helps her to survive in the big bad world.

Source: www.moviefone.com
Originally written by Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide reworded by ME