Gender and Folklore

(Medialore)
Gender and Visual Media: A
Study of Representation of
Northeast Women in the
select Visual Texts.

Disclaimer
This presentation has
contents that Requires
Viewers judicious discretion.
This is used only for
academic deliberation and
not to hurt anybodys
sentiment.

Visual Media and Gender

Related fields of study Gender roles in mediacovering/reporting
Accessibility of media to certain
gendered groups
Representation of gender in media

Forms of Visual Media covering

gender

News
Photographs
Film
Advertisement
Modelling
Pornography
Visual Albums
Other visual forms of arts
Pornography
Cartoons and posters
Literature
(Electronic and print inclusive)

Interpreting Visuals

Size, space
Colour/s
Lines, drawings
Text-literature
Mass, Volume, Dimension
Subject-Background relationship
Perception

News

News reader- look

Field reporter- smartness
Editor-gendered role
Owner of media house- capitalist interest
Displaying gender groups- marginals are
misrepresented
(women news casters 16% - Basow, 1992,
5% in TV programmes, 2% in corporate
management, 5% of newspaper publisher,
1988, 1986)

Contd.
Popular media houses do not prefer to
appoint female reporter/ photo-journalists
Even if appointed women face problems separate toilets, maternity leave, egoissues etc.
Prime-time news 7-8 pm- women busy
with cooking or childrens study
Women mostly in entertainment
programmes as host

Film
Director, music-composer, dialogue
writers, cameramen etc.
Actors- hero/heroines, side actors
Themes and narratives
Patriarchal value
system/Conventions
Minimal display of empowerment of
marginal genders

Women in film & film poster and

other posters
Following the research work of Dehchenari
at al, we can look at the representation of
women in posters in four categories Lover- as partner of man
Damsel in distress: also can be called
woman in danger; often a misogynist
representation
Sex-object: objectification of woman
Heroine: woman having an agency and
power.

Damsel in Distress

Hero centric

Raised

Advertisement and
modelling
Exploitation and distortion of male &
female body
Display of the gap between genders
(attitude, behaviour, family and social status)
Commercialisation (even of relationships)
Sexualisation and eroticisation (sex-sell)
Hardly any space for the aged people
Constructing a misplaced Gaze
Reinforcing patriarchy
Questions- sexual morality

Pornography
Victimising both male, female and
third gender in terms of body
exploitation (researchers have
different opinions regarding the
relationship between rape and
pornography)
Displaying Inappropriate sexual
conducts
Teenage- a burning issue

Cartoons

Conventional/traditional images
Disfigured representation
Mockery
Gender stereotypes

Visual Albums
Mythifying/mystifying male/female
body
Masculinising female body and vice
versa
Unrealistic- fantasising (commercial
realism)
Third-wave feminist singers of
America- extreme sexual liberty
(!!!???)

Man displayed as

Upright
Conscious, smart (James Bond type)
Composed and serious
Active and powerful- exercises
control
A body-builder image- masculinity
Minimal display of ectomorphs
(thinly) and endomorphs (soft, round)

Women displayed as Leaning or lying on something- holding

something for support
Contorted body (thin, soft)- commodified
Not alert, vulnerable, careless, Playful,
childlike/ish
Sexy, seductive, available
Submissive/powerless
Femininity in terms of motherhood, family
role-housekeeping (negative image of
careerist women, apologia for housewives)

Women of northeast India in Media

Victim
Exoticised
Westernised (/mimicry)
Body-centric
Feminine

Victim

Exoticised

Misplaced Sexualization

Contd.

Westernised

Contd. (retribalization in a different

context)

Body-centric

Even in news

Feminine
stereotyping

Gender roles

Stereotyping gender roles

More visible in dress-codes/props
Western models
Role-reversal- minimal and
shocking, unwelcome
Self-objectification- creates
misplaced perception of selfhood

Psychological impacts
Creates a desire to be something/get something
Makes one conscious of certain
lacks/imperfections- often misplaced- misplaced
self-perception
Decreases interest in long-term single-partner
relationship (research of Dolf Zillman, 1986)- effects
society and people
Psychological problems- body dysmorphic
disorder, anorexia, bulimia etc.
Creates misogynist attitudes
Creates a mindset to accept sexually
inappropriate conducts

Empowering through
media
Be alert and aware
Discourage misrepresentation
Reject values/ideologies supporting
gender stereotyping/objectifying
Display of balanced gender-image

Thank You
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