14th episode, 90210
In this episode, women's power and vulnerability are the most striking ones.
Naomie found her half brother making use of her usual mischief. She is trying to be in control of everything as usual and shows her vulnerability when she fails. Darren Star portrays a woman that is strong, powerful, but yet so VULNERABLE, SENSITIVE, and EMOTIONAL. There is both a redefinition of women and a reconfirmation of stereotypes.
As for men, there is a challenge in the ways in which they are portrayed. Navid for example, is not the typical hardcore, violent, and extremely manly guy. He is so concerned with having a bright future that he tries everything. Being part of that fraternity guarantees him high quality graduate education. He is trying so hard to get appreciated by the head of the fraternity that he becomes "his little bitch." There is the hardcore guy on one hand (Liam) and the one that would accept being looked down on and mistreated for prestige (Navid). Navid will be more likely to be called a "pussy."
What are your thoughts on these different representations? Do you think that Navid is acting like a MAN or not? Do you think Naomie is more powerful than she is vulnerable? What makes you think that?
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
"Realness"
90210's 13th episode
Liam is dealing with PTSD, Annie's writing career is about to start, Adrianna is trying to punish Dixon for what he did and Naomie is struggling with her break-up, and Silver is struggling to have her baby.
I know Liam has PTSD, but it just seems like it is used to depict how HARDCORE, CARELESS, and VIOLENT he is. It is cliche because in almost every teen drama series there is a "HARDCORE" guy that does not take anything seriously.
Silver is really determined to have her baby though she faked Teddy's signature. The character is portrayed as a desperate woman. When some women hear that they have only one shot at having a baby, they would do everything they can to make it happen. That is what silver is doing. Women are depicted as desperate for children and at the same time strong and ambitious.
The Evil villain that uses her looks to get what she wants ... NAOMIE. Naomie is trying to get back together with her husband and thinks that they will as they slept together. WRONG! Her mischief did not work this time! She is a strong woman but at the same time she is CONFUSED. That depiction of women as CONFUSED. The stereotype of the young woman which is trying to put her life together.
Liam is dealing with PTSD, Annie's writing career is about to start, Adrianna is trying to punish Dixon for what he did and Naomie is struggling with her break-up, and Silver is struggling to have her baby.
I know Liam has PTSD, but it just seems like it is used to depict how HARDCORE, CARELESS, and VIOLENT he is. It is cliche because in almost every teen drama series there is a "HARDCORE" guy that does not take anything seriously.
Silver is really determined to have her baby though she faked Teddy's signature. The character is portrayed as a desperate woman. When some women hear that they have only one shot at having a baby, they would do everything they can to make it happen. That is what silver is doing. Women are depicted as desperate for children and at the same time strong and ambitious.
The Evil villain that uses her looks to get what she wants ... NAOMIE. Naomie is trying to get back together with her husband and thinks that they will as they slept together. WRONG! Her mischief did not work this time! She is a strong woman but at the same time she is CONFUSED. That depiction of women as CONFUSED. The stereotype of the young woman which is trying to put her life together.
"This is Why We Fight"
Grey's Anatomy's 16th episode
Love, pride and ego are the themes that I picked out from this episode.
Cristina is so relieved that she gets to talk to Owen about "the whole buying the hospital plan". I can see love in her eyes when she talks to him. She wants to protect him and rescue him from the stressful life he has been living for the past few months. She is attentive and caring. She is IN LOVE!
At the very end of the episode, when Avery's mum tells him she got him the "hospital," he has that "No way!" look on his face! He does not seem hapy, may be because he thinks his mum is being to protective and treats him as a BABY. She does not realize he is a man. His masculinity is being looked down on. That depicted men's pride and ego. Often, men do not like it when women show they are richer, or more powerful than they are. It hurts their ego and pride. Even though she is her mum, Avery does not seem to be okay with that.
What are your thoughts on men's pride? Don't you think that pride is another way of reinforcing masculinity hegemony? or Dominance on women?
Love, pride and ego are the themes that I picked out from this episode.
Cristina is so relieved that she gets to talk to Owen about "the whole buying the hospital plan". I can see love in her eyes when she talks to him. She wants to protect him and rescue him from the stressful life he has been living for the past few months. She is attentive and caring. She is IN LOVE!
At the very end of the episode, when Avery's mum tells him she got him the "hospital," he has that "No way!" look on his face! He does not seem hapy, may be because he thinks his mum is being to protective and treats him as a BABY. She does not realize he is a man. His masculinity is being looked down on. That depicted men's pride and ego. Often, men do not like it when women show they are richer, or more powerful than they are. It hurts their ego and pride. Even though she is her mum, Avery does not seem to be okay with that.
What are your thoughts on men's pride? Don't you think that pride is another way of reinforcing masculinity hegemony? or Dominance on women?
"Hard Bargain"
In Grey's Anatomy's 15th episode, I did not find a lot of interesting themes. However, TRUST and CARE are two themes that struck my interest.
In the episode, Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) is told by her friend to keep Owen Hunt in the dark regarding the sale of the hospital. She is in two minds. She does not want to betray her friends, but at the same time she does not want to lie to the man she loves (though they are divorced). At first, she gets really pissed when Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) asks her to lie to Owen. She gets really mad! But then, she realizes that Owen is in big troubles, and burnout because he is struggling with administration stuff to keep the hospital open. That's when she decides to change her mind.
She does not want to lie, because she is afraid that Owen looses faith in her. He TRUSTS her too much and she feels really bad lying to him. I feel like women often feel the urge to be honest because it seems to be in their GENES. Especially, when they love a man. This is not a cliche, but it is a characteristic common to a lot of women.
It is weird though because Cristina is the "hardcore girl" of the crew. She often shows no interest in others. She is only concerned with herself and her career. I get the impression that she is holding back feelings! She does not know how to show some love to those she loves.In this episode, I was impressed because she actually showed she CARES.
Haven't you guys noticed that women are always portrayed as the ones that care the most, and men as the careless ones?
That is the only thing that appealed to me in the episode.
Shonda Rhimes might be running out of inspiration!!!!!!
In the episode, Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) is told by her friend to keep Owen Hunt in the dark regarding the sale of the hospital. She is in two minds. She does not want to betray her friends, but at the same time she does not want to lie to the man she loves (though they are divorced). At first, she gets really pissed when Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) asks her to lie to Owen. She gets really mad! But then, she realizes that Owen is in big troubles, and burnout because he is struggling with administration stuff to keep the hospital open. That's when she decides to change her mind.
She does not want to lie, because she is afraid that Owen looses faith in her. He TRUSTS her too much and she feels really bad lying to him. I feel like women often feel the urge to be honest because it seems to be in their GENES. Especially, when they love a man. This is not a cliche, but it is a characteristic common to a lot of women.
It is weird though because Cristina is the "hardcore girl" of the crew. She often shows no interest in others. She is only concerned with herself and her career. I get the impression that she is holding back feelings! She does not know how to show some love to those she loves.In this episode, I was impressed because she actually showed she CARES.
Haven't you guys noticed that women are always portrayed as the ones that care the most, and men as the careless ones?
That is the only thing that appealed to me in the episode.
Shonda Rhimes might be running out of inspiration!!!!!!
Friday, February 8, 2013
"The face of Change"
Hi readers,
Today i will address themes that are portrayed in Grey's Anatomy's fourteenth episode, namely agency of women, passivity of men, and love. As in 90210, women in the series are powerful and stand for themselves. For instance, Cali (played by Sara Ramirez) is a strong lady that fights for what she wants and never gives up. In the episode, she will not accept that Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) sells the hospital to investors, for the reason that she feels that it is not fair. She challenges the traditional passive woman that would never resist nor negotiate any idea that men come up with.
As for passivity of men, the two female interns Jo Wilson (played by Camilla Luddington) and Stephanie(played by Jerrika Hinton) get both Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) and Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) to obey them. Jo wants Karev to get the position of ambassador because they are "friends", while Stephanie wants Avery to get the position for the reason that they are lovers. Karev and Avery are submissive to the ladies, inasmuch as they listen carefully to their advice and make sense of it. The ladies manipulate them!
In the episode, the theme of love is not manifest, but rather latent. At the beginning of the show, we see and hear couples engaging in "acts of love" (sexual intercourse). It is not necessarily that they love each other; it is more about passion and attractiveness. Stephanie and Avery are attracted to each other, but it seems like they are not yet in love. They cannot be since Avery is still recovering from breaking up with Kepner. In regard to Christina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Hunt, they are still on to each other despite their divorce. They seem happier than when they were married. The idea that sex and love goes together is then challenged through the portrayals of these different relationships. The only instance where sex equates love is with Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo).
What do you guys think of this analysis? Do you agree? If you did watch the episode, what kind of aspects would you comment on?
Today i will address themes that are portrayed in Grey's Anatomy's fourteenth episode, namely agency of women, passivity of men, and love. As in 90210, women in the series are powerful and stand for themselves. For instance, Cali (played by Sara Ramirez) is a strong lady that fights for what she wants and never gives up. In the episode, she will not accept that Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) sells the hospital to investors, for the reason that she feels that it is not fair. She challenges the traditional passive woman that would never resist nor negotiate any idea that men come up with.
As for passivity of men, the two female interns Jo Wilson (played by Camilla Luddington) and Stephanie(played by Jerrika Hinton) get both Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) and Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) to obey them. Jo wants Karev to get the position of ambassador because they are "friends", while Stephanie wants Avery to get the position for the reason that they are lovers. Karev and Avery are submissive to the ladies, inasmuch as they listen carefully to their advice and make sense of it. The ladies manipulate them!
In the episode, the theme of love is not manifest, but rather latent. At the beginning of the show, we see and hear couples engaging in "acts of love" (sexual intercourse). It is not necessarily that they love each other; it is more about passion and attractiveness. Stephanie and Avery are attracted to each other, but it seems like they are not yet in love. They cannot be since Avery is still recovering from breaking up with Kepner. In regard to Christina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Hunt, they are still on to each other despite their divorce. They seem happier than when they were married. The idea that sex and love goes together is then challenged through the portrayals of these different relationships. The only instance where sex equates love is with Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo).
What do you guys think of this analysis? Do you agree? If you did watch the episode, what kind of aspects would you comment on?
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
"Here Comes Honey Bye Bye" - Women are in control!
The overarching themes of the episode are: jealousy, control and agency, and violence
Let's start with "control and agency!" Naomie Clark convinces her husband Max Miller to consult a marriage counselor and will not let him talk once they get there. She is a CONTROL-FREAK! She likes to be in control of everything! Everything has to go the way she wants, or else she will not let go. She seems to be holding back a lot of things such as her strong desire to go to New York pursue her Event Planner career. She copes with that "failure" by controlling her husband, and making sure everything is "perfect." Max is represented as passive and submissive of Naomie. THIS IS A CHANGE IN GENDER ROLES DYNAMICS. Men who are always portrayed as the ones in power and in control of everything, are now being reduced to agency-free human beings. This episode an trigger an excellent debate on the challenge of male dominance.
The idea that women desire to have agency over their own lives is also depicted when Dixon's girlfriend tells her about her scholarship issues.When she tells Dixon about the scholarship, he offers her a job in his label company, but she declines the offer and proudly says that she wants to take care of herself!!! And more importantly, when she gets to know that Dixon is the one that made the anonymous donation to the tuition office for her, she freaks out and walks out on him. It is obvious that she wants to be the "boss of herself", and does not want any guy to take care of her. She does not want to be considered as a kid that needs to be looked after. Guys this is an amazing example of women's liberation and agency. Don't you think?
Nowadays men are no longer the "providers", because women are emerging in a way that challenges the power of men!
Women are almost often portrayed as JEALOUS! Their jealousy is always made obvious through scenes whereby they curse, call each other names, or even engage in physical fights. In this episode, Adrianna is jealous of Dixon's new girlfriend and gets more worked out when she hears that Dixon gave her money to his girlfriend. How would you guys react to that? Do you think after cheating on him she has the right to act like that?
Violence-wise, that idea that male always have to be portrayed as violent, or at least one of the characters has to be violent is very 'cliche' too me. Liam is struggling with "anger management problems" and takes his anger down on everyone. I found that a little cliche, because since the beginning he has been portrayed as the "hardcore" guy, the one that has no feeling whatsoever. Don't you guys think they are overstretching that idea of violence in the show when portraying Liam?
Here is a link to this episode http://www.cucirca.com/2013/02/05/90210-season-5-episode-12-here-comes-honey-bye-bye/
Let's start with "control and agency!" Naomie Clark convinces her husband Max Miller to consult a marriage counselor and will not let him talk once they get there. She is a CONTROL-FREAK! She likes to be in control of everything! Everything has to go the way she wants, or else she will not let go. She seems to be holding back a lot of things such as her strong desire to go to New York pursue her Event Planner career. She copes with that "failure" by controlling her husband, and making sure everything is "perfect." Max is represented as passive and submissive of Naomie. THIS IS A CHANGE IN GENDER ROLES DYNAMICS. Men who are always portrayed as the ones in power and in control of everything, are now being reduced to agency-free human beings. This episode an trigger an excellent debate on the challenge of male dominance.
The idea that women desire to have agency over their own lives is also depicted when Dixon's girlfriend tells her about her scholarship issues.When she tells Dixon about the scholarship, he offers her a job in his label company, but she declines the offer and proudly says that she wants to take care of herself!!! And more importantly, when she gets to know that Dixon is the one that made the anonymous donation to the tuition office for her, she freaks out and walks out on him. It is obvious that she wants to be the "boss of herself", and does not want any guy to take care of her. She does not want to be considered as a kid that needs to be looked after. Guys this is an amazing example of women's liberation and agency. Don't you think?
Nowadays men are no longer the "providers", because women are emerging in a way that challenges the power of men!
Women are almost often portrayed as JEALOUS! Their jealousy is always made obvious through scenes whereby they curse, call each other names, or even engage in physical fights. In this episode, Adrianna is jealous of Dixon's new girlfriend and gets more worked out when she hears that Dixon gave her money to his girlfriend. How would you guys react to that? Do you think after cheating on him she has the right to act like that?
Violence-wise, that idea that male always have to be portrayed as violent, or at least one of the characters has to be violent is very 'cliche' too me. Liam is struggling with "anger management problems" and takes his anger down on everyone. I found that a little cliche, because since the beginning he has been portrayed as the "hardcore" guy, the one that has no feeling whatsoever. Don't you guys think they are overstretching that idea of violence in the show when portraying Liam?
Here is a link to this episode http://www.cucirca.com/2013/02/05/90210-season-5-episode-12-here-comes-honey-bye-bye/
Monday, February 4, 2013
"Bad Blood"
Hi everyone,
Today I am going to share something that particularly caught my eye in Grey's Anatomy's 13th episode.
The complicity between Cali and Arizona is just striking! For those who do not watch the show, Cali and Arizona are partners (a lesbian couple).
At the beginning of the episode, when they get to the meeting they are arguing because of their daughter Sofia. The way the argue leads to think that they are really close to one another, and share an amazing complicity. I think that complicity between those two partners challenges the heterosexual order or sexuality status quo. It portrays a positive image of homosexual; it depicts homosexual couples as 'normal' heterosexual couples that argue and share many things.
What are your thoughts on representations of homosexual couples in TV series? If you watched he show, do you think my analysis is accurate?
Here is a link to watch the episode
http://www.cucirca.com/2013/02/01/greys-anatomy-season-9-episode-13-bad-blood/
Today I am going to share something that particularly caught my eye in Grey's Anatomy's 13th episode.
The complicity between Cali and Arizona is just striking! For those who do not watch the show, Cali and Arizona are partners (a lesbian couple).
At the beginning of the episode, when they get to the meeting they are arguing because of their daughter Sofia. The way the argue leads to think that they are really close to one another, and share an amazing complicity. I think that complicity between those two partners challenges the heterosexual order or sexuality status quo. It portrays a positive image of homosexual; it depicts homosexual couples as 'normal' heterosexual couples that argue and share many things.
What are your thoughts on representations of homosexual couples in TV series? If you watched he show, do you think my analysis is accurate?
Here is a link to watch the episode
http://www.cucirca.com/2013/02/01/greys-anatomy-season-9-episode-13-bad-blood/
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