Film Art and Culture 2011

Gender and IdentityDr. Amy Lee

16 April 2011

Gender vs Sex

• Sex– biological features which are born with the

person– found in the physical body– “male” or “female”

• Gender– Social and cultural attributes

constructed/agreed among people in a society – flexible and changing according to the views

in society– “masculine” or “feminine”

Masculine vs Feminine

• Strong• Rational• Aggressive• Keeps to himself• Logical• Careless• …

• Weaker• Irrational• Submissive• Talkative/Expressive• Emotional• Careful • …

Conforming to Gender identity…

Rebelling against/ subverting Gender identity…

??!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYAOYcBtGl0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VOiOgena3M

Biological sex

is not equal to

Gender

Rebelling against gender identity at your own risk!!!

• Some Like It Hot (1959)– Dir. Billy Wilder

Marilyn Monroe as blond woman

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)– Theme song

“Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_aqOTVKebY

Monroe as icon

Feminine response from the 1980s

• Madonna’s Material Girl• http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=_CQHIP-38jA

• “Open your heart” music video

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7JMXYoTj8I

Feminine response from the 2010s

• Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” music video (7:11)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2smz_1L2_0

• “Born This Way” music video (7:20)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV1FrqwZyKw

Points for discussion

• Gendered – Space– Habits and ways of communication

• Ways of seeing/the gendered gaze

• Gendered thinking: schizophrenia?

• Possibility of reversal?

• Ending: What is Osgood saying?

Study of Gender Issues

• Representation of male and female image

• Masculine and Feminine qualities

• Stereotypes

• Value judgment

• Alternative possibilities

Other discussions of gender

Orlando (1992)

Farewell my Concubine( 霸王別姬 ) 1993

Conclusion

• Gender identity is an important aspect of our social identity– Expectations of how we behave– Rules of how we dress– Deviation may end with marginalization– Happy ending in a comedy in Some Like It

Hot (1959), but what about now?

Assignment

• If Some Like It Hot is to be remade in 2011 using Hong Kong as the setting instead of the American Society, do you think the development of the story and the ending will be the same? Explain.

• < 500 words• Submit a hard copy on 30 April 2011