The media has a great impact on some of the issues that face the society. Although there are different approaches that are used by the media to develop the issues, the development of the issues shows the reflection of what is taking place in society. This paper looks at the issues that can be identified in the media by analyzing the film Clueless directed by Amy Heckling. The movie was produced in the year 1995. The movie is an updated version of the novel Emma which was written by Jane Austen. The movie focuses on gender issues and stereotyping which are the key themes in the movie. Through the development of different characters the themes have been developed and they reflect the issues that are within the contemporary society. Some of the issues related to gender and stereotyping include heterosexuality, homosexuality and also the role that women play in creating comedy (Holtzman, 2000, p 51).
Heterosexuality has been brought about by the cultural change within the society in the movie; Emma and Cher are the main protagonists in the movie and express the opinion of free will. The male and female characters in the movie have various traits that depict heterosexuality in different scenes in the film (Hecklering, 2005). The aspect of heterosexuality has been brought about by the characters as they struggle to please other characters in the film. Heterosexual groups are identified from the gender roles that each gender is expected to perform in the society and also the dress code. Cher who is attracted to Josh is not sure how she should act when with this guy (Gill, 2007, p 83). She does not know how to cope with a guy who dresses better than she does. The attraction between the members of the opposite sex is used to develop the concept of romance within the movie (. She is clueless why she is attracted to the guy; there are various aspects that define the attraction between members of different genders as it is shown in the film. This is a film that suits the young generation and especially teenagers who are attracted to members of the opposite gender, Cher struggles with what to dress in so that she can impress Josh. In a culture where modernity and traditional aspects are in existence, the features of heterosexuality conflict with those of religion and traditional cultural believes. Amber Mariens is Chir’s rival when in issues relating to boys. Both the characters struggle to get the attention of boys which is an aspect of heterosexuality (Dines & Humez 2011). . As much as heterosexuality is about the attraction of members of the different genders, there are rules that have to be followed. Chir and her friends within her social circle believe that there are certain guys that they should not date. Tai and Harriet consider Cher to be their mentor and emulate their lifestyle; they are not able to follow their own hearts since they want to be like Chir. Trivet is attracted to Tai, but Chir does not want them to be together, she tells Tai that her social status in school will be so low. Social class is a barrier towards heterosexuality, Cher lies to Tia that Elton has got interests in her so that she can be with a bot who within their social class. The film proves that attraction is not a symbol of love but sometimes it is driven by selfish individual desires. Heterosexuality is not just an attraction based on one person; this is proved after Cher gets attracted to Christian even though she was at first attracted to Josh (Holtzman 2000).Chia and Tia all have feeling for Travis, this shows that they are attracted to him .Consumerism is very evident since the girls are buying things that they find pleasing and attractive to the boys.The demand for some of the goods used by the girls is driven by the need to please the boys.
Homosexuality is another theme that has been covered in the film. Christian poses some gay characters, and he even fails to make love with Cher which is associated with her gay character. Cher tries so hard to seduce Christian, but Christian does not seem to respond like the other boys. Cher however misreads the entire clue that Christian use when they are together Murray and Dionne try to explain to Cher that Christian might be gay after Christian fails to fall into her seductive trap of having sex with her; instead Christian opts to watch a video by Tony Curtis. Christian’s affection are not actually based on Cher, he just enjoys her companion. The interests that Christian have closely related to homosexuality, when they are going to the party, he asks Cher whether she knows Billie Holiday. Cher thought that she was a man, but she is actually a woman who is s supporter of the gay people. When they are in the party he dances with other boys, but Cher does not realize it. Even when He showed Cher a video he was not try to lure him to have sex with him, it was a sign that he was a homosexual. Cher does not ready the clue and does not suspect anything wrong with Christian. Just like in the contemporary society sometimes when one is attracted to someone it might be hard to accept something(Gill,2007,p,73) Cher is so blinded by the attraction towards Christian that she does not realize that he is more engrossed in men rather than members of the female gender. Even while in the party he does not engage in many conversations with the girls, at some point he approaches the barman for a chat. The focus on homosexuality in the film shows how society has changed. Miss Steger has a strong hatred for men; her behavior shows that she is a lesbian (Gill 2007).Consumerism are evident among the homosexual who demand for goods that will satisfy their own feelings as homosexuals. They just want to have fun with the girls but their sexual desires are directed towards men other men.
The role of women in comedy has been highlighted in the film, most films that are comical mostly feature men actors, but this is not the case in the film Clueless. Four ladies have featured in the movie and have contributed to its comical effect. The comical parts in the movie show the different sides of women, it shows the virtues that women have as well as their flaws. The comical aspect can be showed through their words and actions in the film. Young girls in the film are more humorous and comical that the old ones who are more serious, this shows the contrast and age difference between the characters (Dines & Homes, 2011, p 64). The film had an influence in the society after it was released. Many girls rushed to buy clothes similar to those that the characters wore. The ladies in the movie play a key role in character development within the male characters; it is possible to identify the character of a male actor in the movie by analyzing how he relates with the ladies. Analyzing the ladies within the film and those in the contemporary society, there are many similarities. Girls will always dress to impress the guys that they feel attracted to, rivalry and social grouping is also common within the society. Most girls would like to be associated with a high social class and will tend to avoid the low social class guys. The media has focused on the older women as people with wisdom compared to the young girls. Girls can also be desperate to get the guy they feel attracted to as it emerges in the film (Dines & Homez,2011). Women also tend to be more caring to other women regardless of the intentions; Cher tries to help Tai in terms of her dressing and makeup. They are also more focused on their appearance and fashion (Dines & Humez, 2011).The issues of women and consumerism has also been highlighted in the movie, women like to own and possess fancy things that appeal to and look beautiful. Consumption among the girls is an activity that the girls engage in once they go for shopping. Girls and women compete on the possession of specific items especially clothes.
Men in the film have also displayed various character traits. Men seem to be more focused on what they want. Even after Elton was introduced to Tia, he shows that his interests were in Cher, he does not give up his advances towards her. Men are also secretive in terms of their feelings towards members of the opposite sex,unlike the ladies the men do not speak much about the ladies they are interested in.They have also been identified as the strongest sex and successful in life (Hecklering ,2005). They are slow in control in matters related to relationship. Even though Cher tried to seduce Christian, he does not fall into the trap having sex with her. This is similar to the behavior of men in the contemporary society, they will use their power and resources to maintain their social class at all time. Men do not mind spending their money with girls to prove their social status. They are consumers who spend when they have the resources and they do not compete to purchase goods like the girls do.
The media gives a reflection of what the society is involved in. As much as it offers entertainment to the viewers, media also offers quality lessons to the society. The movie film highlights some of the issues that teenagers in the US go through. Just like any other form of media the challenges and issues that face the society have been well covered in the movie. Although it is a comical movie, the comic effect makes it easier to understand the concept that is being discussed. Each character plays a role in the development of issues such as homosexuals, heterosexuals, role of women and that of men within the given society. The character traits of the characters have been effectively used to develop the different concepts and ideas (Dines & Homes, 2011, p, 57).
Work Cited
Heckerling, A. (Director). (2005). Clueless [Motion picture]. US: Paramount Home Entertainment.
Dines, G., & Humez, J. M. (2011). Gender, race, and class in media: a critical reader (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications.
Gill, R. (2007). Gender and the media. Cambridge, UK: Polity.
Holtzman, L. (2000). Media messages: what film, television, and popular music teach us about race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe.
