Lack of diversity, stereotypical representations, hypersexualized women: the audiovisual media, in particular reality TV shows, too often convey a caricatured image of women, in particular “All impunity”, denounced on Monday March 2, the High Council for Equality between Women and Men (HCE).
For the second edition of ” annual report on the state of sexism in France “, This independent consultative body has chosen to focus on these entertainment programs where the daily life of previously selected people is filmed.
“The reality shows show on the one hand the hyperfemininity of the candidates and on the other the ultramasculinity of the candidates”, note Brigitte Grésy, president of the HCE, and Sylvie Pierre-Brossolette, former member of the CSA and president of the commission “Fight against stereotypes” of the High Council, in this work given Monday to the Secretary of State Marlène Schiappa. “From this dichotomy follows a vision of stereotypical and unequal relationships between women and men”, or “Dominating Don Juan” face “Temptresses”, they denounce.
“Culture of manhood”
Over several months in 2019, fifteen episodes of three flagship programs: “Les Marseillais VS Le rest du monde” (W9, group M6), “Les Anges de la Téléréalité” (NRJ12) and “Koh-Lanta: La guerre leaders ”(TF1) were scrutinized.
First observation, these broadcasts mainly deal with quarrels, verbal clashes, and competition between candidates. First sexist spring, there reigns a “Manhood culture” with men ‘Strong’, “Muscled”, who have “Wins”, and women “Considered likely to please adversaries and therefore to create rivalries”.
In “Koh-Lanta”, for example, there are few tests won by women, except the agility tests or those carried out in pairs. In this show, filmed on an island, the candidates are barely dressed, giving them a hypersexualized representation.
In the two other programs studied, the participants, in particular the women, also appeared at least once partially stripped by episode, sometimes out of step with the situation at hand: in a bikini in the living room or in a transparent bathrobe and stilettos in the small- lunch, is it noted.
“Bimbo”, “Cagole”, “2 of IQ”, “Somewhat limited blonde”, “Easiest girl in France” : although volunteers to participate in these programs, women are there “Denigrated”, “Often presented as stupid”, and “Put into competition with each other”, also notes the HCE, citing a number of passages where sexist insults are flourishing and where abusive, hateful, even racist comments are frequent.
Underrepresentation of women
All three heard, the TF1, NRJ and M6 groups “Affirmed to take care to avoid resorting too frequently to clashes, and to violent scenes or marked by stereotypical gender”, specifies the High Council, deploring however that as regards sexism, “The audiovisual and digital media are still bastions where impunity reigns”. Thus, among the thirty recommendations of the report, he recommends that all channels that produce reality TV shows sign a charter of engagement with the CSA.
In music videos, which are widely seen by young audiences on television or on online video platforms, sexism is also very significant, he is denounced.
“Women are globally underrepresented (40% against 60% of men) and almost exclusively confined to secondary or figurative roles”, adds the HCE, requesting that public funding for clips be conditioned on respect for the dignity and image of women.
More generally, the offset is ” huge “ between the place and image of women on television and reality, he believes. He recalls that the share of women on television is 42% for 58% of men, a proportion which decreases during the hours of strongest audience from 6 pm. Especially if they are sometimes visible, they do not speak, their speaking rate being estimated at 32.7%.
Smiling, sweet, pleasant to look at, women are more characterized by their physical appearance, their age and their family situation than men, and are mainly white women, rather young, and almost never with a disability, is- he regrets.
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