Gender in TV Drama

Gender in TV Drama

Stereotype for women:

TV dramas are always thought to be a female-viewer-attracted industry, especially for soap operas, but some as other types of television programs, TV drama represent and reinforce the majority’s ideology western culture. The role of a female character is to make the male character appear more important to the series.

Also, it is interesting how the female characters professional achievement correlate with her physical appearance. This is stereotype is used in TV Dramas to express that the highly intelligent women are represented as inferior whereas the more sexualised and typical blonde, character are considered to have more of important role in the drama. Another example could be advertising. Betty is a full time housewife is shown as an elegant blonde, with nice figure and Peggy is an ambitious secretary who later becomes a copywriter, it is much less attractive for the audience that is watching the drama.

Female character have professional lives and usually have to be ignored and more often they are portrayed as house views who take care of children and family chores every day, but it is not ambitious at all in building a career. Even if the women do work, they are often shown on a TV in traditional feminine jobs such as being a teacher, secretaries and nurses which is kind of a professions which is all required to be patience and many more things. For example, Samantha from EastEnders left her husband to pursue a career in modelling but it was unsuccessful.

Stereotype for men:

Stereotype for men is that they are shown to appear as a strong and powerful, mentally and physically. The males appear to be the elements that face of TV drama as they are seen as an important role due to their abilities.  For example an example of a strong male character is the Doctor from Doctor Who, his character is presented as strong due to his vast knowledge of his planets, strategies and monsters to face up against. Although he can’t resist travelling with a female companion, this makes his character seem more important as he has an inferior with him which makes him superior.