Lesbian Sex in Mainstream Cinema and Audience Enjoyment

Soto-Sanfiel, María T.; Ibiti, Adriana

doi:10.1007/s12119-016-9342-5

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 58 publications

(78 reference statements)

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“…The aforementioned film Instinct was particularly criticized for its hypersexualization of actress Sharon Stone, done "for the (voyeuristic) pleasure of others," and made clear by Stone's insistence on having women on set with her so she would feel comfortable filming her first nude scene (Galvin, 1994, p. 226). Recent films have been much better at depicting queer women's sexuality without coming across as predatory or leery, but some such as Blue is the Warmest Colour still present graphic sexuality between women (Soto-Sanfiel & Ibiti, 2016) that is more acceptable than it is between men.…”

Section: Sexuality and Alex Danvers: Coming Out Later In Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's...a Girl?!: Analyzing Representations of Femininity on The CW's Supergirl

Freitag¹

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Although it takes more than diverse media representation to create positive social change, representation is still an important part of normalizing identities and pushing discussions of social issues. However, representations of certain minority groups, whether on the basis of racial, ethnic, sexual, or gender identities, are often largely absent in media, and flawed when they do exist. This is true of comic books and the various forms of media that have adapted superhero stories. For instance, superhero tales have long been dominated by depictions of superheroes who are heterosexual cisgender men. Because of this trend spanning from the 1930s into the 21 st century, superhero stories have developed a reputation of being a boy's club rife with sexism. Certainly, this issue persists to this day, but this thesis provides a snapshot of how women are fairing in superhero media in the mid-to-late 2010s. By focusing specifically on the case study of the CW's Supergirl, I discuss how representations of superwomen have improved greatly compared to popular expectations and no longer entirely reflect a singular and problematic ideal of what being a woman means. In particular, my examination is centered around three of Supergirl's main women: protagonist Kara Danvers/Supergirl, Kara's sister and super spy Alex Danvers, and the heroic Nia Nal/Dreamer. By doing an in-depth analysis of how femininity is represented through these three women, I argue that the show presents complex and nuanced depictions of femininity that are a strong step forward for the genre. long legal battle against a Maine school for prohibiting her access to the girls' washroom, Nicole decided to go public with her identity as the anonymous plaintiff, explaining "stories move the walls that need to be moved" (Nutt, 2015, p. 259). Nicole argues that by telling stories including diverse people, these diverse identities become recognized and accepted in society. This ethos fit perfectly with what I wanted to write about in my own thesis, so given Maines' involvement, I settled on investigating Supergirl.1.2 "Why? Because I'm a Girl?": Supergirl and This Project This project is a snapshot of women's position in superhero media in the mid to late 2010s, explored through a case study of the first four seasons (87 episodes) of the television show Supergirl (2015-present). I focus primarily on the protagonist character Supergirl/Kara Danvers, Kara's adoptive sister Alex Danvers, and sidekick/fellow superhero Dreamer/Nia Nal. Focusing on them allows me to examine three diverse representations of femininity: a cisgender heterosexual woman (Kara), a transgender heterosexual woman (Nia), and a cisgender lesbian woman (Alex).The two cis characters are portrayed by cis actresses Melissa Benoist and Chyler Leigh respectively, and Nia is portrayed by trans actress/activist Nicole Maines. All three women are white, but their versions of femininity differ: Alex becomes increasingly androgynous throughout the show, Nia is outwardly "girly," and Kara's expression falls betw...

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Section: Sexuality and Alex Danvers: Coming Out Later In Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's...a Girl?!: Analyzing Representations of Femininity on The CW's Supergirl

Freitag¹

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Sex and Gender on Film

Winterton

2020

The International Encyclopedia of Gender, Media, and Communication

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Representations of sex acts on‐screen are inextricably connected with gender. Sex, as a performative act, can inscribe normative gender roles and stereotypes, and “masculinity” and “femininity” are particularly reinforced through certain sex acts. Although gender and sex are linked closely, the relationship between sex and gender/performativity/gender roles in film has not actually been explored in an overt and concentrated way in academic literature on the subject. In other words, at this current time, there are no scholarly pieces of literature where the sole research objective is to explore sex acts and their specific relationship with gender (and gender roles/stereotypes) in film, or how sex acts in film reinscribe or challenge gendered norms. However, this entry presents a concise and cogent overview of academic literature that has dealt with sex and gender in film, such as Jane Fonda's performance of orgasm, the figure of the straight and queer femme fatale in the contemporary erotic thriller, the (taboo) sexual desires of women and men, adultery and domestic transgressions, and teen narratives and sex.

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Positive Representation of Gay Characters in Movies for Reducing Homophobia

Madžarević

Soto-Sanfiel

2018

Sexuality & Culture

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Lesbian Sex in Mainstream Cinema and Audience Enjoyment

Cited by 5 publications

References 58 publications

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's...a Girl?!: Analyzing Representations of Femininity on The CW's Supergirl

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's...a Girl?!: Analyzing Representations of Femininity on The CW's Supergirl

Sex and Gender on Film

Positive Representation of Gay Characters in Movies for Reducing Homophobia

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