Friday, February 24, 2012
Women Can Shoot
Many people would probably agree that guns are associated with men and being masculine. The cowboy view of men has now been lessened and girls are starting to be more into the gun scene. Action movies always have women using guns and being as efficient with them as the male characters. One might say that a women who can use a gun makes them more attractive to males. But that would mean that men must be willing to give up that cowboy feel and that would take away from their masculinity. This has caught my attention when I realized the increasing number of women shooting trap at the gun range I go to regularly. Now with women using guns in the media, the whole gun world has accepted women into the figurative community. Some places that sell guns even have a women section. By seeing the increase in women at the shooting range first hand, this has made me realize that the media has successfully made the cowboy image a thing of the past. The now and future of guns is swiftly changing and making genders equal when you think about the word gun. Media is so strong that it is capable of changing a view of masculinity that has been set by the world for many generations.
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I agree that there is a change in media about women. More women are being showed as dominant to men because they can use guns and fight. An example of this is the movie Columbiana. In the film a little girl witnesses her parents being killed so when she grows up she vows to kill the men who took away her family. She is shown as a ruthless killer which has traditionally been a male role. Even though women are starting to assimilate masculine qualities in movies I think they're still being objectified. Columbiana is model thin and very pretty. Even though this woman has masculine traits she is still very feminine. I believe this could be for two reasons. One, to make sure a male audience still finds her desirable and two, to show that she still cannot best a man. She gets beat up a few times simply because she's lighter than her male opponents. Another good example of women becoming more masculine is the movie Hanna. A girl named Hanna is the main character and she has been trained how to fight and kill with her bare hands. She is aggressive, smart, and unfeeling when it comes to killing someone. She has many masculine traits, but at the same time once again she is very pretty and finds a female friend to bond and talk with in the movie. There are a number of good movies, shows, and songs about women gaining power, but unfortunately I think there are many more images putting women back in their place.
ReplyDeleteWhen you see a women holding a gun, getting ready for some action, you better watch out. Cause women have two hands and a pair of eyes that can allow them to shoot and kill just like a MAN. I think it's great to watch women shoot, it show their masculine side with the sexiness. But when men shoot, it's just hardcore shooting and proving that your better then others by holding a weapon as an advantage.
ReplyDeleteI like this idea of women being portrayed as tough in the media these days. On my favorite show called "The walking Dead", there are many women in this show that learn how to use guns for self defense. They become the action heroes. Theres is no longer only the superhero male figures in movies, there are women as well. This is an empowering moment in media. Women were not alway portrayed this way in movies, as a matter of fact; they weren't. The idea that women can be seen as action heroes in movies is a step towards changing sexist media in general.
ReplyDeleteI feel like everyone has forgotten about the original cowgirl, Annie Oakly. She was one of the best sharp shooters in the west. But, it is nice to hear that there are more and more females at the shooting range. I think the rise in being able to protect yourself is also a factor in this. I do also like what Infaber said about the show The Walking Dead. I am a major fan of that show. But, if you notice, there is an equal balance of men and women in that show. And for the most part, the women are just as capable of taking care of themselves as the men are. It is refreshing to see this change in the media. But leave it to a comic book writer to take on this task.
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