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 When Mrs. Falk first told us about this assignment, she told us that it would ruin television for us. Although it did not ruin television for me, it did open my eyes to the gender stereotypes that exist on television. I randomly chose the Home and Gardening television station to analyze. If I had not taken this class, I would not have thought about gender stereotypes, especially on a home and gardening network. However, even on a network about homes, gender stereotypes exist. The men are seen as the "macho" men and the women are very submissive. I have learned that gender stereotypes exist in all forms of media and literature. Media Paper Assignment



**Gender Stereotypes on HGTV **  Home and Garden Television, more popularly known as HGTV, is a makeover show for and around the home. Although the people receiving the makeover are generally gender neutral, the hosts and crew are not. It seems like they type cast based on stereotypical appearance over skill to gain more profits. All networks just want to earn money and will do what it takes to get more viewers. The network ultimately portrays two types of male hosts and only one type of female host who therefore become the norm in renovation and remodeling.

 The first type of man shown on HGTV is the “masculine” man. He is the man who is very muscular and usually wearing a white and tight v-neck or a slim fitting tank top who uses a hammer to bust down walls. He also looks kind of rugged, like the typical “bad boy.” He is independent and never asks for anyone’s help. If someone needs help, he is the one to come to the rescue and do the task correctly. The man is also the person to point out all the flaws in a project. For example, if something needs to be made differently or changed, the man is the one to uncover it to viewers. The woman may say, “Oh, this is a lovely carpet!” and then the man would say, “Well, it should be placed over there instead.”

 The network chooses this type of man not because he is perfect for deconstruction and maintenance, but for the image. They want to hire men who are really muscular and stereotypically masculine to be seen on TV. A man who is less muscular in a baggy shirt can do just as good of a job knocking down a wall if you give him a big ax, too. This technique is used to make men feel better about themselves and stronger because they do not want to be seen as weak. This appeals to men because the network is portraying their gender as being powerful. Men always feel like they want to be in control and HGTV feeds their already large male egos.

 The other type of man shown is the stylist. He is the one with all the great ideas for what would look and feel the best. This man is typically homosexual, toned, wearing tight clothing, and “handsome.” Although he is homosexual, he is not a stereotypical one in that he is not extremely feminine. And although he is more specialized in the design and style portion of the network, he is usually pretty toned. He is well kept and very clean looking. HGTV dresses these men in a more preppy style with nothing too loose.

 The stereotype of a male designer makes it almost impossible for straight men to make it in the world of remodeling and style. Many straight men today feel that it decreases their masculinity to be interested in fashion and therefore focus on different subjects. Also, it does not interest many men. However, the homosexual men have often found their place in society through fashion and design. This may be because they have a better eye for fashion than straight men because they focus on it more, but have the ability to know what styles appeal to men for women. Because of the overwhelming amount of them in design, it became a stereotype that still exists today.

 Unlike men, there is only one type of woman on HGTV. This is the stereotype that all women have been placed under regardless of orientation. The women hosts are all pretty skinny, but not anorexic looking, because they do not want to look questionable leading to bad publicity. Society is in a phase that wants people to look “normal” and not anorexic. They can all be put into the category of being “pretty” and appealing to viewers. These women are the ones in the show who compliment everything and come off as really passive. All they say are compliments like, “Oh, I really like the color of this chair! I love your choice of tile!” without pointing out what they do not like about it. They never criticize anyone on the show because women have traditionally been in the background with their opinion making less of an impact. The shows on HGTV often have scenes of women trying to perform construction tasks in their tight tank tops. They are always giggling and needing assistance from the masculine male worker because they cannot do it themselves. For example, when the female host on Design To Sell tries to sand down some wood with an electric sander, she changes out of her host outfit into a tight, low cut tank top. Next, she bends down to use the sander, therefore exposing some cleavage. However, the task is too difficult for her, so the “masculine” man comes along to take the job and does it easily.

 Women have always been “seen but not heard” in history. They have been there to look good, but not have any constructive input. Even though times are changing and women can express their feelings, it is more acceptable on TV if the male is the outspoken one and the woman is just there to look pretty. Also, they only hire “beautiful” women to be on TV because that is what gets more viewers and Americans have always been about the money. Most men still feel insecure about being over powered by women, so HGTV makes an effort to show that women need men and are just in the background.

 HGTV is just following the assumptions made by society in order to gain viewers and fit in. Unfortunately, for almost two centuries, America has been focused on image and money. Also, since the beginning of America, Americans have been seeking for money and profits. In order to get more money, the channel needs to appeal to the viewers who want to see “pretty,” passive, and sweet women, homosexual but still masculine men, and over the top masculine men who are in control. Although it makes sense, it does not make it right. However, HGTV is not there to cater to the wants of changes being made in society; they are there to make money. If the way to get money is advertise goods for the home with pretty women, then they will do it. HGTV is about taking the stereotypes that society finds appealing and finding hosts to fit the part.

 [1] //Design to Sell//. Home and Garden Television. 16 Feb. 2011. Television.