Women in Media

This session examined how women have been depicted in popular film and television over the last two decades — exploring recurring tropes like the manic pixie dream girl, the cool girl, and the born-sexy-yesterday fantasy, and asking how these have shifted (or not) in the wake of MeToo. We also discussed the toxic diet culture of early-2000s media, the male gaze in sex scenes, and where the line sits between female empowerment and exploitation.

1. Tropes we recognise from film and TV
   • Manic pixie dream girl, pick me girl, cool girl — where do we spot them?
   • Born sexy yesterday: the fantasy of the powerful woman who is socially naive (Poor Things, etc.)
2. The male gaze in sex scenes
   • Who is the scene for? Empowerment vs exploitation
   • Madonna-whore complex in storytelling
3. What did MeToo change?
   • Paper findings: how female characters shifted pre- and post-MeToo
   • Submissive depiction of women — what persists?
4. Toxic media culture in the early 2000s
   • Diet culture, body image, and the age of actresses playing mothers
   • How this shaped a generation's relationship with their bodies
5. Today: different approaches
   • Euphoria vs Heartstopper — how do they depict young women differently?
   • Has the industry actually changed, or just its marketing?