POSITIVE IMAGES

SCREENING WOMEN’S FILMS

Linda Artel and Susan Wengraf

As feminist educators we are committed to facilitating young people’s awareness of alternatives to sex-stereotyped behavior. As feminist media educators we recognize the powerful ability of film and video to present positive role models that encourage this awareness. In an effort to provide easy access to non-sexist media, we have compiled Positive Images, an annotated guide to over 400 short 16mm films, videotapes, slides, and filmstrips in educational distribution.

The primary aim of Positive Images was to evaluate media materials from a feminist perspective. We looked for materials that had at least one of the following characteristics:

● presents girls and women, boys and men with non-stereotyped behavior and attitudes: independent, intelligent women; adventurous, resourceful girls; men who are nurturing; boys who are not afraid to show their vulnerability.

● presents both sexes in non-traditional work or leisure activities: men doing housework, women flying planes, etc.

● questions values and behavior of traditional male/female role division.

● shows women’s achievements and contributions throughout history.

● deals with a specific women’s problem, such as pregnancy, abortion or rape, in a non-sexist way.

● contains images of sexist attitudes, behavior, and institutions that can be used for consciousness raising.

While many films contain important non-sexist elements, few fulfill an ideal standard. A number of films deal with feminist issues but are sexist in the way they treat the subject matter. For example, Rape: A Preventative Inquiry (1974) uses male police as experts but ignores knowledgeable female experts such as rape-crisis-center workers. Some films present women who talk about non-sexist ideas or do non-sexist work, but we see them acting in a way that limits their credibility, as with Mary Tyler Moore in the women’s history film, American Parade: We the Women (1974). On camera, Moore behaves in a coy manner that suggests she doesn’t really want to be taken seriously.

Other films undermine women’s credibility by using a male narrator who makes condescending remarks about the women in the film. Thus, Persistent and Finagling is a fascinating study of Montreal housewives who mount a successful grassroots campaign against air pollution. However, the value of what the women are doing is continually diluted by paternalistic comments from one of the husbands. Some dramatic shorts portray a strong and independent female protagonist until the final scene, when she is suddenly rescued by a man. For example, in the history drama Mary Kate’s War, Kate, a newspaper publisher, develops as a courageous character with ethical integrity until the end when a male friend saves her from political harassment.

Some films are class biased: they present a viable alternative for upper-middle-class women and men but have little relevance for people in other economic situations. Joyce at 34 (1972) shows a husband and wife—one a writer, the other a filmmaker—equally sharing childcare responsibilities. But this documentary shows no consciousness that this alternative serves only the few who have the luxury of flexible work schedules.

Some films cover women’s subjects but lack a feminist perspective. We discovered several film biographies on women that failed to show the subject’s strength. For example, a film on Louisa May Alcott depicts the author as a selfless, weepy woman. We also found films that were erroneously (and widely) publicized as non-sexist. In a prime example, How to Say No to a Rapist—and Survive (1974), Frederic Storaska, a self-appointed expert, lectures women on how to avoid physical harm from rape. He stereotypes women by dwelling on the use of feminine wiles as the best way to outsmart attackers and recommends several defense tactics that other rape experts have found to be ineffective and even dangerous.

Other films portray a strong female protagonist in a non-sexist way yet stereotype secondary characters. In Madeline (1950), the animation based on Ludwig Bemelmans’s book, the title character is adventurous, but the other girls behave in a very conventional “good little girl” manner. A growing number of “career” films, especially those on vocational training, include a “token” girl or woman while the rest of the film presents the standard view of men in that field.

A number of excellent films—in content—have diminished effectiveness because of technical inferiority: poor sound, aimless visuals, slow pacing. In Hey Doc (1971), a film about a black woman doctor committed to healthcare for the poor, the camera does nothing more than trail after Dr. Allen, much as in a home movie.

Although we did find over 400 examples of what we call non-sexist films, we found that positive images still need to be created in the following areas:

● films for young children: only a handful of films present positive images at the preschool or primary grade levels. For example, adventure stories with exciting plots and strong female protagonists are rare.

● biographies of women: though there are three or four film biographies of Helen Keller and Eleanor Roosevelt, there are none of such women as Emma Goldman, George Eliot, Mother Jones, Rosa Bonheur, Sacagawea, Maria Mitchell, Simone de Beauvoir, and Elizabeth Blackwell.

● women’s role in history: several films present a general survey of women’s role in U.S. history, but very few deal with their role in specific historical movements and events (such as settling the west or the world wars). Even fewer deal with women’s contributions to world history.

● women in non-traditional jobs: although a number of films survey women working in non-traditional occupations, new films focus on a particular occupation to give an in-depth view. Films about women scientists and mathematicians are notably absent.

● Third World women: while there are several films about black women, very few focus on women from other ethnic backgrounds. Furthermore, too many of the existing films treat their subjects as victims rather than as strong women who survive hardship.

● male liberation: few films offer meaningful alternatives to traditional masculine values. We did find several films in which boys express tender feelings, but those emotions are most often directed at pets, not people. Also, the sensitive male protagonists in these films are usually from minority ethnic groups—leaving the stereotype of the macho white male unchanged.

● changing definition of “family”: although the number of single-parent families is steadily increasing, few films deal with divorce or show alternatives to the nuclear family, such as communal living or single parenthood, let alone explore the way these alternatives affect sex roles.

The school curriculum needs non-sexist visual media used in conjunction with books in every course. In addition, classroom visits from women and men working in non-stereotyped jobs can present effective and immediate role models. When students read texts and library books or watch films that perpetuate sex-role stereotypes, teachers should promote the kind of discussion essential to develop critical thinking. The curriculum should also include discussions about TV programs, commercials, and Hollywood films that students can watch in order to develop such an awareness.

A public film program of non-sexist films can effectively be presented at libraries, women’s centers, or other community centers. We attracted enthusiastic audiences to a series in which the program each week focused on a particular aspect of sex-role liberation, such as new roles for work, sexuality, women’s history, and childcare. Knowledgeable speakers from the feminist community led discussions after the films and helped make the programs an active experience for the audience.

We would like to see a time when films showing positive images of women will not require special notice but will be an integral part of our culture. As a means to that change, educators, librarians, and others involved with young people need to seek out and screen films that can educate them about non-sexist ways of thinking and behaving.