As the weekend approaches, those of us who are usually the first to see the latest movie in theaters are out searching for the movie that will gain our attention Friday night. Whether you normally watch an action film or a chick flick, they both catch our attention for certain reasons and unknowingly change our perspective on life and pop culture. One such film that I recently watched the trailer for is Bad Teacher. This trailer skews the roles of women in many aspects that, although they seem like harmless jokes, result in poor views of women.
From the start of the trailer, looks play a huge role in perception of the women in the film. Cameron Diaz plays the character Elizabeth Holsey who is a young, sexy, blonde, and seems to have it all. She can eat whatever she wants and is not worried about her job. On the other hand, her coworker Lynn Davies is older, not skinny, and spends her time working towards being perfect to get a man. Time and time again pop culture suggests this fact that you have to be perfect to be loved and taken care of by a man. When these two personalities are put side by side, the stereotypical female roles are emphasized. Diaz’s character even states that her “full time job is finding a guy who’s going to take care of [her]” while Lynn wants to be loved yet feels there is no chance for her.
The entire plot of the movie is based on the lead female wanting to get breast implants to be more attractive and sellable to men. She is willing to do whatever it takes to get the money including using her looks to her advantage at the school car wash and using brute force to make her students learn the required material. Elizabeth knows she has a nice body yet cannot accept the fact that she does not need larger breasts. This displays the full effects of the male gaze and how women view themselves as objects for pleasure. Although Justin Timberlake’s character never mentions why he broke up from his previous relationship, Elizabeth immediately looks at his ex with a male perspective seeing only how her breasts fill up the phone screen. This prompts her to have the need and desire to enhance her body.
When Elizabeth realizes that the school gives a bonus for have the highest average on the standardized state test, she will not stop at anything to get the money. Her focus shifts from having a good time by drinking and doing drugs, to making the students learn the material in order for her to receive the pay bonus at the end of the year which she plans to use to buy new breasts. Although she is shown sleeping at work or always needing another chug of alcohol, the way these scenes are presented makes them seem to have no consequence and thus acceptable behaviors for such women. These scenes are presented in humorous ways meant to show the inappropriateness of the behaviors. Despite the unrealistic situations, the character’s body language is taken off the screen and brought into the lives of viewers around the world.
Movie producers pick the most engaging two minutes of the film to entice movie-goers and in the process, alter our views of women. These trailers are shown on public television and are seen by viewers of all ages. In this short amount of time, viewers are put into the position of stereotyping women as being self-centered, easily taken advantage of, and dependent on others. The trailer for Bad Teacher takes a one-sided position on the position of women which does not represent modern women. By focusing on the aspects of our society that grab our attention, including sexual and comical scenes, movie producers aim to gain profits and, unknowingly, alter the representation of women in pop culture.
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