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Start Date
25-6-2022 12:00 AM
End Date
25-6-2022 12:00 AM
Abstract
The body of the superhero is a figure of intense spectacle. Since the inception of superhero comics in 1939, both male and female superheroes have been drawn with proportions and musculature only possible within the realm of science fiction and fantasy. However, in superhero film and television in the 20th century, industrial and audience expectations were tempered for real life actors to attain and maintain unhealthy and unrealistic physical standards for the sake of a role.
As superhero media has gained intense popularity, beginning with the success of Blade in 1998 and quickly followed by the X-Men and Spider-Man franchises, expectations changed significantly, and it has become increasingly common for actors to conform their bodies to the impossibly high standards found on the pages of superhero comics. The degree to which these transformations are considered as strenuous and dangerous by the film and television industries depend upon the gender of the actor involved. In this paper, I will investigate how filming schedules prioritize the health of male actors while placing unrealistic and unsafe expectations upon others. Scenes that center around male bodily spectacle are filmed first, which allows men to relax extreme diet and exercise regimens early in production schedules. Meanwhile, such scheduling accommodations are not made for women, who are expected to remain unnaturally svelte throughout the entire production, with exceptions made only for pregnancy. By studying these scheduling practices, I seek to highlight some of the smaller and more insidious ways that gender discrimination pervades film and television production.
The Way You Look is Impossible: Body Maintenance and Scheduling Discrimination in Film Production
The body of the superhero is a figure of intense spectacle. Since the inception of superhero comics in 1939, both male and female superheroes have been drawn with proportions and musculature only possible within the realm of science fiction and fantasy. However, in superhero film and television in the 20th century, industrial and audience expectations were tempered for real life actors to attain and maintain unhealthy and unrealistic physical standards for the sake of a role.
As superhero media has gained intense popularity, beginning with the success of Blade in 1998 and quickly followed by the X-Men and Spider-Man franchises, expectations changed significantly, and it has become increasingly common for actors to conform their bodies to the impossibly high standards found on the pages of superhero comics. The degree to which these transformations are considered as strenuous and dangerous by the film and television industries depend upon the gender of the actor involved. In this paper, I will investigate how filming schedules prioritize the health of male actors while placing unrealistic and unsafe expectations upon others. Scenes that center around male bodily spectacle are filmed first, which allows men to relax extreme diet and exercise regimens early in production schedules. Meanwhile, such scheduling accommodations are not made for women, who are expected to remain unnaturally svelte throughout the entire production, with exceptions made only for pregnancy. By studying these scheduling practices, I seek to highlight some of the smaller and more insidious ways that gender discrimination pervades film and television production.
Bio
Laura E. Felschow is Assistant Professor of Media Studies at SUNY Oneonta. She earned a BFA in Film from Syracuse University, MA in Media Studies from SUNY Buffalo, and PhD in Media Studies from UT Austin. Her work has been published in Journal of Transformative Works & Cultures, Media Industries Journal, Mediapolis, and other edited anthologies. Her current research focuses on gender and production in superhero media.