Little Miss Sunshine Key aspect: Representation
Learning Intentions To learn that filmmakers target certain audiences through their ideological representations. To learn more about modern theories of audience. To learn more about how to integrate analysis of the key aspects.
Ideology An ideology is a set of ideas or values which produce a partial and selective view of the world.
Analysing Ideology As well as cultural assumptions made by audiences and producers, representations also reflect ideologies that commonly circulate in society. Representations may uphold or challenge a particular cultural assumption or ideology.
Watch the following clip and take notes on the way women and men are represented.
What is the preferred reading of the ideological viewpoint about gender here? It is a woman’s role to stay at home, raise a family, do the housework and look after her husband’s needs. It is a man’s role to work and provide money for the family and to have all his needs taken care of. The ideological viewpoint is considered to be traditional or even old fashioned.
An opposing viewpoint on gender Another ideological viewpoint on gender is that men and women are equal, that both are entitled to pursue careers. They should share equal responsibility for housework, cooking and children (should they choose to have them).
Can you think of any films or tv shows that present this representation of gender as a preferred reading.
Representation of Ideas What ideological representations are there in “Little Miss Sunshine” Ideology of beauty Ideology of family Ideology of winners and losers (success)
Ideology of Beauty We will start by looking at this representation. You will watch the following documentary about teenage beauty queens then discuss in groups the positive and negative aspects of the practice. You will also give your own views.
Ideology of Beauty “Little Miss Sunshine” challenges the conventional notions of beauty in several ways. In what ways does the film do this?
Ideology of Beauty Through satirising the beauty pageant and showing what a vacuous, pointless superficial and cruel world it is. Through the characters of Olive and Dwayne and the choice of actors to play the parts.
Little Miss Sunshine –Ideology of Beauty "If there's one thing in this world I hate, it's losers. I despise them." (Arnold Schwarzenegger) "And I thought there's something so wrong with that attitude ... I wanted to ... attack that idea that in life you're going up or you're going down ... So to a degree a child beauty pageant is the epitome of the ultimate stupid meaningless competition people put themselves through." (Michael Arndt) "As far as the pageant goes, it was very important to us that the film not be about pageants. It's about being out of place, it's about not knowing where you're going to end up..." (Jonathan Dayton)
“The epitome of the ultimate stupid meaningless competition”
You know what. Flip beauty contests You know what? Flip beauty contests. Life is one flipping beauty contest after another. School, then college, then work... Flip that.
Ideology of Beauty in Little Miss Sunshine - Beauty Pageants pre-pubescent girls wearing adult make-up, dressed in frilly frocks and acting well beyond their years. Children who are unable to enjoy their childhood, being presented as weird mini-adults. 2. The focus is on beauty—but not that of a natural type– a beauty that is manufactured by fake tan, American Tan tights and curled and back-combed hair placing success in life firmly on physical attributes. 3. Beauty pageant parents and organisers are stereotypically represented as pushy, show-biz types who are insensitive to what children need and attempting to live vicariously through their offspring. They are denying the children innocence by sexualising them.
Ideology of Family “But we wanted to make a film not about family values, but about the value of family.” (Valerie Faris)
Ideology of success (Winners and Losers)