Free Essay About Gender Portrayals In

The didactic function and cultural currency of television shows parallels those of film. This trick of appearing progressive while not progressing lies at the heart of show business and cinema contingent upon the political climate and atmosphere in which productions are created. The appearance of bending social norms gives a television show the “edge” and allure of pushing the boundaries of society, capitalizing upon the curiosity of its viewers. This chimera might be seen in the premise of the show itself or the occasional “stereotype-defying” character. The underlying social norms in shows, however, will often remain unaltered. Nonetheless, atypical television mothers such as Reba McIntyre on Reba and Louis on Malcolm in the Middle subvert hegemonic gender paradigms by proffering alternatives to ideal representations in television. Moreover, these representations are resistant against socio-cultural values with regards to motherhood.
It is unequivocal that the producers and writings of the hit television sitcoms Malcolm in the Middle” and Reba had feminist inclinations, which is evident through the female protagonists Lois and Reba Macintyre . A hardworking and diligent worker who constantly laments about the monotony of her job, Lois time and again articulates her aversion towards and distress prompted by her inconsiderate and undisciplined progeny as well as her inane husband. Indeed, the various characters forget about Lois’ birthday, and the children demolish Lois’ favorite possessions. She seemingly appears to fall victim to overriding patriarchal discourses. Nonetheless, it is unequivocal that, while Lois may not be a heroine in the modern sense, she never appears to be a helpless victim who is fully controlled by her male counterparts. Although Lois is largely portrayed as a domesticated woman responsible for raising her children, Lois nonetheless eschews her traditional female role as wife and mother by covertly expressing her intellect, mental acuity, and emotional maturity. Rather than being striving to become a traditional mother, Lois conveys her emotional and mental intelligence, thereby covertly chafing against salient gender structures. Moreover, Reba’s character in her titular show eschews traditional gender mores by being a single mother while also maintaining her cheeky humor. She also is widely accepting of the fact that her former husband is remarried to a prototypical blonde. Nonetheless, both Lois and Reba launched disparate campaigns in order to resist hegemonic cultural values regarding motherhood.
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