The Vicar of Dibley series which aired on the BBC from 1994 to 2007, based out of the United Kingdom and starred actress Dawn French, who played the vicar (or as commonly referred to in Canada a pastor or reverend) complicates the "normal" perception of how many people think a vicar should behave. This comedy series is based around the rural community of Dibley, receives its first female vicar (character's name is Geraldine Granger) and was originally put off by her appointment. Interestingly enough the eclectic cast of supporting actors/actresses play roles that shape the comedy's day to day life around serving on the church council or as church staff (Alice). Episodes in the series are based around the daily dynamics of running a (Anglican-Church of England) church, where the interpersonal relationships portrayed in the show, depict that the vicar's peers on the parish council as a bunch of country bumpkins and the vicar as a tart. In this particular episode (103-Community Spirit) the echoes of this notion of the vicar and parish council chairman, David Horton having to "dumb down" basic ideas to organize a community fair to fundraise for the church are evident to the audience. The undertones of David Horton's (protagonist) judgemental opinions and his ideas that somehow the vicar has some kind of incompetency because she is a woman is common in most episodes. However, the vicar, Geraldine Granger, is determined to not give in to his judgemental attitudes and rebuffs Horton's sexist attitude with attempting to prove Horton is sometimes wrong or attempting to out do his efforts at better organizing church events. Popular culture mediums, such as this series, use comedy to breakdown pre-determined gender roles as women's play in television from a supporting roles to a leading or main character. However, in this circumstance comedy is incorporated to downplay the sexist stereotypical attitudes portrayed and accepted within this genre.
In drawing a comparison with the Duggar's TLC show "19 and counting", the mother, Michelle Duggar, straddles society's previous conventionally assigned role of "serving" her husband with delineating out leadership responsibilities of running the family home. Our reading ( Christie Mesaros-Winckles) portrays the women in the show as being submissive and accepting of the Quiverful movement to their own detriment, yet in watching the actual show, and after class discussions, the dynamics between family members do not demonstrate any ill treatment. Gender assignment in both television series uses the gender debate around religion to push the argument back and forth in the public forum of how female roles in popular culture "ought" to be played out. While Geraldine Granger can hold her own position in her opinions, Michelle Duggar and the daughters, do not appear to be play a victim either.
So often women define themselves in comparison to others, and the appropriate amount of "godliness" that ought to be formulated with respect to popular culture peering around the corner to validate whether women's roles are "appropriate" enough for general consumption. Long gone are the days when women admired Laura Ingles from Little House on the Prairie and tip toed into the precarious roles of "Janet" from "Threes Company" who dared to provoke being a single woman living with a male roommate in the 1980's. Now, gender identity has taken centre stage along with reality television to leave little to one's imagination.
In drawing a comparison with the Duggar's TLC show "19 and counting", the mother, Michelle Duggar, straddles society's previous conventionally assigned role of "serving" her husband with delineating out leadership responsibilities of running the family home. Our reading ( Christie Mesaros-Winckles) portrays the women in the show as being submissive and accepting of the Quiverful movement to their own detriment, yet in watching the actual show, and after class discussions, the dynamics between family members do not demonstrate any ill treatment. Gender assignment in both television series uses the gender debate around religion to push the argument back and forth in the public forum of how female roles in popular culture "ought" to be played out. While Geraldine Granger can hold her own position in her opinions, Michelle Duggar and the daughters, do not appear to be play a victim either.
So often women define themselves in comparison to others, and the appropriate amount of "godliness" that ought to be formulated with respect to popular culture peering around the corner to validate whether women's roles are "appropriate" enough for general consumption. Long gone are the days when women admired Laura Ingles from Little House on the Prairie and tip toed into the precarious roles of "Janet" from "Threes Company" who dared to provoke being a single woman living with a male roommate in the 1980's. Now, gender identity has taken centre stage along with reality television to leave little to one's imagination.
The Vicar of Dibley series which aired on the BBC from 1994 to 2007, based out of the United Kingdom and starred actress Dawn French, who played the vicar (or as commonly referred to in Canada a pastor or reverend) complicates the "normal" perception of how many people think a vicar should behave. This comedy series is based around the rural community of Dibley, receives its first female vicar (character's name is Geraldine Granger) and was originally put off by her appointment. Interestingly enough the eclectic cast of supporting actors/actresses play roles that shape the comedy's day to day life around serving on the church council or as church staff (Alice). Episodes in the series are based around the daily dynamics of running a (Anglican-Church of England) church, where the interpersonal relationships portrayed in the show, depict that the vicar's peers on the parish council as a bunch of country bumpkins and the vicar as a tart. In this particular episode (103-Community Spirit) the echoes of this notion of the vicar and parish council chairman, David Horton having to "dumb down" basic ideas to organize a community fair to fundraise for the church are evident to the audience. The undertones of David Horton's (protagonist) judgemental opinions and his ideas that somehow the vicar has some kind of incompetency because she is a woman is common in most episodes. However, the vicar, Geraldine Granger, is determined to not give in to his judgemental attitudes and rebuffs Horton's sexist attitude with attempting to prove Horton is sometimes wrong or attempting to out do his efforts at better organizing church events. Popular culture mediums, such as this series, use comedy to breakdown pre-determined gender roles as women's play in television from a supporting roles to a leading or main character. However, in this circumstance comedy is incorporated to downplay the sexist stereotypical attitudes portrayed and accepted within this genre.
ReplyDeleteIn drawing a comparison with the Duggar's TLC show "19 and counting", the mother, Michelle Duggar, straddles society's previous conventionally assigned role of "serving" her husband with delineating out leadership responsibilities of running the family home. Our reading ( Christie Mesaros-Winckles) portrays the women in the show as being submissive and accepting of the Quiverful movement to their own detriment, yet in watching the actual show, and after class discussions, the dynamics between family members do not demonstrate any ill treatment. Gender assignment in both television series uses the gender debate around religion to push the argument back and forth in the public forum of how female roles in popular culture "ought" to be played out. While Geraldine Granger can hold her own position in her opinions, Michelle Duggar and the daughters, do not appear to be play a victim either.
So often women define themselves in comparison to others, and the appropriate amount of "godliness" that ought to be formulated with respect to popular culture peering around the corner to validate whether women's roles are "appropriate" enough for general consumption. Long gone are the days when women admired Laura Ingles from Little House on the Prairie and tip toed into the precarious roles of "Janet" from "Threes Company" who dared to provoke being a single woman living with a male roommate in the 1980's. Now, gender identity has taken centre stage along with reality television to leave little to one's imagination.