Lecture notes
Representation of women in the media
- Module
- Media
- Institution
- Edge Hill University (EHU)
Representation of women in the media
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
This article was downloaded by: [Edge Hill University]On: 07 January 2013, At: 05:25
Publisher: Routledge
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered
office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Journal of Gender Studies
Publication details, including instructions for authors and
subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cjgs20
A sheep in wolf's clothing? The
problematic representation of women
and the female body in 1980s sword
and sorcery cinema
a
Andrea Wright
a
Department of English and History, Edge Hill University,
Ormskirk, Lancashire, UK
Version of record first published: 16 May 2012.
To cite this article: Andrea Wright (2012): A sheep in wolf's clothing? The problematic
representation of women and the female body in 1980s sword and sorcery cinema, Journal of
Gender Studies, 21:4, 401-411
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2012.681183
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE
Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any
substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,
systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.
The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation
that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any
instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary
sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings,
demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or
indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
, Journal of Gender Studies
Vol. 21, No. 4, December 2012, 401–411
RESEARCH ARTICLE
A sheep in wolf’s clothing? The problematic representation of women
and the female body in 1980s sword and sorcery cinema
Andrea Wright*
Department of English and History, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire, UK
(Received 20 September 2010; final version received 27 January 2012)
Downloaded by [Edge Hill University] at 05:25 07 January 2013
The muscled, independent woman found in action-orientated cinema is a problematic
figure that confronts customary perceptions of masculine and feminine representation
and gender roles. The regularly applied active/passive dichotomy is challenged by the
agency and skill of these women, but, simultaneously, their position is undermined
by an emphasis on the body, relationships with male characters, and the demands of
patriarchy. Indeed, Jeffrey A. Brown (1996) argues that a female in an action role is
simply a ‘sheep in wolf’s clothing’. This paper will explore Brown’s claim by focusing
on the 1980s sword and sorcery cycle, in particular the often critically overlooked
Conan the Destroyer (1984) and Red Sonja (1985). In these narratives, women are
seemingly elevated from subsidiary roles to become action heroines or formidable
villains. Moreover, the films facilitate discussions of the women as warriors, women as
powerful malevolent forces, but also engage with broader issues surrounding the
representation of gender, sexuality, race, and the female body.
Keywords: gender; femininity; representation; muscles; sexuality; sword and sorcery
cinema
The muscled female present in the sword and sorcery films of the first half of the 1980s is,
like her male counterpart, a problematic figure. Discussions of the built body by scholars
such as Richard Dyer (1992, 1997) and Steve Neale (1993) in films of this era have
revealed that overt exhibition of the male form is troubling to customary perceptions of
masculine representation. While masculinity is reinforced by muscularity, the body on
display serves to interrogate the traditional notion that the body as spectacle is equated
with passivity and the feminine. The muscled heroine in action cinema invites similar
scrutiny and contains equivalent contradictions. Chris Holmlund describes the built female
body as ‘disconcerting’ and ‘threatening’ because it upsets precisely the conventional
balance of male/active, female/passive that is called into question by the exhibition of the
male body in movies of the same period (2002, p. 19). These muscular women, Holmlund
explains, are unsettling because ‘[t]hey disrupt the equation of men with strength and
women with weakness that underpins gender roles and power relations, that has by now
come to seem familiar and comforting (though perhaps in differing ways) to both women
and men’ (2002, p. 19).
*Email: wrighta@edgehill.ac.uk
ISSN 0958-9236 print/ISSN 1465-3869 online
q 2012 Taylor & Francis
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2012.681183
http://www.tandfonline.com
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 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 £7.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
59325 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now