Relevant Articles related to Popular Culture: Movies

A) Behm-Morawitz, E. , & Mastro, D. Mean Girls? The Influence of Gender Portrayals in Teen Movies on Emerging Adults' Gender-Based Attitudes and Beliefs. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly V. (2008) P. 131-46.

Summary: This study deals with issues on identity development and the caste system used in young teenagers lives through movies. This research studied the ways in which film such as Mean Girls focus on social aggression as the most prevailing form of surviving high school. The background on why conduct a research study on teenagers and aggression with the film industry is because there have been no known empirical investigations made that depict these realities. For example, it was noticed that females are more likely to act aggressive only if they are being rewarded right after. The study found that the more amount of television viewed by the teenagers the more they adopted the film’s beliefs. After watching films with social aggression, it made them more aware of their personal friendships. In conclusion, they seem to find that exposure to such films send the message that success in the feminine social world can be obtained through the use of duplicitous means.

B) Cateforis, T. Rebel Girls and Singing Boys: Performing Music and Gender in the Teen Movie. Current Musicology No. 87 (2009) P. 161-190.

Summary: In this study Cateforis focuses on the choice of music used in to perpetuate gender divides in films. He observes that female characters are positioned as outsiders with their devotion to alternative musical tastes. The main research is on the study of the ‘rebel girl’. The study gives the example of 10 things I Hate about You, which focuses on the young rebel girl, but has a musical taste in girly punk rock band which she is made fun of by her crush. The main argument is that a characters musical transformation leads to a social transformation. He argues that the music choice for every character is what describes qualities of the actual character.

C) Jenkins, T. "Potential Lesbians at Two O'Clock": The Heterosexualization of Lesbianism in the Recent Teen Film. Journal of Popular Culture V. 38 No.(2005) P. 491-504.

Summary:In Tricia Jenkins research study, she focuses on how the movie industry has not yet fully accepted homosexuality. She goes into depths analyzing an array of films that according to her have been watered down to fit the trend. She criticizes that films may use a girl-on-girl kissing scene that is made is front of boys as playful and a type of dare. She argues that it is poking fun of the lifestyle rather than embracing it. She acknowledges that TV shows have been able to embrace it because it is not shown explicitly as it would on film in which many people argue is far too dangerous for the young people that watch these films ages 18-24.

[Amarilis Ambriz]