GIRL POWER MANIFESTATION OR FEMININE VALUES DEGRADATION? : A FEMINIST CRITICISM OF THE MOVIE MEAN GIRLS BY MARK WATERS

GIRL POWER MANIFESTATION OR

FEMININE VALUES DEGRADATION? :

A FEMINIST CRITICISM

OF THE MOVIE

MEAN GIRLS

_{BY MARK WATERS}

THESIS

Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Sarjana Degree in English Department Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts, Sebelas Maret University

Written by: ROSALINA

C 0304046

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF LETTERS AND FINE ARTS

SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY

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GIRL POWER MANIFESTATION OR

FEMININE VALUES DEGRADATION?:

A FEMINIST CRITICISM

OF THE MOVIE

MEAN GIRLS

_{BY MARK WATERS}

By:

ROSALINA C 0304046

Approved to be examined by the Board of Examiners, Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts

Sebelas Maret University

Thesis Advisor

Dra. Sri Kusumo Habsari M.Hum.,Ph.D NIP. 196703231995122001

The Head of English Department

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GIRL POWER MANIFESTATION OR

FEMININE VALUES DEGRADATION?:

A FEMINIST CRITICISM

OF THE MOVIE

MEAN GIRLS

_{BY MARK WATERS}

By: ROSALINA

C 0304046

Approved by the Board of Examiners

Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts, Sebelas Maret University On March 2010

The Board of Examiners:

Chairman Yusuf Kurniawan, S.S. M.A. ( ) NIP. 197111301999031001

Secretary M. Taufiq Al Makmun, S.S. ( ) NIP. 197806272005011003

First Examiner Dra. S.K. Habsari, M. Hum., Ph. D ( ) NIP. 196703231995122001

Second Examiner Dra. Susilorini, M.A. ( ) NIP. 196506011992032002

Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts Sebelas Maret University

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PRONOUNCEMENT

Name

: Rosalina

Student Number : C 0304046

I declare that the thesis entitled

“

Mean Girls:

_{Girl Power}

Manifestation or Feminine Values Degradation?

”

_{is my own work.}

It is not a result of plagiarism at all.

I accept willingly any academic consequences including the

withdrawal of the academic title when the declaration is proved

incorrect.

Surakarta, March 2010

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MOTTO

Surely Allah is with the patient.

(Al-Qur’an: 2: 153)

The ink of the scholar is more holly than the blood of the martyr.

(Prophet Muhammad S.A.W.)

Act kindly towards woman, for woman is created from a rib, and the

most crooked part of the rib is its top. If you attempt to straighten it,

you will break it, and if you leave it, its crookedness will remain there.

So act kindly towards women.

(Muslim: Book 8: Hadith 3468)

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10.000 ways that won’t work

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D E D I C A T I O N

The thesis is dedicated to:

My Mama Dahlia and Papa Suhartono,

the best parents in the world

American Studies lovers

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, I want to thank Allah SWT, my Guardian and Sustainer. Thank you for always making me survive and showing me the right direction when I do not know where to go. Thank you for blessing me so that I can finish the thesis.

In doing the thesis, I have worked with many people. It is a pleasure to express my gratitude to them all in this acknowledgement.

I want to express my gratitude to Drs. Sudarno, M.A., Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts, and Dr. Djatmika, M.A., Head of English Department, for giving permission to write the thesis and all of English Department lecturers for giving me a lot of knowledge and understanding of American Studies.

I am heartily thankful to the thesis advisor, Dra. Sri Kusumo Habsari, M. Hum., Ph. D., whose encouragement, help and support from the initial to the final level enable me to get a further understanding of the subject. Thank you for being a super-patient advisor. Thank you for all of the knowledge and advices have been given. It is so precious.

I am grateful to the board of examiners of the thesis, Yusuf Kurniawan S.S., M.A., M. Taufiq Al Makmun, S.S., Dra. Susilorini, M.A., and Dra. Sri Kusumo Habsari M.Hum., Ph.D, for they share their precious time and give contribution to the thesis.

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Nina. Thanks for taking care of me. But please see me now, I have grown up. I love you all.

My special thanks go to Reny Fian Abrita. Thank you for being such a great ‘companion in arms’ from the early stage of the making of the thesis. Thank you for the printer and all of the helps. Reny, we did it!

I gratefully thank my great buddies, Dhita, Tyas, Rizqy, Puji, Widy, Dewi, Rosi, Mamad, and Dhika Cassandra. Thank you for always being there.

I am grateful to my beloved fabulous friends, The Tumpulz: Uswatun, Yunindar, Fitra, Fikri, Yunus, Itok, Tantra, Thory, and Rudy. All of you motivate me so much. Thank you for coloring my life in the last five years. Keep this togetherness always.

Many thanks go to Rahayu ‘Ayonk’ Widiati. Thanks for sharing the clever ideas and the exhilarating moments. It is gorgeous. Big thanks go to ‘do-it-your-self boy’, Shantika ‘Dhika’ Wijaya, for being so kind and patient in motivating and raising me up. I would also like to thank Rizwan Muharram for waking me up from my long ‘hibernation’.

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I am very grateful to my friends from the upper semester, Mas Tyok, Mas Sanjaya, Mas Sapoet, and Mas Wenny (from the class of 2002). Thanks for being kind brothers who guide me well. Thanks to Mbak Bella (from the class of 2002), Mbak Betty, Mbak Aleea, Mbak Arum (from the class of 2003) for the help, the books, and the patience. Thanks seniors!

Thanks a lot for my friends from the lower semester, Rizqy Adi, Fauzi, Sony, Adwin, Hemy, US Dyah, Sari, Lambang, Dini, Astri, Alwi, Dila, Hendra, Rizqy Arifudin, Ita, Dhea, Mega, Ika and Hanifan. Thank you for the kindness and help.

A lot of thanks go to the big family of Solo Youth Heritage (SYH). Thanks for sharing knowledge and experience.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE ... i

APPROVAL OF THE ADVISOR ... ii

APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS ... iii

PRONOUNCEMENT ... iv A. Postfeminism in America ... 14

B. Girl Power Movement in America ... 23

C. The Concept of Heroine in America since the Nineteenth Century until the Present ... 27

D. Semiotic Film Theory ... 35

E. The Basic Terminology of Cinematography ... 39

CHAPTER III: ANALYSIS A. The Signication Of The Title Mean Girls ... 49

B. How The Movie “Mean Girls” Constructs Its Teenage Heroines ... 53

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ABSTRACT

Rosalina. C0304046. 2010. Girl Power Manifestation or Feminine Values Degradation?: A Feminist Criticism of the Movie Mean Girls _{by Mark} Waters. Thesis. English Department of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts Sebelas Maret University.

This research is purposed to explain how the movie Mean Girls constructs its primary teenage heroines, whether the heroines are depicted challenging feminine values in society or rather go along with the values. The research is descriptive qualitative research of which the source of data is the movie Mean Girls directed by Mark Waters. The main data of the research are the characters and characterizations, costume, dialogue, body language, visual images, and other cinematographic elements of the movie. The supporting data are taken from the other sources such as the film script, books, and internet articles related to film and the issues of women, specifically the issues of American women, which supports in answering the research question.

The research is in the scope of American studies which is an interdisciplinary study. Therefore, the research involves some disciplines which in this case are applied in the form of theory and approach. In answering the research question, the researcher uses feminist theory, semiotic film theory, socio-cultural approach, and feminist approach.

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Research Background

Today a new shape of femininity arises in American culture due to Girl Power movement, a cultural phenomenon emerging in the mid-late 1990s to the early 2000s. This movement has a great role in shaping American culture today, especially American women culture. This issue emerges as a part of post-feminism. Thanks to the media so that Girl Power is widely accepted by many women and girls in the US as what is stated by Susan Hopkins in her book Girl Heroes: The New Force in Popular Culture, “A new stereotype of ideal femininity is emerging in magazines, music, films, and television” (1993, p. 1). In 2001, the Oxford English Dictionary defines (as cited in “Girl Power”, n.d.) the phrase Girl Power as "a self-reliant attitude among girls and young women manifested in ambition, assertiveness and individualism”. This means that the femininity in Girl Power era no longer means vulnerable and submissive attitude, but it means confident and tough behavior.

One of the media that makes Girl Power movement widely spread all over the country is movie. The emergence of movie heroines who are cute, sexy, independent and powerful is dominant in mainstream movie in the era of 1990s until today. Hopkins has stated:

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are competitive, combative and as capable of violence as any male character”. (1993, p. 6)

The movie heroines in the era is not the “caring, sharing good girl” but the heroines are “often driven by revenge, anger, or a lust for material gain” (ibid). Today, the image of vulnerable girl has been shifted by the image of mean girl.

Mean Girls (2004), a movie directed by Mark Waters, can be said as a respond to the emergence of the phenomenon of Girl Power movement popularized by media. Mean Girls is a comedic drama film distributed by Paramount Pictures of which the screenwriter, Tina Fey, writes the script based on the non-fiction book entitled Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence written by Rosalind Wiseman (“Tina Fey”, n.d.).

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With Mean Girls, Waters got a hit as it grossed over $85 million (“Mark Waters”, n.d.). It was nominated for 2004 Broadcast Film Critics Association for Best Young Actress -Lindsay Lohan- and for 2004 Writers Guild of America for Best Adapted Screenplay - Tina Fey - (“Girls Just Want to Be Mean”, n.d.) and it won 2005 MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance and 2005 MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Female (“Inside the World of Mean Girls”, n.d.).

Mean Girls tells about an innocent girl named Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) who was shocked by all the rules in her new public high school as she had been home schooled all her life. She met two students, Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese), who decided to show her around the school and the cliques and hierarchy of the school.

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Cady decided to leave the Plastics but Janis stopped her, convincing Cady to keep hanging out with them so that they could get revenge. Since then, the aggressions against the Plastics began until Cady finally could kick Regina out of the Plastics and became the most popular girl in the school. She did not realize that she herself had become such a clone of Regina.

The movie clearly represents the image of American girls in the present day as well as their social and cultural condition. It completely shows the audience both the image of girl which is considered ‘good’ by society and that who is considered evil. What makes the movie interesting and evoke curiosity is that the movie emphasizes more in representing girls who are considered evil by society. This is questionable and that is why it is interesting to analyze.

B. Scope of Study

This research focuses on the primary teenage heroines in Mean Girls

(2004), Cady Heron and Regina George. The minor characters and the social and cultural condition in the movie will also be involved for providing information and justification related to the analysis.

C. Problem Statements The research is conducted to answer two questions:

1. How does the movie construct the primary teenage heroines?

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D. Objectives of the Study The objectives of the study are:

1. To explain how the movie constructs the primary teenage heroines 2. To explain how the primary teenage heroines in the movie represent

the idea of Girl Power which emerges in American society in 1990s to 2000s

E. Benefits of the Study

The research is aimed to describe the condition of American teenage girls in postmodernist era and reveal the influence of the current women’s movement, Girl Power, to them as well. Furthermore, the research is hoped to give contribution to American Studies, because instead of giving a shallow description, the research provides a further analysis about how American teenage girls are represented in the movie and how Girl Power values and mainstream society’s values take role in shaping them. Besides, the research expectedly can give benefit to:

1. The students of English Department

To give information about one issue of postfeminist movement, Girl Power, which is a part of feminist movements in the U.S. Therefore, students can get further understanding about it.

2. Other researchers

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F. Research Methodology 1. The Type of the Research

The research is in the form of descriptive qualitative research. “Qualitative research is all about exploring issues, understanding phenomena, and answering questions” (Ereaut, 2007). As the research is qualitative research, the data collected are in the form of words and pictures, not statistics or numbers as what are in quantitative research. The research seeks out to answer the problems of the research by employing the question of ‘how’ of the topic, not just ‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘when’.

2. Data and Source of Data

Data consist of main data and supporting data. The main data are taken from the movie entitled Mean Girls (2004) directed by Mark Waters starring Lindsay Lohan, distributed by Paramount Pictures. The main data consist of dialogues, characters and characterization, and the cinematographic elements such as camera angle, camera distance, lighting, etc. The supporting data are collected from written materials like books, internet articles and journals related to the study.

3. Technique of Analyzing the Data

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research questions. After the research questions have been answered, finally, the conclusion is drawn based on the research result.

G. Theoretical Approach

American studies emerged in 1950s as a study of all issues related to the United States (Spiller, 1973, p. 611). Robert E. Spiller in his article Unity and Diversity in the Study of American Culture: the American Studies Association in Perspective has stated:

This was a time when the United States was emerging into the role of a world power and the stirrings of cultural nationalism were beginning to be felt in the universities in practically all of the academic disciplines except perhaps those in pure science; and even there, American technology gave to scientific disciplines something of a nationalistic flavor. (1973, p. 611)

It is quite obvious that the fact that the United States is a superpower nation makes the country, its culture and all issues in it significant to study.

The culture of the country is somehow complex. American culture “has been characteristically heterogeneous rather than homogenous” (Spiller, 1973, p. 613) as its people come from different ethnics, religion, social and cultural background, etc. The culture certainly does not develop in a short time. It builds its identity through out the history of the United States from the past until present. That is why American culture can be understood as complex culture as it is multifaceted and encompasses a vast range of time.

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stated in their book entitled American Cultural Studies: an Introduction to American Culture:

American Sudies from the beginning has been concerned to explore the possibilities of cooperation between practitioners from different disciplines and even to develop an interdisciplinary methodology with its own distinctive working practices (1997, p. 2).

Hence, American Studies “encompasses a vast range of disciplines [which are intermingled and interrelated], all of which, in one way or another, are trying to describe the cultures of United States” (“What is American Studies”, n.d.). The studies involves history, literature, art, economics, cultural studies, ethnic studies, women studies, media studies, film studies, among other fields.

One issue which becomes central to the project of American studies in present days is the study of popular culture. Popular culture has been termed as everything from common culture, to folk culture to mass culture (“Pop Culture”, n.d.). John Storey stresses that popular culture comes from the urbanization of the industrial revolution (“Mass Culture” n.d.). Thus, it can be understood that popular culture comes from low class society.

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produce it in large quantity and finally bring the new culture to mass consumers. The new culture is created in such a manner so it can be accepted by high and low class society so it can collapse the gap between high and low culture.

Movie is a product of popular culture which has been processed to be mass culture. John Belton in his book entitled Movies and Mass Culture has stated:

The movies are an integral part of mass culture and are embedded within it. One does not produce the other; rather, each interacts with the other, and they mutually determine one another. If films and filmmaker produce culture, they are also produced by it. Thus, it is impossible to separate films and filmmakers from the society within which they exist. (1996, p. 1)

It is quite obvious that movie is closely related to society. It usually conveys many ideas and meaning and represents what happen in reality as well as beliefs and values embraced by society.

In building and transferring its meaning, movie uses its particular way, in this case using signs and codes which often have deeper meaning than what its audience can figure out. To understand the meaning and idea of the movie completely, these signs and codes have to be analyzed further. Therefore, semiotic film theory is applied in the research.

Monaco has given a further explanation about semiotic film theory in his book How to Read a Film:

Film is not a language, but is like language, and since it is like language, some of the methods that we use to study language might profitably be applied to a study of film.

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study of film as a language could proceed. This inclusive category is known as semiotics, the study of system of signs. (1995, p. 157)

Based on what is explained by Monaco, it can be understood that semiotic film theory is applied in the research to analyze the system of signs in the movie analyzed. In this analysis, what is applied is the theory of the prominent figure in semiotics, Roland Barthes.

Roland Barthes based his theory on semiology of Ferdinand de Saussure who is often claimed as a source thinker of contemporary semiotics beside Charles Sanders Peirce, as they found this science in around the same time without knowing of the researches of the other. It can be said that Barthes’ theory is the development of Saussure’s theory.

Saussure defined ‘sign’ as the union of the ‘signifier’, a form which signifies, and the ‘signified’, an idea signified (Stam, 1992, p. 18). According to Saussure, sign, the relation between signifier and signified, is arbitrary (Storey, 1996, p. 55). The relation between the signifier and the signified is not constructed naturally but rather conventionally. A signifier opens many chances for various signified or meaning.

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interpret the signs in the movie analyzed, socio-cultural approach is needed in the study.

It has been stated that:

Socio-cultural approach is based on the idea that society and culture shape cognition. Social customs, beliefs, values, and language are all part of what shapes a person's identity and reality. According to this approach, what a person thinks is based on his or her socio-cultural background. A socio-cultural approach takes into account more than the individual in attempting to understand cognitive processes. (“Psychology Glossary”, n.d.)

From the explanation, it is clear that the way people behave, think, and interpreting something is influenced by their social and cultural background. Thus, to understand the meaning of the movie completely, socio-cultural approach is applied. Besides, the movie analyzed deals with social and cultural condition, thoughts and behaviors of American girls in the contemporary society. It means that the movie represents social and cultural phenomenon which exists in reality. That is why socio-cultural approach is significant in the study.

As the research focuses on the analysis of how the movie constructs its primary characters that are girls, the research certainly has to do with women’s issues. Thus, feminist approach is needed as the framework of the research. In this case, the movie has to be analyzed in the range of feminism.

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aspects of life, both domestic and public life. The struggle further is meant for preventing attitudes that support such biased practices (ibid, p. 16). Feminism becomes central issues today as it has taken important role in shaping women today.

Feminist approach in the research is applied to view what are represented by the girls in the movie in the range of feminism. Thus, the research also needs feminist theories. Feminist theories and approach is crucial to build a complete idea used to answer the research questions.

H. Thesis Organization

This thesis is divided into four chapters and each chapter is divided into some subchapters. Those chapters are Chapter I Introduction, Chapter II Literature Review, Chapter III Analysis, and Chapter IV Conclusion and Recommendation.

The first chapter, Introduction is divided into eight subchapters. These are Research Background, Scope of Study, Problem Statements, Objectives of the Study, Benefits of the Study, Research Methodology, Theoretical Approach, and Thesis Organization.

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The third chapter, Analysis, consists of two subchapters. The first subchapter tells about the signification of the title of the movie, Mean Girls, while the second subchapter discusses about how the movie construct the primary teenage heroines. The second subchapter contains two points: Cady Heron, the Girl Who Transforms; and Regina George, the Queen Bee. The answer of the research questions are provided in this chapter.

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CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

A. Postfeminism in America

American feminism, which is actualized by its movement, has a very long history. American women has a long hard struggle to achieve the equality between men and women. It can be said that the Enlightenment or the age of reason is the foundation of American women’s movement.

One of the important figures in the Enlightenment is John Locke. Locke’s doctrine of Natural Rights claims that “all human beings, in their natural state, were equal and free to pursue life, health, liberty, and possessions; and that these were inalienable rights” (“John Locke”, n.d.). This doctrine also claims that both women and men are born with the same potency of rationality. It means that women and men are equal, and there are no groups which are more inferior to the other. This doctrine however leads to the ideology of individualism (Murphy, 1995, p. 10). This ideology has shaped women’s ways of thinking about themselves and the world. It leads women to think that a woman as a person has independence to seek self-realization, becoming a fully individual, not just as the opposite of male. To be a woman must be as important as to be a man.

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most current movement, postfeminism or generally considered third-wave feminism.

First-wave feminism in the U.S. began in 1848 and lasted until 1960s. It was usually considered beginning with the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 which was purposed to end discrimination based on sex. The convention was held in response to the prohibition of women's participation in the 1840 World's Anti-Slavery convention in London (Rynder, 1999).

First-wave feminism insisted that sexual identity was inessential or secondary to our humanity. It claimed that biological characteristics were not the reason for the limitation of women’s participations in society. First-wave feminism mainly concerned about equality, rights, liberation and emancipation (Colebrook, 2003). The ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in August 18, 1920 was considered the main victory of the movement as with this each of the states and the federal government was prohibited from denying any citizen the right to vote because of that citizen’s sex.

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The movement was often claimed dating from the appearance of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique in 1963, which was very significant for its challenge to the ideology of domesticity. This best-seller book caught readers among middle- and upper-class women as male supremacy required them to be submissive women who were capable in domestic concerns as well as ‘good’ mothers and wives who did not have chance to determine what they wanted to achieve. In the era of this movement, there were also the actions going against the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City in 1968 and 1969. One of the protests came from the radical feminist New York group calling themselves Redstockings. They held a counter pageant by parodying the beauty pageant but what was crowned as Miss America was a sheep. This was done in order for women were not considered merely object of male gaze. Redstockings also did the action by throwing feminine artifacts which they considered oppressing women such as bras, girdles, high-heels, makeup and false eyelashes into the trashcan (Rampton, n.d.).

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Second wave feminists also struggled for the rights to seek freedom to define their sexuality and practice it without discrimination. They also concerned about reproductive freedom for women and struggle for the legalization of abortion as they thought that women could have control over their own body. However, in 1982 the Equal Rights Amendment was defeated because of three states short of ratification (Eisenberg & Ruthsdotter, 1998).

Second wave feminists were dominated by upper middle class white women who claimed that patriarchal and imperial oppressions were universal oppressions experienced by women in the world. Whereas, in reality women did not only consist of upper middle class white women only but they also came from different social classes, races, ethnicity, religions, subculture, sexual community, etc. Certainly, they experienced different social and cultural experiences. However, second wave feminism over-emphasized the experience of upper middle class white women. In this case, this movement was often claimed excluding women out of the group. Due to the fact, the movement was often called “hegemonic feminism” (Ibrahim, 2004, p. xiv).

As it was claimed that it could not represent American women entirely, many women had become more antifeminist during the 1980s to 1990s. Vaid, as cited by Hall and Rodriguez, has stated:

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The groups claiming themselves antifeminist somehow include young women who never deal with second wave feminism and racial-minority and traditional women who oppose women’s movement in 1970s (ibid).

Negative representations of women in popular media as unattractive, man-hater, unfeminine, even lesbian make many girls and women refuse to claim themselves feminists as this supposedly can distance themselves from men. Even though many girls and women agree with what women’s movement strives for, equity in many aspects of life, they do not want to be called feminist (Hall & Rodriguez , 2003, pp. 883-84). It is as if ‘feminist’ is a dirty word.

Media is somehow male dominated field. It is closely related to capitalism in which patriarchal values fully applied. Patriarchal values require women to be feminine, passive, and submissive. Women are the object and cannot be the subject. Their duties are child bearing, nurturing, doing household, and their place is at home. Women who oppose this rule are viewed negative and considered threat of male supremacy.

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Subsequently, America begins to enter postfeminist era. It is the era when the term “feminism” is considered no longer relevant as the goals of feminism has been achieved. Popular media claims that 1990s is the starting point of postfeminist era in the U.S. (Hall & Rodriguez, 2003, p. 878). Nevertheless, popular authors and scholars state that this era starts in 1980s (Ibrahim, 2004, p. xii). However, the term “post-feminism” was firstly used in Susan Bolotin’s article “Voices of the Post-feminist Generation” published in 1982 in New York Times magazine (Nedeau, 2008). Some opinions claim that this movement arises in the U.S. as a response of the weakness and the failure of second wave feminism. It is said that this movement happens as a continuity of second wave feminism and therefore it is often claimed as third-wave feminism. On the other hand, this movement is also considered a backlash of second-wave feminism; even it is claimed as an antifeminist movement (Ibrahim xiii, 2004).

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class white women who claim that patriarchal and imperial oppressions are universal oppressions experienced by women in the world (Brooks, 2008, p. 6). It can be considered that postfeminism is a critique on second wave feminism [which precedes it]“ (Adriaens, 2009).

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rigid vision on sexuality. It rather promotes women’s right on sexual pleasure, choice and freedom than what women may encounter as the sexual victim (Adriaens, 2009). Postfeminism sees sexuality of women in different perspective.

It seems that the values of postfeminism create ambivalence. It goes along with patriarchy as it prompts patriarchal things such as revealing and form-fitting clothing and cosmetics (which leads to consumerism which is also patriarchal as well), but refuses to be considered as the victim or the object of patriarchy. If feminists see woman wearing revealing clothes as an object of male gaze, postfeminists rather see her as a woman with personal freedom as she wears the clothes based on her own willingness. At this point, postfeminism changes the idea of sexual objectification into sexual subjectification, a focus on a “powerful male gaze” into a “self-regulating narcissistic individualistic gaze” (Adriaens, 2009). However, what is proposed by postfeminism is actually “a movement beyond feminism, to a more comfortable zone where women are now free to choose for themselves” (Beck as cited in McRobbie, 2004, p. 259).

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contribute the progress of feminism, and it is often claimed discouraging women from becoming feminist activists (ibid). Despite criticisms go to it, postfeminism has appeared as a warning that women’s movement is not dead. Women’s movement is still needed as long as women is still considered second class and placed in the background. That is why it is often called third-wave feminism.

The term third-wave feminism itself is coined by a young, Southern, African-American, Jewish, and bisexual feminist author named Rebecca Walker in 1993 "to describe a new generation of young feminists working to create a more inclusive and comprehensive movement” (Head, n.d.). The era of third-wave feminism is often thought initiated by the Anita Hill – Clarence Thomas hearings in 1991. At the time when President George H.W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, Anita Hill, an African-American professor from Oklahoma, reported that she had been sexually harassed by Thomas almost a decade earlier. In response to the Thomas hearings, Rebecca Walker published an article entitled “Becoming the Third Wave” in an issue of Ms in 1992 (Darko, n.d.). Thenceforth, the term is often used to label the current women’s movement as another alternative beside the term ‘postfeminism’.

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1960s. As Generation X and Generation Y live in the postmodern era in which media and technology have been commonly used, it can be understood that postfeminists express themselves through popular culture which is transferred to daily life in the help of media. They look for women figure in popular media who represent their own struggles and can help them in “their personal journeys to search and define identity” (Gladen, 2007).

There are some women’s movements under the umbrella of postfeminism which promote the concept that women are different from men and that is why women do not need to live in male standard if they want to be considered equal with men as acting like men is considered devaluing women’s value. Women are supposed to show their distinct characteristics as their power. The movements promoting the values are such as Girl Power, which takes its great influence through media as well as pop culture, and Riot Grrrl, a women movement which was born from female youth subculture of punk-rock in America borrowing the do-it-yourself ethos of 1970s punk (Hopkins, 1993, p. 30). Girl Power movement will be explained further in the next subchapter as it is closely related to the research.

B. Girl Power Movement in America

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for girls and women in the way they behave, think, and do so many things. Girl Power has taken important role in shaping society today, particularly for girls and women. It appears in society as a challenge to traditional feminine values such as submission, passivity, and vulnerability of women required by patriarchal system. Women have been trapped in these traditional feminine values for many centuries. They are required to be ‘good girl’ who are tender, submissive, pacify, passive, and weak as if all of these are their original natures. Opposing these values is considered wrong and rude. For unmarried girls, it is thought distancing them from men who will marry them. While for married women, it will lead them to be unwanted wives. Marriage is everything for women with traditional values. Perfect marriage is their main goal and desire. To actualize this, being ‘good’ is really required.

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realize that they need self-actualization and self-determination, and marriage is no longer the one and the only choice they can choose.

Unlike the first and second wave feminism of which the movements are actualized through convention, protest, and other actions that are sounds political, Girl Power movement is actualized by personal empowerment shown by each individual. Media has a great role in this movement because many girls and women imitate the images of Girl Power which are shown by media. About this, Susan Hopkins in her book entitled Girl Heroes: the New Force in Popular Culture has stated:

This is not just a matter of virtual role models replacing real ones, but entails the recycling of media images and illusions into lived realities. Increasingly, reality is folded into media productions and the media is folded into real life (1993, p. 1).

It is clear that what are shown by media really infiltrate into reality. No wonder if the heroes of Girl Power movement are not feminist activists like in the previous waves because whom many women and girls adore in this era are female celebrities. Female celebrities’ fame and success make many girls and women admire them and make them their role models. They embody their desire upon fame and success by imitating the images of Girl Power in media shown by female idols.

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patriarchy is considered obsolete and many American women and girls have left it behind.

Since her first appearance in 1983, Madonna had attracted many people. With her white skin, slim body, blond hair, beautiful voice, good ability to dance, hard works and ambition, Madonna had fulfilled what were needed to be accepted in mainstream media at that time. During her career, she had had transformations, from ‘slut’ to ‘saviour’ and from ‘object’ to ‘subject’, as if she wanted to say that ‘it’s never too late to reinvent oneself’. Madonna is aware of her sexual power, but she does not let herself become merely an object of male gaze. She successfully takes advantage from that sexual exploitation (Hopkins, 1993, pp. 40-6). She uses patriarchy as much as patriarchy uses her. Madonna uses her sexual power as a way to self-determination and self-actualization.

After Madonna era, many Madonna wannabes colors the world. The female groups like Spice Girls, TLC, All Saints, Atomic Kitten, Girl Thing, Destiny’s Child, etc, reinforces the fact that the era of vulnerable women has ended. Success and popularity have replaced marriage as the destination of many women because success and popularity are proves that they have power.

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energy, and the vocabulary of women’s liberation. As a result, Spice Girls create their images as feminine, rebellious, independent, active girls who can do, become, and reach what they want and always want to have fun in the hard process of reaching their goal (Hopkins, 1993, pp. 11-6)

The influence of Girl Power does not only infiltrate into music industry but also TV shows and movies. The traditional archetype of girl in TV shows and films who always becomes victim has been left. Today, girl can also become the savior. TV show like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) and movie like

Charlie’s Angels (2000) serve audiences with girl who can fight again her enemy as the main character. They show the main character can kick, punch, and beat down her enemy.

As more and more Girl Power figures emerge in the media, women and girls have many options of role models. They begin to imitate the way the female singers get dressed, the supermodels wear their hair and accessories, the actresses behave in films or in their daily life, etc. This condition however gives profit to many industries like clothes, accessories, make-up industries as many girls and women spend more and more money to fulfill their desire in imitating the role models as an expression of their self-actualization.

C. the Concept of Heroine in America since the Nineteenth Century until the Present

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Media has written that dictionaries of the nineteenth century define “heroine” as “a female hero”, and they define hero as “illustrious, brave, courageous, noble, valiant, magnanimous, fearless, and a great warrior”. They also define heroine as “the chief female character in a work of fiction”. However, the definition of heroine in the dictionaries can result to confusing understanding as what Hume wrote, “What if moral standard for women and men were different?” (1997, p. 1).

In this case, of course we cannot define “heroine” as simply “a female hero”. A woman can be considered a female hero if she can fulfill the moral standard of becoming a hero of the era, in which, in the nineteenth century, a hero must be brave, courageous, noble, valiant, fearless, a great warrior, and many other characteristics which are considered the ideal moral standard of the era. Whereas, a woman can be considered heroine if she “would have required her own distinct characteristics representing the moral standards of women” (Hume, 1997, p. 1-2) of her era. Here, it can be concluded that “heroine” is different from “female hero”.

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with domestic concerns only. Women were required to be a “perfect lady” (Wecter as cited in Hume, 1997, p. 2). That is why during American history, a female hero, a woman who are living by moral standard of male, cannot be called heroine as she is considered “unladylike” (Hume, 1997, p. 2) and as she cannot represent the moral standard of women of the nineteenth century which is different from the moral standard of men in the era.

The concept of heroine of one era is certainly different from another era. Then, what is the concept of American heroine or woman considered ideal, as she fulfill the moral standard of women, in the nineteenth century? We can trace back to the concept of American heroine in the nineteenth century through the most popular magazine in the era, The Lady’s Book. This magazine contains fiction stories representing the concept of American heroine in the era through their female main character.

According to Hume, “The magazine’s heroine, however, was not static; as the hypotheses for this study predicted, characteristics of heroic women portrayed in the magazine change right along with changing values for women” (Hume, 1997, p. 17). Here, the era examined are the era of ten years before (1837-1838) and ten years after (1857-1858) the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention (1848), the main historical event of the first-wave feminism, as there is significant shift of heroine’s concept between both these periods in reality which then are followed by media, in this case magazine.

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heroine, the melancholy heroine, and ’the mothedwife’. In the era, ideal women were supposed to fulfill these seven categories. If one category was missing, the woman perhaps was punished with a “bitter life” or “unhappy marriage” (Smith; Denhallow as cited in Hume, 1997, p. 4).

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heroine in the era. Melancholy heroine was described as a woman who trembled even collapsed when hearing or finding out something miserable or terrifying, having a pale face, and usually wearing modest outfit with few ornaments. Melancholic expression was always on her face, and it was because she always thought melancholically. Woman who had red cheek, cheerful and wore latest-fashioned outfit was not the heroine of the era. Such woman was claimed to be less generous and selfish and was not considered ideal (Hume, 1997, pp. 4-7).

Being pious was also required for being respected woman in the era. Woman should be virtuous and becoming a model for her younger siblings. Her piety was not for admiration from other people but for getting reward from family. Sensible heroine was the other category. Woman was demanded to be wise and good person mainly toward her family. This is closely related to the main role of woman, nurturing. In most of stories in Lady’s Book, women were depicted as young women who were married or became wives during the course of the story as well as became mother. Women were depicted always nurturing others, their children, their siblings, even their parents. Nurturing was considered the role of women as women were called by nature to bear, so it was also considered the nature of women. Being wife and being mother as if considered the best role woman should be (Hume, 1997, pp. 4-7).

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significant changes although the changes were not drastic changes. The genius women who devoted their intellect for others were “tempered by practicality and common sense” (Hume, 1997, p. 10). The self-sacrificial heroine occasionally got reward from others, not merely became miserable victim who got nothing. The victim who got adversity all her life depicted overcoming the obstacles due to her bravery. In the era, bravery was no longer considered supernatural and it became a new value of women instead. Because of this, melancholy heroine was no longer favored in the era. Cheerful woman with smile always in her face even in hard moment was the portrait of ideal woman of the era. The woman had more spirit in overcoming adversity but her outfit was still modest, with few ornaments. The men in the era preferred the women who were more cheerful, brave, and had more spirit than the melancholy women with pale face, sad expression, which was fatalist. Pious woman was still well-liked but now the pious was not only as a model but also a person teaching other as well. In the era, practicality was more favored. Sensible heroine was eventually trusted to be money manager of family. By combining the characteristic of genius and sensible, woman could be a money manager which was competent. Finally, the role of woman to become mother and wife was added by the role of becoming sister and daughter. The role as a sister or daughter was not only nurturing but sometimes carrying hard duties of family (Hume, 1997, pp. 10-7).

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women seemed to turn their back on what had been achieved by the former generation who fought in the first wave feminism. The younger women had bored to politics. The setting arose a new generation of young women which was totally different from the previous generation which was explained by Sarah M. Evans in her book, Born for Liberty, as follows:

Newspaper, magazines, movies, and novels all told Americans that womanhood had changed again. Young, hedonistic, sexual, the flapper soon became a symbol of the age with her bobbed hair, powdered nose, rouged cheeks, and shorter skirts. Lively and energetic, she wanted experience for its own sake. She sought out popular amusements in cabarets, dance hall, and movie theaters that no respectable, middle class woman would have frequented a generation before. She danced, smoked, and flaunted her sexuality to the horror of her elders (1989, p. 175).

The changing lifestyle created a new heroine with a new concept called the Flapper. Thomas Gladysz stated in her article the Jazz Age: Flapper Culture & Style, the typical Flapper was a young woman with “short hair and a short skirt, with turned-down hose and powdered knees”, who generally offended the older generation because she resisted conventions of acceptable feminine behavior. The flapper must have seemed to her mother like a rebel because she no longer confined to home and tradition (Gladysz, 2001).

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their nights in nightclubs while traditional feminine values required woman stay at home at night. This new generation of the era totally violated the values.

The silent film star Louise Brooks was very much part of the era. Her personality and her role in film represented heroine in the flapper era, the era of the worship of youth. Her social circle included the prominent figures that helped define the era - such as the composer George Gershwin and the writers F. Scott Fitzgerald (Gladysz, 2001).

In 1930s, everything changed for America evidenced Great Depression which began in 1929 and ended until the mid of 1940s. People became penniless and hedonic lifestyle seemed no longer fit in the era. Despite the fact, values of the Flappers did not die out. The values enlarged the concept of the American heroine instead. This somehow gave influence to the concept of heroine in films in the following era.

In a study of the films from the 1930s and 1970s, historians had categorized four major categories of roles that women played. The first one was the role of woman as the “Pillar of Virtues”. This kind of role featured roles of mothers and mammies such as Hattie McDaniel’s character in Gone with the Wind

(1939). The second category was the “Glamour Girl”. This category featured the sex goddesses like Marilyn Monroe in Bus Stop (1956) and the femme fatales such as Marlene Dietrich in Blonde Venus (1932). The third category, the “Emotive Woman” featured the roles such as sexually frustrated Rosalind Russell in Picnic (1955) and the seductive Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

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role of Barbara Streisand in Funny Girl (1968) or Jane Fonda in Klute (1971), the liberated woman (Stupor, n.d.).

However, throughout film history, “women have been depicted as manipulative, sexually repressed, or sexually overt” (Stupor, n.d.). In the 1950s, especially, America entered the era of “reaffirming male dominance and female subservience; movies showed women as breasts and buttocks, again idealizing women who were ‘pretty, amusing, and childish” (Butler as cited. in Stupor, n.d.). Much of this negative representation somehow has endured and remained in present films, although it may not be as obvious as those in the previous decades. “Nowadays, we see more sensationalized sexual roles for women as the trend began in the 70s” (Stupor, n.d.). Whatever the trend and the era, until now, women are still taking less leading roles in films as patriarchal values still dominate mainstream society.

D. Semiotic Film Theory

Semiotic film theory is a theory under the umbrella of film theory which is used to analyze film since film contains many signs which have deeper meaning behind delivered by its filmmakers. Semiotic film theory enables spectators of movies to think what has previously been unthinkable.

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Saussure has stated that semiology or semiotic is “a science that studies the life of signs within society” (Stam, 1992, p. 4). This science is used to show “what constitutes sign and what laws govern them” (ibid). Saussure has defined ‘sign’ as the union of the ‘signifier’, a form which signifies, and the ‘signified’, an idea signified (ibid, p. 8). According to Saussure, sign, the relation between signifier and signified, is arbitrary (as cited in Storey, 1996, p. 55). For example, the word ‘clock’ can produce different kind of sign in every person’s mind. Everyone has her/his own image of clock in her mind because everyone has her/his own mindset about clock. However, what is imagined by the person who hears the word ‘clock’ remains the image of clock, not the image of door, table, chair, or other things. It is because there is a convention in the society of which the people speak English that the word ‘clock’ refers to a device used by people to indicate time, whatever the shape, as long as it is not to be used in wrist as English has the word ‘watch’ to call it.

In his book, Piliang has stated that the relation between the signifier and the signified is not constructed naturally (2003, p. 261). It is constructed based on convention (ibid). Therefore, basically the signifier opens many chances for various signified or meaning (ibid). This is what is meant ‘arbitrary’ by Saussure.

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1999, p. 115). In this scheme, there are two stages of signification which are denotation stage and connotation stage.

The first stage, denotation stage, indicates the relation between the signifier and the signified of which the signified is an explicit meaning or the meaning which can be drawn directly from the signifier itself. Therefore, the sign, which is the total entity between image and concept, is also explicit or literal. For example, the picture of table means the table itself. There is not implicit meaning behind it. The structure of the first stage can be represented diagrammatically like this:

1. Signifier 2. Signified SIGN

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sign of bad luck; in China, it is considered a sign of luck. Overall, Barthes’ two semiological systems can be diagrammatically illustrated like this:

1. Signifier 2. Signified

3. Sign

I SIGNIFIER II SIGNIFIED III SIGN

The development of semiotics continued in 1960s when Christian Metz attributed the science to film. In understanding film, Metz has his own point of view. He has stated:

“We understand a film not because we have a knowledge of its system; rather, we achieve an understanding of its system because we understand the film… it is not because the cinema is language that it can tell such fine stories, but rather it has become language because it has told such fine stories.” (as cited in Monaco, 2000, p. 157)

Film represents something which has meaning which can be understood by its audience. Film does not just consist of language which can be used to tell a story rather it consists of many elements which become unity which then build a ‘language’ that enables audience to understand and get pleasure in watching it.

Metz also argues that film is not a language system “because it lacks the equivalent of the arbitrary linguistic sign” (Stam, 1992, p. 35). The sign in film is interpreted almost the same by each audience because the filmmakers lead them into one interpretation, which is the meaning the filmmakers try to deliver. Film is Language

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not the same as language system. Signs in language systems can be interpreted arbitrarily, signs in film can not be. About this, Monaco has stated:

“We can’t modify the signs of cinema the way we can modify the words of language systems. In cinema, an image of a rose is an image of a rose – nothing more, nothing less. In English, a rose can be a rose, simply, but it can also be modified or confused with similar words: rose, rosy, rosier, rosiest, rise, risen, rows (ruse), arose, roselike, and so forth.” (2000, p. 158)

In language system, the word “rose” can be interpreted differently for each individual and it is based on each individual’s mind in visualizing the image of rose. The sign of rose is different for each individual because each individual has different culture, social background, experience, etc. In film, the image of rose can be a sign created by the filmmakers leading to one interpretation for each audience. To do this, the filmmakers have to set the rose in a certain set which can lead audience to have the same interpretation.

Sign is usually given by filmmakers through cinematographic elements. To deepen the reader’s understanding about sign in film, as a closing part of this chapter, the basic terminology in cinematography is explained in the next subchapter.

E. The Basic Terminology of Cinematography

li a. Basic elements

· Title / Opening Credits

The opening credits sequence is usually used to set the mood of the film. It sometimes lacks any credits except the film's title which often exists as static letters on a solid background (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 14).

· Plot / Story / Narrative

Plot refers to a sequence of dramatic events or actions that build a narrative in film (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 14).

· Characterization

Characterization is the means filmmakers use to describe or develop a character for audience (eHow Contributing Writer, n.d.)

· Point of View (POV)

Point of view is the perspective used by the filmmakers from which the film story is told. It also means a shot that depicts the outlook or position of a character (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 14). b. Mise–en–scene

lii · Setting

Setting is the time and place in which the film's narrative takes place, including climate and season, people, customs, moral values, and norms of behavior (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 16).

· Costumes

Costumes are refers to what are worn by actor or actress in a film (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 6). Costumes consist of outfits, hairstyle, and all things which support actor or actress’ appearance. Costumes can be contrast between characters and can change along the film’s narrative.

· Lighting

Lighting refers to “the illumination of a scene and the manipulation of light and shadows by the cinematographer” (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 11). The following are some lights usually used in film.

o Key Light

Key light is the main light of film lighting. It highlights the form, dimension and surface detail of the subject in film (“The Key Light”, 2009).

o Fill Light

liii o Highlighting

Highlight is used to illuminate selected part of a subject, for example an actress' eyes (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 10).

o Backlight

Backlight is the light illuminating from behind the subject. It will cause the edges of the subject to glow (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary ”, n.d., p. 2).

c. Shot Composition

Shot composition involves:

· Tone

Tone is the mood or atmosphere of a film scene which can be serious, humorous, satiric, amusing, among others. It influences the way the director directed a film (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 19).

· Film Speed

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romantic effect (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 9; p. 17).

· Camera Angle

Camera angle is the perspective employed from which to shoot a subject. The various kinds of camera angle are as follows:

o Eye-level Angle

Eye-level angle is a camera angle used to photograph a subject in eye level.

o High Angle

High angle is a camera angle employed by filming the subject from above (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary” 10). High angle gives an effect of reducing the importance of the subject photographed, for example, a person seems harmless or insignificant photographed from above (Giannetti, 1987, p. 12).

o Low Angle

Low angle is a camera angle used by filming the subject from below (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary ”, n.d., p. 12). Low angle gives an effect of raising the importance of the subject so that it will create fear and respect to audience (Giannetti, 1987, p. 13).

· Shot Distance o Long Shot (LS)

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this category in which the figure of human body is photographed from head to toes (ibid).

o Extreme Long Shot (ELS / XLS)

Extreme long shot is a shot taken from a great distance. Generally, it is used to photograph a place or a landscape (Giannetti , 1987, p. 7).

o Medium Shot (MS)

Medium shot is a shot used to photograph a figure from the knees or waist up (Giannetti, 1987, p. 8).

o Close-Up (CU)

Close-up is a shot magnifying the size of a filmed subject which is relatively small, for example, human face. Its use is to elevate the importance the subject (Gianeti, 1987, p. 8).

o Medium Close-Up (MCU)

This shot is within the category of Close-Up but the subject photographed is not magnified as large as up, A medium close-up emphasizes the principal subject but includes other objects that are nearby (“Bussiness Definition”, 2000).

o Extreme Close-Up (XCU)

It is the other variation of close-up. This shot might show a certain point of a subject which is rather very small, for example, a person’s eyes (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 9).

lvi · Frame:

A frame is a single smallest unit of a film. A series of frame constructs a motion picture. Frame also refers to the rectangular area which we see within the screen (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 10).

d. Montage

Montage is a French word literally meaning "editing", "putting together" or "assembling shots". It refers to a filming technique, editing style, or form of movie collage consisting of a series of short shots or images that are rapidly put together into a coherent sequence to create a composite picture, or to suggest meaning or a larger idea (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 13). Montage involves:

· Shot

Shot refers to a single take made by a camera without interruption or editing (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”,n.d., p. 17).

· Cut

Cut is a sudden change between shots in film’s structure. It can be a transition from one scene to another or from one sound to another (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 7).

· Freeze Frame

lvii · Scene

Scene refers to a shot or a series of shot which construct(s) a complete dramatic event or action in a narrative of film. The beginning of the following scene is indicated by a change in time, location, or action. Fade, wipe, and lap-dissolve technique are usually employed to connect one scene to another scene (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 15).

o Fade

Fade is a transitional technique used by changing the intensity of an image or sound gradually, from normal bright to darkness (fade out/ fade to black) or from darkness to completely normal bright scene (fade in) and from silence to sound or from sound to silence. Fade in is used to indicate the beginning of a scene while fade out is generally used to indicate the end of a scene (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 9).

o Wipe

Wipe is a transitional technique in which one shot is replaced by another shot as if the first shot is pushed off by the second shot. This technique is often used in 1930s (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 20).

o Lap-dissolve or Dissolve

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replaced by the second shot gradually and both of them seems blendind for a moment (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 7).

· Sequences

Sequence is a scene or a series of related scenes that are united and edited together to build a story in a film’s narrative (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 16).

e. Sound

Sound is the audio portion of a film. It includes the following:

· Dialogues

Dialogues are lines uttered by an actor/actress in a film (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 7).

· Sound Effects

Sound effects are all sounds created in film but dialogue and music (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 17).

· Score

Score is the background music in a film that commonly composed for the film (“Cinematic Terms: A Film-Making Glossary”, n.d., p. 16).

· Sound Bridge

lix · Synchronous (or Simultaneous) Sound

It refers to sound of which the source within the frame (Monaco, 2000, p. 214).

· Non-Synchronous (or Non-Simultaneous) Sound

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CHAPTER III

ANALYSIS

This chapter contains the analysis of the movie and the point is to solve the research questions stated in the first chapter. Before solving the research questions, the reader is let to understand first the signification or the implication of the title of the movie so that the reader gets a good understanding.

A. THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE TITLE MEAN GIRLS

Figure 1. The title of Mean Girls

Mean Girls (U.S.A., 2004), directed by Mark Waters. Paramount Pictures.

The first analysis will be an understanding of the signification of the title of the movie. The title of the movie is Mean Girls. It is an effective title as it can covers the meaning of the movie.

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‘girls’ following the word ‘mean’ is grammatically a noun. ‘Girl’ means “female child from birth to adulthood”; “daughter”; “a young unmarried woman” (“Girl”, 2009). As the word written in its plural form, it refers to more than one person. With this consideration, the title Mean Girls does not only contain a single meaning. First, I will analyze the title Mean Girls in which the word ‘mean’ considered adjective, and later I continue to analyze the title in which the word ‘mean’ considered noun.

At the first stage of Barthes’ two semiological systems, the title Mean Girls has function merely as the title, without implication in it. But at the second stage of Barthes’ two semiological systems, Mean Girls can have a deeper meaning which can be drawn from the signs contained in it. In the beginning of the movie, the audience can see the title Mean Girls (see figure 1) written in black background, using two types of font in which the word ‘Mean’ is written in white with bold large font while ‘Girls’ is written in pink with smaller font. The pink color of the word ‘Girls’ deepens its meaning however. Pink color is a sign of femininity. “In some cultures, such as the US, pink is the color of girls. It represents sugar and spice and everything nice” (Bear, n.d.). And it can be simply understood that the moviemakers make the word ‘Mean’ bold as they want the audience to focus more on the word ‘Mean’. It is as if they want to tell the audience that this word is more emphasized. The question is “why is the word more emphasized?”