The Codes of Gender(2010)
Identity and performance in popular culture
Arguing that advertising not only sells things, but also ideas about the world, media scholar Sut Jhally offers a blistering analysis of commercial culture's inability to let go of reactionary gender representations. Jhally's starting point is the breakthrough work of the late sociologist Erving Goffman, whose 1959 book The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life prefigured the growing field of performance studies. Jhally applies Goffman's analysis of the body in print advertising to hundreds of print ads today, uncovering an astonishing pattern of regressive and destructive gender codes. By looking beyond advertising as a medium that simply sells products, and beyond analyses of gender that tend to focus on either biology or objectification, The Codes of Gender offers important insights into the social construction of masculinity and femininity, the relationship between gender and power, and the everyday performance of cultural norms.

Movie: The Codes of Gender
Recommendations Movies
Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes(en)
Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes provides a riveting examination of manhood, sexism, and homophobia in hip-hop culture.

Maia – Portrait with Hands(ro)
The Aromanians (Rrãmãnji) are an ethnic group found mainly in today’s Albania, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. For filmmaker Alexandra Gulea, this question of heritage is connected to the name she shares with her grandmother, who was born into a traditional Aromanian life, and is fluent only in an Aromanian language. The older Alexandra's father suffered a violent death in an uprising for his people's rights, which forced the family out of Greece and into a politically treacherous Balkan landscape deep in the throes of nationalist upheavals, until finally, they found a home in Romania.

Frisco Sal(en)
Sal comes to the Barbary Coast from New England to find out who murdered her brother. She gets a job signing in Dude's saloon, falls in love with Dude, then wonders if he might be involved in the murder.

See You Soon(en)
Submission for the Raindance Halloween 14 Second Horror Film Competition

Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don't Know Me(en)
The untold and ultimately inspiring story of legendary singer, Teddy Pendergrass, the man poised to be the biggest R&B artist of all time until the tragic accident that changed his life forever at the age of only 31.

Lost Cities Of The Bible(en)
In the Bible, God destroys the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and sides with Joshua to conquer another misbehaving city: Jericho. Are these stories true or simply moral fables? Archaeological and geological evidence holds the answer.

Red and Blue(en)
Musical short, filmed for the abandoned portmanteau film Red, White and Zero (1967).

166 Main St.(en)
2 adventurous teenagers decide to go into a supposedly haunted apartment building.

Pitruroon(mr)
In today's urban Indian lifestyle where more relationships seem idealistic and flawless, an archaeologist encounters his look alike and the disturbing past of the look alike's aging mother in rural Maharashtra. But was his father responsible for the plight of this old woman. The film is an emotional story of a romance failed by a cruel twist of fate, a confrontation of shattered family values and rebuilding of human bonds.

Watch Over Us(en)
A family living with their grandpa find out that there's more than meets the eyes at their families' barn.

Old Jews Telling Jokes(en)
An online TV show which features Jewish people over the age of 60 telling their favourite jokes.
La buenaventura de Pitusín(es)
Spanish drama about a little girl and the challenges she faces in life, ending up on the street having to survive on her own.
My Dear Muthachan(ml)
Meera and her younger siblngs hires an ex-army officer posed as their grandfather to find out who is behind their parent's deaths.

Hong Kil-dong(ko)
This movie tells the story of Hong Kil Dong, a legendary 15th century Korean Robin Hood figure.

Desert of Fire(it)
A helicopter crashes in the Sahara Desert. The entire crew are killed - only a small infant miraculously survives. Emir Tafud, who has no children of his own, brings the child up as his successor. When Ben is 25 years old he decides to set off in search of his true parents. In Casablanca he meets French crook Jacquot, who takes him with him to Monte Carlo. They both actually manage to find Ben's mother Christine. She tells Ben that his father was a scientist on a secret mission to Africa. Christine wants Ben to stay in Monte Carlo and take over her firm, but Ben has his heart set on living in Belem with his adored Amina. But now Ben gradually unearths a dreadful secret: Christine's second husband François was responsible for the death of his father, who had discovered valuable minerals in the Sahara. After a bitter struggle, Ben finally succeeds in saving his homeland from Western greed.

Nana 2(ja)
Two girls with the same name but very different personalities share an apartment in this sequel to Nana. The rising fame of Nana Osaki's band, the Black Stones, is beginning to take a toll on the best friends' relationship. Meanwhile, Nana Komatsu struggles to make sense of her love triangle with Black Stones' guitarist Nobu and rival group Trapnest's bassist Takumi.
Goodness Newness Oldness Badness(en)
New stuff is good stuff and old stuff is bad stuff, so good stuff becomes bad stuff when new stuff becomes old stuff.
Similar Movies

Blush: An Extraordinary Voyage(fi)
For 18-year-old Finnish–Kosovan Fatu, a simple visit to the grocery store feels as nerve-racking as a lunar expedition: for the first time in his life, he’s wearing makeup in public. Luckily his best friend Rai, a young woman on the spectrum of autism, is there to ferociously support him through the voyage.

You Will Be a Man(es)
This documentary is about sexism and masculinity. It’s also a journey through reflections on male condition, an attempt to strip away beliefs, myths and prejudices about masculinity. Why is there violence against women? We try to answer that by the hand of a former pimp trapped by his past and an artist, son of a prostitute, who transforms his pain into provocative performances. In parallel, the class of a high school teacher and a team of publicists become debate scenarios on the same theme, while interspersed reflections of several influential men who address the issue of masculinity from multiple points of view. A rich and complex approach that invites us to reflect on our own gender related education and socialization.

Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric(en)
Katie Couric travels across the U.S. to talk with scientists, psychologists, activists, authors and families about the complex issue of gender.

Africa Rising(de)
How African artists have spread African culture all over the world, especially music, since the harsh years of decolonization, trying to offer a nicer portrait of this amazing continent, historically known for tragic subjects, such as slavery, famine, war and political chaos.

Marvel's Behind the Mask(en)
A documentary special that explores the power of identity behind the iconic superheroes we know and love today. These legendary Marvel creations and stories have not only reflected the world outside our window – they have become a reflection of our own identities and who we truly are.

Mabel(en)
Feisty, fiercely independent and firmly rooted in place, 90 year-old Mabel Robinson broke barriers back in the 40s when she became the first woman in Hubbards, Nova Scotia, to launch her own business—a hairdressing salon where she still provides shampoo-n-sets over 70 years later. Weaving animation and archival imagery with intimate and laugh out loud moments in the salon, the film celebrates the power of friendship, doing what you love and staying active. With no desire to retire anytime soon, Mabel gives voice to a generation who are not front and center of cinema or the pop hairstyles of the day, and subtly shifts the lens on our perception of beauty and the elderly.

Trekkies(en)
Denise Crosby takes a first look at the huge fans of "Star Trek" from around America and how the series has affected and shaped their lives.

Mary Remembering(en)
A short animated documentary featuring archival recordings of the filmmaker's Volga-German Great-Great-Grandmother, Mary Frank Lind, in which she recalls key memories of childhood—her father's windmill, warm rains, wolf sightings, bone trading, and her passion for carpentry, which broke gender norms but was supported by her father.

A Life's Work(en)
What’s it like to dedicate your life to work that won’t be completed in your lifetime? Fifteen years ago, filmmaker David Licata focused on four projects and the people behind them in an effort to answer this universal question.
Fanalysis(en)
Actor/cult icon Bruce Campbell examines the world of fan conventions and what makes a fan into a fanatic.

Behind the Doors of Umberto Eco(fr)
Umberto Eco, the author of best-selling novels who passed away in February 2016, unveils the secrets behind his undertakings and novels.

This Is It(en)
A compilation of interviews, rehearsals and backstage footage of Michael Jackson as he prepared for his series of sold-out shows in London.

Helvetica(en)
Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.
X-Rated: The Ads They Couldn't Show(en)
Every year, thousands of commercials are made that never reach our TV screens, deemed too shocking to see. In order to make it onto the screen, they must clear all manner of obstacles, from fussy clients to obsessive regulators and restrictive rights issues. X-Rated takes a look at these outlawed pieces of advertising, revealing the most explicit, controversial and shocking ads never seen. These are ads that break all manner of taboos, from sex, violence, blasphemy, homosexuality, animal cruelty, rapping pensioners, swearing children, suicidal toys and naked athletes to Kylie in her undies on a bucking bronco. Amongst the contributors are advertising executives, producers and censors. The programme also takes a look at the embarrassing world of western celebrities in Japanese ads.
Ghost Empire: The Forgotten Story of Harvey Comics(en)
For half a century Harvey Comics characters ruled newsstands, television screens, and the imaginations of children across the United States. While the names Casper the Friendly Ghost, Richie Rich, Little Audrey, Dick Tracy, and The Green Hornet live on, Harvey Comics has been largely forgotten. This film will bring together stories from family members, artists, historians, and celebrities to reveal the untold story of a company that changed comic books and pop culture forever.

Pitch People(en)
The art of the "pitch" and its role in society, as told by many of the pitch industry's greatest salesmen, including Arnold Morris, Sandy Mason, Lester Morris, Wally Nash and Ed McMahon as well as a look at the Popeil family.

Butch Jamie(en)
The film follows the story of Jamie, a struggling butch lesbian actress who gets cast as a man in a film. The main plot is a romantic comedy between Jamie's male alter-ego, "Male Jamie," and Jill, a heterosexual woman on set. The film's subplots include Jamie's bisexual roommate Lola and her cat actor Howard, Lola's abrasive butch German girlfriend Andi, and Jamie's gay Asian friend David.

Muxes(en)
In the indigenous communities around the town of Juchitán, the world is not divided simply into males and females. The local Zapotec people have made room for a third category, which they call “muxes” - men who consider themselves women and live in a socially sanctioned limbo between the two genders.

Cruel and Unusual(en)
Five transgender women share their prison experiences. Interviews with attorneys, doctors, and other experts are also included.