Toronto Metropolitan University Subverting Patriarchal Norms: Black Comedy in Poor Things. Kanwal Mirza 501169736 Dr. Hudson Moura POL128 Politics Monday, March 25, 2024. 1. What is the difference between a. and a. Introduction Filmmakers frequently struggle to explore themes of feminism and women's empowerment in a captivating manner. When addressing such themes, filmmakers risk trivializing or undermining serious feminist issues through humour, potentially leading to the reinforcement of harmful stereotypes. Black comedy provides a satirical lens through which filmmakers can critique patriarchal norms and societal expectations surrounding gender and feminism, allowing them to address serious issues while simultaneously …show more content…
The scene, accentuated by climactic orchestral music, emphasizes Bella's pleasure and challenges societal norms surrounding female sexuality. The scene also emphasizes the significance of female pleasure, with the camera closing on Bella's face as she revels in her sexual encounter. This depiction serves as a commentary on the importance of women expressing their sexuality on their terms, encapsulating the film's use of black comedy to critique patriarchal systems. Additionally, Bella's swift transition to prostitution with an absurd nonchalance is a depiction of black comedy. Bella Baxter's unapologetic exploration of her desires and experience offers a commentary on the importance of women asserting their sexual agency and defying societal norms. By highlighting the power of humour in critiquing entrenched patriarchal systems, the film underscores the empowering potential for women to embrace their sexuality in defiance of patriarchal norms. Thus, through its adept use of black comedy, Poor Things challenges patriarchal expectations surrounding female sexuality and autonomy. 3. What is the difference between a'smart' and a'smart'? Black Comedy …show more content…
The. The comedic base of black comedy. An analysis of black comedy as a unique contemporary film genre. Australia: College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales (2003). Grant, Barry. Keith. Film Genre: From Iconography to Ideology. Wallflower Press, 2007, Courses TorontoMU, courses.torontomu.ca/content/enforced/841031-pol128_w24_01/SampleEssay_Fall2020.pdf, Accessed 2024. Haas, Elizabeth, et al. Projecting Politics : Political Messages in American Films, Taylor & Francis Group, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/torontomu/detail.action?docID=2011203. Hui, Liu. “Black comedy films in postsocialist China: Case study of Ning Hao’s Crazyseries.” Journal of Chinese Cinemas, vol. 12, No. 1 -. 2, May 2018, pp. 113-114. 158–73. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary'. https://doi.org/10.1080/17508061.2018.1475969. Lanthimos, Yorgos, director of the. Poor Things. Searchlight Pictures. “Laughs Of The Decades: A History Of Comedy In Film.” Blogs Libraries Indiana, Indiana University Bloomington, 16 Apr. 2014, blogs.libraries.indiana.edu/mediabeat/2014/04/16/laughs-of-the-decades-a-history-of-comedy-in-film/. Accessed Mar. 2024.
Maasik, Sonia, and J. Fisher Solomon. "The Offensive Movie Cliche That Won't die." Signs of life in the U.S.A.: readings on popular culture for writers. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1994. 407-411. Print.
Society is not a realm in which all of the rules are listed on paper; people naturally abide them due to their countless experiences. The results of these incidents or the incident as a whole sometimes transform itself into an unspoken code that people are assumed to know by heart. For example, humans are treated differently - usually with more respect and higher expectations (such as CEOs or famous actors and actresses) - when they are in a very high position or level in an industry. No matter how much or little they do, they are frequently noticed more by the media than anyone else. But how about those who live in their normal lives trying to bring home the bread and milk for their families? Or those who do a substantial amount of service and deeds for their communities and companies? Ty...
Reid, Mark A. “Black Comedy on the Verge of a Breakdown.” Redefining Black Film. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1993.
Whether or not a naïve approach to film as an inclusive medium holds true to fact, however, is questionable. Since its popular arrival in American culture during the 1930s, film has sparked controversy over ...
Riseman, Barbara. “Gender as a Social Structure: Theory Wrestling with Activism.” Multicultural Film: An Anthology. Spring/Summer 2014. Eds. Kathryn Karrh Cashin and Lauren Martilli. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2013.
In cotemporary America, cultural text such as films form many conceptions of race, gender and social for the people who watch them. This paper argues four Key and Peele skits “Substitute Teacher”, “I Said B*tch”, “Phone Call” and “Proud Thug” to challenge and complicate gender norms by highlighting the ways in which gender, race and class are performed in public and private settings. When you critically examine these texts there are stereotypes that underlay the film that are obvious, but are portrayed as comical. The intersectionality between gender, race and class are often addressed in many of these short skits. Often the films or skits engage in patriarchy and the main characters are men. In order to further examine the topic first we must address intersecionality, patriarchy, poverty, and class to grasp a better understanding.
In recent times, such stereotyped categorizations of films are becoming inapplicable. ‘Blockbusters’ with celebrity-studded casts may have plots in which characters explore the depths of the human psyche, or avant-garde film techniques. Titles like ‘American Beauty’ (1999), ‘Fight Club’ (1999) and ‘Kill Bill 2’ (2004) come readily into mind. Hollywood perhaps could be gradually losing its stigma as a money-hungry machine churning out predictable, unintelligent flicks for mass consumption. While whether this image of Hollywood is justified remains open to debate, earlier films in the 60’s and 70’s like ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ (1967) and ‘Taxi Driver’ (1976) already revealed signs of depth and avant-garde film techniques. These films were successful as not only did they appeal to the mass audience, but they managed to communicate alternate messages to select groups who understood subtleties within them.
Hollywood films, particularly comedies, perpetuate numerous racial stereotypes through “generic conventions and textual devices of comedy [which] encourage the audience to naturalize racial differences rather than to challenge racial stereotypes” (Park, Gabbadon, Chernin 221). A movie such as Rush Hour 2 perfectly exemplifies how comedies ultimately use ‘harmless’ jokes, which in return makes stereotyping a certain race acceptable. Comedies are naturally overlooked because of Hollywood’s clever use of underlying techniques. These underlying techniques used by comedies, particularly in Rush Hour 2, have ‘naturalized’ audiences to easily disregard racial jokes and stereotypes. Ji Hoon Park, Nadine G. Gabbadon and Ariel R. Chernin reveal in Naturalizing
For as long as there have been jokes, there have been people saying that women can’t tell them. For over a century figures in popular culture have publicly peddled this claim of misconception. In 1884 Richard Grant White, one of the most powerful cultural critics of the 19th century, wrote, “a sense of humor is the rarest qualities in a women”, to Jerry Lewis in 1998 stating he “cannot sit and watch a lady diminish her qualities to the lowest common denominator”, and more recently in 2012 Adam Carolla, arguing, “The Reason why you know more funny dudes than funny chicks is that dudes are funnier than chicks” (Moss). If there is anything that can put these men in their place it is the cinematic success of Paul Feig’s 2011 film Bridesmaids. Since its release, the film has been nominated for 24 different awards, won 6, and has generated over $288 million in sales worldwide, making it the highest-grossing-R-rated female comedy of all time (Buckley 5). Bridesmaids, thus, represents how the symbol of women in the space of cinema is being challenged and changed.
Every society forms different cultures and social norms how people behave and constructs stereotypes and expectations of people based on how they were seen throughout history and cultural backgrounds. Once set, norms are unlikely to be changed over time. This social construction decides which group will have benefits and privileges and which won’t. One example of these social constructed norms is gender. Gender, regardless of how different cultures define it, is generally and mostly made up of masculinity, femininity.
...ent from the silent era of film, overt racism of ethnic minorities was blatantly apparent within the film medium. However, presently this overt racism however has shifted into a more subtle segregation of casting and racial politics within the film medium. It seems that both the problem and the solution lies in the Eurocentric domination within the Hollywood film industry – and it seems that it still remains challenged to this day.
Our culture has created a social system that allows the driving forces of patriarchy to flourish. Although many people may not be purposefully attempting to continue this system of patriarchy, we each play a role in its survival. For many the problem is not that they are promoting patriarchy but that they are not challenging the system. In Johnson’s article “Patriarchy”, he is not examining whether a patriarchal system exists in our culture but what factors are driving this system to continue. The articles analyzed demonstrate Johnson’s theory of patriarchy by exemplifying his three facets of the patriarchal system and by recognizing the notion of the path of least resistance.
Throughout today’s society, almost every aspect of someone’s day is based whether or not he or she fits into the “norm” that has been created. Specifically, masculine and feminine norms have a great impact that force people to question “am I a true man or woman?” After doing substantial research on the basis of masculine or feminine norms, it is clear that society focuses on the males being the dominant figures. If males are not fulfilling the masculine role, and females aren’t playing their role, then their gender identity becomes foggy, according to their personal judgment, as well as society’s.
Since the first influx of Asian immigrants to the United States, Asian Americans were never treated as an integral part of the American population. Accounting for five percent of the US demographic, often times, they are still portrayed by provincial people as outsiders who do not belong in society. Over the years, this negative mentality has transformed into the way Asian Americans are viewed in media. Though there are many attempts of reversing the trend such as diversifying the cast members, stereotypical personalities such as “the human calculator” or “undesirable partner” are still utilized for writers to infuse racial slurs into comedy skits. However, in reality especially now that many Asian Americans are second generation, none of these stereotypes pertains to all them. As a result, directors and script writers have an ethical responsibility to best portray Asian Americans as human beings who can function normally without putting negative stereotypes as the primary focus of Asian characters’ personas.
Before the beginning of the women's rights movements in the late 19th century patriarchy, or a society dominated by males, was the norm in America. Men used sex and marriage to objectify and suppress women in order to maintain a society controlled strictly by males. The foundation of patriarchy was rooted deeply in the marital roles of men and women, one dominant, and the other submissive. Sex and marriage served as a mechanisms to shape the images of men and women in society. The system of patriarchy fed into itself to keep it going generation after generation.