PERFORMANCE TASK in EAPP

Writing a Report
PREWRITING STEPS in a MOVIE REPORT
1. Closely examine a movie.
2. Jot down your observations.
3. Think of possible topics that you can formulate from the movie. The topic for your report should have
significance to a number of people in society.
4. Take note of what you want to find out.
Example:
Movies: The Little Mermaid and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Observations:
 Female protagonists are fair-skinned;
 dependent on the male protagonists
 seem to be helpless
 picked by males
 rely on magic
 male protagonist’s to the rescue
 seem to be common in children’s movies
Possible topics:
 feminism in movies
 gender stereotyping
 traditional roles
What I want to find out:
 What are the common stereotypes found in children’s shows?
 Are the shows liberating for both gender?

REPORT WRITING OUTLINE

 Descriptive title
 1st paragraph –general statement
 2nd paragraph –key observation (basis of the succeeding points)
 3rd paragraph –rationale behind the choosing of the movie (theoretical and practical)
 4th paragraph onwards –classification of your observation
 Last paragraph –summary of the points given in the previous paragraphs

Task:
Write a report on a movie of your choice. Consider the prewriting steps in a movie report as well as the outline
in report writing. Also, be guided with the sample movie report on Gender Roles and Stereotyping in Disney
Movies by Michael Karl Calunsag. Write your report in a short bond paper. Be sure to include your name and
strand.
MOVIE REPORT SAMPLE

GENDER ROLES AND STEREOTYPING IN DISNEY MOVIES

By: Michael Karl Calunsag
Stereotyped gender roles for both men and women are found in many stories, books, movies, and other pieces of
literature. These can limit a child's repertoire of career tracks as he or she simply develops an idea that he or she cannot be
in a career not "prescribed" by society on his or her gender. Examples of these may include female pilots, male teachers,
female engineers, male caretakers, and many others.

Among the different media where gender stereotyping can be found, perhaps the television is one of the most
ubiquitous. According to Witt, S. (2000), television plays a central role in affecting a child's idea on gender roles and
biases. Its effects can even be aggravated by the fact that almost every household in our country has a TV set. Television
generally has many programs with stereotyped gender role definitions.

Such a phenomenon can be clearly seen in two Disney movies usually aired on television sets, namely The Little
Mermaid and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. These movies were chosen as the focus of this paper because of their
popularity among children; they are usually seen in most households since they are often aired on television, more
specifically on Disney channel. More importantly, since most of Disney's shows are marketed to young children, the
characters also play the part of role models.

The first stereotype shown by these movies is that women are generally weaker than men. This is evidenced by
the fact that both protagonists, namely Ariel and Snow White, always wait for someone else to save them. Snow White
waited for the dwarfs to rescue her from the evil queen and for Prince Charming's kiss to wake her up. Similarly, Ariel
waited for three significant events in the movie for her to change the status quo in which she is immersed; she waited for
Ursula's magic to change her fishtails to feet, for Prince Eric to save her from Ursula, and for her father's magic to give
her feet back. Most of the time, a Disney princess counts on someone else for her to be saved. This perpetuates the myth
that a woman is supposed to be passive. In effect, the children who are exposed to these shows might just start waiting for
"Prince Charmings" or magic to help them with their problems and not exert any effort at all to emancipate themselves
from their ordeals.

Another stereotype that pervades in these shows is how a woman is supposed to look. Snow White is the "fairest
of them all", and is described as having "skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony". Ariel, on
the other hand, possesses a body with proportions which females might find difficult to attain. In a similar manner, most
Disney princesses are supposed to epitomize what beauty should be. These include Snow WHITE, Belle in "BEAUTY
and the Beast", and "Sleeping BEAUTY", who all have white skin, unreal body proportions, and Caucasian features.
These traits are seen by children and may affect their perception of beauty. This definition of beauty starts from childhood
and is brought even to adulthood, thereby compelling women to strive to attain a standard of beauty that they may never
be able to reach throughout their lives.

Lastly, we can observe from these movies that women are treated like objects; the princes are the ones who get to
pick their brides, and never the other way around. Ariel, once again because of her beauty, was picked by Prince Eric, and
in a similar manner, Snow White was kissed by Prince Charming, thereby relegating her to the status of an object. Thus, it
leaves the impression that guys can always have a girl, and girls, like an object, simply have to wait for them to be chosen
by a guy. And worse, the usual basis why these girls are chosen is not their innate capacities or wisdom but their physical
beauty alone.

Stereotyping is found in many more stories and movies, and not just the ones mentioned in this paper. Though
children's stories have educational value, it is important to revisit the values these pieces of literature convey especially if
they involve discrimination and stereotyping. Children's stories may also, without the intent of the writer, narrow the mind
of a child regarding gender roles. If these kinds of stories are left unquestioned, then it will be of little wonder to us why
our society will continue to thrive in prejudice and injustice.
Movies: Mulan 1998 film

Observations:

- Strong-willed woman
- Determined
- At the same time, it has gender stereotypes
- Men are much more privilege
- Women are inferior
- Men are much more dominant in male-female interactions
Possible Topics:

- Sexism
- Feminism
- Gender Stereotyping
- Traditional Role
- Gender Inequality
- Gender Performativity
What I want to find out:

- Does the movie portray gender equalities?

What are the common stereotypes found in the children’s movie?
 GENDER STEREOTYPING IN THE FILM MULAN 1998
By: Blezcile Anne R. Tabingo

Most of the things you have observed in TV shows or any movies specially in kid’s/minors’ shows are most likely
stereotyping gender roles, not just in movies but it can also be found in books, stories, and any forms of literature. The
skills that a child or a person has can be limited by having doubts in attaining career that is not "prescribed" by society on
his or her gender. Some examples of professions that may include female soldier, male commercial and industrial
designer, female sea woman, and many others. Thus, some scenes are showing some realizations in gender stereotyping.
(5)
Gender stereotypes in TV shows or any social media platforms are widespread and very influential—teaching
what the culture expects of boys and girls (Watching Gender: How Stereotypes in Movies and on TV Impact Kids’
Development). In commercials for children’s programs, boys are shown more frequently and in more active roles; girls’
behavior is much more likely to be passive (O’Connor, 1989). Television plays a central role in affecting a child's idea on
gender roles and biases (Witt, 2000). You can see how media affects not just children but also adults in gender role
perspectives.

In the movie, Mulan 1998, the film is not free from traditional gender stereotypes. You would have thought
Mulan 1998 seems to be a feminist film since it was release during the third wave of feminism. Feminism has played great
role in history because women were treated less in value and inferiority over men. But upon further analysis we can see
that it isn’t as feminist as it first appeared. This paper will focus on its issues since the movie is popular among children
and also in adults specially women. Most likely those who can fully understand are the adults how the film is trying to
depict a message to its viewers. (5)

First stereotype that was shown in the movie was when Mulan reinforces female gender roles in the song, You’ll
bring honour to us all, which Mulan is preparing to see the matchmaker who will turn her into a bride. This scene
highlights the idea that women can only bring honour to the family by becoming a bride which her role is to be a servant
and serve her husband in their household. Also the movie portrays a message that woman’s main goal should be to
become a housewife. Basically, the film dishearten young girls from trying to pursue a career but instead, is trying to
make them to find love and become a loving wife. On the other hand, while men are seen to be masculine, smart, brave,
and powerful, women are portrayed as weak, clumsy, vulnerable, and insignificant. It shows how “being a woman”
constitutes being useless and unimportant. In a scene which Shang and Chi-Fu having an argument when Shang says,
“She’s a hero!” while Chi-Fu responds with, “She’s a woman! She’ll never be worth anything!” So that means, Mulan was
seen as hero because she was disguised as man and will only be successful, emphasizing that success can only obtain by
being in a male trait. (5)

The second stereotype is shown in the scene when captain Shang sings the song, I’ll Make a Man Out of You,
where the lyrics says, “Let’s get down to business, to defeat the Huns. Did they send me daughters, when I asked for
sons?” this portrays a stereotypical representation of men because it claims that they are the only genders who are worthy
to fight. As for them, masculinity is defined by power, and strength. Shang’s goal in the scene is to “make a man”, out of
the newly recruit soldiers. The whole scene portrays how sexist the scene was. It discriminates women which they assert
that being “womanly” in the war is not acceptable. Being a masculine and having mail traits can be more superior to
feminine ones which discourages the behavior of being “feminine”. (5)

Hence, let’s talk about another lens of analysis. In a queer theory, Mulan’s role can be also a gender
performativity. Gender performativity is a role which being born male or female does not determine behavior, instead
people learn to behave in particular ways to fit into society (Butler,1990). This tells us that Mulan is a film about gender
performance. Some scenes that portrays gender performativity when Mulan successfully perform as a man gaining the
ability to fight and fit in with the other men. And the other scene, Mulan’s male friends dressed up as females to flirt with
the Huns in order to save the emperor and they succeed in carrying out the plan. Judith Butler claim that gender is only a
bodily performance because it shows that the line between male and female can be taught and consequently acted out. (5)

The film, Mulan 1998 also tells us that gender roles are resilient and very difficult to break out of. Despite given a
big and powerful job after saving the emperor which represent as stereotypically male position, she still chose to return
home and be an obedient daughter. This tells us that women can sometimes play the part of the hero but after all is said
and done, they must return to the household. Mulan 1998 film is not free from traditional gender roles and stereotypes.
The film contains gender inequalities by concealing it with overarching messages of female empowerment (Ott and Mack
191). No matter how women tried to fit in with men, at the end of the day, women are still women. (3)

*The conclusion lacks the summary of the points given in the previous paragraphs

Score: 28/30 (VERY GOOD)