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From the dawn of motion picture, females have been portrayed as the sex objects of men, however politely it was done. Movie writers are aware of their limitations; in two hours they must establish characters, plot, conflict, and resolution, without being schizophrenic. The easiest way to achieve this was to stereotype the characters and direct the actors to mimic societal archetypes as a means to move the process along. This works because we the audience know immediately with whom we are dealing. It saves the writer creating an original complex character; instead, the actor is left to develop what they can.

Thus, women are portrayed in the usual ways: the tragic female, the helpless heroine, the manipulative man-eater, the silly debutante, the virgin, the prostitute, the blue-stocking. These women are neither strong nor thoughtful, they exist only to titilate men, taking their place in subservient roles that are portayed to perfection even today. One merely has to watch 'The Sheik' (Rudolph Valentino and Agnes Ayres) and 'The Mummy' (with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz) to see archetypal women at their best throughout the ages. Very little has changed in the last 100 years.

While many of these archetypes were acceptable in the 1920s, they are outdated and shallow in the twenty-first century. Women's quest to be accepted as equals should leave these characters in the annals of history. Unfortunately, it has not happened. Instead, women have been degraded even further as trends in movies sexualize and objectify them.

"Sex sell" is the marketing matra most movie executives adhere to. Women are portrayed as silly, ignorant, and unable to do much more than gaze adoringly into the face of the man and strip off their shirts. Even the family-friendly films have women and girls provocatively dressed, playing the female archetypes that portray them in degrading, subservient manners, continuing a cycle that has extreme ramifications for society.

Given the misogyny prevalent in our culture today this should not surprise anyone. Women are subject to rising rates of rape, domestic, violence, and disrespect. Until men and boys are taught to respect women and value them for more than the size of their bustline, this degradation will continue.

Learn more about this author, Sarah Fulkes.
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