Exploring feminist perspectives on romantic comedies, their stereotypes, and their impact on culture.
What people are saying about feminist themes in romantic comedies.
Directed by Paul Feig
Ebert praises the film for its effective ensemble cast, highlighting characters like Rita and Megan, and commends its balance of humor and character development.
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bridesmaids-2011?utm_source=The film is lauded for combining genuine characters with gross-out gags and pathos, with Kristen Wiig's performance receiving particular acclaim.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bridesmaids_2011?utm_source=
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee
Described as the "ladies-on-the-loose comedy" that everyone needs, the film is celebrated for its humor and portrayal of female friendship.
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/girls-trip-2017?utm_source=The film is noted for its confident handling of ribald comedy and female friendship dynamics, delivering a fresh and entertaining experience.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jul/19/girls-trip-review-raucous-comedy-delivers-fresh-and-filthy-good-time?utm_source=
Directed by Christian Ditter
The film is critiqued for its ensemble cast dynamics, with some characters feeling underdeveloped, but acknowledges moments of humor and insight.
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/how-to-be-single-2016?utm_source=While aiming to subvert rom-com conventions, the film is noted for indulging in genre clichés, resulting in mixed critical reception.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/how_to_be_single_2016?utm_source=
Directed by Ken Kwapis
Ebert finds the film imperfect, particularly criticizing its overly optimistic endings, which he feels don't reflect real-world relationship complexities.
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hes-just-not-that-into-you-2009?utm_source=The film features a great cast but is considered mediocre, with critiques pointing to its lack of humor and portrayal of unsatisfying relationships.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hes_just_not_that_into_you?utm_source=
Directed by Robert Luketic
Ebert describes the film as a "featherweight comedy" that balances silliness and charm, largely driven by Reese Witherspoon's engaging performance.
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/legally-blonde-2001?utm_source=The film is praised for conveying the importance of self-belief in pursuing goals and dreams, making it a recommended watch for its empowering message.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/legally_blonde?utm_source=Stay updated with discussions on feminism in romantic comedies.
Key feminist works and theories in film and media.
Laura Mulvey
Book: Visual and Other Pleasures
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Year: 1989
Read moreMary Ann Doane
Book: Femmes Fatales: Feminism, Film Theory, Psychoanalysis
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 1991
Read morebell hooks
Book: Reel to Real: Race, Sex, and Class at the Movies
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 1996
Read moreAnnette Kuhn
Book: Women's Pictures: Feminism and Cinema
Publisher: Verso Books
Year: 1994
Read moreE. Ann Kaplan
Book: Women and Film: Both Sides of the Camera
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 1983
Read moreRosalind Gill
Article: Postfeminist Media Culture: Elements of a Sensibility
Publisher: European Journal of Cultural Studies
Year: 2007
Read moreAngela McRobbie
Article: Post-Feminism and Popular Culture
Publisher: Feminist Media Studies
Year: 2004
Read moreYvonne Tasker and Diane Negra
Edited Volume: Interrogating Postfeminism: Gender and the Politics of Popular Culture
Publisher: Duke University Press
Year: 2007
Read moreSarah Banet-Weiser
Article: Postfeminism and Popular Feminism
Publisher: Feminist Media Histories
Year: 2018
Read moreKimberlé Crenshaw
Article: Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory, and Antiracist Politics
Publisher: University of Chicago Legal Forum
Year: 1989
Read morePatricia Hill Collins
Book: Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 1990
Read morebell hooks
Book: Ain't I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism
Publisher: South End Press
Year: 1981
Read moreAudre Lorde
Book: Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches
Publisher: Crossing Press
Year: 1984
Read moreJanet Bing
Article: Is Feminist Humor an Oxymoron?
Publisher: Women and Language
Year: 2004
Read moreAudrey Bilger
Book: Laughing Feminism: Subversive Comedy in Frances Burney, Maria Edgeworth, and Jane Austen
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
Year: 1998
Read moreKathryn Kein
Article: Recovering Our Sense of Humor: New Directions in Feminist Humor Studies
Publisher: Feminist Studies
Year: 2015
Read moreSuzanne Ferriss and Mallory Young
Edited Volume: Chick Flicks: Contemporary Women at the Movies
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2008
Read moreYvonne Tasker and Diane Negra
Edited Volume: Interrogating Postfeminism: Gender and the Politics of Popular Culture
Publisher: Duke University Press
Year: 2007
Read moreRosalind Gill
Article: Postfeminist Media Culture: Elements of a Sensibility
Publisher: European Journal of Cultural Studies
Year: 2007
Read moreAngela McRobbie
Book: The Aftermath of Feminism: Gender, Culture and Social Change
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Year: 2009
Read moreColette Dowling
Book: The Cinderella Complex: Women's Hidden Fear of Independence
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Year: 1981
Read moreHuimin Xu, Zhang Zhang, Lingfei Wu, and Cheng-Jun Wang
Article: The Cinderella Complex: Word Embeddings Reveal Gender Stereotypes in Movies and Books
Publisher: PLOS ONE
Year: 2019
Read morePuri Bestari Mardani and Maria Febiana Christanti
Article: Cinderella: The Feminist Tale (A Discourse Analysis of the Story's Adaptation through Podcast)
Publisher: Ekspresi dan Persepsi: Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi
Year: 2024
Read moreElisabeth Rose Gruner
Article: The Shoe Still Fits: Ever After and the Pursuit of a Feminist Cinderella
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Year: 2003
Read moreEmergence of Feminist Film Critique
Key Authors: Laura Mulvey, Claire Johnston
Laura Mulvey’s "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" (1975) introduced the "male gaze."
Claire Johnston examined the role of women in cinema and the construction of female images.
Key Events:
1972: Publication of *Women & Film*, the first feminist film magazine.
1975: Laura Mulvey's essay significantly influences feminist film theory.
Psychoanalytic and Semiotic Approaches
Key Authors: Kaja Silverman, Teresa de Lauretis
Kaja Silverman explored subjectivity and the female spectator in cinema.
Teresa de Lauretis introduced the concept of the "female spectator."
Key Events:
Psychoanalytic and semiotic theories integrate into feminist film analysis.
Intersectionality and Diversity
Key Authors: bell hooks, Patricia Hill Collins
bell hooks critiqued feminist film theory’s lack of attention to race and class.
Patricia Hill Collins explored intersections of race, gender, and class in media.
Key Events:
Feminist film theory expands to discussions on race, class, and sexuality.
Postfeminism and Media Culture
Key Authors: Rosalind Gill, Angela McRobbie
Rosalind Gill analyzed postfeminist media culture.
Angela McRobbie examined portrayals of women’s empowerment in media.
Key Events:
Critical analysis of gender and power representations in postfeminist media.
Digital Media and New Narratives
Key Authors: Bracha L. Ettinger, Griselda Pollock
Bracha L. Ettinger introduced the "matrixial gaze."
Griselda Pollock explored feminist interventions in cinema and the visual arts.
Key Events:
Analysis of online content, female filmmakers, and movements like #MeToo.
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