RUNNING HEAD: SEXISM ON TV 1 Name: Institutional affiliations: Course: Date: RUNNING HEAD: SEXISM ON TV 2 Introduction of the program and the social inequality under discussion According to (McCracken, 2012), sexism is the discrimination mainly against gender. This occasionally happens to women. In the modern society, sexism is displayed almost in every institution. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry is not left behind. With the production of movies and films, sexism has been displayed in a variety of them. I will discuss the television program “two and a half men.” The program is two and a half men who are a romantic comedy show. Its first season premiered in the year 2003. The social theme I will be discussing is social sexism. It is a type of social inequality that is displayed in the movie. In the movie, there are no female characters, though. Men display the theme. Scenes that apply to the social sexism The entire theme of the film is sexism. Charlie, a character who is a freelance jingler is displayed as being a sexist who takes advantage of women. He is seen sleeping around with women. Charlie sees women as just objects which are stalkers waiting for anything to happen. They are displayed as being so demanding and possibly insane. Charlie is not so much into women. However, he hates them and uses them as sexual predators. He does not value women for who they are, but he instead is only interested in sex with them and moves on to the next one. Sexism is hence displayed regarding dehumanizing the women, making them look valueless and as sexual objects only. The theme song from episode 9 is sexist. Charlie comes to the stage singing men, men song. The song itself intensifies the message in the film. The theme song in a movie displays the feelings of the character or the message that was intended to be passed to the audience. Though its wrapped RUNNING HEAD: SEXISM ON TV up in a comedy show, this does not make it any different or even more funny or something to tolerate. The prostitutes in the movie are used to communicate how women are displayed in the movie. As being cheap whores who can be sexually harassed, raped and their body parts displayed for everyone to see. The emphasis on lines about women menstrual periods and the fact that women can also enjoy sex is so emphasized in the film. The argument between Charles and about women and their genitalia is sexism at its peak. On the episode, Lee says “enough ladies; I get it you have periods”. This is a statement that women are being respected in the movie. Charlie says that “if we are at Peak vagina, the prices at the pump are gonna skyrocket.” Charlie perceives women as sexual objects. He wants to engage in prostitution with the women in the film. He offers them money for them to have sex with them and then dumps them. He is not interested in a long-term relationship with any of the women. Allan is heard saying that January was his butt plug month. The theme is also intensified by the way the characters talk about sex in a childish manner. The rape joke is also an example of sexism. This by no means is no kind of a joke to use in a television show that is viewed by people all over the world. The audience should feel protected and respected by the content of a film they are watching. 3 RUNNING HEAD: SEXISM ON TV 4 Ways by which inequality is displayed Two and a half men is mainly a men film even though there are other minor women characters in the background. The women do not have any major role in the film and are only hence used to pass on the message that the director intended to. They are there at Charlie’s disposal so that he can use them whenever he feels like and does onto the next one. When Charlie rapes Whitney while she is asleep is also a display of sexism she had not agreed on that and the fact that she was even sleeping when it happened only makes it even worse. The display of women as being ready and eager to have sex with just anyone is also a representation of sexism. The jokes about women body parts made by Charlie and Allan bring about the theme of sexism and inequality.no part where the characters talk about their sexual parts, but they enjoy it when they talk about the privates body parts of women. The statements on women’s menstrual periods are also bringing about inequality. The women in the movie are depicted as being overly swept by the material things owned by Charlie. For instance, the beach house where he lives is seen as an attraction to women. Women are portrayed as agreeing to engage in every sexual activity that Charlie wants to. They do not resist him. Women are displayed as being financially unstable and hence engaging in prostitution (Douglas,2013). The film portrays men as being perfect while the women as having so many flaws which are not the case. Men too have weaknesses. The women in the film seemed happy and contented with the kind of things that are happening around them. They show their body parts and even smile. This is proof that they agree with the male characters who are only taking advantage of them RUNNING HEAD: SEXISM ON TV 5 Interpretation of the nonverbal cues The revealing of body parts means that the women are doing it out of their free will. Laughing means that they are happy or in good terms with the other person. Smiling, on the other hand, means that they are friends or even lovers with the other person ( Trier, 2014). The mode of dressing can also be interpreted as a body language of agreeing into sexual activity. Explain how the interpretations are important to the sociological understanding of your chosen social inequality The interpretations show how women are depicted in the society from Charlie’s eyes. They are depicted as being weak and as an object for women to use especially when their mothers ruin their lives like in Charlie and Evelyn. Summary and conclusion The film “two and a half men”, displays women as the ones who are weak and easily manipulated by men. They are regarded as cheap and not able to think and talk about their rights and feelings, from Charlie’s view; women are portrayed as sexual objects. RUNNING HEAD: SEXISM ON TV 6 References Douglas, S. J. (2013). The rise of enlightened sexism: How pop culture took us from girl power to girls gone wild. New York: Henry Holt and Company McCracken, G. D. (2012). Culturematic: How reality TV, will help you create and execute breakthrough ideas. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business Press. Trier-Bieniek, A. M., & In Leavy, P. (2014). Gender & pop culture. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
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