Presentation: Feminist criticism of Erin Brokovich - Essay Example

Feminist Criticism in Erin Brockovich All humans possess an aesthetic sense that pulls them to beautiful objects. Coupled with this, is the attraction towards the members of other sex. Literary and artistic creations, right from the ancient times, have exploited this human sensuality; but modern advertising, sans any sense of ethics is capitalizing on the sex appeal of women. Hollywood stands out as a classic example that epitomizes the extent to which human sensuality as well as sexuality can be taken advantage of through carnal display of female actresses and models.

Men do not simply look at women, rather their gaze transmits power of action and yearning for possession. The ‘sexualization’ and objectification of women is not merely for the purpose of eroticism but is also designed to remove resistance and coax them into submission. "Scopophilia, a drive which has the look as its object of desire, is evidently of crucial importance to the cinema. It is a drive that is dependent upon the maintenance of a distance between subject and object." (Mulvey, 1992).

The French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan found the concept that gaze is important during "the mirror stage" in child development, whereupon children gaze at a mirror image of themselves and use this image to derive a degree of coordination over their physical movements (1988).The gaze characterizes and displays the relationships between the subjects by looking, and it signifies a psychological relationship of power.( Schroeder).Feminists theorize it as the way men look at women, women look at themselves and other women, and effects of the action on each individual.

Many advertisements are replete with explicit sexual imagery that borders on pornography, and exploit sexuality. It reinforces the notion of sex as a commodity by portraying stereotypes of women as sex objects (Jacobson and Anne-Mazur). Some advertising presents women in a sexual manner, and it is argued that this degrades women because men are placed higher than women in an advertisement and exhibit an unequal power relationship. Female are also no exceptions as is evident from advertisements and teenage magazines flooded with male nudity.

Mainstream Hollywood films can be analyzed and criticized for being pro-patriarchy, by applying psychoanalytic theory.  There are countless examples of objectified women on the screen and paramount among it is Erin Brockovich. An issue central to feminist film analysis is how women are typically objectified in mainstream Hollywood films. According to film theorist Laura Mulvey, popular movies are philocentric; that is, constructed for male viewing pleasure. This means that films are scopophilic in nature, with women as passive objects meant to satisfy the active male desire to gaze at the female form.

This is referred to as the male gaze. (Mulvey). All the methods of the male gaze objectify a woman, turning her into a commodity on display, instead of recognizing her as an equal human being. In this way, she loses her basic humanity.Actress Julia Roberts gained critical acclaim for her role in Erin Brockovich, based on true events, directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film became much popular among women audiences because of Roberts’ unmistakable bright grin, her Southern genuineness, and the ability for quick retorts.

Roberts gained accessibility with her female fans for her identifiable and sympathetic status as a struggling single mother rather than by her sexy look and provocative neckline. From a male perspective, however, the film owes it success to its marketing strategy, where Roberts was presented to look like a hooker in revealing outfits. As Erin, Roberts never puts the hooker clothes in the closet in favor of designer or conservative outfits. Even at the conclusion of the film, she remains in her revealing attire which is consistent with the real Ms.

Brockovich, who never saw reason to dress any way other than how she felt comfortable. http://www.commonWealthClub.org. Thus, for the success of a proclaimed feminist film ‘Erin Brockovich’ female sexuality and nudity was utilized to tap the attraction of potential male audience. Works citedLacan, Jacques. Seminar One: Freuds Papers On Technique (1988).Mulvey, Laura: Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1992). Schroeder, Jonathan E. Consuming Representation: A Visual Approach to Consumer Research.Michael F. Jacobsen and Laurie Anne Mazur.

Sexism and Sexuality in Advertising.