With the lack of female directors, writers, leads and behind-the-scenes staff in the entertainment industry, it is no surprise that the portrayal of women in film is often inauthentic or based on stereotypes. While we are still working to completely eradicate these over-exaggerated, outdated stereotypes, here is a short list to help you better recognize awful movie tropes that you may frequently see on the big screen.
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The “Crazy” Ex. This stereotype might be one of my least favorite because it involves disregarding the feelings of many women who have been dubbed “crazy” simply for expressing emotions of love, anger or sadness. The main reason that any female character becomes known as “the crazy one” is due to her portrayal through a male perspective, which can make her out to be clingy, jealous or over-obsessed. This trope also ignores that fact that many people do suffer from various types of mental illness and this should never be labeled as something “crazy.”
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The Career-Focused Woman. Many times in movies, women who are focused on their job eventually face that impossible choice: love or career. Very rarely are women easily allowed to have both and women who ultimately choose their career over a romantic relationship can be judged harshly, making them feel as though they have made the wrong decision. On the other hand, male characters are often praised for pursuing a professional career and are able to balance their love life with their new promotion.
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The Sad, Unmarried Woman. Independent, single women who have no intention of getting married or settling down are often made to seem as if something is wrong with them, or the movie is spent waiting for them to come around to another way of thinking. Many times this includes reviewing past relationships or resolving childhood trauma until the character realizes that they do, in fact, want to settle down rather than showing women who actually prefer to remain unmarried.
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The Man-Hater. With the recent resurgence of feminism, both on and off-screen, it can become easier for movies to twist empowered women into cold-hearted characters who are strongly anti-man…until the right one comes along to sweep them off their feet. This conflicts with the reality that women can be independent while still in a relationship with a partner who supports them and further perpetuates the myth that feminism is about putting down men rather than striving for equality.
These are just a few of the many roles into which women are type-casted, rather than just creating characters with depth and authenticity, like the women we see in our everyday lives. Thankfully, there have been major changes in the entertainment industry in recent years, with the addition of more female directors, writers leads and more.