Gender and Television

Most television shows in some way expose us to the gender roles that we are expected to fill.  From the time we are young, to when we are adults the shows that we watch on T.V. are filled with characters that shows us that men should be masculine and women should be feminine.  However this is not always the case and as we mature the shows often display more situations involving people who are transgendered or gay.  This can be seen in all genres as well from reality T.V. to dramas or comedies.

At a young age they start to teach you this.  In most small children’s shows and fairy tales they show you this when all the girls act like damsels in distress, while the men always come to the rescue and save the.  They show us that while all the boys play sports the girls should be playing with dolls.  In T.V. they set the standards for what boys should act like and what girls should act like very early on, and then as you grow up that’s just how you think things work.

As we get older though the roles mostly stay the same where the men and woman take on “traditional” gender roles, however the lines start to blur in some areas.  As the television shows turn for an older audience often there will be characters who might be transgendered or homosexual.  This can be seen in all kinds of shows too.  For example in shows like the Real World there may be a roommate who is homosexual while the other may be straight.  When this happens sometimes some of the roommates act uncomfortable by this person, and it will take them a little longer to become friendly with each other.  In some dramas too like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or 90210 there are characters that come out as gay.

In my opinion I don’t think that having characters who are homosexual or transgendered on television shows is a bad thing because it teaches people to be more understanding of others.  I think that since there are people who are gay and transgendered in everyday society it makes no difference that they be portrayed like that on T.V. and that if people should be more open minded to these situations.