Women Acting Normally to Sexist Behavior

2 Tropes 2 Movies
Table Of Contents

Explanation of Conservative Trope

One of the more egregious ways that sexism is propagated in society through Hollywood is when screenwriters write women who act normal in the face of sexist behavior where they wouldn't in real life. This is a subtle signal to men watching that it is not sexist and ok to act that way because the woman didn't seem to care.

Main Description

The worst is when women are written to act normally in the face of obvious sexist behavior. Someone will dismiss it as not being sexist because she was not bothered by it. She didn't care. What do you mean *SHE* didn't care? SHE didn't do anything. The screenwriter did. Who is probably male. And when screenwriters write women acting normally in the face of sexism on screen when they wouldn't in real life, it normalizes such behavior.

Conservative Trope Examples

  • Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason (2004)
    'Uncle' Geoffrey (James Faulkner) tells Bridget (Renée Zellweger) he prefers "what's underneath" her clothes after a relative complimented her jumper and then firmly squeezes Bridget's (Renée Zellweger) buttocks.
    Other Tropes: Sexual Misconduct Not Taken Seriously
  • Bridget Joness Diary (2001)
    A male home shopping show host who works with Bridget's (Renée Zellweger) mother yells "ouch!" at his stylist and then tells her to "be careful you ham-fisted c*nt!" after she accidentally poked him with a piece of equipment.