Misrepresentation of women in the media is about as old as media itself, whether this is in the form of news, television, or literature. In modern times, growing up as a girl can mean scouring Netflix’s home page to find an accurate and relatable portrayal of our experiences. This situation becomes especially true for women of color. Though societal progression is a moving process, it remains vital to understand why women’s unique perspectives are regularly silenced and how our world of media can better itself to highlight all standpoints.
Generally, women have a very minimal level of representation within our media. A form of expression that most people are exposed to daily is film. As statistics from womenandhollywood.com mentions, 2019’s top grossing 100 films include women creating only 34% of speaking or named characters, while women of color represented 17% of leading and co-leading roles. Only 21.3% of LGBTQ+ characters were female-identified, with only one female LGBTQ+ lead of “Booksmart”. Numbers like these paint a very saturated image in terms of accurately representing today’s women in film. Since television is such a widespread outlet under technology’s universal usage, its influence has reached an acme for younger, online generations. If our cinematography can’t include a proportional level of representation for women, sharing our stories will be rendered nearly impossible. This serves as a segue for our struggles being diminished, given that they can’t be seen by the general public through the media.
As opposed to women, male character representation has stood in high numbers for years. What’s even more unfortunate for women’s representation is the difference in nuance between male and female characters. In shows that have garnered millions of clicks and fans like Breaking Bad and Bojack Horseman, viewers are introduced to an extremely flawed yet dynamic protagonist. Facing family issues, alcoholism, depression, and more, our main characters take us through their lives written through the eyes of a man. Considering that women face these issues at a rampant rate as well, this low level of representation becomes terribly problematic. It’s a rare sight to see heavily nuanced and saturated female leads facing challenges real women combat. In contemporary times, problems like mental health and personal identity are experienced by many. Because of the external pressures that come with things like a pandemic, we’re seeing rates of depression soar through the ceiling. In an age where many spend their free time alone with entertainment, it becomes disheartening when the majority of lead characters can’t be relatable for the struggling women there are.
So, our representation needs to be increased to a proportional rate. But where does this leave our current media and film industry? A 2021 WGAW Screen Inclusion Report states that 2020’s screenwriters were only 30% female, despite women being 51% of the US population. In terms of how this plays out in the workplace, 79% of women reported experiencing some form of gender-based discrimination according to a 2021 WGAW Screen Survey. Statistics like these create a clear picture of how things operate in the writer’s room. Not only are women underrepresented in film and TV, but our numbers as creators are low as well. Because films lack female writers who can work from their own experiences, this creates very shallow and poorly written female characters. With what little representation women have as characters, the issue worsens. Viewers can witness this effect in films with tropes like the classic damsel in distress or characters who are simply there to set up a man’s jokes. These concepts only create painfully surface-level women, when in reality their characters hold much more potential than what they are given.
However, it’s necessary to note that we are beginning to see somewhat of an incline in these characters. Relatable female characters are beginning to emerge. Though Bojack Horseman’s lead is male, viewers also witness things like marriage issues, difficulties of motherhood, and depression through our female secondary characters. This can be quite refreshing in an online sphere full of male-dominated industries. Well-written and detailed female characters are relatable, which women can benefit from as the presence of collective pain is something we all share. Having an aversion to opening up is rather common in those dealing with something like mental illness. Seeking professional treatment is oftentimes expensive and unfeasible. Even though the effects might seem minuscule, the media can provide a way for viewers to know they’re not alone through character design. If done properly, this can alleviate even the smallest amount of pain one is experiencing. Bringing these stories to life can be crucial for a sea of viewers, but the rate at which this happens is something modern television should work on.
From a writer’s standpoint, there remain many shows and characters written in a way that brings positive light to a woman’s experience. Development of female characters over time is a slow-moving process, but its occurrence is clear. 2002’s very first Spider-Man movie features Mary-Jane Watson, Spider-Man’s main love interest. With such a prominent role in the movie, one would anticipate for a more in-depth understanding of who she is. Instead, viewers receive little footage of who she is as Mary-Jane, as opposed to who she is as Spider-Man’s girlfriend. Her own identity is hardly explored and mainly serves to add layers to that of her boyfriend. Though writers do insert information about her home life and general interests, it’s not necessarily done in order to contribute to who she is but rather to add spice to her. Overall, a relatively one-sided character. The Amazing Spider-Man, released just a decade later, provides us with a much more genuine and accurate love interest, Gwen Stacy. In comparison to Mary-Jane, Gwen’s character still carries significance even without her relationship with Spider-Man. Viewers are exposed to her intelligence and passion for molecular medicine and desire to attend university in pursuit of her goals, which adds a level of realness and nuance to her character. Over the span of 10 years, the development of Spider-Man’s love interests is an example that change is in the stars for women in media.
Media and film’s abundance of misrepresentation of women has paved the way for surface-level characters strewn across our streaming services. With women holding such a small portion of roles both behind and in front of the camera, this is sadly understandable. But with evolution, time and societal progression has taken us to a place far more representative and intersectional than before. For women in the media, this is a thin yet important silver lining.
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