Gender clip

What is representation in gender?
Representation in gender means how a male or female is presented in the media. The media usually present men in a masculine way (strong, aggressive, tough). They usually present women in a feminine way (sensitive, caring, gentle) outlook. In this clip, gender representation can be broken down and noted. Some of which are the stereotypical actions/behaviours that can be seen and some of which are not typically seen in everyday life.

The two main characters seen in this clip show a contrast in society. You have the typical feminine women who is out shopping and trying to look good - stereotypical.  Also - instead of having a masculine man, you have a man with behavioural actions that show a hint of femininity who also happens to be working in a women's shop. The contrast between these two types of femininity shows a variety of ways that society is looked at.



Camera shots:

The first shot that is taken is that of the man and women both walking. The women is walking up the stairs of the shop as the man is walking towards the other customer. Already, by looking at the way in which they both walk, you can anaylse their behaviour. The man is walking with broad shoulders and arms by his side. The woman is walking with a bit of sass in her stride and pouting constantly. This shows the gender differences between them both. She is showing a feminine stance compared to that of the man who is trying to look tough and tall/overpowering as he walks over to his customer.

The long shot taken next has been used to show the conversation with the man and his customer while allowing for the women to been seen in the background (to show her reaction). When the man tells the customer the price, it is clear to the audience that she cannot afford to buy the dress. The customer's reaction is then displayed in which she is looking upset (typical of a women who cannot afford to buy anything when shopping). The women in the background can be seen looking over. This is typical of a women to eavesdrop into other's business. The man is then seen to be glancing away during the conversation to show he is uninterested in her excuses if she isn't going to buy anything. The customer then talks about her daughter's wedding - trying to get sympathy from the man. This is typical of a women to try and make people feel sorry for her so she could get something.

There is a over the shoulder shot taken of the man to show him cowering over the customer. Although this is natural because of his height compared to her, it can also indicate gender authority. This means that because he is the male, he has more power/authority over the women.

A close up is then taken of the woman's hand. The women is seen wearing a diamond ring and red nail varnish. It is typical of a women to wear a big ring to show off how much money her husband can afford and to 'rub it' in everyone's faces. The colour red used for her nails represents sexiness - that of which women are all about. Trying to be as appealing to men as possible. The colour red can also represent attention. The nail varnish commands people to look at her so she's the centre of attention.

A shot is then taken of the man talking to the women. By looking at his hand movements and positioning, you can tell that this is not the stereotypical stance of a masculine man. His hands are being used in a gentle manner - typically of a sign of femininity. By looking at his stance, you can see that he is light on his feet and quick moving. This is also not typical of a masculine man.

The next shot is taken of the women trying on the dress with the man standing beside her. The fact that the camera follows her body upwards shows that she is looking glamorous and sexy to the audience. She is also wearing a black dress. The style of the dress reminded me of Audrey Hepburn who was known for her attractiveness. The man is seen using his hands in a gentle manner once again as mentioned before to show his feminine side. When told the price, the women hesitated but said yes. This shows she's well off and can afford to go on shopping trips and buy expensive clothes - which most women desire.

The next shot taken is of two men who are seen to be drinking and smoking. They're dressed smartly and having some free time where they are not having a care in the world. This indicates that they're laid back and have no worries. Typical of a working man. Drinking whisky is seen as a masculine action due to the strength of the taste of it. Only a 'man' can handle it.

After going from a calm scene, the next shot is that of the women in the shop who appears to of lost her ring. Her reaction to her losing her ring shows how a typical women acts. She is running around panicking, thinking that the world is over. This is relatable to most women who overreact and make the situation worse than it is. She is also seen complaining that her husband is going to be mad. This shows that she's only interested in what her husband thinks of her because he's the one with the money.

Another shot taken is of the two men who were seen drinking and smoking earlier. They're now laughing and having a good time - drinking whisky while the women panics. These contrasting behaviours make are stereotypical of masculinity and femininity.There is also a man seen wearing a suit on the other sofa reading a paper. The suits indicate that they're of a high status so are able to relax and chill out because they can afford to do so.





Editing:

An action match has been used at the start of the clip to show the women walking up the stairs. This is an action match because the next shot shows the women walking to the clothes rack - a follow up from the stairs. This has been used to show the woman's femininity and love for herself through her sassy walk and the pouting of her lips.

An eye match is used during the conversation between the man and the customer who is looking at dresses for her daughter's wedding. This eye match is used because the man is a lot taller than the women so she has to look up at him. It can also be used to indicate authority. As the man has more authority/power, he is looking down at the women.

A transition is used as the man walks across the screen. The transition follows the man from left to right as he walks. This is used to bring in the next scene - which is of the women. By using this transition, you're building up the suspension for when the women appears. This makes her more sexy and attractive to the viewer.

An eye match is used between the two men who are found drinking and smoking. As they're sitting down, they're both the same heights. This could also indicate the authority of men. Earlier when the salesman was talking to the customer, he was looking down at her. Due to the fact that the two men are both masculine, they're authority levels are the same so they look straight forward.





Sounds:

Synchronous sounds are found throughout this clip. The salesman leashes out a little cheer when the women says she's going to buy the dress. This indicates his femininity due to the fact he was jumping and cheering in a way of which a woman would do. A masculine man would not act or behave in this manner because it would be seen as too 'girly' so would instead act calming.

Another synchronous sound that can be heard is that of the coat hanger as the man puts it back on the rail. He took the dress off the women and put it back. This can show the authority that the man has over the women. The man is able to control the situation and take the dress off the women without hesitation. Due to the fact that she's a women, she doesn't fight back or start talking to him like perhaps a man would.

A diegetic sound that is found in the clip is that of the alarm when the man sets it off. The man is trying to fix this alarm. This is a masculine thing to do because it's typically fixing and building things. The only thing that goes wrong is the fact it goes off when it shouldn't so therefore shows that he's not doing it right but attempts it anyway.

A non-diegetic sound found is that of the music that is played almost throughout the whole clip - the only time it stops in when the two men are in the shop. The music stops during this scene perhaps due to the battle of masculinity and femininity. You have two men in this room, both of which appear to be different genders. This is an important part of the clip when looking at gender so no music is played to help show that.




Mise-en-scene: 

The man in the shop is seen wearing a black suit with a red tie. Looking at the clothing of the salesman, you are understanding of the outfit due to the fact he's a man - the only thing is that he works in a women's shop. The red could've been used for the same reason the women's nail varnish was. To show a femininity in their appearance. Red is seen as a feminine and attention seeking colour. This indicates that maybe the man is trying to show off his femininity with the red tie.

The outfit of the women is that of a suit - with a skirt. The skirt is tight around the thigh and bum area and then it gets more loose as it goes to the knees area. She is wearing this outfit to show off her figure - of which is  petite. As a women, she wants the attention to be on her so therefore wears things that shows off what she's got to everyone.

The surroundings of the shop are particularly modern and show a element of expense. There are only a few racks that can be seen so therefore it isn't like a normal shop. As it's more expensive, less people are found in it. The two customers that are seen in this clip are two women and one man. The first of which cannot afford something and she's an old women. The other is one who presumably has money - from her husband and uses it to make herself look glamourous so people will look at her and think 'wow'. The man is looking for his girlfriend which shows that he has the money and is spending it on her, typical of rich men.

When the scene of the two men comes on, the location they're seen in appears to be quite old fashioned. There are old furniture and objects found in the room. This indicates that the men who're in there are upper class because it looks quite expensive. As they're men, their relaxation place is somewhere expensive and good looking (appearance wise) - compared to that of a woman who'd probably be less expensive.

The other man found in the scene who finds the ring appears to be wearing a suit. This also shows that he's got a bit of authority/power in some sort of business. The fact that all the men shown in the clip are wearing suits indicates that they have authority compared to the women. Three of which are shown and only one is seen to be wearing a suit.


Conclusion:

Overall, gender representation is found quite a lot in this clip. The realisation of stereotypical behaviours has been used and adapted to change the salesman's behaviour into more of a feminine way. This overall changed the whole representation of gender. It also indicates that stereotypical behaviour still does occur and can be shown through masculinity and femininity.