Soc3
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Soc3
The media is a powerful tool that influences perceptions in the society thereby reinforcing or changing belief systems. Television shows are, therefore, great platforms for advancing various themes. Usage of male and female characters in such programs results in the creation of certain convictions about the two gender roles. For example, the portrayal of male and female characters in The Big Bang Theory reflects a discriminative nature inherent in the society. The show features a cast of male characters who have achieved professional accomplishments while the females are depicted as underachievers.
For instance, Bernadette is a microbiologist who also works as a waitress to make ends meet while her fiancé is a highly paid aerospace engineer. The disparity in academic and professional lives is a skewed evaluation of the stereotype that views women as incapable of excelling in school and at the workplace. Such a plot fuels the societal assumption that women are meant to be homemakers while men are supposed to take on challenging assignments. In fact, the show is an admission of the rumored assertion that men are more intelligent than women.
Success and wealth seem to flow easily for the male characters, but the female ones appear to struggle. Such developments are thus an admission of the flawed thinking that has permeated the society by insinuating that women are unqualified for certain tasks and need to be dependent on men for survival. In fact, in The Big Bang Theory, the male characters are obsessed with the physical beauty of the women hence spreading the premise that women are sexual objects. In some instances, the latter seem to subscribe to this theory too by their seductive actions. The storyline, therefore, reduces women to sexual objects who are objectified by men hence an indicator that the former have to rely on their physical appearances to progress in life. It is also noteworthy that the female characters are not given the lead roles because they have been reserved for the male ones. Such a depiction is a typical occurrence that seeks to acknowledge the fact that women are overlooked in most societal aspects.
Someone from a different culture, on watching the show, would likely conclude that all women in the United States are subservient to the men, and they lack corporate ambition due to their relegation to homemaking. It is, however, a flawed assumption because the current US society is laden with more women who have prioritized their professional careers rather than become homemakers. In fact, research has shown that the rate of enrollment of women in college, especially graduate studies is higher than that of men.
There is, therefore, a changing perception within the nation that seems to accept the renewed Cultural Revolution. Prejudicial treatment towards women has steadily declined as they have gained respect from the male species. This is attributable to their high levels of success in male-dominated fields thereby making them equal and worthy competitors in any task. The Big Bang thus spreads an old stereotype, which has been overtaken by globalization. In the current phase, merit has become an important parameter of illustrating competence rather than the use of gender, as was the case in previous decades. The shift in this mentality is reflected in the daily lives of accomplished women, and the media needs to conform to this reality. It would, therefore, help to advance the equality because that is a common feature in the country.