Gender stereotypes in TV drama

Women

 

The female characters in 'Lost' are very diverse - some adhere to gender stereotypes and others do not.

Kate (Evangeline Lilly) can mostly defend herself, but sometimes finds herself in situations where she needs to be saved, though she has saved men from similar situations in the past. She is second-in-command to Jack (Matthew Fox), which could be considered sexist as he is a man and he is the leader, but it is understandable given she is a criminal and Jack is a doctor. In one of the flashbacks it is shown that her father tried to grope her and she killed him by blowing up his house, revealing that she isn't passive and won't stand to be treated as a sex object by men. Kate can operate guns and follow trails and hunt. Women are generally regarded as being overly emotional and romantic. Kate is a very emotional person, but often the situation calls for it. She is caught in a love triangle with Jack and Sawyer, leading both of them on, torn between them, which is typical of female characters in the media, along with Mary-Jane Watson (torn between Peter Parker and Harry Osborne) and Bella Swan (torn between Edward Cullen and Jacob Black). Kate doesn't have particularly feminine dialogue, it actually sounds more masculine as she talks about shooting and tracking and survival. Her clothing tends to be tight pants and a loose-fitting vest, which emphasises her body and therefore presents her as an object of desire to male viewers. She once went swimming with Sawyer, taking off almost all of her clothes, and the director used angles to show off her body. Her personality shows her as a strong, independent woman who doesn't need a man to take care of her.
 

Sun (Yunjin Kim) is a very gentle and loving person. Before their time on the island, she had been questioning her marriage to husband Jin (Daniel Dae Kim), as he is over-protective of her and initially wants them to distance themselves from the other survivors, who he doesn't think they can trust. She is passive towards Jin, but this could be the Asian culture they are from. He once made her button up her blouse as she had one or two buttons undone and he considered this to be too revealing. Because of this, she doesn't wear anything too sexual or revealing. She seems afraid of Jin, as at first, when they were speaking only a foreign language to each other and no one could understand them, we could not understand what Jin was saying to Sun, and could only interpret from her reactions that it was harsh comments, and tell from his tone that it was angry yelling. And then she revealed to Michael, Hurley, and later everyone that she could in fact speak English, and she had been learning it for when she left Jin. Sun doesn't get involved in any of the physical activities, and tends to a garden on the island. This is typical of a woman to be the gardener while the men go out and fight, but she enjoys gardening. As she is kind and caring, she comforts Jin, and after he has calmed down, he does kind things for her like help her with the garden, or once he tried to learn some English. Sun is strong and independent. She could look after herself and doesn't need Jin to protect her, or at least not as much as he tries to, but it is frowned upon in her society not to be single, but she is in love with Jin, so stays married to him.

Shannon (Maggie Grace) is mean and cold-hearted. She is a very stereotypical woman. She doesn't like to help out, she sits on the beach getting a tan and painting her nails when everyone else is out scavenging for food, she can't take anything seriously, and when she thinks she sees Walt after he is kidnapped, she gets herself killed. She is the dumb blonde of the show. She always falls in love with the wrong people, or so it seemed. She had paid someone to act like an abusive husband so her brother would pay him to leave her alone and they could split the cash, and she has done this several times. She hates responsibility and was only became a character anyone could actually care about just before her death. The show's producer Damon Lindelof described her as "a bitch. She is like a typical spoiled daddy's girl who gets whatever she wants and is not responsible to the slightest bit." She wears a bikini around the beach to show off her body, but it seems like something the character would do, as maintaining a good body is the most significant thing she has ever done. She is very manipulative so she doesn't have to do anything herself. She gets Charlie to catch her fish, which her brother Boone had to apologise for. When Boone finally tells Shannon she is useless and of no help, she gets her act together and helps Sayid translate the maps from Danielle, finally taking some responsibility for herself.

Ana Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez) is a Latina woman who was a police officer before the crash. This subverts the stereotype of cops in films and TV shows being men (John McClane, Harry Callahan, Martin Riggs etc.). She is strong as a result of once being a victim, getting shot when she was pregnant and losing the baby, later getting revenge for it by shooting the attacker several times, a role usually given to a Charles Bronson in 'Death Wish' or Sean Penn in 'Mystic River' type of male character. However, she also become a power-mad bully angry at the world and at everybody around her because of this. She is hostile, demanding, angry and abrasive. She is the leader of the other group of survivors on the island, who were on the tail end of the plane. This is a refreshing change of pace from Jack as the male leader of the original group, as Ana is a woman. She is always aware and on her toes, whereas women generally tend to lose their guard very easily. Ana often wears clothes that reveal her slim figure and her cleavage, intended as eye candy for men while also being very powerful and masculine. She is street-smart, and speaks her mind, unlike stereotypical women who are reclusive as an attempt to remain attractive to men. She is often filmed with low angles to show that she is in power, in charge, and she is running the tail-end group of survivors. In a flashback during the first season finale to the time the plane set off from Sydney, Ana flirts with Jack in the airport bar, and they exchange seat numbers. This shows she is loose and very sexual, but she seeks out men instead of letting them seek her out.

Men

There have been many male characters on TV who both follow and challenge the stereotypes for their gender.

Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) is one of the main protagonists in 'Breaking Bad'. He starts off as quite stereotypical for a young male character. He is an idiot (thinking wire is an element), he is addicted to drugs and he sleeps in all day. He's supposed to be a grown man, but he wears beanies, baggy pants, baggy hoodies etc. However, throughout the series his character develops under the guidance of his mentor Walt (Bryan Cranston), and matures. Although in early seasons, the audience's sympathy was for Walt, as Walt became more and more evil, the sympathy shifted towards Jesse. He starts trying to make long-term relationships with women like Jane and Andrea work. He loves kids and will do anything to protect them, even if it potentially means getting himself killed. As Walt loses his morals, Jesse gains them, and becomes the series' moral conscience. This could have been because Jesse was just in need of a father figure where his own father had disowned him for his drug abuse, and early on in their relationship, Walt was that paternal figure in his life. But as the seasons progressed, Walt used this respect and trust to manipulate Jesse, which Jesse went along with because he saw Walt as a father. Jesse just wanted to not be a failure, and that meant a life of crime. He shakes off his idiotic persona with some good ideas, as when he puts his mind to something like he does with manufacturing and selling drugs, he can be quite clever. For example, when his parents kicked him out of the house and tried to sell it, he used the fact he used to run a meth lab out of their basement to blackmail the realtor into bringing the price down and bought it himself, and when Gus Fring's laptop containing incriminating evidence against Walt and Jesse was taken by the police, Jesse came up with the idea to use a big magnet to smash it against the wall of the evidence locker.

Don Draper (Jon Hamm) from 'Mad Men' is a stereotypical alpha male. Living in the 1960s, his culture is very male-dominated. He has been married twice - once to Betty and once to Megan - and frequently cheated on both of them. He works all the time (addicted to his work) and can never seem to make time for his kids. He drinks and smokes a lot, as do all the men in his office, whereas it is socially unacceptable for a woman to do so. He often wears very suave suits to work and at home. He once served in the army at a time when only men could be soldiers. He is very cynical and arrogant, though he follows a strict ethical code - meaning he expects his subordinates to be polite and honest, but doesn't return the favour as he feels his own code shouldn't apply to himself. He has looked down on his female subordinates like Peggy and his various secretaries (all women) at Sterling Cooper and the new firm he is a founding partner in, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. The only woman in the office who he respects seems to be Joan. Don appears very macho, and wants to maintain his image as alpha male, even if it meant firing Sal. Sal was secretly gay, and only Don knew and told him he would keep it a secret, but when an important client wanted Sal fired for not adhering to his sexual demands, Don supports the decision to fire Sal, wanting to appear homophobic like his co-workers, so they wouldn't think differently of him. He is tall and brooding, and often shot with a low angle to appear more strong, dominating and in control. He often shouts when he feels his command is being challenged by his wife or any of his co-workers. Don is one of the few employees at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce with his own office.

Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) from 'Game of Thrones' subverts the cliché of the funny dwarf. In the first few episodes he is mocked by other characters for being an "imp" and a "half-man" and is not respected within his family because of his height. We are also expected to think this, but because Tyrion is such a strong and independent character he has become one of the most popular and frequently thwarts those who insult him. In the episode 'Blackwater' he led his army into battle and they all followed him loyally. The strength of Dinklage's performance is what has made Tyrion so intriguing, making us care more about him than we are expected to. Actors with dwarfism such as Dinklage and Warwick Davis, particularly in fantasy films, are relegated to funny roles that are supposed to bring light comedy to the table and not much else; characters such as goblins and ewoks, without any depth or nuance. But Tyrion is a deep and emotional character who is bitter and clever. He has fallen in love and been framed for the murder of Joffrey and has had revenge. Tyrion is a cynic, a drinker, an outcast and the show's most intelligent presence. His dwarf-status acts as a kind of protection, because - though he is probably the most intelligent character in the whole cast list - no one takes him seriously. He knows he has no skills with the sword, and this is a world that is really deeply violent. Military rules. He would not be able to survive in that world, given his own strength. So he beats people to the punchline - he's entertaining.

Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) from '24' is a typical male action hero. He is so committed to his work as a government agent for the Counter Terrorist Unit that it has ended every romantic relationship he's been in and he has estranged his daughter Kim. Jack wants to live a normal life and be happy, but his commitment to his country often brings him into conflict with that goal. Jack is a stereotypical kind of rogue secret agent commonly found in action movies. He is required to serve a sometimes-hypocritical bureaucracy that acknowledges his service, but will not hesitate to hold him responsible for the more extreme actions that they themselves may directly or indirectly authorise. Within the '24' storyline, Bauer is a key member of CTU and is often portrayed as their most capable agent Bauer's job usually involves helping prevent major terrorist attacks on the United States, saving both civilian lives and government administrations. On many occasions, Jack does so at great personal expense, as those he thwarts subsequently target him and his loved ones. He is not a crooked agent; however, Bauer's frequent use of torture to gather information has caused a lot of controversy. Audiences would not sympathise with a woman torturing people, or even consider it plausible, which makes a statement about the popularity of Bauer as a man. Bauer is cool under pressure, which female characters on the show like Kim, Sherry Palmer and Martha Logan are not, as they panic which is typical of women. He is generally known for his uncompromising, sometimes erratic behaviour while also being a trusted and highly effective operative, responsible for preventing numerous major terrorist attacks on U.S. soil and saving countless lives. Jack runs the show, with such female characters as Michelle being relegated to supporting roles, and Chloe being appointed Jack's second-in-command. Especially in early seasons, Jack was called upon to save his wife Teri and daughter Kim - who are too stupid and helpless to help themselves - when they are kidnapped or taken hostage on many occasions throughout the series. Teri and Kim have a bad habit of getting themselves involved in plots to destroy the nation. Jack is extremely devoted to both family and country, which is more than can be said for Kim, often forcing him to make tough decisions when his job involves protecting one or the other. As one might expect, he is extremely proficient with firearms, typically of men whereas women like Teri quiver at the sight of a gun, and remains in peak mental and physical condition, requirements for staying one step ahead of bad guys during missions that routinely play out over the course of all 24 hours in a single day. Jack is a patriot, but he is also no boy scout, sometimes employing unsavoury methods to get the job done. Though he has his detractors, Jack is undeniably a force with which many terrorists have reckoned and few have survived.