The Construction of Gender in Reality Crime Tv

Abstract

This article focuses on the social construction of femininity in a reality television program, America's Most Wanted. The program blurs fact and fiction in reenactments of actual crimes. The analysis focuses on its depiction of women crime victims. A prior study argues that the program empowers women to speak about their victimization. Other research suggests that such programs make women fearful. The authors compare episodes from the 1988-1989 and the 1995-1996 seasons. Although women spoke about their victimization, men spoke more often and presented master narratives about the crimes. In both seasons, the program imagery emphasized feminine vulnerability to violence from strange, devious, and brutal men and masculine technical expertise and authority as women's protection from such violence.

Criminal Justice “Hollywood Style”: How Women in Criminal Justice Professions Are Depicted in Prime-Time Crime Dramas

“…In addition, women were portrayed in a stereotypical fashion; they were marked by their physical attractiveness, motherhood, and ''fragile relationships with intimates'' (Cavender et al, 1999, p. 659). This often led to their victimization and to blame for their victimization (Cavender et al, 1999;Surette, 2007).…”

“…Dominick's (1973) earlier research is but one example lending support for this notion, as 20% of television victims were female (compared to 16% female offenders). More recently, upon viewing episodes of America's Most Wanted in 1989 and 1997, Cavender et al (1999) found that 50% of the women were ''crime victims.'' It was also noted that women had very few speaking roles and were often at risk of violent crime by the hands of strangers as opposed to loved ones.…”

“…However, Elasmar et al (1999) posited that the 1990s may have brought a more positive trend and greater representation, with close to 40% characters being female. Nonetheless, not all women are well represented; female minorities are grossly underrepresented, especially those with traditional jobs (Cavender, Bond-Maupin, & Jurik, 1999). Second, female characters on prime-time television do not hold professional jobs (Downs, 1981).…”

On the Perils of Living Dangerously in the Slasher Horror Film: Gender Differences in the Association Between Sexual Activity and Survival

“…Similar to this distinction between the Final Girl and sexual girls in the slasher film, media constructions of female victims typically classify women into two broad frameworks based on the extent to which they conform to schemas concerning traditional gender roles-the "good girl" and the "bad girl" (Benedict 1992;Finn 1989Finn /1990Eschholz and Bufkin 2001;Hirsch 1994;Meyers 1997). Women whose behaviors fall within the boundaries of traditional or stereotypical gender roles, such as the domesticated mother and wife or the virginal young girl, are constructed in the media as "good girls," "virgins,", or "Madonnas" (Cavender et al 1999;Eschholz and Bufkin 2001). Comparatively, female victims who challenge traditional gender roles-sexually assertive or promiscuous women-are constructed in the media as "bad girls," "vamps", or "whores.…”

Gender and white-collar crime: examining representations of women in media?

“…Womens own perceptions of criminality are found to be stereotypical -dominant representations of criminals among all women are those of poor-minority men (Madriz, 1997). Cavender, Bond-Maupin and Jurik (1999) argue that TV imagery associated with women and crime emphasises feminine vulnerability to violence and masculine mastery.…”