Gender Stereotypes from Tootsie

There are gender stereotypes almost everywhere in society today, whether it be in advertising, movies, music, or even foodstuff they exist. I used a scene from the movie Tootsie to explain this. At the beginning of the scene Dorothy Michael (a man in drag whose real name is Michael Dorothy-original right?) bumps into a man (George: her ex employer) and asks him for directions to the Russian Tea Room, which she is standing right in front of, A few seconds after George sits down at a table, Dorothy comes and asks him to buy her lunch, while claiming she’s new in town George starts to say no, but Dorothy breaks her disguise and admits she is really Michael to convince George to let her stay.

George doesn’t think Dorothy could pull off being a woman, but the company that hired her almost didn’t hire her because she was too feminine Soon After a Broadway producer walks by and starts talking to them, he believes Dorothy is actually a woman.

This scene depicts women as inferior, and shows the common gender stereotypes.

When Dorothy was out on the street she was very feminine (walked, talked, and took in her surroundings.) Dorothy acted like a spacey woman, so she could approach George and get his attention. George on the other hand, was more assertive in his walking, he was there to do something and get it done. After Dorothy got into the restaurant she was more manly, (aggressive, and knew exactly what she wanted.

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) like most men are, In the sense she was using her Michael voice, being an assertive male, to push George around to get what she desired, When the waiter walked by, Dorothy complemented his orange blouse, very feminine like, but was talking to George like a man; assertive, doesn’t want to be pushed around, When the producer came to talk to George, she interrupted them (like how a woman might) then, she complemented how handsome he was and that George should represent him.

This movie is an excellent way to express gender stereotypes, it shows Michael (stereotypical male) as Dorothy, but he has a hard time always playing the feminine role, and doesn’t want to be pushed around as a man or allow Dorothy to be pushed around The clip is an excellent example of the roles of men, more aggressive, pushy, and don‘t get pushed around by others; while women’s rules, more feminine, reserved, and considered a bitch if they are aggressive and pushy. This plays in today‘s society, and the way that people get treated by the opposite gender.