Research Kit Usage Guide
Research Questions
This research kit proposes the following research questions for consideration:
- How does Frida (2002), a film directed by a woman (Julie Taymor), starring a woman who is also co-producer of the film (Salma Hayek) [still or surprisingly] demonstrate the power of the male gaze?
- How does this film further our understanding of the male gaze on the Latina body/figure, in general, and its association with being sexualized for male pleasure?
- How does the power structure of the film industry, revealed by the lawsuits and subsequent conviction of the film’s main producer, Harvey Weinstein, reveal the particular ways in which power played out in the construction and representation of Frida Kahlo in this film?
Audience
This research kit is directed at students at the college level, providing information that can be taught in a history, film, or women’s studies class. This research kit could also be used outside of the educational realm by people with interest in issues with representation in Hollywood cinema, feminism, and/or Latin American cinema in general. Though the topic could be introduced to students at the upper high school level, the film selected for analysis – Frida (2002) – contains mature material that is not appropriate for most high school students such as scenes of nudity, sex, and violence. If by chance, this research kit reaches the likes of casting directors, film producers, and even actors, I would hope that it will illuminate the critical issue that is the role of patriarchal dominance in the film industry. Perhaps it will draw attention to those communities who have been misrepresented by Hollywood and will ultimately urge the public to unpack how their socio-cultural consciousness has been manipulated by the bias of Hollywood’s patriarchy.
https://www.amazon.com/Frida-Salma-Hayek/dp/B004IZ8RRQ
Overview
Special Terms
- Biopic: A movie dramatizing the life of a particular person, typically and public or historical figure.
- Latinx: A gender-neutral or nonbinary alternative to Latino or Latina used to describe a person of Latin American origin or descent.
- Patriarchy: A system of society in which men hold the power.
- The Male Gaze: A term popularized by Laura Mulvey that is used to depict the perspective of heterosexual men in cinema that is typically characterized by a tendency to objectify and/or sexualize women.
- The “Other”/ “Otherness”: Refers to the viewing or treatment of a person or group of people as intrinsically different from and alien to oneself. In the Western world, the term “otherness” typically refers to people of color and those who are not of Anglo European descent.
- Western Media: A form of mass media. The term “west” is used to describe things, people, ideas, or ways of life that come from or are associated with Europe, North America, and Oceania.
Relevancy
Many students ought to have heard of the illustrious artist and feminist icon Frida Kahlo before, however, the Hollywood biopic Frida (2002) (dir. Taymor) documents Kahlo’s life from a perspective that might differ from what one would typically expect or associate with the artist. Essentially, this is because the film industry is very masculinist and, historically, films have been made for male consumption – a concept conveyed in the phrase “the male gaze.” This phrase was notably explored by Laura Mulvey in “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” and has often been used to show how films reflect a male point of view, especially by putting a focus on the female body. Latin American women in particular have frequently been misrepresented by Hollywood cinema under the false notion that they are hypersexual with curvaceous bodies. Such stereotyping from Hollywood perpetuated false notions that reduced Latin American women to objects for male consumption. Therefore, this research kit will address the questions listed above to draw attention to the main problem with Frida and many other westernized depictions of Latin American women: that Hollywood is embedded in the patriarchal culture of Harvey Weinstein and other powerful men. Ultimately, while navigating this research kit, be sure to keep in mind that there are fortified patriarchal power dynamics within Hollywood cinema that manipulate spectators into perceiving women through the lens of the male gaze and that what you are witnessing is more than likely to be an inaccurate portrayal of Latinx communities.
Addressing the Stereotypes: Latina Representation in Film.
Stereotypes serve to reinforce characterizations of minority communities from the perspective of both the dominant and the dominated (Róman. 40) which, in turn, fosters pernicious side effects. They reinforce western society’s perception of minorities as “other” which arguably institutionalizes white superiority and social divisvions. Moreover, Latinas are among one of the most underrepresented demographics in film. There are many stereotypes that have been used by the western media to script Latinx populations, however, the one that is most relevant to this essay is that of the hot-blooded sultry, curvy vixen (Roman: 39). This popular archetype characterizes women of Latinx descent as promiscuous and, more importantly, reduces their existence into being objects for white, heterosexual male consumption. It has been frequently discussed among scholars that the reason why this particular stereotype of Hispanic women has endured for so long is due to the fact that it facilitates the male gaze. In this context, the Hispanic female body is treated as somewhat of a symbolic bridge between exotic sexuality and patriarchal control due to its “otherness.”
Moreover, between 1990 and 2000, the Mexican went through what John D French terms a period of intense social polarization. It was a period of history that revolutionized Mexico’s sociological foundation. This is significant as it provides somewhat of an explanation as to why a biopic of Frida Kahlo was produced shortly after this revolutionary period since Mexican political and social life was finding its way onto the United States’ radar and, thus, was an appropriate time to create such a film so it would be received on a larger public scale. While it is undoubtedly a good thing that Mexican communities were being represented in a positive light in the western world, one cannot help but question whether embracing the Latinx community was truly the motivation behind this film’s creation.
Frida (2002)
Kahlo [Hayek] with husband Rivera [Molina] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120679/mediaindex?ref_=tt_ov_mi_sm
The female body has been under the watchful eye of the male gaze in the film industry for decades, but it is the Hispanic female body that has been its main target of sexualization for the purpose of the male pleasure. Images of the idealized Hispanic female body are represented dramatically in the Oscar-winning motion picture Frida (dir. Julie Taymor). Based on the biographical novel by Hayden Herrera, “Frida” (1983), the renowned biopic depicts the life of the Mexican artist who became a worldwide symbol of feminism and rebellion. However, upon watching the film, one cannot help but think that Kahlo’s story was not truly representative of her as a person. After all, so much emphasis was placed on her tumultuous marriage with painter Diego Rivera that her individual success was practically overshadowed and, as a renowned feminist icon, surely this is not what her biopic should be focused on? According to Guzman, the hyper-sexualization of Hayek’s body and character should not be surprising (Guzman, 119). Early on in the film, Frida is involved in an accident that leaves her physically disabled and, while historically accurate as far as the accident goes, the use of Hayek’s body being artistically contorted to look as if she has been impaled in the genitals while being sprinkled with gold dust is not accurate in the slightest. Arguably, this scene was intended to artfully showcase Hayek’s body as a site of sexual disability. Moreover, another thing worth noting is how, over the course of the film, audiences are introduced to Frida’s sexual life. Her status as an LGBTQIA+ icon is commonly known information about Kahlo, and it is arguably one of the reasons why she came to be viewed as such a revolutionary figure for her time. However, in Frida, her sexuality is warped to conform to the white male fantasy of the hypersexual Hispanic woman. In exploiting her sexuality for the visual pleasure of men, the film entrenches stereotypes of not only Hispanic women but of the LGBTQIA+ community also – especially since Kahlo rejected her sexuality in her artwork. Ultimately, this just goes to show how patriarchal power dynamics are so heavily ingrained within the Hollywood film industry.
Harvey Weinstein, The #MeToo Movement, and Film as an Expression of Power and Patriarchal Dominance.
Though the Frida was directed by a woman [Taymor], the chronic hyper-sexualization of the Hispanic body in the film leads one to believe that Harvey Weinstein was the dominating force over its production and content material. In recent years it has become popular knowledge that Weinstein abused his position as a powerful Hollywood director to manipulate and sexually harass women. In 2017, Salma Hayek released an article in The New York Times [cited in Annotated Bibliography] detailing how Weinstein made countless sexual advances towards her and – when she rejected him – then threatened to recast her role in Frida (which would have tarnished her prospects of becoming a rising Hollywood star). Therefore, it is now heavily implied that the overtly sexualized aspects of the film were most likely a result of Harvey Weinstein’s involvement in the filmmaking process.
On February 24, 2020, Weinstein was found guilty of rape and felony sex crime, but the jury also acquitted him of predatory sexual assault – which is what Hayek and countless other women in the film industry accused him of doing to them. This illustrates further how the internal patriarchy in Hollywood is so corrupt to the point that it has placed power into the hands of the likes of people such as Harvey Weinstein. Moreover, the fact that Weinstein’s verdict overruled the accusations of sexual assault is extremely dangerous as it arguably suggests that – in the patriarchy – men in powerful positions like Weinstein will be able to abuse their power and go virtually undetected. Therefore, if he got away with it (in some ways) then why can’t they?
However, in the light of Weinstein’s scandal, many similar accusations against powerful men from across the globe came to the surface – and actually led to the ousting of many of them from their positions. It also encouraged women around the world to share their experiences with sexual assault, intimidation, harassment, or rape on social media under the #MeToo. This movement created a space of solidarity for women and, even after Weinstein’s conviction, it continues to grow to this day. The #MeToo movement is worth knowing about when examining the power and patriarchal hegemony of the film industry as the fact that so many women accused Weinstein alone just highlights how severe this problem is. Why does the industry continue to allow white, heterosexual males to represent minority communities when all they do is belittle and commodify them?
Annotated Bibliography
Primary Source Material
MIRAMAX, Frida. ‘Dancing Around An Issue’ (HD) – Salma Hayek, Ashley Judd. MIRAMAX, [Video] YouTube, 11 December 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moe3i3AycwE
This is a primary source YouTube video that depicts Hayek and Judd’s dance scene in Frida (2002) Described by Miramax’s YouTube channel as “Frida (Salma Hayek) wins a dance with Tina (Ashley Judd) after beating David (Antonia Bandera) and Diego (Alfred Molina) in a drinking competition.” I think the wording of this description deserves further inspection as the phrase “wins a dance” arguably objectifies Ashley Judd, almost painting her as an accessory that was intentionally created to please male audiences. Rather than using this provocative lesbian dance as an act of a woman who challenges sexual conventions, Frida appears to be primarily motivated by the desire to gain the attention of Diego Rivera – who is arguably gifted with the gift of the [male] gaze in this fantasy. This scene reinforces how Frida’s sexuality was placed at the forefront of this film in order to appease white male audiences and to objectify Salma Hayek.
Furthermore, this source also gives brief film synopsis in the description box of the video: “Frida chronicles the life Frida Kahlo shared unflinchingly and openly with Diego Rivera, as the young couple took the art world by storm. From her complex and enduring relationship with her mentor and husband to her illicit and controversial affair with Leon Trotsky to her provocative and romantic entanglements with women, Frida Kahlo lived a bold and uncompromising life as a political, artistic, and sexual revolutionary.” This alone supports how this film was not intended to be an accurate portrayal of Kahlo’s life and accomplishments but instead to reduce Kahlo’s entire narrative into her relationship with a man. Arguably to please the white male gaze, this interpretation simply reinforces the notion that Hispanic women were viewed as commodities.
Hayek, Salma. “Harvey Weinstein is My Monster Too,” The New York Times, 2017. file:///C:/Users/molly/Downloads/Harvey%20Weinstein%20Is%20My%20Monster%20Too%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times%20(1).pdf
In this New York Times article entitled “Harvey Weinstein is My Monster Too,” Salma Hayek recounts her own victimization at the hands of Harvey Weinstein. She notes how she was threatened to be fired one time when she refused Weinstein’s sexual advances which is useful information for this research as it provides a first-hand example of a powerful Hollywood producer abusing their power. This article has since been used to critique Hollywood’s power dynamics and it is worth reading if you want to open your eyes to the hardships women have had to face at the hands of powerful men like Weinstein.
Taymor, Julie. Frida [Film], distributed by Miramax Films, October 25, 2002.
This is the film that this research kit chose to analyze. As it is fairly modern, the issues it addresses alongside its general content are still relevant for current audiences. Being a biopic, the film inherently raises questions surrounding representation, realism, and accuracy all of which were arguably skewed by the male gaze. I think this film is really useful for people who wish to explore how patriarchal power dynamics in Hollywood impact perceptions of Latinx communities and simultaneously objectify Hispanic women in the process.
Secondary Source Material
French, John D. “Women in Postrevolutionary Mexico: The Emergence of a New Feminist Political History,” Latin American Politics and Society, vol.50, no.2, 2008, pp. 175-84.
This source chronicles the history of women’s activism in post-revolutionary Mexico. Here, John D French examines gender ideologies that can be seen by society toward Latin American women and, thus, showcases how the post-revolutionary era impacted women in Mexico. This journal article is significant as I think it could potentially provide reasoning as to why Frida Kahlo’s biopic was constructed in the first place. As a revolutionary feminist figure herself, a film about her life would have been suitable for a time in which women in Mexico were experiencing somewhat of a revolution themselves (i.e., it would have been better received by the public). Moreover, in relation to the film, I am sure there was probably a lot of media coverage concerning everything that was occurring in Mexico at this time so that could also provide reasoning for why Frida was so well received also.
Arguably this source can be used to connect back to how the experiences of Latinx communities – and minorities in general – have often been exploited by the West which, therefore, reinforces the notion that there are deeply ingrained power dynamics within not just Hollywood cinema but the United States as a whole.
Kantor, Jodi and Megan Twohey, She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story that Helped Ignite a Movement, London: Bloomsbury Circus (2019).
She Said is a book contrived of stories surrounding the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Kantor and Twohey broke the Weinstein story by compiling accusations of decades of sexual aggression committed against women from A-list actors to junior employees. What makes this book relevant to this research kit is that it not only provides concrete, well-researched information on Harvey Weinstein’s crimes but also places a large focus on the power structure embedded within Hollywood that allowed him to flourish. Moreover, this text also mentions how the women (some A-list actresses) were afraid to disclose their stories due to fear of bad publicity. This is significant as it effectively showcases how the patriarchy is so deeply rooted in Hollywood, after all, why are these women fearing being blacklisted for speaking out on the assault they experienced by one of Hollywood’s biggest producers? Surely it should not even be a question. Why is it that, even in circumstances such as this, women are the ones being blamed? Why is no one believing them? What does it take for their stories to be heard?
Molina-Guzman, Isabel. Dangerous Curves: Latina Bodies in the Media, New York University Press, 2010.
This text from Guzman notes how Latina bodies have become a ubiquitous presence in global culture. Dangerous Curves traces the visibility of the Latina body in the media and popular culture by analyzing a range of popular media including news, media, film, and online discourse. Through this text, Isabel Molina-Guzman maps the ways in which the Latina body is gendered, sexualized, and racialized within the United States using case studies: Jennifer Lopez’s sexuality (p.90), Salma Hayek’s criticized authentic portrayal of Frida Kahlo (p.86), and America Ferrera’s Ugly Betty (p.118). Dangerous Curves carves out a mediated terrain where these racially ambiguous but ethnically marked feminine bodies have been commodified by western culture. Molina-Guzman paints a nuanced portrait of the media’s role in shaping public knowledge about Latina identity and the ways political and social forces shape media representations. (p.1)
The chapter entitled “Becoming Frida: Latinidad and the Production of Latina Authenticity” is centered around Salma Hayek’s portrayal of Frida in the film that is the basis of our research kit. While this chapter does focus more on the competing online discussions surrounding Hayek’s ethnic authenticity to Kahlo and how her being cast in the film was more about publicity rather than ethnic authenticity (p. 87). This is relevant to this kit as Hayek’s casting was arguably not just due to her Mexican heritage but because of her physical appearance. This ultimately connects back to how the male gaze severely influences the media industry. Though Hayek’s performance in the film was undoubtedly terrific, it is undeniable that her casting was influenced by her sexual appeal.
Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Feminism and Film. Ed. E. Ann Kaplan. 1st ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. 34.
In her renowned article, Laura Mulvey explains how the male gaze functions in showing women within films as “erotic objects for the spectator” (p. 40). In her psychoanalytic theory, Mulvey structures her argument around two crucial concepts: “Woman as Image, Man as Bearer of the Look,” and “Pleasure in Looking/Fascination with the Human Form.” In these sections, Mulvey notes how cinema is centered on voyeurism and escapism. This is interesting when applied to Latin American cinema as it almost suggests that Hispanic women (or other cultures as a whole) are viewed simply as means of escapism which arguably demonstrates how these women are essentially viewed as objects for men to use as a means of enacting their own escapist fantasies.
For Hollywood, white heterosexual middle-class men use this gaze. The idea of objectifying women with a white male gaze shows how racism and patriarchy are part of the film industry. Moreover, the sheer popularity and usage of this text arguably verify its argument as it is still applicable and relevant to this day. This source material is integral to understanding this research kit as its thesis is surrounded by the fact that the male gaze not only stereotypes Hispanic women but also demonstrates Hollywood’s inherent patriarchy. Moreover, the fact that a feminist film theory published in 1975 is still being applied to the cinema today says a lot about how this is an ongoing issue and how little to no progress has been made to resolve it. However, could one argue that the male gaze is inevitable and will always be prevalent in cinema?
Roman, Ediberto. “Who Exactly is Living La Vida Loca: The Legal and Political Consequences of Latino-Latina Ethnic and Racial Stereotypes in Film and Other Media,” Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice, vol.4, no.1 (2000), pp. 37-68.
This secondary source journal article seeks to confront the use of dominant stereotypes in popular media. Here, Roman transforms the perceptions of Latinx communities away from the characteristic stereotypical portrayals. He draws a nexus between the social prejudice which leads to the stereotyping and the consequences that result from it (p. 40). Specifically, Roman argues that these widespread media images play a critical role in establishing society’s vision of Latin Americans which he supports by successfully examining the sociological, political, and legal effects of stigma to demonstrate the damaging psychological effects perpetuating these stereotypes has on people.
What makes this article relevant to this research kit is not only his useful information on stereotyping and its socio-psychological consequences but his connection back to his own heritage (which is located in the article’s concluding paragraph). Here, Roman reveals that he too is of Latin American descent and has personally felt, experienced, and witnessed stigmatization because of the ethnic stereotypes of Latin Americans in popular media. To me, this reinforces how Hollywood is in real need of a wake-up call as what they are perpetuating is having severe consequential effects on lots of people. However, one needs to bear in mind that this article was produced in 2000 and since then Hollywood cinema has changed rapidly. Not to say that Latin Americans are no longer being stereotyped but that more effort is being taken when casting and representing minorities. Nevertheless, this article is still exceptionally useful for people who want to learn more about stereotyping and its consequences.
Spence, Louise and Robert Stam, “Colonialism, Racism and Representation,” Screen, Vol.24, No.2, 1983, pp. 2-20.
This essay from Spence and Stam applies postcolonial theory to film to argue that film is power. They note how films reinforce colonial relationships through stereotyping to ultimately discuss how oppressions such as “sexism, class subordination, and antisemitism, to all situations, that it in which difference is transformed into ‘other’-ness and exploited or penalized by and for power” (p. 3). Though a lot of emphasis is placed on race, in relation to this research kit, this text provides useful definitions of what it means to be an “other” as well as what that means for someone in the film industry. They also note how representations of the “other” in film unwittingly submit spectators of that same gender, race, or ethnicity into a colonialist perspective – in which they identify with the colonized rather than the colonizer.
This article is relevant to this kit as it not only provides in-depth explanations of what it is to be “other” but it also reinforces the inherent hegemony within cinema. They demonstrate the issue of how, historically, Hollywood has presented distorted depictions of the ‘third world’ in cinema and how this has brought around questions surrounding realism and whether it is a merely stylistic component of cinema or whether it is something to be achieved. Because the film selected for analysis in this research kit is a biopic (meaning it intends to convey the life of a famous figure) it is worth discussing whether Frida was indeed an accurate portrayal of Kahlo’s life alongside Spence and Stam’s notes on realism in cinema. Personally, I think the film attempts to maintain a sense of realism (i.e., by shooting in Mexico, using a Mexican actress, etc.) however I do not think it is entirely realistic (even though there is always bound to be an element of stylization in cinema).
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