GENRE ANALYSIS

Genre Analysis
Alejandra Lozano Gmez
Research & Critical Writing
The University of Texas at El Paso

GENRE ANALYSIS

2
INTRODUCTION

Representation in the media has always been a very delicate subject. It

affects gender and nationality as a whole. However, some of these categories fall
under a far stricter regime than others. It is not a lie to say that different races will
be better represented in the media. It is also not a lie to say that men, in general,
are far better represented in the media than women. It has been a universal
struggle, one that goes way back and that defines the definition of gender bias and
the way we see these roles portrayed in society. In this analysis, two different
genres will be examined. Both have to do with the way women are represented in
one of the biggest media outlets in the world: cinema. The importance of one
research paper and one video lies within the context that awareness must be given
to the lack of representation of women.
Its a Mans (Celluloid) World: On Screen Representations of Female
Characters in the Top 100 Films of 2013, written by Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, is one
of the many research papers that have come from the Center for the Study of
Women in Television & Film. Its main purpose, as the title suggests, is to give the
reader several facts regarding the representation of women in film. This type of
genre is a typographic genre. The second example is an oral/iconographic genre,
taken from the site Vimeo. Created by Sabrina Seidl, this video titled The Bechdel
Test defines in a very efficient way this interesting term.
AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE
Both specified genres have a similar intended audience. In Lauzens
research paper, the audience is, primarily, film students and film academics who
are interested in this specific topic. With Seidls video, the audience falls under

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feminist filmgoers. Outside of it, they both share a broader, general audience,
which is the film community. The film community consists of women and men who
are actors/actresses, directors, screenwriters, producers, and editors, among
others. The message these examples carry will resonate more deeply among this
community due to its focus on showing the lack of representation inside of it.
Lauzen (2014) begins her research paper with, "Female characters remained
dramatically under-represented as protagonists, major characters, and speaking
(major and minor) characters in the top grossing films of 2013." (p. 1). This is the
whole foundation of 'It's a Man's World' and it clearly shows whom it's directed to.
For The Bechdel Test video (2014), after the definition of The Bechdel Test is
given, it shows how several genres in the film community fail to address this issue,
for example, 33% of horror movies fail. 39% of documentaries fail. 76% of
westerns fail. (2014, 0:22). In other words, both are a message to cinema.
The purpose of Lauzens research is to give an insight with specific data and
facts the lack of representation women endured within film during 2013. Not only
does the research astoundingly manages to provide information that attests that
we, indeed, live in a 'Man's (Celluloid) World', but it is also able to compare and
contrast the most recent figures with findings from 2011 and 2002. (Lauzen,
2014). Lauzen (2014) does not generalize the word 'female' by providing
information on Hispanic, Asian and African-American women in her report,
discussing that African-American females accounted for 15% of all female
characters in 2002. The percentage of Latina characters remained the same (5%)
in 2013 as in 2011. The percentage of Asian females decreased 2 percentage
points, from 5% in 2011 to 3% in 2013. (p. 2). In Figure 2 of the research paper,

GENRE ANALYSIS

we clearly see the painfully visible representation of women alongside men

protagonists. The purpose of The Bechdel Test is to define the term itself.
According to The Bechdel Test, this term consists of three rules, Rule #1: The
movie needs at least 2 women with name. Rule #2: They have to talk to each
other. Rule #3: About something besides men. (Seidl, 2014, 0:10). Once the
definition sets in, several information is given on how incredibly successful and
popular films have failed the test. Giving a percentage on how many films manage
to fail the test within a country, it is clear how affected cinema is when it comes to
female representation. The video also wants to bring awareness to something
people may not have even thought about when they went to the movies, whether it
was consciously or unconsciously. The video implies that it is important for society,
especially women, to be aware of the test, making this its main purpose. A

Mans

(Celluloid) World seeks to inform. By giving very reliable information to its readers,
Lauzens main goal is to give the audience a sense of what is happening with the
representation of women in cinema. A research paper merely seeks to inform its
reader of the subject its talking about. Lauzen is straightforward and as an
academic paper, manages to give this with ease. Lauzen (2014) does not seek to
persuade its audience, stating clearly that The following summary reports the
findings of a content analysis of over 2,300 characters appearing in the top
grossing films of 2013 (p. 1). Seidls video is a bit more complicated than that.
The first half of the video, its main purpose is to inform. By the end, the video takes
a far more personal and opinionated tone. It is easy to see the authors point of
view when she encourages the audience to pursue the help this test will bring. By
showing only female directors at the end, in a way it shows how the video will

GENRE ANALYSIS

resonate with much more strength with a female audience than with a male
audience.

Lauzens research paper, which consists of three pages

in total, will take its intended audience approximately 4 to 5 minutes to read and
fully grasp, depending on how interested the audience is on its subject. The
effectiveness of the information Lauzen delivers may not prove very useful to
readers who want a lighter medium in this aspect, but as discussed earlier, the
article seeks to inform rather than entertain. The Bechdel Test video lasts one
minute and fifty seconds. The outlet in itself allows Seidls work to be fast, effective
and entertaining.
The language for Lauzens paper is clearly formal. Since it is a research
paper, the language used here is done in accordance with the rules of convention
within this particular subject. The author keeps it very factual and straightforward,
her only purpose to show us in plain sight the data she has examined. For
example, Lauzen (2014) claims, When occupational status was known, female
characters were most likely to hold blue collar positions (37%), followed by white
collar positions (28%), out-of-work positions such as students (19%), and
professional positions (9%). (p. 2). The language follows the basics of applying
research, taking into account film understanding and the percentages that are
given. All in all, it is proper language for the article and its intended readers. The
Bechdel Test video is different. Its language, even though it uses statistics and
graphics to communicate its main point, tips over a far more informal side. It is all
with the help of the tone of the video, which is quite light and meant for a young
audience. Again, it is pretty conventional and easy to understand. By the end of the
video, Seidl asks the audience, How can you contribute to gender equality? What

GENRE ANALYSIS

can be done in general? Did you ever notice those facts? (2014, 1:23). The author
makes the reader a part of the video in itself, using a language that implies
companionship and friendliness. It turns informal because Seidl treats her
audience in a very approachable way. This marks a big difference between the
Seidls video and Lauzens research paper.
RETHORICAL ISSUES
The validity of Lauzen falls under her Ph.D. Not only that, but with the help
of her site, her credibility cannot be doubted. Lauzens site is one of the most
trusted sources of information regarding women in film and television, as its title
depicts. It not only gives her research validity, but her persona in general. The
same cannot be said as surely with Seidls video. The audience can have a guess
as to what the author may seem like, what her beliefs are and how much she truly
knows about the subject shes discussing and explaining. However, the video
manages to gain validity by its hard facts and statistics. For example, a way to
validate the information the video contains is to observe Seidls research on what is
the percentage of failure of different countries: 38% FAIL: UK. 40% FAIL:
Germany. 43% FAIL: US. (Seidl, 2014, 0:40). Trust may lack at first because
anyone can make a video, but things change with the credible and strong
information it will provide its viewers.
When it comes to the types of emotions these genres will provoke on its
readers depends entirely on how affected someone is by lack of representation.
But at their very core, what these examples want to provoke is self-awareness, not
specifically for a men audience at first. It wants to bring awareness to the female
film community in general about this issue. The purpose of The Bechdel Test is to

GENRE ANALYSIS

show gender bias, and that is exactly what the video wants the audience to be
aware of. Indignation is another emotion both seek to portray, because of the
incompetent way cinema is still managing to handle representation Seidls video
implies to encourage the viewer to work on a stronger gender balance (Seidl,
2014, 1:30) and to make these questions because to be aware of it is the very first
and most important step to change the issue at hand. Lauzens work, by being a
research paper, has a limitation towards its audience. The author did not show her
personal opinions on the subject she researched, so the reader does not have a
way of knowing her true thoughts about it. The reader, however, can seek this
information in an academic way rather than a personal way at first. The Bechdel
Test proves to be far more useful in that aspect. The difference between what is
achieved in Lauzens research paper and Seidls video is the flexibility that one
lacks and the other doesnt. This is because of how they are presented.
STRUCTURE AND DELIVERY
Lauzens information is entirely shaped by the structure of her paper. By
providing graphics and percentages, the information that is given cannot be
molded into something other than what it is. The limitation lies within its short three
pages, but this makes the article quick and frank. The way Lauzens (2014) paper
is ordered shows an organization that goes as follows, The findings are divided
into three major sections. The first section reports the percentages of female and
male characters in the top grossing films. The second section reports various
demographic traits of characters, including age, race, marital status, and
occupational status. The third section reports on the goals and leadership positions
held by characters. (p. 1). The texts providing the information are short and

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forward. The Bechdel Test has far more flexibility with the support of the medium
Seidl used to express and define the term. In the form of a video, and animated by
Seidl herself, the video, with the help of its interesting graphics and usage of
music, proves to be far more entertaining and colorful. Its design and visuals are
meant to charm its viewers.
CONCLUSION
In this particular case, The Bechdel Test has the upper hand against Its a Mans
(Celluloid) Film. Its availability and flexibility allows it to be a good informative and
entertaining watch for the intended audience it holds. Not only that, but it provokes
questions immediately by the end, as well as making the viewer try to apply what
was learned and expressed through this medium. Lauzens article proves to be
more helpful with academic researchers and film students alike, but it does not
provide an accessibility to an audience that is used to a more visual aspect of
information and entertainment.
To analyze these genres demonstrates how important it is to
understand how it can affect a source of information merely by its structure alone.
By going deeper into its context, a far more complex purpose is found and it will
prove its significance towards a specific discourse community and its language.

GENRE ANALYSIS

Reference Page

M. Lauzen, M. (2014). It's a Man's (Celluloid) World. Retrieved from Center for the
Study of Women in Television and Film:
womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu/files/2013_It's_a_Man's_World_Report.pdf
Seidl, S. (2014, February). The Bechdel Test. Retrieved from Vimeo:
vimeo.com/85232647