Media Representation of Gender, Sexuality & Disability

• Traditionally, the media has reinforced gender stereotypes and cultural assumptions through the way it represents men and women
• Symbolic annihilation


  The way women are effectively left out of media discourse: their achievements are ignored or minimised; their interests and pursuits trivialised and devalued
• Cult of femininity


  The media presents an ideal of womanhood that women were encouraged to aspire to: the "domestic goddess"
• Sex objects


  The media represents women as sex objects, for men's gratification
• Conflicted working mothers


  The media usually represents women in domestic and marginal roles, and where women are workers, especially working mothers, they are often represented as being highly conflicted, worrying about not fulfilling their main, domestic role
• There is a clear alternative narrative that suggests that, today, women are empowered by media representations, rather than oppressed by them
• Transgressive roles


  Women are much more likely to be focused on their careers, and career women now feature much more centrally, and positively, in the media
• Sexually powerful


  Women are now much more likely to be shown as powerful, using their sexuality to get what they want
• Independent


  There is a lot of focus in the media on independence and aspiration for women and girls
• The apparent greater equality in the media today has been overstated, and there is an illusion of equality which is supported by media representations
• Hegemonic masculinity


  The idea that there is a particular view of masculinity-of being a "real man"-that is dominant in Western culture, centred on physical strength, competitiveness and success, and other masculinities are excluded or ridiculed
• There is a crisis of masculinity where the precise role for men in society is in crisis or flux
• Toxic masculinity


  The negative aspects of hegemonic masculinity: aggression, violence, misogyny and homophobia
• Traditionally, homosexuality has been either stereotyped or completely absent from mainstream media, and lesbianism in particular has been almost completely absent
• Campness


  Homosexuality is often associated with camp humour
• Association with HIV/AIDS


  Reporting of HIV/AIDS focused strongly on the gay community and further supported a stereotype of gay men being particularly promiscuous
• Temporary


  Homosexuality is presented as something temporary: a phase (especially for lesbians who might not have "met the right man" yet)
• Commonly recurring representations or stereotypes of disability in the media

  • Pitiable/pathetic
  • Object of violence
  • Sinister/evil
  • Curious/mysterious
  • Super cripple
  • Object of ridicule
  • Their own worst enemy