Why are the ‘chick-flicks’ and ‘chick-lit’ genre so problematic?
The origin of the term ‘chick flick’ came into fruition in the 80’s and 90’s. However, the more films that become branded as a ‘chick flick’ the more problematic the genre becomes.
First of all, if you type in ‘chick flick’ into Google, you’ll find eerily the same poster format.
Very similar colours are used: pink, red, black and white. Now, I’m not saying that women don’t like pink, but you’ll find that there are a fair few of us who don’t like pink. Myself included.
‘Chick Flick’ Stereotypes:
“we find ourselves in a rabbit hole”
The ‘chick flick’ genre is targeted as almost exclusively female. This isn’t the problem. These films usually revolve around a heterosexual, white woman either a teenager or in her 20’s. Her narrative is comical, and centered around friendships and most often relationships with a ‘hot guy’. This is the problem.
Women are generally depicted to be ‘soft’, ‘bitchy’ and ‘self-deprecating’; therefore this genre is often perceived to lack substance and a real core. Those who aren’t the target audience for the genre typically view women who watch these films as ‘soft’ and ‘lacking substance’ too. Again, we find ourselves in a rabbit hole.
I’m not hating on these films. In fact, I love watching many of the films on the list as they celebrate ‘sisterhood’ and have provided me with much comfort over the years. But I also love watching violent thrillers and action movies. Some of the films that I’ve enjoyed at the moment have been typically ‘masculine’ films such as Saving Private Ryan, Jason Bourne and Star Wars. However, these films aren’t pigeon-holed to be exclusively for men. So why are ‘Romantic Comedies’ bludgeoned as films only for women?
‘Chicks’ or Chicken?
The term ‘chick flick’ explicitly compares a woman to a ‘chick’. A chick is a bird. A bird is often associated with being small, fragile, and infantalising. Chickens are also associated with being ‘prey’ rather than predators, emphasising their diminutive role and stereotype. Are we supposed to accept that a whole genre of film is diminishing? ‘Chick flicks’ are films which support women as ‘strong’ and ‘independent’ but they ultimately end up with a boyfriend or married at the end of the film. According to a Kellogg’s Special K survey in 2016, 54% hated the word ‘bird’; 45% hated ‘doll’; 44% hated ‘chick’, while 38% loathe ‘babe’. Read the Guardian’s full article here.
Take Legally Blonde (2001) for example (no hate, I love this film). The narrative is centered around Elle Woods, who is the typical ‘girly girl’. She is in love with ‘hot guy’ Warner, and is distraught when he dumps her for a more ‘serious’ girl, Vivienne before going to Harvard Law. Elle is determined to get her boyfriend back and successfully gets into Harvard. She becomes a fantastic young lawyer and proves the innocence of her client. Yet she still ends up with a guy, Emmet, who is her subtle ‘knight in shining armour’ throughout the film.
The aim of Legally Blonde is to show that a ‘girly girl’ can be a serious and smart lawyer without compromising her femininity. Which it does, but then it fills it with so much fluff that it hides the serious message under ‘perms’ and ‘bend and snap’. Basically, women can be good lawyers if there is a loophole about beauty or fashion, not that the murderer left some sneaky evidence behind.
What needs to change?
Should we stop making these sorts of films? It’s debatable. As someone who loves to watch a ‘romantic comedy’ one night and a thriller on the next, I wouldn’t mind more films being made. But I’d like to see a change in narrative that focuses on a female lead, but portrays an ambitious woman without being self-deprecating.
“In 2020, sexism still has many forms. Genre should not be one of them.”
Girls Trip (2017) does exactly this. Yes, it’s a ‘chick flick’, but it shows the strength in women, as beautiful best friends who will support each other through thick and thin. The main cast are all black women, they are not all slim, and they are not in their 20s. They still have fun, have sex and fall out. But they support each other’s ventures and ultimately we have respect for the girls as they accomplish their goals.
The same thing can be said for books, which use similar typography for the book covers and use swirly font. Again this suggests a ‘pretty’ book rather than one with substance.
In 2020, sexism still has many forms. Genre should not be one of them. ‘Chick-flicks’ and ‘chick-lit’ may seem like harmless fun, but it discredits the actual good and thought-provoking content within the films too.
Henna Ravjibhai
Tweet to @henna_rav
Featured image courtesy of Stephan Starnes on Flickr.
