1970s

Charlie’s Angels- 1976-1981 TV series

The TV series Charlie’s Angels, featured three young and sexy women who investigate crime for Charles Townshend, or “Charlie” in the 70s. The three girls had previously been in the police academy and became police officers when Charlie found them. They began to work as private investigators who by the end of each episode bring justice to criminals.

Their characters bend the gender stereotypes of the time by being women who were able to do serious physical damage to criminals. They were being depicted in more occupational roles that men usually had in television. However, they were still seen as sex symbols, and they were usually dressed in what could be considered as sexy outfits. Men and women still had very distinct roles during this time. Male heroes in the show, like Charlie, were seen with many woman, maybe to show their masculinity. Men were also never seen in what would be considered feminine.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHskEt6PhtI

Sources: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073972/
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/elb9501.html

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Wisk Commercial- 1970s

The Wisk commercial shows the specific gender roles that were considered “normal” of men and women in the 70s. In the commercial a woman who had, what seemed to me, been packing for her husband when she is stopped by voices taunting “ring around the collar!”. She turns to see that the detergent she had been using previously did not get the stain in her husband’s collar.

From the commercial one can assume the gender roles that were prevalent during the 70s. It is seen in the commercial that the woman is in charge of the household chores because it was made clear that she was the one who did the laundry. Much like today’s commercials it depicts a woman doing laundry rather than a man. It was not unusual to show a woman doing laundry because that was considered “normal” for families.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3N_skYSGoY

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Grease- 1978 Movie

The movie Grease was about a girl named Sandy who met a guy over her summer break named Danny. They end up falling in love but, unfortunately, they break off their relationship because Sandy must go back home to Australia. She ends up staying and going to the same school as Danny, where she sees that he’s a popular, macho guy.

This movie shows two different stereotypes of women that still exist today, the virginal goody two shoes, and the bad girl, sex symbol type. Both come out in the character Sandy who, at first feels alone in her new school because she has this “good” girl reputation. Many of the other girls she befriends in the Pink Ladies are not virginal like Sandy, and she is judged because of it. She changes into a sexy “bad” girl though at the end to be with her bad boy, renegade boyfriend Danny.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aataTbxlWeM

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077631/plotsummary



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Foxy Brown- 1974 Movie

This movie depicts a woman who, like Charlie’s Angels, fights crime. Foxy’s government agent boyfriend was shot down by gangsters at the time, so she seeks revenge by becoming a high-class prostitute. She was able to fight crime and save another prostitute while getting her revenge on the agency that killed her boyfriend.

However, this movie is a blacksploitation film, meaning there are African Americans playing lead roles and most of the characters are black. This genre usually glorifies violence and anti establishment in the black community. It was also seemed as though she was only becoming a prostitute because she was a woman, and kind of went along with the idea that women are weaker than men. The only way she was going to get to them was through sex in the movie.

Photo: http://ia.mediaimdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjI2NTY1NTE3N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTQyMDgzNA@@._V1._SY317_.jpg

Sources: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Blacksploitation
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071517/



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Three’s Company-(1976-1984) TV Series

The TV series was about two women named Chrissy and Janet who get a man named Jack as a roommate. The three live together in a very platonic arrangement, however, their landlord does not believe that the three should live together because he believes there will be all sorts of “hanky-panky” going on. Jack tells the landlord Roper that he is gay in order to move in.
The show shows the stereotypes associated with women, gays, and heterosexuals in that time. The landlord’s expectation that obviously the grown adults of different sexes cannot live together without having relations, shows the heteronormativity. Also, Jack puts on a show to make their landlord believe that he is gay by acting a way in which a stereotypical gay person would. Also, Chrissy is seen as a stupid, blonde, sexual girl while Janet is the more thoughtful, more prudent girl. Again, women are portrayed as being either very promiscuous, or “prudes”, which can be seen in this show.

Photo: http://www.themesongshut.com/tv-images/Threes-Company.jpg

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075596/plotsummary