Dorothy Tootsie Advantages And Disadvantages

Dustin Hoffman is the lead star in the 1982 movie "Tootsie". Where he plays as an unemployed actor, who crossed-dress to play a title female role "Dorothy Michaels" in a soap opera. Dorothy is a conservative woman who never tolerates prejudice and discrimination against women. Tootsiee exemplifies sexism in the society. Women have been experiencing gender stratification, which is hard to modify. Nevertheless, society expects highly of women to be perfect, in able to survive in a patriarchal society. In addition, being as women, there are some advantages and disadvantages. Which vary in every society.

The culture and society in which the female person dwells defines woman as Other, as the inessential correlate to man, as mere object and immanence.

(Throwing Like A Girl, Iris Marion Young, 141) Society portrays all women as weak and unproductive.

The only role of women is to ensure the stability of the family and not to work alongside of men in a work field. Gender stratification puts women in a position where they do not receive the same respect and honor as men. For example, in the movie "Tootsie", one of the crew members in the soap opera is asked by the director to get him a drink. Then the crew member also asks Julie, played by Jessica Lange, if she wants one. However, the director immediately answers him, "no! She's fine" without waiting for Julie to respond. The director ignores the fact that Julie has also been working just as hard as everybody else, yet, her effort is unrecognizable. On the other hand, according to Kessler-Harris, "a gender-based division of labor was common, but not rigid. The participation of women in work that was

essential to family survival reinforces the importance of their contributions to both the protection of the family and the growth of society." (Our Mothers’ Grief, Bonnie Thornton Dill, 314) Working women have mostly come from the lower class family. This situation happens when men could not provide enough for the family. Some jobs hire women only because they can perform almost the same amount of labor as men, but women receive less salary. Therefore, some jobs are hiring more women than men. In addition, some business owners would rather hire women because they are gentle and capable of communicating better.

While watching the movie "Tootsie", one question stuck in my mind: where do women stand in the society?

Do women have to be perfect in all aspects? Do they have to be tough and aggressive, yet, soft and mild at the same time? As a woman, I constantly feel that I have to prove myself that I am important, and that I also deserve equal rights as men. Hoffman's female character "Dorothy" has female features, but with a male's attitude; which gains her high admiration from everyone including men. What does it mean to be a woman? For me, it depends on where people categorize women. Being a woman means being a human, and acknowledging the difficulty that comes with that. It is inspiring to hear Dorothy's words to the doctor, " stop thinking of me as a woman, and start thinking of me as a person." Dorothy's words make me feel more of a human being, and not just as a woman labeled as "other". I am more than just a woman; I am not just anyone's

subject.

As a conclusion, women's status were vital to the growth of the society and also to maintain family stability. Without them, society may fall apart.
Women were experiencing gender inequality any given situation. It was true that there were some advantages of being a woman; however, in a patriarchal society, there were more disadvantages of being a woman. In the line of work, women were always subordinate to men. Their good performance were being ignored and were set aside. In the movie, "Tootsie". Dustin Hoffman's character "Dorothy" was a strong, independent woman. Who stood for her rights as a person. Her character in the soap inspired many women, and because of that! Dorothy became the face of all women.