Feminism is a word becoming more and more popular, but what exactly does it imply? The sociological understanding of feminism stems from equality. Women are not better, men are not better, both sexes are equal and should be held to the same standards. Now, when we look at feminism through a cultural, entertainment viewpoint, we see it expressed a little differently. Take commercials for example, if a couple gets into a fight, and the woman ends up the victor, that may appear to be a win for feminist ideals, but it's not. This is an example of inequality, not feminism.
Subtle forms of feminism in commercials are shown with things like featuring women with short hair as being the norm, even though long hair is more typical, it shows a small layer of acceptance.
More elaborate forms of this can be seen with examples like the Dove campaign for Real Beauty which started in 2004 and celebrates the differences in women's body types, trying to break away from the skinny standard so many women feel held to.
In more recent years, Always pads have taken things to another level and actually expressed real forms of cultural social norms that society and women place on themselves unknowingly. In their #ThrowLikeAGirl ad campaign Always compares the ideals of young girls to those in their teens and their idea of what it means to be a girl. This ad, which aired first in 2014 and during this years Super Bowl has many people in tears, or at least thinking about what it means to be a girl in society. It begs the question, are we less? Answering with a stern, no.
If we take a look at TV shows, we can also see a rise in more dominant female characters. Shows like ABC's Once Upon A Time, and Agent Carter, feature strong heroic female protagonists. Many times we see men being saved by women, which may not seem like a feminist approach, but it is. The idea that a woman can not only take care of herself independently from a man, but also be the hero, is a new angle that has been widely accepted and repeated.
Think back to shows like Scooby-Doo, where Daphne was always needing to be rescued, while we did have smarty-pants Velma on our side, you'll notice she is frequently over-looked for being intelligent. She is drawn in a less appealing manner and therefore almost makes the statement, "Being smart is the same as being ugly." while Daphne in her fashionable pink and purple dress is the "ideal woman" she has a boyfriend, she has fashion sense, and she cares more about her hair than the monsters. Comparing female protagonists from the past to how they are portrayed now it's easy to see the evolution of characters.
Furthermore, if we look at the heart of entertainment, the movie industry, we can see a much bigger spike in female roles. From diving deep dramas like North Country to comedies like White Chicks, we can note serious changes in outlook on women. Comedies such as White Chicks take a light angle on feminism, expressing deep concerns for women's emotions through comical situations. This helps the viewer accept those truths without feeling bad about it. The successful look at modeling and how even "perfect" women can hate their bodies really gave padding to the feeling that being a knockout doesn't guarantee happiness or success. Often times women who cared only about their bodies were portrayed as stupid and ultimately villainous and undesirable.
In 2005 the movie North Country took a darker path to exposing inequality by fictionally depicting the first majorly successful sexual harassment case in the U.S. Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines. This movie shows sexism to the point of horror. While this movie was not widely accepted at the time, it is essential in piecing together the origin of true feminism in the entertainment industry.
It's impossible to list every movie with slight feminist views sprinkled in, but if we take a look at movies coming out now and in the next few years, you may notice a more forward form of feminism.
The British film Suffragette which is due to release October 23, 2015, centers on early members of the British women's suffrage movement of the late 19th and 20th century. This film stars Helena Bonham Carter and Meryl Streep, and clearly has an agenda to expose the struggles women have had to face, even in recent years to attain basic human rights. While this film will most likely be more critically acclaimed than popular at the box office, it keeps a serious note on the feminist trend in the movie biz.
Finally, I want to point out that the only way Hollywood thought they could get away with a Ghostbusters remake, is with four female leads. This will be the first time something has been rehashed with complete gender exchange. While I can't advocate that it will express feminist ideals, the casting decision alone, proves the point. If an all female Ghostbusters crew can be accepted by the public, there's no stopping the cultural acceptance of female equality.
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