Analysis of Gender in TV Drama

Shannon Clarke

The female character shown in the screen shot is represented as stressed and panicky. In a few seconds the woman runs away as if scared. This is signified to the audience as her voice ‘shakes’ when she is speaking to the male character. We, as the audience, feel curious as to what “shouldn’t be happening”. This is a stereotypical perception of women; they’re seen as emotional and weak.

Sound

The music, up until the point with the hand buried in the mud, sounded like a heartbeat. The music suddenly changes when we see the hand - it develops to a harsh ‘whoosh’ sound. The male character is being represented as strong and brave in the sense that he’s taking charge and alerting his team members to stop. Perceiving men as strong and brave is stereotypical in TV dramas, and the audience would identify with the character’s power and controlled therefore be curious and suspicious as to what’s happening.

Sound

The framing in this screenshot deviates from the stereotypical portrayal of males in TV dramas. The camera is above the male character so he is seen as as vulnerable, not dominant. The use of the high angle makes the viewer think the male character is in danger. The audience would identify with the character’s vulnerability and want to help him.

Cinematography

The female character shown in this screenshot is represented as brave and powerful and this is shown to the audience through the use of the framing - the female character dominates the clip. This deviates from the stereotypical image of women being weak and vulnerable. She is shown as strong and courageous. The audience would identify with the character’s power and control and therefore want her to succeed. Also, the fact that a woman is saving the male character deviates from the normality within stereotypical TV dramas.

Cinematography

Editing in this screenshot is used to create a prehistoric saber-tooth cat. The use of this editing allows the male character the cat is chasing to be represented as brave but also vulnerable as he could be killed at any moment. Bravery is a common stereotype of the male gender, but vulnerability is not. Vulnerability, stereotypically, makes the male gender look weak and fragile (which are stereotypically female traits). The audience would identify with the vulnerability and sympathise with the male character.

Editing

In this screenshot, the technical area of editing is used for a jump cut - this makes the scene seem jumpy and unnatural. This makes the male character seem uneasy and jolty, like he is panicky and pressured; like he is making rash decisions quickly. This challenges the stereotypical image of men being brave and in control. The audience would identify with the character’s vulnerability and therefore be curious as to whether the character will survive this encounter with the prehistoric animal.

Editing

The male character is being represented as resourceful as he uses his own belt to travel down the zip-wire away from the saber-tooth cat. He’s also represented as calm as he is not screaming for help, he’s using his own initiative and saving himself. The calmness is portrayed through the mis-en-scene of his blue tee-shirt. The colour blue connotes a sense of calm, which deviates from the stereotypical image of men being rational and aggressive. The audience would have a connection with the male character and they themselves would feel independent and want the male character to succeed in escaping.

Mise-en-scene

The male character on the left is represented as strong, professional and dominant - this is shown through the use of his clothing. The black suit and tie makes the man look powerful and professional. This is stereotypical for the male gender and the audience would identify with the character’s power and therefore maybe feel intimidated by him.

Mise-en-scene