Humans - Gender

Humans - Gender

How do the characters perform as their gender? 

Performativity and hegemonic ideology of gender.

• Anita - stereotypical woman, long hair, caring, nurturing, takes care of the house and Sophie; repetition of this. This affects people around her by having hegemonic representation of what we would expect from a mother.
• Mattie - stereotypical moody teen girl who sees Anita as a machine. This affects the world around her as no one knows what to do with her - parents.
• Sophie - she wants Anita to be pretty - she's like a Disney princess - femininity.
• Laura - she has an atypical job of a lawyer. She is threatened by Anita.

The representation of gender in Humans is extremely complicated.

Reflects gender as more complicated, less binary and this reflects modern society - contemporary Britain. 

Zoonen Feminist theory - men and women are represented in different ways through mise-en-scene and semantic codes. Gender is constructed - meaning varies dependent on cultural/historical context.

The Brothel scene: media language for construction of gender

• Leo is constructed as male by close up shot of his face, his expression is aggressive.
• He's wearing scrappy clothes.
• Women sexualised by their clothes, the lighting is coloured pink and glowy.
• Leo and Max first seen in a dark gloomy street, with lowkey lighting.
• Club Logo - Blue and pink gears.
• Dark clothing - symbolic of masculinity and being tough.
• Stereotypical masculine locations - street and brothel - hegemonically masculine.
• Binary opposition of lowkey lighting of street - highkey pink lighting.
• Camera is slightly lowered on Max whereas points upwards on Leo, demonstrating he's 'larger'.
• Leo with a close up face - looks uncomfortable in the brothel - signs clumsily.
• Red light - sex and aggression, prostitution.
• We have the same position as Leo, feeling uncomfortable - context - synths have consciousness -  he's the only person aware of synths having self-awareness.
• Niska - red lingerie - heavily sexualised, prostitution - seen in media - intertextual reference to other media.
• Represented as a sex object - pushes her breasts together.
• Difference in intimacy of before, hugging Leo in relief. Facial expression and body language is relaxed.
• Leo doesn't save Niska - atypical and subversive representation to stereotypes.
• When he says he can't save her, Niska challenges his masculinity by acting aggressive - slapping his face and unzipped his trousers to make him look flustered and like he's just had sex.
• Synth music, low energy, bass heavy, threating.

Introducing Leo scene: gender representation

• Over the shoulder close up shot, Leo's face is aggressive - contrasting with the man's face he even asks. 'Are you threatening me?'.
• He slightly pushes him back.
• Masculine location - garages are grimy.
• Body language is threatening. Mid/long shot - contrast with Max - binary opposition. Hegemonic representation of gender/masculinity. We sense his character is aggressive.
• Costume - dark scrappy - men.