Tootsie on Gender Roles

       In my opinion, Tootsie did an awful job at breaking away from stereotypes and looking through a feminist lens. If anything, I feel like the film reinforced gender roles. In many ways, the directos subliminally makes people believe that there are different genders for a reason. I also got a hint of  homophobia, To be honest, the film kind of offended me in a sense.
       In some point of the movie, Julie's father says something along the lines of, ,"Women are women and men are men and that's just the way it is. People should stop trying to make us more like the other. There are two different genders for a reason". That part bugged me so much. I feel like the film maker wants us to almost agree with what is being said, because after all, it's said by a character who is portrayed as a good guy. The statement is convincing and I highly disagree with it and I wish something was said about it to show that it's wrong.
       Throughout the film, the main character becomes very feminine. As an actor, he gets really into his character. He begins caring about clothes and makeup and hair and "girly" things. If it were up to me, I would have toned that down. It makes it seem like that's all women are really about.
       In Thelma and Louise, the two women grew into strong, independent humans. They made a point and took a stand and gave up their lives to prove something for women's rights. In Toostie, all end well and goes back to society's idea of "normal". So, for me, the film does not give justice to the issue of gender roles.

Feminism in Film - Thelma and Louise

         Thelma and Louise is a film about two best friends who take a much needed vacation but end up in moral turmoil. The story begins by showing you the major difference in Thelma's and Louise's lives and personal aspirations. Thelma is portrayed as an unimportant housewife who is treated like property by her chauvinist husband. She allows herself to be put down and kicked around like an animal, rather than standing up for herself and showing she has a purpose. Louise on the other hand, works in a diner, makes a living for herself. She has a boyfriend, but she is independent and would be completely fine if he decided to leave. She's shown to be much stronger than Thelma; even more "masculine, if you would.
         Before they even leave for their trip, Thelma has to actually asked her husband for permission to go! And due to pure fear and the knowing of his negative reaction, she avoids telling him at all, and just goes. While they're on their road trip, they decide to make a stop at a local bar, where Thelma thefts drunk and spends the night dancing and being quite cheeky with a man who had approached the girls in a flirtatious matter. In effect of the alcohol, Thelma gets sick and the man takes her out into the parking lot where he sexual assaults her. Before he could essentially full blown rape Thelma, Louise comes up beside him with a gun pointed to his head. He calming stops what he's doing and they begin to go about their business, until he says something inappropriate, and Louise shoots him. Now, knowing that they cannot go to the police because witnesses saw Thelma being close with the man and this is a man's world, they decide to run to Mexico and hide from it all.
         Throughout the movie, men are shown as stereotypical, negative characters. Thelma's husband for example, is a chauvinistic pig. Brad Pitt, is a thief and a liar. The truck driver is a pervert. The rapist is, well,  a rapist and a violent one at that. None of the men have any deeper characteristics. They are pretty straight forward, shallow. In the end, the girls decide to take their lives together by driving their car of a cliff.