How has the representation of female leading roles changes over time?

Asked by Nettya24 (4

) December 18th, 2008

Hi all
I am conducting some primary research for my A level Media studies Critical Studies exam, my chosen topic area is, Women in Film, but more specifically the representation of female leading roles over time.

I would really like to read your thoughts about how the female image has changed and what your reaction to it is as an audience. Whether the more dominent female figures of film, for example Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, (who creates an image that she doesn’t need to be protected by a male character) is more appealing to you, comapred to others such as, Lois Lane in Superman (although being a strong female character) needs the male figure, which in this case is a superhero to keep her safe and save her from any trouble she may get herself into.

So the general question i am asking is; which do you find more appealing in a female leading character as an audience, a damsel in distress who needs to depend on a man, or a female who can take care of herself?

Any response you have will help me enormously
Thanks for your time.

A-Level Media Studies.....Critic

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5 Answers

Hey! You should edit your Question Title and topics so that people can find your question. Change the title to something like, “What do you like in a leading lady,” and then add stuff like “cinema, heroines, gender roles” to the topics. Welcome to Fluther!

tonedef (3935

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Quick! Click on the Edit button before it disappears, and take tonedef’s advice! :)

girlofscience (7572

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TV and movies have done a rotten job portraying women in rolls of mothers, housewives, single parents and grandmothers. I think as a society if we continue to look to Hollywood to shape our lives then we are headed for the decay of family values.

When Hollywood starts putting women in real roles that mirror the positive female influences in my life then maybe just maybe I will take the industry seriously and not view the actresses as merely “eye candy” whose purpose is to keep us in a vegetative state.

GAMBIT (3963

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Ugh, no distressed damsels, please!

syz (36034

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I don’t know about how roles have changed, but I came accross this story the other day on NPR. It’s about the phenomenon called the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, that crazy, creative female character who exists only to change the life of the brooding male protagonist. (Think Natalie Portman in Garden State or Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s). Anyway, it’s a really interesting article. I hope it’ll help!

BlueDing (252

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