Abstract This paper looks at how the introduction of women into the theatre was an epic move ? beforehand acting had not been considered a suitable pursuit for a woman. It considers the effect upon theatre of introducing the actress to the stage and in particular the effect had upon the portrayal of women in plays. It uses three plays as examples, one from before the advent of actresses Ben Jonson's "Volpone"?, one from the same year as the first actress was allowed onstage, Aphra Behn's "The Rover" and one from several years afterwards, "The Two Foscari" by Lord George Byron.
From the Paper "And indeed it became so obvious that with the Restoration came change, and around 1660 women were allowed on the stage for the first time. Obviously the classics such as Shakespeare were still being produced, but the roles for women in the plays written before this era are woeful. New plays were constantly demanded in the theatre, and with the introduction of actresses, a change arose in the plays. Influential playwright Aphra Behn typifies this. Her play "The Rover", written in 1677, is a great change from "Volpone" ? it has many strong, convincing female characters. The main two of note are Florinda and Hellena. Both are in many ways in control of their lives, despite the best meant intentions of other men in their lives."
Abstract This paper is about representations of women and celebrities in the media and their effects on average American women. Some of the topics discussed in this paper are the media's portrayal of actresses and celebrities and their affects on teenagers and women, the differences and changes in images of celebrities through the past few decades, the "Culture of slimming" , the objectification and subjectification of women, the psychological, social, physical, and mental effects on the average women, and the power of the entertainment industry.
From the Paper "Over the past few decades, the so-called "norm" for a female figure has drastically changed from voluptuous and curvy to waif-like thin. Many female celebrities have been known for their figures. Historically, Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield were two women who each wore a size 12 and were glorified by men all around the world. Today, celebrities from the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Calista Flockhart are admired for their abilities to become and stay so thin, almost appearing sick. As celebrities come and go, women compare themselves to whoever is "popular" at the time."
This paper analyzes the various reasons actress Renee Zellweger gained a significant amount of weight to play the title character in "Bridget Jones' Diary" and the potentially dangerous message this sends to young women.
Abstract This paper focuses on the intense media attention paid to Renee Zellweger during the filming of "Bridget Jones' Diary" and its sequel. This paper discusses how the tale of a woman who is obsessed with finding a man and even more obsessed with her fluctuating weight struck a chord with women around the world. This paper explores the reasons that the usually slender and American Zellweger was chosen to play the British heroine as well as the eating plan the actress followed in order to gain the weight for the film. The writer of this paper also examines the media's praise for Zellweger's weight gain and eventual loss as well as its negative impact on actresses, such as Kirstie Alley, who gain weight due to childbearing or other reasons. This paper discusses the dangerous message Hollywood is sending young women regarding what is deemed beautiful and perfect.
From the Paper "But when Zellweger showed her newly slim physique to the world, despite her command performance as Jones, her weight loss was what drew raves, as high in quality as her acting in the role may have been. And although, Zellweger was eager to note that she hadn't shaken her alter ego off completely. "I'd be out in the cab and asking the guy in an English accent," she sighs, shaking her head. "[I say] 'brilliant, lovely,' all those things. 'Quite,' I say 'quite' a lot now ... " she was also eager to find a film to show off her return to slenderness. Her thin sculpted frame in her next release in "Chicago" assured the world that Zellweger was still capable of high glamour. Her weighty photos for one fashion magazine never made it to print, but newly slender, she graced the cover of Vogue. When an actress such as Kristie Alley, a former beauty queen, gains weight not for a role but because of age and childbearing, the world grows uncomfortable."
Abstract A look at the life of Sigourney Weaver, a successful actress. The author examines her background, life and career. Includes an examination of some of her movies.
From the Paper "Well, I'm different. I can do it my way and I won't have to bow to the rules of society."That's how one of the most popular and successful actresses of the 1980s, Sigourney Weaver, chose to describe herself and her philosophy of her work in a recent biography by T.D. Maguffee.
Abstract This paper describes in-depth the life of Audrey Hepburn, the infamous Dutch Hollywood actress. The paper begins with her as a girl, born into Dutch Royalty, she suffered from hunger and poverty in Nazi occupied Holland. The paper provides chronological summaries of her role in all her films and plays, which provides the reader with a great sense of her enormous contribution to popular culture. It includes details of her personal life and her work as a special Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
From the Paper "Gigi was Audrey's ticket to America. At the show's premiere in New York, Audrey was surprisingly visited by James Hanson, who had come to formalize their engagement (Paris 74). The run of Gigi was over by the spring of 1952. However, Audrey's career was about to take an even greater step forward. Paramount Pictures was searching for a young girl to play the role of Princess Anne in Willy Wyler's Roman Holiday (1953). Audrey was about to costar with Gregory Peck in her first American film. However, the film had forced her to postpone her wedding date. In fact, as soon as she got the part, the studios had advised her not to get married in the belief that millions of lovestruck fans would be disappointed (Paris 80). Audrey was soon convinced that she was not ready to be married, and she broke off her engagement to James Hanson."
Abstract This paper discusses selected works of the actress, Sarah Michelle Gellar. The paper describes each selected work and provides critiques by several different entertainment critics to illustrate the differing opinions of her acting ability. The writer points out the evident difference of opinions of her television roles as opposed to her film roles.
From the Paper "Although young, actress Sarah Michelle Gellar has proven herself to be a formidable actress in many different types of situations. The actress has appeared in commercials, television shows, TV movies, and even a few films as well. Although young, she has quickly become one of the most marketable faces of the teenage demographic. However, being marketable does not necessarily mean that a person is a good actor/actress. In this situation, the reviews are quite mixed as some critics completely adore her work and others say that she is lacking in acting ability."
Abstract The paper describes the story of Malika Oufkir's life as recounted in her memoir "Stolen Lives" and shows how Malika's childish desire to become a glamorous actress sustained her through the ordeal she suffered. The paper maintains that, despite its subjective nature, the book is a compelling portrait of political imprisonment and injustice that took away the best years of a young woman's life. The paper concludes that as recent events have brought the question of the rights of the politically imprisoned to the forefront of our own national consciousness, "Stolen Lives" is a worthy dramatization of the issue.
From the Paper "The story of Malika Oufkir's life rivals that of the made-up tale of the supposed surviving princess and daughter of the last czar, Anastasia. Only Oufkir's memoir is nonfiction, and perhaps more worthy of cinema. "Although Stolen Lives would be a smashing good tale if it were fiction, it is all the more compelling since it is true," wrote one reviewer (Sherrer, 2001). Imagine this beginning of a film. A young girl, selected by the capricious hand of fate, is given the honor of becoming the adopted daughter of the King of Morocco, King Muhammad V and is sent away at the age of five from her parents to be raised with the king's daughter as the girl's companion in a harem. The girl has been taken away from all that is familiar, but she lives a charmed life of luxury. When she is a teenager, she is sent back to live with her parents, her usefulness exhausted to the royal family. She must get to know her parents and siblings again, for they are now strangers."
Abstract This paper analyzes an advertisement with actress Gwyneth Paltrow against a dark and featureless background, with the words "I am African" appearing prominently on the bottom of the picture. The author vividly describes the advertisement and gives a connotative account of the Western and African symbols used in the advertisement. The paper analyzes the use of make-up and jewelry in the advertisement and examines the symbolism of gender in the Western and African context. The paper also discusses the ideology of the advertisement, that there is no difference between the races, no real barriers, between human beings of different ethnicities and genders.
Outline:
A Denotative Description
A Connotative Description
An Ideological Description
From the Paper "The advertisement presents a gendered image of a typical, fashionable Western White woman. Gender is noted in particular by the long and full blond hair; the carefully made-up lips and the thick bands of eye shadow. But for the overly heavy application of the eye shadow, Paltrow is the picture of Western fashion - the kind of woman one might see modeling in a popular, upscale magazine, or in a television commercial for designer clothing or similarly trendy goods. Yet, the actress is also an African, just as the text informs us. The bands of face paint are of a style that would easily be recognized by the typical Western viewer as "native," if not necessarily African."
Abstract The paper discusses the early life of Eleanora Duse, one of the most famous actresses in the world at the time she performed. The paper describes her popularity and relates that she could play just about any role, from comedy to tragedy. The paper discusses how she is legendary for creating method acting, which revolutionized the stage and screen.
From the Paper "Initially, she was only known in Italy, and her fame began to grow in her own country before it spread around the world. She really seemed to gain popularity in the theaters of Venice, and that helped her gain roles in larger theaters, which led to a tour of France. After she began playing the larger theaters in France, her notoriety really began to spread. Biographer Lee continues, "After France, she continued her triumphant tour through Germany, Austria, Russia, Bulgaria and, as already mentioned, through the United States" (Lee). She continued to act throughout her life, and her popularity continued throughout her life, as well. In fact, even when she was "old and frail," there seemed to be a spirituality and intenseness in her performance that captivated audiences (Sobel)."
Abstract This paper discusses Jean-Luc Godard's 1963 masterpiece film, "Le Mepris" which is based on the 1954 novel, "Il Disprezzo," translated as "A Ghost at Noon." It specifically compares the attributes of the character, Camille Javal and the actress portraying her, Brigitte Bardot. The paper suggests that the two women seem to be modeled off one another, relying on their sexuality as a means of power.
From the Paper "Upon inspection of Godard's Camille, adapted from Moravia's Emilia, and Brigitte Bardot, who portrays Camille in the film, the two women seem to be almost one and the same. Both act and speak in a manner that speaks of their lower-class background. Motivated to advance in financial, social, and professional fields, the women make use of the one attribute that will quickly and effectively help them to reach the top: their sexuality. Camille employs her feminine wiles to manipulate her husband, until sensing that he has nothing further to offer her, she casts him aside. Similarly, Bardot cultivated for herself a "sex kitten" image, by feigning youthful innocence, simultaneously playing up her womanliness."
Abstract This paper provides a biography of actresses, Sarah Bernhardt and Ellen Terry, as well as a description of their characters and personalities. The paper goes on to discuss the typical image held of female actresses during the Victorian era and the origin, evolution, and impact of the pin-up, as well as how actresses of the Victorian era manipulated the photographic images to their advantage.
From the Paper "Through the use of visual imagery to promote their theatrical identities, female performers in the mid-19th century shifted these personae from the relative isolation of the stage to mass media and popular culture. Both the burlesque tradition and the photographic "pin-up" originated in this period - and the pin-up genre was utilized and manipulated by actresses in the realm of the burlesque. As representations of female performers who explored pointedly sexual roles (both on- and offstage) between a binary cultural construction, many of these early pin-ups can be read as a parallel to and inspiration for some of the more transgressive and unabashedly feminist uses and readings of the genre today."
Abstract This paper presents a biography of Canadian actress Kate Reid, considered one of the foremost actresses of Canadian theatre. It discusses her personal philosophy as an actress. The paper describes her professional debut and style of acting. It mentions plays she appeared in in Canada and New York. The author expands on her film and television work.
From the Paper "Kate Reid long considered one of the foremost actresses of Canadian Theatre was born Daphne Kate Reid in November in London England. She spent the first years of her life in England until the death of her father when she and her mother moved to Oakville Ontario ..."
Abstract This paper provides an overview of Eva "Evita" Peron's life. The author discusses how Eva spent her early years in abject poverty and as a misfit in Argentine society. The author also discusses how she, after a school play, decided to become an actress and trekked to Buenos Aires. While Eva struggled as an actress, her numerous lovers provided her with security and would eventually allow her to meet the Juan Peron, the up-and-coming military command who would eventually become president of Argentina. Eva eventually married Peron, and acting as First Lady, held a considerable amount of power, power which she used to benefit the poor and feminist concerns. While often compassionate, she despised (and was despised by) the upper classes and could be harsh toward dissidents. After her death by uterine cancer in 1952 at age 32, the country went into mourning.
Abstract By the mid-19th century, theater in the United States had undergone a dramatic transformation. Theater became enormously popular and attracted a more genteel and wealthy audience. The paper shows how plays by American writers began to showcase social concerns, and actors and actresses enjoyed a new-found status as respected members of society. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" became one of the most popular plays of the time and typified American theater's new focus on social conditions. The paper shows that the last half of the 19th century marked significant changes in American theater. These changes were partially spurred by the large population growth in East Coast cities. As America grew, the number of theaters increased. Also as America's leisure time increased and wages increased, Americans looked to the theater for entertainment. The paper explains that improvements in transportation allowed actors and actresses to tour parts of America that had never had professional theaters, and the result was an explosion in the popularity of the theater.
From the Paper "The historical accuracy of Uncle Tom's cabin was also indicative of the move toward the historical accuracy of sets, costumes, and dialects seen in 19th century theater (Robinson). The play is a 'melodrama', or simply a play with music, allowing American audiences all over the country exposure to the music of the Negro spiritual, which contained a complex mixture of dialect and music that depicted black culture of the time. In ACT II, Scene 4, Topsy sings 'Oh, I'se So Wicked', a song that characterized the life and dialect of southern slaves, and depicted the degradation of slaves."
Abstract This paper takes a look at how the media influences the way adolescents view the ideal body image. The author examines the type of stereotypes that the media encourages and the way that this effects society.
From the Paper "Adolescence is a time for learning and growth. This time can be easier to handle by some than others. For some it can be a revelation of new experiences and ideas, while adolescence can also be a difficult, stressful time for those trying to discover themselves. This can affect themselves as well as those around them. During this time, adolescents are likely to identify with those around them, their peers. Identifying with peers can help adolescents along by giving them the opportunity to see how others deal with problems similar to their own and by offering their own advice to those who need it. Along with this, adolescents are liable to worry about their body image, and may want to conform to those who have achieved the "desired" image. This image may be thin, muscular, or just average. Nevertheless, some adolescents will go too far to achieve this image, usually this is done by adolescent females who wish to become thin. This can be attributed to media's portrayal of women. The majority of women in ads, television and movies are thin and are seen as attractive because of this. Adolescent girls will see these women and may want their image as their own, and some will go to any lengths to acquire this. This in turn could lead to the idea that during this process of change and growing up, adolescents are often concerned about their physical image, which is influenced by the media."
