7/14/2009
What Women Want: Analysis of gender stereotypes with social psychology concepts.
By John Goodman
In the movie, "What Women Want" the character Nick (Mel Gibson) portrays the stereotypical chauvinistic male whom doesn't understand women and is confronted with the idea that a strong determined women named Darcy (Helen Hunt) may be better for a higher position as an "creative director" than he might be। Soon thereafter he found out that Darcy was chosen for a position he thought he would be promoted to, and then he has an accident which miraculously gives him the ability to hear women’s' thoughts। From then on, his views begin to change the view of his own self, of women, and of other men। In retrospect to Nick's view, Darcy also changes her views of herself, of men, and of other women throughout the movie। By analysis of the actions of both Nick and Darcy in this movie many social psychology concepts can be identified, however, only one concept will be identified। This movie is also a good example of "gender stereotypes", which is defined and explained in the following paragraph। First, we will analyze Nick's views of women and men in the beginning and how he changed his views by the end of the movie with specific supportive examples। Then, we will analyze Darcy's views of men and women in the beginning and how she changed her views by the end of the movie with specific supportive examples। The next paragraph will introduce gender stereotypes and identify which are addressed in the movie।
Gender stereotypes are "people's beliefs about how women and men do behave" (Myers, D. Social Psychology 9th ed. 2008. p 308). The gender stereotypes that were illustrated in this movie were that men are the dominant gender in society. This was supported with Nick's introduction in the movie walking through the office and having his women assistants and his own office. And in turn women do everything for men.
Women in this movie were illustrated as subservient to men। One example of this is when Nick was walking through the office and he had a women assistant। The exception here is Darcy whom is not a servant but a "leader" as when introduced by the boss Dan (What Women Want, 16:21). Before the introduction, from within the boardroom in the movie, she was introduced as the stereotypical mean business women through the words of Nick. "She's a real man-eater" (What Women Want, 11:55) and "I hear she is a bitch on wheels" (What Women Want, 12:03), said Nick. After in the boardroom meeting she was shown as a strong, confident, and attractive woman. She was illustrated as the stereotypical role model for women as demonstrated when she had her first boardroom meeting where she passed the women products. Women were also illustrated as sex objects in the beginning of the movie when Nick was woken up in his apartment with kiss marks on his face and Nick's housekeeper’s comment of how she doesn't judge what kind of women he sleeps with on a daily basis. Also another good example of this was when he paused for a program where a woman was exercising on TV. With an understanding of gender stereotypes in this movie the next few paragraphs will analyze Nick's views of women and men.
Nick, the main character in the movie "What Women Want", has been introduced as a child predestined to become a chauvinistic man। He was a child of a showgirl of Las Vegas, whom was surrounded by men that were the stereotypical chauvinistic type of men from Las Vegas। It was explained in the beginning of the movie by his ex-wife that Nick was a "man's man" (What Women Want, 1:05). Describing a man's man as "the leader of the pack", as the "kind of man other men look up to", "admire and emulate", and as the type of man that "just doesn't get what women are about" (What Women Want, 1:20). Later on when Nick's assistant shows another secretary his office she describes him as someone who comes in late at 10:00 am, sends his women assistants on "more errands than anyone in the company because he can not do anything for himself", and "is the least politically correct guy in the universe" (What Women Want, 1:33). Not too long after this part in the movie it goes to Nick's apartment and him being woken up by his housekeeper. This further illustrates Nick’s behavior and views of women as his errand doers as he gets his housekeeper to get him a bagel even after she said as long as he doesn't call her a "pig name" which he then calls her "babe" immediately after, demonstrating he doesn't listen to women. When Nick (early in the movie) first enters his work and his co-workers mention Darcy McGuire and how she either left or got fired from B.B.D. &O. Co. Nick states "Well, so much for edgy female vision" (What Women Want, 8:10). This illustrates that Nick doesn't believe women have that creativeness that he believes he may possess or he doesn't feel at all that women can do the line of work he is doing. Another good example, or proof, Nick is a chauvinistic man is in the beginning when he tells a joke to his friend, the joke that was said was, "Do you know the difference between a wife and a job?” followed by his answer "After ten years, job still sucks.". This joke implies his thoughts of women as sexual objects and that he has the least amount of respect for women. Following the joke his assistant begins by telling him that a whole list of things has been done for him; things such as picking up his shoes, getting his glasses fixed, meeting was canceled, and that she purchased his cigarettes. This is another example of the fact of how he views women as his errand doers or servants. And that he expects women to do everything for him. While he was in the meeting with his boss, where later on his boss was introducing that he had hired Darcy, his boss said "Women between 16 and 24 are the fastest-growing consumer group" at this moment Nick checks his watch showing his lack of interest in the subject and women as a market for advertising (What Women Want, 11:30). When Nick's boss tells him that Darcy was hired and that she has what is needed, Nick replies "She's got what you need, meaning she's a woman." implying that women are only hired because men need women (like himself for errands) not because women may have a better insight for marketing for the current economy (What Women Want, 13:02). With all these examples from the movie it can be easily said that Nick, without any doubt, had the least respect of women and was as chauvinistic as the male chauvinist stereotype can get.
During a climax in the movie, Nick slips and falls after wishing he could only know what women want। After the fall and waking up the next morning he hears what women are thinking। He learns in the beginning that he doesn't like listening to women’s thoughts। But once he figures out he can use it to his advantage he then takes advantage to be one step of his new competition whom is a women। He also uses his new ability to become closer to his daughter who helps him learn what type of father and man he has been to both her and other women। At this point he begins to change his views of women when he realizes the kind of man he is। And how he hasn't had a real relationship with any women, learnt from the thought of his daughter which she said "You never had a real relationship with anyone in your entire life" (What Women Want, 1:20:05)। As the story goes along he falls in love for Darcy, his competition. By the end of the movie he no longer takes credit for the ideas he has stolen from Darcy and gets her job back. He thinks men are stupid. He can better relate to women and tries to better know them. Nearing the end of the movie another climactic event switches him back to himself and he no longer is able to read women thoughts. However, now that he knows what it is like to be a women he treats them as he remembers and accepts Darcy as better than him at his own job.
Nick, in the beginning of the movie, sees men as strong (e।g। watching men’s' Olympics), as "players" (i।e। men who take advantage of women for sex), as leaders, and as of greater importance than women (e।g। walking up the stairs doesn't acknowledge a women going down the stairs and she ends of nearly falling and dropping her things)। By the end of the movie, he realizes no man truly understands women and men really are no different from one another।
For Darcy, in the beginning of the movie she thought men were egotistical and insensitive. She didn't trust men because of her failed marriage. She doesn't understand men, as she thought that Nick was checking her out, which he was but she didn't think it (What Women Want, 53:13). By the end of the movie, Darcy views that men can be trusted, loving, and sensitive. This was illustrated when she takes Nick back even after he has stolen her ideas. And was a result of Nick's actions which shown her those qualities of being trustworthy (by Nick telling her the truth), sensitive (by showing his feelings), and loving (just by telling her that he loves her).
In the beginning of the movie, Darcy views women as strong and independent. And as free thinkers and of major importance to her work in advertising. As demonstrated from her speech where she gives out those boxes of women’s products and mentions Sears advertisements in marketing towards women. By the end of the movie Darcy still views women as she did in the beginning as there wasn't any demonstration or examples to be used to show otherwise.
Of the many social psychology concepts that can be identified in this movie, the concept that is most easily identifiable is the "hindsight bias" (a.k.a. the knew-it-all-along phenomenon). As defined, the hindsight bias is a "tendency to exaggerate after learning an outcome, one's ability to have foreseen how things turnout" (Bradshaw, A). This is said to make "people over confident about the validity of their judgments and predictions" (Myers, D. Social Psychology 6th ed. 2008. p. 16) There are several examples that can be used from the movie to illustrate this concept. One example was when Nick found out that Darcy was to be the director he states basically to his male co-worker that Darcy won't last by saying "Let's hope not" (What Women Want, 16:08) after Darcy says that hopefully all that Nick heard about her can't be true. This statement shows he made a prediction that she won't last, or at least he does not want her to do. Another good example is when he says her project was a "nightmare" (What Women Want, 19:45). The statement made here by Nick implies that her project will fail because it's such a 'nightmare' of an idea. By the end of the movie, however, Nick's prediction proves untrue as she gets the job as director proving by through the concept of the hindsight bias that we can not foresee events until they occur.
In conclusion, in the movie "What Women Want" we identified that the gender stereotypes of men were illustrated as the stereotypical chauvinistic male (Nick) and women as the sexual objects and subservient to man, but also another stereotype of women that are strong, confident, and attractive (as illustrated by Darcy). In addition, analyses shown Nick changed his view of women as sexual objects and servants of man towards a view that women are intelligent, just as capable as men, and that Darcy is more capable than him. And from these changes he changes his views of men as the stronger and better gender to the fact that men are idiots don't deserve success if they're as chauvinistic as he used to be. The analysis of Darcy shown she changed her view of men as unloving, insensitive, and untrustworthy towards the view that not all are men are of the like. And that some men are trusting and sensitive. Such as Nick who also loves her. Her view of women remained unchanged, however, as there wasn't much support of her side of women in the movie. Lastly, the social psychology concept the hindsight bias was identified in this movie and illustrated with statements made in the beginning by Nick who predicted Darcy wouldn't succeed, however, he would in the end find out he was wrong. Which best supports the idea of the hindsight bias and how we usually can't foresee events until they occur.
*Written for a Social Psychology class by John Goodman, Limted © 2009
