Exam (elaborations)
Gender and identity in the media
- Course
- Institution
Gender and identity in the media
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
fayegibbons1
Content preview
Student number: 21505969 Assessment 2: Media, Culture and IdentitiesThe conflict between Angelina Jolie’s celebrity image as a female heroine, sex symbol, an activist
and a Dame, identifying how Jolie is constructed in the media
Introduction
This article will explore how Angelina Jolie’s role as an onscreen female heroine has changed to align
with modern day feminist discourses. There will be analysis of Jolie’s sex symbol status to
demonstrate how Jolie’s image is portrayed in the media. The emergence of Jolie’s changing celebrity
image as a dedicated humanitarian around the world will be analysed to inform how Jolie’s position in
the media has vastly transformed over the past two decades.
The beginnings of Jolie’s film career breakthrough launched when Jolie starred in the film Lara Croft:
Tomb raider (2001). Jolie plays a British female action heroine on a fearless quest to save the world,
though interestingly the film places prominence on the portrayal of the father and daughter relationship
(Tasker,1998). Jolie and her on-screen father Jon Voight (played by Jolie’s real-life father) are united
together in the film to provide Croft’s character, as the active woman, with an influential father figure to
guide and strengthen her position to fight and combat her opposition. Though, as Tasker (1998)
highlights Jolie’s later action heroine film roles including Mr and Mrs Smith (2005) and Wanted (2008)
portrayed Jolie as the female action heroine, who leads and coaches the central male protagonist to
become powerful. This shows Jolie’s pursuit as an onscreen female heroine has been a progressive
process for, as Jolie has clearly modified her role as the female heroine to acclimate with modern day
discourses. On the other hand, Tasker (1998) argues that the context of the films narrative functions to
re-inscribe traditional female roles. The female heroine arguably creates divide among feminist critics
as strong and powerful women are ambiguous in nature, the presence of the female heroine creates
ambivalent audience reactions (Tasker, 1998, p6). This suggests that Jolie is an onscreen chameleon as
the roles Jolie plays are often unpredictable signifying that Jolie was uncertain of her own identity as the
female action heroine.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) is one of the most popular cinematic female action adaptations within
the world of computer gaming with increased cultural visibility. Before, Jolie starred as Lara Croft it
was actress Rhona Mitra who became the embodiment of Croft in the computer animated series Tomb
Raider (1996) Tasker (1998) argues that there is no place the action heroine is unable to explore,
suggesting that the strong, active and independent woman can be seen
The use of Rosalind’s concept of ‘objectification’ of women in the media is evident of Jolie. As
Rosalind (2007) explains images of womanhood among heterosexual boys and young men becomes
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller fayegibbons1. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.83. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
57727 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now