“Sing Nui”, a Chinese term, used to describe the country’s cohort of unmarried women aged over 30, who are Single, born in the Seventies, and Stuck. These women choose career and single life over marriage and family. “Leftovers ladies” or “Sing Nui” has become a buzzword in the Chinese language. They are well educated, well paid and independent. In this TV show, the first thing of five “Sing Nui” (ladies leftovers) needed to do is “packaging” themselves. There are many product placements in the show, such as slimming service and cosmetic surgery. The show contains many female stereotypes as it portrays an “ideal” body shape and beauty standards. Bride Wannabes portrays that the reason of women not getting a Mr. Right is mainly the problem of women as they are too strong, too knowledgeable, and not “packaging” themselves.
People are not born with an innate sense of what is beauty, whereas, people learn cultural values through a process of socialization. The standards of beauty are the products of culture. Media is a powerful socialization agent in the process of socialization, especially the advertising. The images of ideal female bodies are portrayed in the TV show as the groups of “expert” tried to transform the appearances of the five women. It will definitely shape people’s concept of beauty standards and ideal images of female bodies for getting a “Mr. Right”. Thus, when women receive the images and messages of how women should look like, they will act as it. “Advertising is almost blatant centering on a beauty “myth” and an “ideal”, exceptionally thin body shape.” (Lazier and Kendrick, 1993) An “ideal” body shape and prettiness are always emphasized on the advertisements. The TV show makes use of stereotypical imagery and also combining the method of the creation of myth.
Regarding to identification and objectification, it is all about the matter of “male gaze” (Benyahia, Gaffrey, &White, 2009). Women come to adopt an objectifying obervers’ perspective on their bodies such that “they treat themselves as objects to be looked at and evaluated” (Fredrickson and Roberts, 1997). The five women in Bride Wannabes tend to be objectified by men. As they need to do such cosmetic surgery to transform their body and face to please and attract men. Other than that, the stereotype of a strong man with a weak woman still dominates many people’s minds. And the TV show, Bride Wannabes, reinforces the idea of female stereotypes. Women should be weak, caring and passive rather than strong, active and rational when they face men.
To conclude, physical attractiveness always comes to the basic concern of women. Furthermore, the TV show tells that a successful man’s ideal wife is not necessarily successful but gentle and virtuous. They portray that women should be subordinate and please men and follow what men want them to be. These portrayals of women basically come with the supporting of advertisers. As an audience, we should not simply adapt the advertisers’ messages, because these may not be accurate representation of the “real” world.
References:
Benyahia, Sarah Casey., Freddie Gaffney, and John White. A2 Film Studies: The Essential Introduction. London: Routledge, 2009.
Fredrickson, B.L., and T. Roberts. "Objectification Theory: Toward Understanding Owmen's Lived Experience and Mental Health Risks." Psychology of Women Quarterly 21 (1997).
Lazier, L., and A. Kendrick. "Women in Advertisements: Sizing Up the Images, Roles, and Functions." Ed. P.J. Creedon. Women in Mass Communication. London: Sage, 1993. 199-219.
Lo, Wei, and Vivienne Chow. "TVB's Wannabe Brides Set off Storm over Values."South China Morning Post. South China Morning Post, 17 Apr. 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2012.
YEUNG ASHLEY KAR YUE 10417192
The review has made some good observations on the marketing strategy adopted by the programme, as well as explored some constructed cultural myths with reference to the gender-related theoretical concepts. In particular, the discussion on women’s packaging needs (a kind of “false needs” created by the consumerist society) captured women’s sense of self in response to the changing socio-economic situations.
ReplyDeletePerhaps some concrete examples (e.g., dialogues between the participants, tactics taught by the “coaches”/”experts”) could be cited to analyze the cultural representations and signifying practices mentioned in the review. In addition, the role of men (e.g., Santino) in “constructing” women’s subjectivity and the ways they defined notion of desirability deserve critical examination too.