Writing on Gender in Popular Culture Essay Example

their honesty is shared, while her guile grants them the ambition necessary to keep progressing (Heffernan). The episodes examine minor, harmless incidents which are resolved within 22 minutes. In this analysis, "Class Struggle" and "Do Rico" from the conclusion of the third season have been selected.

Within these episodes, King employs two gender stereotypes: firstly, that men are the ones who pursue sex, and secondly, that there is an inherent competition between women which makes female friendships impossible. These stereotypes are typically presented as natural truths, with women being naturally uninterested in sex, envious of one another, and competitive. Their inclusion in a seemingly harmless sitcom gives them an air of legitimacy, serving to reinforce these gender stereotypes as factual. It is for this reason that critically examining popular culture is so crucial, as it is through these mediums that ideas and values are conveyed.

Joanne Hollows explores the significance of feminist cultural studies by examining the portrayal and lived experiences of different feminine identities. This intervention can have an impact on mainstream culture. The relationship between gender, representation, and media is crucial to feminist cultural studies. The popular TV show King of Queens, due to its popularity and cliched stereotypes, serves as an exemplary case for analyzing these connections and their implications.

The portrayal of Doug constantly pressuring, imploring and beseeching Carrie for intimacy reinforces the stereotype of women in heterosexual relationships as disinterested in sex and men as sexual pursuers. While this may be true in some instances, it is frequently utilized as a common humorous trope in sitcoms. The physical appearance of the characters further reinforces the stereotype that men marry based on physical attraction

while women marry based on personality. Carrie's slim figure, attractiveness, and make-up contrasted with Doug's overweight, reddened complexion and lethargic appearance embody the typical societal expectations associated with heterosexual couples.

The dominant culture of heteronormativity is upheld by the misrecognition of desire, which enforces certain types of heterosexual identity as the norm. This manifests as the commonly-held notion that women don't enjoy sex as much as men, which serves as a form of cultural sex-policing (Albury xxi). When Carrie displays desire in the episode "Do Rico" by being turned on by Doug's imitation of his new co-worker Rico's Italian accent, this policing of female desire is exposed. Although initially pleased that he has enticed Carrie into bed, Doug later feels insecure and unwanted when confronted with her obvious attraction to Rico - a younger, more athletic man.

This situation is resolved when Carrie begins mimicking the Italian accent of Rico’s girlfriend, who is also young and attractive but no more or less than Carrie herself. This role-play turns them both on and they enjoy it without feeling unhappy with their own relationship. In the final scene, Doug and Carrie are seen in bed after sex, cuddled together in a state of bliss. This is contrasted with Rico and his girlfriend having relationship problems. The underlying message is that female desire can be dangerous, but within a monogamous heterosexual marriage (as Doug and Carrie have), a little deviation can be beneficial for the relationship.

According to Albury (xxii), the plot of the storyline is initiated by Doug's attempt to persuade Carrie to stop paying bills and join him in bed, highlighting his active desire compared to Carrie's passive one.

Carrie only actively pursues her sexual desires in the final scene when she suggests the use of role-playing in a non-threatening manner, reassuring her love for Doug and disinterest in Rico. However, any indication of deviating from traditional stereotypes is quickly overshadowed by her marital commitment. Furthermore, peripheral characters in the story are mostly associated with Doug's friendship circle.

On the show, the main character has three male friends named Deacon, Spence, and Richie, along with a cousin named Danny. Deacon's wife Kelly appeared in several seasons and was treated as a friend of the main character, although her relationship with Carrie seemed to be tied to Doug and Deacon's friendship. Unlike Doug's numerous male friends, Carrie has not had any recurring female friendships on the show. However, in one episode, Carrie decides to join some of her female coworkers from her law office for a night out and cancels her plans with Doug. She jokes with him about making new friends.

Despite the presence of shows such as Sex and the City, it still remains uncommon to witness strong and lasting female friendships in popular culture. Women are often portrayed in competition with one another, whether for power, jobs or men. Author Susan Douglas notes this lack of positive female relationships in her analysis of women in the media, Where the Girls Are. Douglas observes that images of cooperation, mutuality, and love among women are a rarity in popular culture. This scarcity makes it challenging to imagine women acting collectively while male teams supporting each other’s efforts is a frequently depicted image in the media (291).

On the TV show King of Queens, Doug's friendships with other

men are unproblematic and do not cause any issues with his marriage to Carrie or his job. The only disagreement Carrie has with Doug in the episode "Richie's Song" is centered around Richie's girlfriend, not Doug's friendships. Similarly, although Carrie is initially eager to make female friends, she later realizes that women can be too competitive and malicious to form close bonds. During a dinner with some potential female friends, Carrie is treated poorly because they falsely believed she was a lawyer rather than a secretary.

In her social circle, Carrie experiences both gender inequality and inferiority due to her success in a non-traditional profession. While sharing her experience with Doug, Carrie tearfully admits her struggle to connect with other women, until she started hanging out with some who didn't annoy her. However, things took a turn for the worse when the other women belittled Carrie's job and potentially her social status. Consequently, Carrie decides to go back to college which starts right after the unfortunate dinner. Although this decision brings her joy, Doug feels despondent as a result.

Carrie's co-workers were not meant to be her actual friends, rather they were representative symbols of cultural competition and jealousy between women. During a conversation before the revelation of Carrie's job, they discussed pretending to be younger, eating cake despite an upcoming school reunion, and other tired clichés. This interaction exemplifies both the antagonism and rivalry typical of women's friendships, as well as the "casual" small talk commonly portrayed in popular culture. The scene reinforces the idea that women base their friendships on discussions about diet, fashion, and age, while also showing how easily these subjects can

become a battle for ultimate womanhood.

According to Douglas (291), the original feminist slogan of “Sisterhood is Powerful” has been twisted to suggest that women only fight when they are together. In the case of King, Carrie does not have good relationships with most other women and mainly relies on her father and husband. The plot uses interactions with other women to create drama, but this narrows the definition of female friendships to a static view. These examples show how media often reinforces gender stereotypes.

However, it should not be assumed that the King of Queens is a negative show or that it lacks messages with subversive impact. In fact, working-class communities portrayed in the show have been some of the strongest critics of second-wave feminist concepts surrounding liberation from marriage, housework, and sex roles. The King of Queens shares common themes with Roseanne, a prime example of feminist subversion in popular culture – both shows combine feminist values with a critical outlook on certain assumptions made by feminism. These assumptions often originated from affluence and freedom from the pressures of everyday life among the working class community (Hollows 198).

Within the show King of Queens, King may resort to using stereotypical beliefs about women, such as ‘women dislike sex’ or ‘women are competitive with each other’. However, there are various instances within the show in which Doug and Carrie live alongside one another in a fair and equal manner. For example, it is not highlighted when Doug does laundry or goes grocery shopping, nor when Carrie works late. This mutual give and take mentality allows for feminist evaluations to thrive and facilitates criticism that is informed

by multiple perspectives. King of Queens is not perfect, but it reflects individuals' and society’s imperfections regarding gender equality. To further explore gender topics, read “

Gender and optical illusions

”.