The ‘Feminine Fascination’ chapter in Stardom: Industry of Desire paints an interesting picture into the
role of the female star. It was interesting to see how the portrayal of women
and their role in films has stayed the same or changed over the years. The idea
of “images of women” and “woman as image” and the common breakdown of females
in classical Hollywood as the “superfemale” or “superwoman” are still relevant
in today’s spectatorship. But it is the reception that has changed and with it,
the role of the female star.
While there are still stars that follow this limited
perception of females like Heather Graham. The difference is that there are
now other opportunities for female stars, and those who chose to stay within
this depiction are aware of their role and the sense of objectification. But
unlike before, many of these conventionally ditsy stars are given a more
realistic personality – unless they are there simply to be objectified.
However, with the growth of social and economic power that
females possess, it is the era of the strong woman. Films now have powerful
female protagonists and women are not expected to be at the beck and call of
their male counterparts. Actresses like Jennifer Lawrence or Emma Watson are
just two of the female stars whose personas rest on the idea that they are
strong women.
But as the article mentions, these ideas of women are all
based off how fans identify with them. Many fans fantasize about their favorite
stars based off their film roles and aided by the stars real persona. This is
not a new sense of fascination. But unlike before where female stars were
confined in limited portrayals, there are now a range of female stars that
represent different personas.
In some cases though, the fascination can go beyond a fans intrigue
and morph into practice. Where fans go beyond identifying with a star to
wanting to become them. This often is met with skepticism by the public and
questions the role of the star. But boiled down, this is how some fans show
their devotion to their favorite star. Some fans might purchase products
endorsed by their favorite star. While in some cases of practice it can come
down to plastic surgery.
Overall, the portrayal of women in film has finally come to
a stage where the tables are beginning to turn. No longer are women only
allowed to shine if they are sexualized or made masculine. Instead with a
change in society, there is now room for a spectrum of female stars for fans to
idolize.
I agree that with the rise of strong, independent women, society is becoming more open to it, thus there are more movie roles that fit what society wants to see. I think that if the people watching the movies feel--or want to feel empowered, then watching these roles are going to help them feel that way since stars are embodiments of our desires. However, I feel that with some openness today to what femininity and masculinity can encapsulate, there are still a lot of gendered biases. For example, I wrote a paper about Katniss from the Hunger Games and her feminist front but if you really watch the movie, you see that every decision is being made for her by men, especially in the second movie. Either decisions are made for her or she is being saved by men. It seems me that yes, she is a strong confident woman and definitely one of the best female role models Hollywood has created in awhile, but that she is still subject to patriarchy and male control. It seems a bit like patriarchy in Hollywood is loosening its grip but the grip is still holding strong and just providing the allusion of feminism to appease female audiences.
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