Here's my question...if you're not that way, then what? Are you banished from the limelight? Is your worth as a person diminished? Our society places so much emphasis on gender codes and needing to look and feel a certain way, but what really happens if you aren't that way? Does society not like you?
I think that gender codes, as prevalent as they are don't really matter. As a society we may say that they do, but our ideas of popularity and who we choose to support may say otherwise. Let's take a look at what I mean.
Ugly Betty vs. Paris Hilton. Which do you admire or even enjoy more? We talked about Paris Hilton as an anti-icon, but yet she fits and actually forms many of the gender codes for young women in society. If gender codes really determine what it means to be accepted, then why is "Ugly Betty" so popular and such a loved icon of society today?
McDreamy vs. The man who sharted (if you haven't seen "Along Comes Polly" you won't get the reference...sorry). One obviously loved for his looks and his charm, playing the real life Prince Charming in "Enchanted" and the object of attention in Grey's Anatomy. The other, loved, just not necessarily for his looks. Both are different in so many ways, yet both loved and successful actors.
So here is my question for the class... if the need to fit into certain gender codes are so important, why do we find success and even admiration for those who don't fit the gender code? So are gender codes really just a facade and a way that we can compare ourselves to others, or do they really matter?
36 comments:
Wow, I'm the first to comment instead of the last!
Anyhow, while I don't mind people like Tom Cruise (pre-crazy), Michael Jordan, and Sara Michelle Geller, all who i would classify as the elites, I love the people with whom I can connect. How many of us are as good looking as Tommy? What about dunk from the free-throw line like Mike? And how many of us can look that good while jabbing stakes into vampires? My guess is... well none of us.
While we adore from a far the cream of the crop beautiful people of the entertainment industry, once in a while there's someone who we can really connect with. And why? Well take JD from Scrubs. Now he's considered pretty hot, but really take it from the beginning of the series. JD is an intern who, while maybe book smarts for making it through med school, is just plain dumb. His humor is childish, he's almost unhealthily socially dependent on his best friend... and honestly, he's got a HUGE nose. He spends his time at Sacred Heart Hospital trying to impress his superior, avoiding the bully janitor, and win the heart of his good-looking colleague, Elliot (who is a girl). Add on over $100,000 worth of debt, and do we have an elite...? No way, BUT WE LOVE HIM!
Why...? JD doesn't do any of those other things... and we all know we would rather see Sara Michelle Geller fight vampires. Why do we love him, even though he can't do those things...? Because he is like us, and in some ways inferior to us. We love him because he is normal and we can relate to him. While we can swoon and sigh when Tom Cruise wins the heart of his supporting actress, i won't lie, I feel better when I find out more crazy things he did! On the other hand we cheer when JD makes his move on Elliot, and we're heartbroken when she dumps him, because we can feel like its happening to us...
Wow... maybe a little too long... but good thing you can just scroll right past it!
Jon is right about us having two main reasons for loving celebrities -- we either relate with them or we admire and attempt to emulate them for their idealness.
But gender codes are about more than just fitting into the mold of what modern society sees at physically attractive. Even Ugly Betty and whoever that hideous-faced guy is from that horrible “b” movie, “Along Came Polly,” fit into most gender codes.
-Michael Williams
I think that gender codes are important but becoming more blurred in our society and as such, we value people who adhere to our traditional views and those who exemplify new trends. Some people respect the fact that ugly betty is famous for being untraditional and ugly, while others can't or won't watch her becuase they have no interest in an unattractive character. The same goes for Paris, some see her as a beautiful girl who exemplifies femininity, and other's a ditzy, blonde, idiot with a weird nose. It all depends on who prgressive your views are when it comes to gender codes.
I think that gender codes really matter to us when they make sense or when they are easy to connect with. Well, with respect to this blog, i think both Ugly Betty and Paris are successful because of the following reasons.
Ugly Betty is definitely successful because many women (and men?) can relate to her situation, and to a great extent, provides hope for the people in her situation (because she's successful despite being "ugly", overweight (compared to her colleagues and friends) and careless). Same thing applies to Seymour Hoffman.
Paris is definitely successful and admired because of her success, talent (at marketing herself as this powerhouse/brand) and (let's admit) her physical appearance. Same thing applies to Patrick Dempsey.
I think both the Adonis and the geek can both be admired for different reasons. We admire the Adonis for being the perfect version of we wish we could be, like being Brad Pitt or for girls, someone beautiful and talented like Jennifer Aniston.
Yet, we admire the geek like Ugly Betty because it represents more true life. They aren't perfect, don't dress or act ideally. They are very human.
And as far as gender codes go, I think the more self-conscious we are of what others think of us, the harder (and more unnaturally) we try to become what society wants us to.
Despite your strong arguments I still think that gender codes are an important element of our society. Ugly Betty may be fun to watch, but if she was going to your school how many friends would she have? How many guys would be after her? She may be cool on TV but I think that she would be judged harshly in real life. For good or for bad, gender codes are here to stay.
I think Ugly Betty is very intentionally going against the grain here. I think she appeals to us because adherence to what a woman is "supposed" to be like has become so unobtainable that it is refreshing to find someone who says like us (someone who doesn't exactly fit, but that's okay about it).
We hate Paris Hilton because we can't relate to her. Maybe we are a little envious of her, but she seems so stuck up about it that we can't relate to her.
Actually, I'm going to revise my opinion just a little.
Ugly Betty is just like every other "Ugly" character in a movie: She's a beautiful girl who dresses in some less flattering way (or a way that looks less fashionable and less sex crazed, but actually fits well and works for the subject).
But take a closer look at her. She looks very good in a "fit the stereotype" kind of way.
This is a sort of "True Art" analysis where choices the artists make don't fit with their explicit message.
I am torn on this issue. I do think gender codes matter, I mean whenever I see some woman dressed realllllllllllllllly plain (instead of somewhat "normal" which we kind of expect of women) I think she must be some extremist conservative or polygamist or something. Same goes with guys, the realllllly plain ones are surely crazy nerds or something. Then again, if we don't fit the roles sometimes we become heroes, think about the counter culture movement which still continues today...
I think Ugly Betty fits the gender codes! The show presents her as an "ugly" girl and someone who has to overcome challenges to survive in the workplace because she is "unattractive". She is hardworking and intelligent. It is showing that "ugly" people have to make it in the real world with extra talent and abilities (while gender codes also say that attractive people don't need to work hard to survive).
I think people who don't identify with the stereotypical gender codes like these famous celebrities who stand out in the spotlight because they can find a place for themselves in society.
Just because we have gender roles doesn't mean we don't like to see variety. As humans we like to find fault with others to build up our own self esteem so we may enjoy to watch people who are different or coined "weird."
How boring would TV and pop culture be if everyone fit in the gender code. Variety is what makes it popular!
gender codes don't exactly equal icons. Our icons don't necessarily have to keep the gender codes. As americans are part of a society that continually strives to be different and show what makes them unique in this huge melting pot, we admire the people in the limelight that do that too. We can relate and identify with their different-ness... ironic as it is, we're all trying to be different, just like everyone else.
I don't think you can compare Ugly Betty and Paris Hilton and relate them to our current gender codes.
Ugly Betty is a fictional character, while her wit is admired on television, if you were to place her in society I doubt that she would succeed as she has within her show. Paris Hilton is a figure that has wealth and success is society, while she may not have the most admirable character she is beautiful, rich, and successful.
We may admire those around us that do not hold to our normal gender codes, however they are the exception. While I do think that a women like Ugly Betty is admirable, I still believe in the gender codes that teach us how to act and look to be most accepted.
I think gender codes are very interesting because it is something that is socially acceptable yet I firmly believe that the more we get to know an individual or the more you feel you get to know a character, the less you expect them to live up to those social norms.
I think that is one of the reasons why we really connect with characters in TV shows that aren't quite as cool. We feel as if we "know" these characters better and we feel that they are our friends.
Decades ago if you went against the social norm of gender codes you weren't accepted. I think now days we see girls that dress like boys, boys that look like girls and people doing things that their gender wouldn't naturally do. There is such large numbers of people that go against these codes that they have established it as something accepted and normal.
The fact that someone like Ugly Betty can be recognized says a lot. Our society, as shallow as it may seem, might actually have interest in something other than sex appeal. Look at all of our hero's and icons from the past, none of them were particularly well known for their good looks, but rather what they achieved. So in essence, in order to make it big in society, you either have to achieve something great, or be really good looking. Sadly, one of those seems to get more recognition than the other.
Good point, the problem is this: The examples you pointed out are valid and true, but in the grand scheme of Hollywood, MTV and popular culture, the Ugly Betty's are still a small group.
If anything, you've pointed out that they are a new and rising trend, almost like the anti-anti icon. People like Phillip Seymour Hoffman excel because they possess raw talent and we can relate to him - he is the overweight "everyman." I think anti-icons like Paris Hilton and these others, I don't know what to call them are both together responses to the traditional icons.
It's interesting when Nicole Kidman went ugly and put on a fake nose in "The Hours" she finally won her Oscar for best actress. Often actors have to "ugly up" to win the hearts of voters and fans. From "Monster" with Charlize Theron to Phillip Seymour Hoffman in "Capote," it pays to not look glamorous. I think people like seeing normal people that look like them - who actually entertain and have talent and don't earn laughs just by being overly ironic.
I don't know a lot about those actors you chose, but it seems to me, that most everybody knows that "Betty" is made to look worse than she really is and as far as gender codes go, I don't think Philip Seymour Hoffman is straying from them. I don't think there is as big an emphasis in the male gender code to be good looking.
And I also think that people find it interesting or intriguing to see others break the mold of gender codes, but most of the time, people don't want to leave it themselves.
I think that gender codes, for sure, are real and really do matter. I don't know that much about Ugly Betty, but I know that it is fairly popular. Maybe a lot of the people are watching it are glad to see an unattractive girl as the main character in the show. It's something different from the norm. For me I know that I would much rather see a TV show with beautiful people than average looking people. I see average looking people every single day.
Gender codes are real. They are not going anywhere. I do not watch Ugly Betty, but I would guess that people watch it because they are intrigued by the fact that this (less than) average looking girl is involved in the industry that she is. She is not tall, skinny, and beautiful. But she is still successful. It is all part of the plot. I am sure a lot of girls love watching her because of this, or the fact that they are entertained since it is so out of the ordinary. Shows like these are good for society to see, but I would much rather watch a cast of beautiful people who I would aspire to become.
I'll echo what has been said already. I think we admire people for different reasons, but both for one similar reason...in some way, we want to be like them. We admire the beautiful for their "idealness" and our desire to look like them, and we admire the smart, funny, witty, etc. for these traits...because, again, we want to have these traits. I agree that all the people in the pictures on the blog are still pretty much fitting into the gender codes. None of the men are wearing women's clothes and makeup, for example. I think things like this cause us to notice the bending of gender codes.
Of course we love the celebrites who seem perfect. They give us someone to envy, admire, look up to, etc. But possibly even more endearing are the celebrities who seem just like us. They not only give us someone to relate to, but they make it seem like it is possible for us to become a celebrity just by being outselves.
i agree with jenna!
gender codes are part of our societal make up. it helps us define our masculinity and femininity. I think it is definitely real and not going away anytime soon.
i think we find success and admiration for those who are unique or who don't quite fit the "perfect" or "normal" mode because we like to root for the underdog, and ugly betty is a good example. she is a character that is relateable to many women and is a champion for the quirky. i think gender codes are big, vague general outlines nowdays, and those who break them become admirable and heroic in our minds.
(might i also add that philip seymour hoffman and i have the same high school alma mater and took theater from the same woman...just had to throw that in there. i've met him, he's awesome!)
I think the contrast people you used in your examples stand for different kinds of public figures. One is the ideal, idol type of figures and the other is the people that we can find the connection with. They are both public figures, but they are invented and promoted by the media by different purposes. Isn't Ugly Betty is about a woman that is out of the norm, who is no where close to what society generally expect from a woman? If gender code doesn't really matter, then what is whole point of the series about anyway?
I think that a main aspect of our culture right now is the fact that it is trendy to NOT be trendy. It is admirable to go against the mold and to "stick it to the man," if you will. I think people who do their own thing are looked up to because of it, but at the same time, this trend still relies on the molds. Without the molds being in place, there would not be this rebellion. MTV and other hip organizations all support being accepting of all types of people and being as liberal as possible. It has become fashionable to support different people and rebel against the norm because the media is making people who do not support differences feel narrow-minded and old-fashioned. It is interesting to see people doing everything they can to not fit the mold, and by doing so they end up fitting right back into one.
interesting post. i suppose everybody has a different opinion about what a real man or woman is. and i think that's a good thing. we should have different thoughts and points of view concerning this or else we'll become a homogeneous blob.
though we do need to have common ground.
People like good-looking people. That's why some become celebrities, although I don't find Paris Hilton attractive myself, but the difference is Ugly Betty is a character, I think if she were real life she would not be idolize or looked up to in society. Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Patrick Dempsey are both popular actors, but Hoffman is a talented actor, he's not around based on his looks, I think his looks are something directors "put up" with because of his talent.
I agree with Jon about his two main reasons- we need celebrities so we can live vicariously through them and imagine what it must be like to be "perfect" and then we need other celebs that look and act the way we do- or worse. This way we can have the best of both worlds. I also think the people who do not have the looks have another aspect about them which we admire and this is normally humor. Very interesting post with GREAT evidence to back it up- really made me think twice.
Everyone wants to be Mcdreamy but some just dont have it. I bet Ugly Betty would love to look like Paris Hilton but she doesnt so, she has to go after it, in a different way. Instead of looks, she brings charm and laughter to the table, which in no way is less of a quality than being good looking. I just believe everyone wants to be good looking but some arent so we have to try someother way to fit into society.
I kind of agree with Nathan and some of the other comments made here, where we may admire some that have blurred the lines of gender code, but we don't really want to emulate them completely. Who honestly wants to be ugly Betty or look and talk like Phillip Seymore Hoffman? Yes we may admire certain facets of their persona, but we don't wanna be completely like them. They're more anectodal as well, fun to laugh at, but not fun to be.
Although gender codes are well and alive in our society, I think there is a big trend in the US right now and that is to be different.Underground. The idea that as soon as something is popular or cool it is no longer any of those. It is played out, sold out and not that cool anymore. So i think this applies to gender codes as well. Peolpe are doing everything to note fall in line with the gender codes because it is not cool anymore.
When I read Brett's comment I thought it was rather forward of him to express that. But Honestly as I think about it. That part of human exsistance is a reality that we all must live with.
I know some girls who would never leave thier house without wearing makeup or getting ready for the day. While on the other hand I know several girls who really could care less, almost to a point where they don't respect themselves enough to actually time the time to get ready. I think both are extremes and both have to do with the gender codes. One is completely living by it, the other is completely opposing it. I believe that the gender codes do exsist, but I also believe we don't have to live for or against them. I go to the store in sweats somtimes, usually I try to get ready for the day, but if I'm busy, I don't care.
I think gender codes do matter to an extent but as you pointed out, if you don't fit in society's gender code then I think you can be famous. It doesn't necessarily mean if you are different you are an outcast. Especially in entertainment today I think that if you push the boundaries you are more popular like Ellen or Rupaul.
Well, those icons still act in fairly traditional gender roles. Is Ugly Betty not an assistant? Does she not wear dresses and skirts? Granted, the title of the show itself is a play on the "traditional" contemporary fashionista. But Betty is still a woman and does "womanly" things. I do think she represents a more modern woman, but there are still pervasive stereotypes. I also must admit I don't really understand why Philip Seymour Hoffman isn't "man" enough for you. Or did I misread? The Prince Charming is less of a traditional gender code than Hoffman. Anyway, I agree that gender codes are definitely blurring. Not necessarily gender lines, but what defines certain genders is definitely expanding.
We think people are great who break out of the "gender codes" because they were courageous enough to do so and we don't have that courage to break out from the norm. There are people that we think are terrible people ( aka Paris Hilton) but secretly we still wish that we had her legs. Can we ever break out of gender codes, who know?
Post a Comment