Feminism in 1970s America through Bryan Forbes the Stepford Wives - Essay Example

Feminism in 1970s America through Bryan Forbes’ the Stepford Wives I. Introduction The 1975 film The Stepford Wives directed by Bryan Forbes based Ira Levin’s novel of the same title is probably one of several movies of the decade that has achieved cult status. In fact, the popularity of the original was enough to create a remake in 2004, albeit modified to suit the commercial tastes of its intended audiences. Its concept that fits easily into the science fiction and horror category is always enough to spur discussions and sequels—and it did have several, including Revenge of the Stepford Wives, The Stepford Children, and the Stepford Husbands—and provide enough material for inspiring other texts in popular culture. The TV show Desperate Housewives clearly references the film in its depiction of one of the main characters, Bree Van De Kamp, due to her 1970s-era standard of wifely and motherly perfection. But while the novelty of the concept of wives being turned into robotic versions of themselves may be exactly what is needed to affirm the 1970s genre of horror cinema—as evidenced by Carrie, The Exorcist, The Omen, and many others—the social implications of the film were not always welcomed by concerned parties. In particular, the undeniable strengthening of the feminist movement in America in the 1980s that gave women even louder voices in societal issues did not find much significance in The Stepford Wives, despite the clear commentary on the prevalent patriarchal norms being followed by general American societies. The analysis then would be centered on this issue, from the communication of female-related concepts and the subsequent interpretation made; the statement about women, after all, is much more pronounced in this text than in the author’s previous work, Rosemary’s Baby. II. The Stepford Wives and White Middle-Class Women The film is quite curious from the very beginning, with the ominous perfection of a scene showing a young couple, Joanna and Walter, moving their family from busy, noisy New York City to the peaceful suburb of Stepford. As many horror stories would have it, the idyllic situation slowly starts changing, mainly due to the peculiar behavior of some of the wives in the community. They were strange in their demeanor and ideals, akin to TV portrayals of perfect mothers and wives who spent all their time cooking and cleaning with nary a hair out of place. Subsequently, the transformation of Joanna’s friend Bobbie and Joanna herself reveals how the community is controlled by the men, who apparently discard their wives for mechanical look-alikes that would function exactly as expected. But the image created by the film with regard to the epitome of womanhood—specifically in women’s roles in the home, such as cooking, cleaning, and maintaining an appearance that conforms to standards promoted by media—is largely within the stereotype of the Caucasian female married to a Caucasian man of stable economic means, enough to provide for a home equipped with the necessary elements that would allow for the keeping up of the image. Children would not be more than two, and are well-dressed and well-behaved. Husbands would leave home and return at very specific times, during which the wife must be ready to attend to his every wish. As this cannot be possible in the frenetic environment of cities and urban addresses, it essentially finds its setting in the suburbs of America, taking from the afterthought to the phenomenon of urbanization, which is the contrary suburbanization. Joanne and Walter’s move from New York to Stepford is typical of this occurrence, as more and more problems become associated with living in cities. The growing concern for less substantial economic costs and adhering to a lifestyle denoted by family and community time is at the core of suburbanization, which led many to move back to the suburbs. One of the major influences of this change is “the preference for residing among individuals of like income, education, race, and ethnicity” (Mieszkowski and Mills 137), a fact that coincides with the given conditions in The Stepford Wives. The demographic of families, particularly the husbands, remain within the same range; the idea of having a black family in the community triggered curiosity at best. A research study made by Richard E. Adams showed that satisfaction is at a greater level among people who have made the move from cities to suburbs, citing neighborhood, social integration, and employment status as factors that comprise this general statement. Therefore the ideals of suburbanization can logically result in the formation of the stereotype image of the white middle-class woman, steeped in the patriarchal norms of subservience and obedience, as the range of choices available are clearly informed by gender expectations. Compared to living in the city, the economic requirements of suburban life do not require both spouses to work to sustain the family; this leaves the woman with few reasons to insist in pursuing a career, when the man’s income is enough. Domestic concerns become the logical center of the woman’s activity, for time and money are no longer at a lack. In the film, Joanna is intent on working on her photography career, but is treated with less importance compared to Walter’s job and membership in the exclusive Stepford Men’s Association; while in the beginning, Walter expressed no qualms about Joanne’s atypical management of their home, in the end he echoes the qualities alluded to by the other men as he questions the appearance of their house and children. III. Feminism and the Women’s Movement The release of The Stepford Wives came at a time when women’s liberation was at its peak, rebelling against the stereotype of women propagated by media. This comes from centuries-old concepts of the social and political participation of women, culminating in the issues prevalent during the 1960s and 70s of economic discrimination against women and the controversial subject of abortion. Being wives and mothers were still upheld as the main roles of women, and protests made by various women’s organizations were apparent during the film’s period (“Woman’s History in America” pars 1, 16-17). The robot wives as portrayed in the film match the images presented by Betty Friedan in her 1963 text, The Feminine Mystique, which she describes as a collection of values and beliefs that propose true fulfillment for a woman as found in marriage, motherhood, and participation in domestic work (Friedan, as cited in Paasonen 191). Elements that affirm this similarity are seen in the consistent showcasing of the women in the film in the limited confines of the kitchen and the supermarket, which refer to the task of meal preparation and cooking. The characters of Joanna and the old Bobbie are the exact opposites of these ideals, due to their strong traits and opinions that may be viewed as masculine and unacceptable. This exposition aligns with Sigmund Freud’s established ideology regarding women and penis-envy, in which women like Joanna and Bobbie are relegated to negating their natural feminine desires (Boruzkowski par. 38). But the supposed feminist underpinnings worn by the film were not openly welcomed by feminists and other critics; according to Elyce Helford, the film merely succeeded in promoting men’s fantasies (Christine C. par. 4). The Stepford Wives may have used the subject of male and female opposition as its framework, but the resolution provides no retribution for women. In fact, the women become robots, unfeeling and non-human. For this alone, the established concepts of women’s liberation and feminism, as seen in Joanna and Bobbie, are de-prioritized in favor of the stereotype. The message communicated then agrees with Friedan’s description of the feminine mystique, almost promoting the values upheld by patriarchy. Perhaps the idea of evil, as embodied by the association president and the mastermind of the whole phenomenon, not being given its just desserts will never be accepted; human logic always requires the full equation, and leaving a problem unsolved will always run against set values. In contrast, the 2004 remake of the film revised the original ending to accommodate the current views on feminism; compared to the 1975 version which ends with Joanna becoming a robot wife herself, the newer take expanded the culmination with the robot wives ‘becoming real’ and are revealed to have been strong and high-powered career women in their pre-robot lives. Of course, the differences between the two in terms of genre and logic are worlds apart—the original was meant to be of the science fiction/horror theme, while the remake is obviously comedic in nature. But it is clear how the latter version took into consideration the repercussions suffered by the first and forged on to solve the unanswered questions. Logic suffered—the robot women could not possibly have become humans again, and capable of reasoning out and opining—but the stigma connected with the cult classic had finally been redeemed to a certain extent. IV. The Backlash of Hollywood The controversy surrounding The Stepford Wives and the question of anti-female values was resurrected in the release of the iconic 1980s film Fatal Attraction. What The Stepford Wives lacked in female power and strength is filled by Fatal Attraction, almost to questionable extents. The story is about a couple, Dan and Beth, who may actually be transplanted easily into the Stepford set—successful career man and his beautiful wife whose concerns are simply her home and family. Enter Alex, a ferocious career woman who hides a significant psychological issue regarding obsession, in this case, Dan. The film eventually became famous for its relative violence, sexual and otherwise, and fits grandly into the brand of suspense and horror common during the decade. But the portrayal of the anti-stereotype female in Alex’s character did not solve the issues of Stepford, since Alex is made out to be the antagonist, the crazed woman, the cause of conflict. Such problems are rooted in her strong-willed character, as she is shown to be active and masculine, in a sense; her pursuit of Dan is incredible, possibly deemed uncommon and unbecoming of women. The female hero in this context is Beth, who fulfills the standard role assigned to women in cinema—complacent, understanding, nurturing, and beautiful. Compared to the wild and untamed Alex, Beth would logically be the recipient of audience sympathy. Dan, in this story, is merely a representation of maleness in its ideal image; his only fault is his agreement to the affair he had with Alex, which is generally credited to Alex herself. However, the traditional concept of the melodrama requires the triumph of the weak over the strong, which most often refers to a battle between an evil male and a good female (“Killer” par. 33), but Fatal Attraction presents the reverse of these conditions. Alex and Dan may be seen as equals, both with careers and available to the same economic opportunities, but the differences between Alex and Beth are undeniable. Portraying Alex with a psychological problem seals her fate as the story’s villain, which may not have worked as effectively had it been assigned to Beth. Therefore, Alex’s non-conformist persona threatens the stereotype characters of Dan and Beth, which qualifies her role as the source of evil. Going against the stigma of Stepford may necessarily mean bringing to life characters that have inherent traits unlike those defined by Friedan’s feminine mystique. Strength, power, sense of self and identity are absolute requirements for this objective, and are all seen in Alex. However, the story concept still subscribes to traditional beliefs that are made obvious in its appropriation of Alex as the evil one, and the stereotyped Beth as the bero. This is most apparent in the climactic scene of Beth’s supposed murder of Alex and her unborn child; because Beth is the protagonist, all sympathy is accorded to her and her act is deemed fitting and justified. Only fear and loathing are given Alex, notwithstanding the child she is carrying. What is questionable is the reason behind the characterization if the villain—in this case, strong, career-minded, and active; it is obvious how the filmmakers associated non-stereotype traits as negative, and are enough to convince audiences of the character’s motivation. The psychological card is only dealt as insurance, for credibility and logic. If the traits were interchanged—Beth as the career-driven wife, and Alex as the docile random female—the logic assumed by the filmmakers would then place Alex in the hero position, and the affair between her and Dan would be justified. Such is the formula of commercial filmmaking, and the woman who attempts to traverse the path assigned to males will almost always be considered unacceptable. This specific situation may be seen in the makeup of characters in the TV show Desperate Housewives, where the character of Lynette Cavo and her corporate career are always showcased with relative negativity or vulnerability at best. When she discovers her husband’s affair, her epiphany is about spending more time with her family to avoid such circumstances. Also, the portrayal of Edie Brit, the resident villain, is an affirmation of the legacy of Stepford—she is strong-willed and independent, yet is always at the center of all problems and can never find a man. V. Conclusion The presentation of The Stepford Wives in 1975 is correct in its place in the science fiction/horror genre, but not necessarily as a symbol of feminist ideals. What it has done accurately is project the phenomenon of suburbanization in America, as well as its effects on social and economic patterns of the white middle class. But the relevance and accuracy ends there; the rest of the film only adheres to the parameters of fantasy and imagination as required by its genre, and should not be alluded to as a cinematic portrayal of the growing ideology of feminism during its period. Clearly, the packaging of the film and its alleged messages of gender equality were only meant to ride on the wave of the 1970s gender conflict, and the uninformed audience would most likely find approval in the depiction of women becoming victims. The problem is that this victimization, while a presentation of the evils, is never resolved; therefore, the solution is never introduced to the viewers. The filmmakers’ objectives could be analyzed in several ways: that they meant The Stepford Wives to be an underhanded attack on the aggression of feminists; that they found commercial value in using a popular issue; or that they were simply ignorant and unknowingly still approve of the very negatives they presented. In any case, their actions proved to be successful, as the elements of Stepford can still be observed in many films made over thirty years later. Works Cited Adams, Richard E. “Is happiness a home in the suburbs?: The influence of urban versus suburban neighborhoods on psychological health”. Journal of Community Psychology Vol. 20 No. 4; 353-372. Boruzkowski, Lily Ann. “The Stepford Wives: The re-created woman”. Jump Cut No. 32 (April 1987): 16-19. Christine C. “Welcome Back To Stepford”. 2008. PopPolitics Media LLC. 04 May 2009 . Desperate Housewives. Writ. Marc Cherry. ABC, 2004-2009. Fatal Attraction. Dir. Adrian Lyne. Paramount Pictures, 1987. Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. In Susanna Paasonen. “Best Wives are Artefacts? Popular Cybernetics and Robot Women in the 1970s”. University of Turku, School of Art, Literature and Music, Media Studies, Series A No. 49: 191-197. “Killer! Fatal Attraction strikes gold as a parable of sexual guilt”. 16 November 1987. Time.com. 04 May 2009 . Mieszkowski, Peter and Edwin S. Mills. “The Causes of Metropolitan Suburbanization”. Journal of Economic Perspectives Vol. 7 No. 3 (Summer 1993); 135-147. Paasonen, Susanna. “Best Wives are Artefacts? Popular Cybernetics and Robot Women in the 1970s”. University of Turku, School of Art, Literature and Music, Media Studies, Series A No. 49: 191-197. The Stepford Wives. Dir. Bryan Forbes. Columbia Pictures, 1975. The Stepford Wives. Dir. Frank Oz. Paramount Pictures, 2004. “Women’s History in America”. 2009. Women’s International Center. 05 May 2009 . Read More