One of the major media topics of the day is gender stereotypes that are portrayed in television, films, and other sources. Many argue that over-simplified views of men or of women can be damaging to developing individuals and may create a distortion of reality. However there is another issue that, though related, is not being discussed nearly as much – gender-based media interest stereotypes.
Gender stereotypes of media use exist very strongly. The perception is that males tend to gravitate towards media that is action or adventure oriented and focused on violence. Women on the other hand, are perceived as enjoying emotional stories and romance. At their extremes, these stereotypes translate into Spike TV for men and Lifetime for women, two cable channels aiming very directly towards their intended gender demographic. The majority of channels try to appeal to a broader audience, and some do so by mixing elements of action for the men and emotion for the women. However, this is still operating off a simplified assumption of what different genders want out of their media.
Gerard Jones addresses the question of what women are looking for in media in his book, “Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence.” Studies show that a young age, there are virtually no differences in the play habits and media preferences between girls and boys. However, around age 6, most girls begin to lose interest in action and violent play, and boys begin distancing themselves from playing house. However, Jones noticed that a large number of adolescent and adult females are drawn to elements of action and violence in media – enough to question the basis of the generally accepted gender-based media interest stereotypes.
The book suggests that girls, rather than losing interest in violent and action-driven media at a young age, simply divert their interest into different venues than boys do. Although in general they seem to lose an interested in violence for the sake of violence, girls retain a high level of interest in adventure stories that may contain violence as part of the problem or solution. They do turn their attention more towards the social aspect of their lives, focusing on relationship and social status, but even this at times this can become a sort of complicated war game for girls, as they strategize their own rise in popularity or the fall of others.
One of the ideas proposed by Jones is that girls retain an interest and need for action heroes as much as boys do, but cover this up in ways that are more socially acceptable. He gives the example of Star Wars, saying most women he has talked to about this issue have admitted that they felt more connected to the characters of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo than to Princess Leia, who is only interesting in the context of her relationships with Luke and Han. Similarly, they felt a connection to the character of India Jones and were just as vicariously involved in his adventures as boys watching the films were. However, girls then feel the need to preface this interested by stating that they found Indiana Jones to be attractive, attributing their interest to a romantic one, based on the idea that this is more socially acceptable.
This action of masking the true basis of interest is perpetuated by gender-based media preference stereotypes, as well as other gender stereotypes that exist. It is partially due to a conscious effort to retain gender roles, but it is also due to an unconscious interpretation of their own feelings into something that fits their view of what they ought to be interested in. This action then reinforces the stereotyped view, perpetuating its own acceptance.
One reason this model is intriguing is that it fits with several existing communication theories. According to the uses and gratifications theory, individuals are drawn to media that are useful or interesting to them in some way. This theory doesn’t attempt to define any set interests of groups of people, so certain inferences must be made when applying this theory. The gender stereotype would assume that women are interested in romance and emotional stories, and disinterested in action/adventure oriented stories. However, the model proposed by Jones would expect something entirely different – both men and women can be equally interested in participating in the same types of media, but it is their use of this media only which differs. Women in particular who are drawn to action/adventure media may use it as an outlet to their emotional and social needs.
The process that occurs when women mask their true resonance with the media fits the theory of cognitive dissonance. Women drawn to certain types of media that do not fit their own perceptions of what is acceptable, may alter their own perceived reason for interest in order to make it fit the model.
To further study this proposed model of women’s use of the media, a number of informal interviews were conducted with mostly college aged women, attempting to see whether women’s basic uses and interest in the media coincided with this model, closely followed the stereotype model, or was not explainable by either model.
There should be significant interested in finding out whether this model holds true for most women or not. If this in-depth theory of women’s media use could be shown to apply broadly, it could potentially have a great impact on the world of media, especially media targeting women. Rather than an oversimplified view that men and women have completely different media interests, this theory suggests that there are only slight differences in the application of different types of media. Beyond the influence on the industry, this model could also change the way most women perceive their own media interests – both the true reason for interest and the social acceptability of those interests.
Though the interviews were for the most part informal, each began asking the women about their own general media interest and their reasons for these interests. Then the model was explained, and asked if they felt their own interests mirrored it at all. At the beginning of the interview, the majority of women named “safe,” gender-acceptable titles and reasons for their interests. Classic and current romance films were named, as well as romance, drama, or fashion oriented television shows. However, as each interview progressed, it became very easy to tell that each individual woman’s media interests were anything but stereotypical. Some women had a more difficult time admitting these interests than others. Some admitted to loving hard science-fiction, others to enjoying action oriented series such as “Lost” or “24.” One interviewee gushed about her recent obsession with the TV series “The Office.” When asked what appealed to her, she at first detailed the romantic tension between the characters of Jim and Pam. When asked what other aspects of the show she enjoyed, she seemed to resist showing interest until the character of Dwight was mentioned. “Watching Jim torture Dwight is one of the main reasons I watch,” she admitted, going into the details of some of her favorite pranks.
Even some of the more “girly” media mentioned is indicative of interests beyond emotion and romance. The film Mean Girls was enjoyed by many of the women, a film that has elements of romance, but centers heavily in the social warfare of high school girls, backstabbing each other in a race for popularity and acceptance. The film is punctuated by a few scenes of comedic violence as fighting breaks out between different social groups, and one girl is hit by a bus in a scene that feels very much like divine retribution. The fact that such a film has become so popular with women strongly correlates with this theory, suggesting that women can accept and even embrace fighting and violence that relates to social and emotional interests.
When referring to the Star Wars or Indiana Jones examples, most women agreed that they were much more interested in the male protagonists than the female leads in both cases, and in several other examples as well. When asked why, many did immediately respond by attempting to show some level of romantic interest in the character or actor. As the interviewer attempted to delve deeper into their reason for liking these characters, some women were surprised. One admitted after the interview that she’d never thought about her own interest beyond attraction before, as no one – including herself – had ever assumed there was another reason. Other women were very aware of their own interests. One in particular completely lit up while explaining her underlying reasons, obviously excited that someone had finally assumed it wasn’t just attraction. She detailed her love for the action stars of fantasy series and films, admitting that she’d always identified with them and had wished she could have similar adventures when she was younger. When asked what she thought of the “damsel in distress” characters she made a disgusted face. “They’re useless,” she replied, laughing.
None of the women interviewed had heard of this model before, though a few of them immediately admitted that it made sense and resonated with their own media use. One interviewee immediately began nodding in total agreement. When asked if she had read the book she admitted she hadn’t, but that the theory seemed to make complete sense. Another interviewee was quiet as she contemplated the idea. When asked if she felt if it was indicative of her own behavior, she not only agreed, but confessed that the theory had perfectly put into words feelings she’d had her entire life.
However, not all women were as open to the theory. Though nearly all the individual women showed interest in very non-stereotypical media, some had alternative explanations. One felt that her interest in male characters was only due to the fact that male characters were so often the only leads available – if more female stars existed she would be more likely to be drawn to them. Another suggested that even though she did like one or two more action oriented shows, these were exceptions and the majority of her interests were for less violent, more emotional based media.
The topic of deferring their own interests to a more socially acceptable standpoint also received some very diverse feedback. A few of the women admitted that they were very aware of the fact that they’d felt outside pressure to conform their interests to fit a socially acceptable model. Of the women who this concept was new to, a few said it might be true, but most seemed skeptical. A few were very against the idea, firmly stating that they were aware of their own interests.
The skepticism in this model shown by the women may in part be due to the fact that this model assumes that women may on an unconscious level interpret their own interest media to fit the more socially accepted model. One major drawback faced during the study was the fact that if this process does indeed occur, it is not cognitive in most women. Only a small handful of women in the study readily admitted that this unconscious process may be occurring. Over half the women expressed either uncertainty or denied that this was the case. It’s fair to assume that most women wouldn’t want to believe that they aren’t directly aware of their own media uses and interests. Because of this, it can’t be declared whether this was indicative of evidence against the model or an argument for it. Direct questioning may not be the best approach to getting to the root of this issue.
In this case, it’s not likely that a scientific quantitative research project would be able to delve any deeper. The women participants seemed to offer more information during the most informal parts of the interview. For this reason it seems that a qualitative discussion group or ethnography type research project would be the best option for exploring this idea more in depth. If there is to be any further research, indirect questioning and observing the actions and interests of women might provide more insight than direct questioning was able to.
The study was able to show that the first part of this proposed model seems to be correct – women can in fact be drawn to action/adventure and violence, especially when used towards social and emotional goals. This can occur even if the program is aimed primarily at men. Despite the fact that there are a number of explanations that might explain this, there was also evidence that Jones’ model may be correct – enough to possibly warrant additional research into this model. Another sister-study researching the male use of drama and emotion in media may also provide additional insight.
The gender-based media interest stereotypes used today are generally acknowledged as just that – stereotypes. It’s commonly understood that individual interests are more complicated and diverse. However, there doesn’t seem to be many in-depth theories on the differences or similarities of media interests and uses between genders, so the stereotypes are often used to some extent to predict and understand interest differences between genders. This can often times be more harmful than useful, especially if it proves to be causing a massive misunderstanding within individuals of their own media needs and uses. A different model needs to be provided – one that offers increased insight into this topic.
Sources
Jones, Gerard. Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence. Basic Books. 2002. Chapter 5. pp. 77-96.
Paley, Vivian Gussin. Boys and Girls: Superheroes in the Doll Corner. University of Chicago Press. 1984.
Inness, Sherrie. Tough Girls: Women Warriors and Wonder Women in Popular Culture. University of Philadelphia Press. 1998
Smith and Connolly. The Ecology of Preschool Behavior. Cambridge University Press. 1972.
Thirteen informal interviews with women, mostly college age. Conducted in November, 2007.
