{"id":471,"date":"2021-03-31T00:40:42","date_gmt":"2021-03-31T00:40:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zulfatunmahmudah.id\/?p=471"},"modified":"2021-03-31T00:40:42","modified_gmt":"2021-03-31T00:40:42","slug":"sexism-in-film-tilik-representation-of-film-industry-alignment-with-patriarchal-ideology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zulfatunmahmudah.id\/?p=471","title":{"rendered":"SEXISM IN FILM \u2018TILIK\u2019: REPRESENTATION OF FILM INDUSTRY ALIGNMENT WITH PATRIARCHAL IDEOLOGY"},"content":{"rendered":"

ABSTRACT<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>\u2018<\/em>Tilik<\/em>\u2019 is a short film dominated by female characters. It covertly depicts sexism and frames it into entertaining humor.\u00a0 <\/em>Tilik<\/em> illustrates women as a group who enjoy gossip, are irrational, become the object, and also subject to sexism. In this film, sexism is presented as if it represents the character of women and is very close to the reality of their life. This paper aims to look at how sexism is practiced and reproduced; and how the film industry presents stereotypes of women as a spectacle. The research uses a cultural studies approach and critical discourse analysis as the method. The results show that sexism in <\/em>Tilik<\/em> was represented by various texts, visual images, the characters’ symbolic annihilation, and text flow. Within the duration of 30 minutes, it\u2019s found various texts with the connotation of sexism. Visually, the camera focuses on the female mouths depicting a bitchy character. The good side of the two figures who are the objects of sexism is intentionally not shown (character annihilation). This representation illustrates the stereotype of women as irrational figures, victims of sexism, and at the same time as subjects of sexism to other women. Film \u2018<\/em>Tilik<\/em>\u2019 represents and emphasizes the film industry alignment with patriarchal ideology.<\/em><\/p>\n

Key words: sexism; film <\/em>Tilik<\/em>; film industry, patriarchal ideology, annihilation<\/em><\/p>\n

INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n

Film Tilik <\/em>(Tilik<\/em>) is a short film that tells a group of village women who will visit Bu Lurah (the village leader) at a hospital. On the way to the hospital, they gossiped about Dian, a beautiful village girl who became a successful woman. Tilik<\/em> is considered a successful short film on the market. Apart from winning the Maya trophy, the film which was uploaded on the YouTube channel on August 17, 2020, attracted the attention of viewers. Liputan6.com (2020) launched, this film was watched by 20 million people. The success of the Tilik<\/em> indicates film that frames women’s issues and portrays female characters are still quite attractive to audiences. This condition is in line with the results of research conducted by the Creative Artist Agency (CAA) and Shift7, in collaboration with Time’s up, an organization against sexual harassment in the workplace created by female figures in the American entertainment industry. In its press release, CAA (2018) stated that films with female protagonists earn more than films with male characters. The research was carried out on the 350 best-selling films (box office) in the world which were released in the 2014-2017 period.<\/p>\n

Although the female protagonists contribute financial benefits, the representation of women in the media, especially in films, is considered to have failed in empowering women. Sarkar (2014, p. 52) in her research entitled Media and women image: A Feminist discourse said, \u201cWoman image in the media today project is an unrealistic and even dangerous standard of feminine beauty that can have a powerful influence on the way, women view themselves.\u201d Hu (2020, p. 6) also said, “Representations of women in Disney princess animations not only reveal norms of romanticized passivity and subservience but strengthen them within contemporary society alongside superficial standards for women’s beauty.”<\/p>\n

Apart from being related to beauty, film studies also highlight women’s issues related to sexual harassment. Mallam (2019) in his research \u2018Sexual Harassment as Courtship: Performing Hegemonic Masculinity in Contemporary Telugu Cinema\u2019 defined sexual harassment of women as a key point of departure for his study. The article also argues that \u201cthe courtship behaviors are often influenced by the need to perform hegemonic masculinities and perpetuate a rape culture, denying agency to the woman’s characters in these films and in the society at large (p. 118).\u201d According to Lang (2015), research is also still revealing that women are overwhelmingly valued in a film based on their identification as a mother, wife, or lover.<\/p>\n

Tilik<\/em> depicts something different about women, which is not related to sexual violence, feminine beauty, or identification of women as a mother. Tilik<\/em> is more focused on emphasizing the narrative that shows women who like to gossip, sharing tidbits, and are portrayed as being irrational in seeing the problem. This character has become a spectacle that seems to represent the reality of female characters in real life. This depiction coincides with the research of the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP). GMMP (2015) reported, women continued to remain largely confined to the sphere of the private, emotional, and subjective, while men still dominate the sphere of the public, rational, and objective.<\/p>\n

Tilik<\/em> also framed the story that women are not merely objects of sexism as presented by the media so far. Tilik<\/em> inserts the message that sexism is also produced and practiced by women. The public no longer even sees this as a practice of sexism against women. Continuous media broadcasts with the same message are able to anesthetize individual consciousness in perceiving a spectacle. Instead of being protested as sexism, the character’s representation is actually enjoyed as entertainment and is understood as something normal. Various sexist languages \u200b\u200bin Tilik<\/em> are presented as a comedy that entertains the audiences.<\/p>\n

Mills (2008, p. 140) said that sexism can take shelter under a form of humor that audiences are not aware of. Sexist humor allows the audience to partake in the text when they laugh. According to Mills many studies have shown that women are the targets of male jokes. \u201cThis type of joke can help to create a sense of solidarity amongst men (p. 141).\u201d National Commission on Women (Tempo.co, March 6, 2020) reported that violence against women within the frame of the media often occurs and even continues to increase. Based on data in 2019, cybercrime complaints have increased quite significantly, namely as many as 281 cases, an increase of 300 percent from the previous year as many as 97 cases. National Commission on Woman said that the violence took various forms, one of them is sexist humor.<\/p>\n

Friedan (in Quindlen, 2001) stated that the depiction of women is different from that of men in the media. Friedan argued that men are better represented both qualitatively and quantitatively in media texts. The difference in the image of women and men is closely related to the concept of gender. According to Tierney (1999, p. 165), gender is a cultural concept that seeks to make distinctions in terms of roles, behaviors, mentality, and interactions between men and women that develop in society. The representation of women in films, which is often gendered-biased, became a concern when the appearance of women’s journals and films in 1972. Jackson and Jones (2009, p. 364) explained that the existence of this journal was political, namely fighting against the image of women in films and the role of women in the film industry. Jackson and Jones (2009) also viewed media representation as a false image of women, a stereotype that undermines women’s self-perceptions, and limits their social role.<\/p>\n

Tilik<\/em>, which in fact was produced by a male director, cannot be separated from the patriarchal ideology. The representation of women in Tilik<\/em> is framed from the point of view of men. The director of Tilik<\/em> framed the story that sexism is a problem among women themselves. Based on research conducted by Kunsey (2019, p.36), \u00a0\u00a0\u201cfemale directors tend to hire more women in key roles and depict women in a more positive light than men. Films directed by women were also much more likely to feature a female protagonist and to pass the Bechtel test.\u201d Tuchman (2014, p. 13) also said, \u201cThere are two dominant explanations of the media\u2019s sexism, women\u2019s position in the media organization and the socioeconomic organization of the media. The media offer a deleterious portrait of woman because few woman hold positions responsibility within the media.\u201d<\/p>\n

Referring to this opinion, Tilik<\/em> is not only a reflection of the patriarchal ideology but also an extension of the dominant culture in stereotyping women. It is important for viewers to look more carefully, that sexism can be presented in various forms, both overt and indirect sexism. From these various discussions, this research will see further how sexism is reproduced and practiced in Tilik<\/em>. Besides that, it will also review how film Tilik<\/em> frames the stereotype of women as a spectacle.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Representation and the Media<\/strong><\/p>\n

The various characters shown in Tilik<\/em> seem to represent the reality of female characters. To ensure this, we need to look carefully at how a medium works. Hall in his video lecture entitled Representation and the Media (Jhally, 2005, p. 3) explained that communication is always linked with power and that those groups who wield power in a society influence what gets represented through the media. Hall (p. 3) explained that messages work in complex ways and that they are always connected with the way that power operates in any society, together at the same time. Hall (2013, p. 2) stated that representation is the production of meaning through language. In the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (in Hall, 2013, p. 2), the word representation refers to two different but related things. The first definition refers to actions to describe and to call it up in the mind by description or portrayal or imagination. The second, to represent also means to symbolize, stand for, or to substitute for.<\/p>\n

When linked with cultural issues, Du Gay et al. (1997, p. 3) sees representation as an important element in the cultural circuit. According to Du Gay, to study the culture one should at least explore how it is represented, what social identities are associated with it, how it is produced and consumed, and what mechanism regulate its distribution and use. In this context, the media is not only seen from the message production process but is influenced by factors outside the media itself. The meaning of media is formed from everyday life which is influenced by the power relations and dominant norms of society which are then represented in a text.<\/p>\n

Through his writing entitled The Work of Representation (2013), Hall also emphasizes that culture is a central aspect of representation. Referring to this opinion, Hall defines representation as \u201cthe production of meaning of the concepts in our minds through language (p. 3).\u201d It means that representation does not work like a mirror which only reflects or represents existing meanings. Hall (in Jhally, 2005, p. 6) said the representation is the way in which meaning is somehow given to the things which are depicted through the images or whatever it is, on screen, or the words on a page which stand for what we are talking about.<\/p>\n

As production of meaning, Hall et al. (2013, p. 3-4) explained that representation has two stages, mental representation and signifying practice. The mental representation occurs when a person connects the concepts that exist in the mind with the objects, people, or events around them. Furthermore, the individual will connect the concepts that exist in the mind with a number of signs, such as images, sounds, and words. This stage is then called signifying practice. Hall (in Jhally, 2005, p. 14) said signifying practice means that there is a kind of symbolic work, an activity, a practice, which has to go on in giving meaning to things and in communicating that meaning to someone else. Furthermore, Hall et al. (2013,) said \u201csigns are organized into language and it\u2019s the existence of common language which enable us to translate our thought into words, sounds or images, and then to use these, operating as a language, to express meanings and communicate thought to other people (p. 4).\u201d<\/p>\n

Another thing that must be understood is how the representation of meaning through language works. In the context of representation, Hall et al. (2013) used a constructive approach to see the role of language. Based on this approach, language is considered to play an important role in the process of producing meaning. Representation is a practice, which uses material objects and effects. The meaning depends not only to on the material of the sign but on its symbolic function. \u201cIt because a particular sound or word stands for, symbolizes or represents a concept that it can function, in language, as a sign and convey meaning.\u201d(p. 11)<\/p>\n

This differs from the other two approaches, reflective and intentional. In the perspective of a reflective approach, language only reflects the meaning of an object or event. Meanwhile, the intentional approach sees the role of language from the speaker’s side, where the interlocutor is only a listener and will follow the meaning made by the speaker. According to Hall (1997), representation cannot be understood through reflexive or intentional approaches. It is because a language does not belong solely to the speaker, but belongs together according to the prevailing social agreement.<\/p>\n

The importance of the role of language in the representation space, especially in relation to the discussion of women’s representation also came to Buikema’s attention. In her writing entitled “The arena of imaginings: Sarah Bartmann and the ethics of representation (2009, p. 72), Buikema explained, \u201cLanguage can be a means of making present whatever is absent.\u201d \u00a0According to Buikema, when women are present in the representation room, just being present is not enough. Representation is not only present but also how and why women are presented. Noviani (2020, p. 75) said since language is a tool that makes what was previously absent then becomes present, we need to question what kind of language is spoken about women. What perspective is used to represent and what is the position of women.<\/p>\n

In the context of Tilik<\/em>, women are framed as celebrities who dominate the news in cyberspace. However, the presence of women in the film actually further legitimizes women as someone who deserves to be blasphemed and marginalized. This depiction is in accordance with Jen Webb’s explanation regarding the other side of representation. Webb (2005, p. 115) said \u201cthere is also the issue of representation causing damage to a whole group of people. For example, when women are only, or usually, represented as capable of little more than childcare or food preparation, the damage is done to the status of women in society more generally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Media and Sexism<\/strong><\/p>\n

Haraldsson and W\u00e4ngnerud (2018, p. 2) defined sexism in the media as “the (re) production of social sexism through under- and misrepresentation of women in media, leading to a false portrayal of society through a gendered lens.” Referring to the definition of sexism, it can be concluded that the misrepresentation of women in the media is categorized as a form of sexism. In reality, the depiction of women in the media often does not represent the real condition of women. Related to this matter, Mulvey (in Sassatelli, 2011, p. 132) said that the body of women in everyday life is very different from the body circulated in images. The female image, for instance, in advertising, and in movies, didn\u2019t refer to the actual woman in everyday life, but to an image that could be put into circulation as part of commodity culture.<\/p>\n

Mulvey (1989, p. 15) also stated that the sign of women in films is a sign formed by and for a patriarchal culture, which allows men to complete their fantasies and obsessions, by imposing these fantasies and obsessions on the image of a woman who is silent but is still tied to the position of women as carriers of meaning, not creators of meaning. According to Mulvey (in Kellner, 2006, p. 346),<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active\/male and passive\/female. The determining male gaze projects its phantasy onto the female figure which is styled accordingly. In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mulvey further explained that cinematic codes not only frame the story through visual images but also through the storyline, the dimensions of space and time, framing, editing, and narration. According to Mulvey (p, 345), visual pleasure in cinema has two aspects. The first is a voyeuristic aspect, an active gaze on the erotic image of women. The second is narcissistic, a pleasure in identifying based on our own ideal egos of being perfect, complete, and strong. Furthermore, Mulvey (ibid: 352) mentioned that the male gaze in a film is constructed through three different views in a cinema; camera while recording events, characters, and audience.<\/p>\n

The ideological work of the media in affirming sexism also becomes a concern for Gaye Tuchman. Through her writing entitled \u2018The Symbolic Annihilation of Women by Mass Media\u2019, Tuchman (1978) argued that media reflects the dominant values \u200b\u200bof the society in various images and representations. The media acts as a socialization agent that conveys a stereotypical picture of gender roles. Tuchman assessed that the media has carried out the symbolic annihilation of women. Extermination is carried out in three ways, namely omission, trivialization, condemnation. \u00a0Omission is intended as an act that considers the presence of women as unimportant so that women are deliberately not shown. Even if they appear, their existence is only limited to complementary without a role or what is known as trivialization. On the other hand, when women are presented in the media, their existence can no longer be blamed or discredited.<\/p>\n

Tuchman (1978) developed the concept of symbolic annihilation from Gerbner’s idea of \u200b\u200b\u2018absence means symbolic annihilation\u2019 to include imagistic condemnation and trivialization. Tuchman observed, \u201cWomen are not important in American society, except perhaps within the home. And even within the home, men know best (p. 17).\u201d In Tuchman’s analysis, women may be representationally present, portrayed positively as a loving and good figure, but still be trivialized when juxtaposed against a depiction of men, who shown as wise and powerful. Meanwhile, Claire in Jackson and Jones (2009, p. 367) says that in a sexist ideology and cinema that is dominated by men, women are shown as they appear to men. Women are shown as stills in films, but women as women are often absent. According to Claire, women in the film function as signs, but these signs are not based on the realities of women’s lives.<\/p>\n

Stereotype and Signifying Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to dictionary of cultural studies (Barker, 2004, p. 188), \u201cstereotype is a vivid but simple representation that reduces persons to a set of exaggerated, usually negative, character traits and is thus a form of representation that essentialists others through the operation of power.\u201d Barker said that a stereotype commonly takes the form of a conventionalized idea constructed according to a rigid formula into a hackneyed image that typecasts people. Stereotyping also commonly involves the attribution of negative traits to people who are different from the social group.<\/p>\n

Dyer (in Kellner, 2006) in an article entitled \u2018stereotyping\u2019 explained that stereotypes refer to everything or parties that are excluded from certain social rules. Related to this, Dyer (2006) stated that a system of stereotypes refers to what is, as it were, within and beyond the pale of normalcy. Stereotypes are instances which indicate those whom the rules are designed to exclude of society. Dyer (2006) added,<\/p>\n

\u201cThe establishment of normalcy through stereotypes is one aspect of the habit of ruling groups \u2013 a habit of such enormous political consequences that we tend to think of it as far more premeditated than it actually is \u2013 to attempt to fashion the whole of society according to their own world-view, value-system, sensibility and ideology (p. 356)\u201d.<\/p>\n

In the system of stereotypes, the dominant group legitimizes its existence by applying certain norms to the subordinated group. Dyer also explained, \u201cSo right is this world-view for the ruling groups, that they make it appear (as it does to them) as \u201cnatural\u201d and \u201cinevitable\u201d \u2013 and for everyone \u2013 and, in so far as they succeed, they establish their hegemony (p.356).\u201d<\/p>\n

In a film, Dyer (2006, p. 357-358) explained that the methods of stereotyping are through the iconography and structure of the film. In iconography, stereotypes are established by visual and aural signs, such as through voice, body language, body parts, and other attributes attached to characters. Meanwhile, stereotypes in the film structure are built by static structures and dynamic structures. The statistical structure shows how the film\u2019s world is presented to be organized, materially and ideologically. \u00a0The dynamic structure is related to how the film’s story is told, which is commonly known as the plot. Dyer (2006, p. 361) added that stereotypes can also be formed through character stories. In a film, characters are constructed through various media, such as narrative films that occur in one space and time, as well as individual acting in the film.<\/p>\n

METHOD<\/strong><\/p>\n

This study uses a critical paradigm. Guba and Lincoln (1994, p. 105) define a paradigm as “a basic belief system or worldview that guides the investigator, not only in choices of a method but in ontologically and epistemologically fundamental ways.” In the critical paradigm, knowledge is not absolute. According to Guba and Lincoln (1994, p. 114), “knowledge does not accumulate in an absolute sense: rather, it grows and changes through a dialectical process of historical revision that continuously and enlarge more informed insight.<\/p>\n

To explore the texts and discourse on sexism that are reproduced and practiced in Tilik<\/em>, the researcher uses a cultural studies approach. This refers to the opinion of Saukko (2003, p. 1) which stated that “The trademark of the cultural studies approach to empirical research has been an interest in the interplay between lived experience, texts or discourses, and the social context.” Analysis of text and discourse that is part of the cultural studies approach is a distinctive feature of cultural studies. Ferguson and Golding (in Saukko, 2003, p. 99) said “The trademark of cultural studies, both in its classic and contemporary forms has been the analysis of texts or discourses, to the point that the paradigm has been accused of a tendency to reduce all social phenomena into texts.\u201d<\/p>\n

The method used in this research is critical discourse analysis. According to Van Dijk (in Tannen, 2015, p. 466) \u201cCritical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is discourse analytical research that primarily studies the way social-power abuse and inequality are enacted, reproduced, legitimated, and resisted by text and talk in the social and political context. ” Van Dijk (p. 477) also stated that critical analysis of media discourse has a central place in CDA. The critical analysis is also applied to the coverage of pressing social and political issues, such as sexism and racism.<\/p>\n

The data in this study are in the form of sexism text in the film, both in the form of conversational text, visual images, characters, and storyline. To facilitate understanding of the content of the conversation, the researcher translated the Javanese text which is the language used in the film Tilik<\/em> into English. Data analysis was carried out in three stages, data reduction, data presentation, and data conclusion or verification.<\/p>\n

In performing data reduction, the researcher made a summary by coding. According to Miles et al. (2014, p. 71), “codes are labels that assign symbolic to the descriptive or inferential information compiled during a study.” The coding is done using hypothesis coding, which is a development of the theory or prediction about sexism that occurs in cinema. The choice of hypothesis coding refers to the opinion of Miles et al. (2014, p. 78), that said “the codes are developed from a theory\/prediction about what will be found in the data before they have been collected or analyzed.” Furthermore, the data are grouped based on the forms of sexism according to the theory used in this research. Based on this theory, the reproduction and practice of sexism are presented in three categories, namely sexist language, symbolic annihilation of women, and the male gaze.<\/p>\n

RESULT AND DISCUSSION<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>The representation of sexism in Tilik<\/em> is found in various forms, such as language, symbolic annihilation of woman, and the male gaze in the form of visual images, movie characters, and film plots. These representations are shown continuously in various dialogues and scenes from the beginning to the end of the film. The depiction of sexism at the same time constructs stereotypes of women framed in a spectacle.<\/p>\n

Sexist Language<\/strong><\/p>\n

Based on the text presented, it is known that there were several conversations that clearly contained sexist sentences in Tilik<\/em>. At the beginning of the scene (01: 22-01: 25 minutes), the main character, Bu Tejo opens the conversation, \u201cWhat does Dian do? How come, some people say that the job isn’t right?\u201c To convince the sentence, Bu Tejo explained that Dian’s job often goes in and out of hotels and malls. This conversation indicates that women are imaged as ‘not right’ just because of their activities in and out of hotels and malls.<\/p>\n

At 02: 17-02: 24, a scene was shown, Bu Tejo was showing a photo on his cellphone and saying Dian was huddled together, which made other women even less sympathetic to Dian. At the same time, Bu Tejo said, “So if you have a cellphone, don’t be just for posing, but use it to find information.” Bu Tejo’s words, which were approved by the other women, illustrate that women use communication technology for less positive things. This is because the context of searching for information in the dialogue is related to gossip about Dian’s closeness to other people (maybe \u2018men\u2019 because the screen is not shown to viewers), which is actually no better than the habit of using her cellphone just for posing.\u00a0 The dialogue connotes that women use cellphone technology for negative and unproductive things.<\/p>\n

The harassment against Dian continued. At 04: 27-4: 28 minutes, another character named BuTri said, “If Dian’s job is correct, it is impossible to have something like that.” This sentence emerged as a result of Bu Tejo’s provocation, saying that Dian had a lot of new and expensive items, even though she had just started working. This dialogue shows that women are always in a position to be suspicious of other successful women. On the other hand, women’s success is not necessarily appreciated as an achievement, even under suspicion. In this context, Tilik illustrates that the problem of marginalization of women arises as a result of women’s own internal problems, not because of masculine hegemony.<\/p>\n

Tilik doesn’t just frame sexism against women who are considered ‘naughty’ like Dian. Yu Ning, a woman who has critical thinking and tries to offer a different narrative from Bu Tejo’s, is also the object of sexism. 4:44 – 4:48 minutes Bu Tejo said, “That’s why Yu Ning is diligent in reading news from the internet, huh?” This punishment arose as a result of Yu Ning trying to reprimand other women not to simply believe the news that was circulating. According to him, the truth of internet information cannot be ascertained. Yu Ning’s character as a woman who is not easily swallowed up by problems is positioned as “the other”. Yu Ning was imaged as unlike women in general, only because he didn’t believe in rumors that weren’t necessarily true. Bu Tejo’s actions against Yu Ning that were confirmed by other women demonstrated internal sexism. Compared to men, women are considered unfamiliar with technology, because they do not read the internet. Ironically, this male bias is used by women to suppress other women.<\/p>\n

In the next scene, at 6:34 – 06:33 minutes, Bu Tejo again gossiped about Dian who was thought to be pregnant. “If it wasn’t vomiting from being pregnant, why should she go away?” This sentence assesses Dian’s image as a ‘naughty’ woman, making it possible to get pregnant outside of marriage. In this film, Dian is depicted as an unmarried woman. So, when accusations of being pregnant are raised, it implies pregnancy outside of wedlock. In the context of Indonesian culture, women who become pregnant outside of marriage tend to be judged to have low moral standards. This is related to the view of women’s sexuality in society, where pregnancy outside of marriage is dirty, lowly, and immoral. As a result, a woman who is pregnant out of wedlock will be interpreted as monstrous. With this description, Tilik<\/em> provides a space for women to be blasphemed and marginalized.<\/p>\n

The sexism against women featured in Tilik is also related to women’s inability to lead. At 11:59 minutes, Bu Tejo said, “It is time for our village to have a skilled village leader.” This expression was conveyed by Bu Tejo to advocate for other women so that her husband (male) elected to substitute Bu Lurah to be the village leader. In Tilik, women who are elected as leaders also are not necessarily imaged based on their abilities. This can be seen from the dialogue of Gotrek, a truck driver, at 12.06 minutes who said, \u201cHow if Dian becomes the village leader? Men will definitely choose her\u201d. The reasons for choosing Dian, which he conveyed,\u00a0\u00a0 is inseparable from Dian’s beauty, which\u00a0 makes men fall in love with her . Gotrek did not provide additional explanations, especially regarding Dian’s ability to be a leader. This dialogue implies a sexist mindset, in which women become the objects of the male gaze. Women’s capacity is reduced to just a physical appearance that makes men lured into choosing her. The word choice which is used in the dialogue emphasizes the objectification of women based on women as the object of the male gaze.<\/p>\n

At 15.07 minutes Bu Tejo insulted Dian with the phrase “why is a woman as old as Dian not yet married?” Bu Tejo reasoned that all her friends who were the same age as Dian had already married. Her comment was motivated by concerns that if Dian didn’t get married, she would seduce her husband. This can be seen in the dialogue minutes 15: 41-15: 46, Bu Tejo said, “Dian is a naughty girl who can seduce our husbands.” Dian’s allure is also described not because of her beauty and personality, but because of the implants she uses. This can be seen in Bu Tejo’s dialogue at 16:35 minutes, “Did Dian use implants?” Tilik represented that the presence of beautiful women with various abilities and excellence are a threat and monstrous for other parties.<\/p>\n

The various text excerpts above show that the sexism displayed through the language in Tilik<\/em> occurs massively in most of the scenes. In various dialogues, it is clear that women are not only positioned as objects of sexism. This film illustrates that the subject of sexism is women themselves. Of course, they are only carriers of meaning, not creators of meaning. The presence of women both as subjects and objects of sexism is inseparable from the role of men as holders of power over the course of the story. Hall (in Jhally, 2005, p. 3) explained that messages in the media work in complex ways and that they are always connected with the way that power operates in any society. Although Tilik<\/em> provides space for women to exist in the media, this representation precisely creates a bad image of women. It\u2019s related to Webb\u2019s opinion that \u201cthere is also the issue of representation causing damage to a whole group of people (2005, p. 115).\u201d<\/p>\n

Tilik<\/em> clearly shows women as gossiping, chattering, and even irrational. Besides that, Tilik<\/em> also provides an overview of women’s lives which are covered by competition, suspicion, and unwarranted worries. Although the character construction and characterization are not necessarily accurate, audiences often confirm and consider it to be \u2018relate\u2019 to the reality of women’s daily life. Referring to Dyer’s opinion, this is where ideological stereotyping works. This representation is made as realistic as possible, so close to women’s daily lives. The audience is sedated as if they are seeing something real. The problem is the reality born as a result of cultural construction that develops in society.<\/p>\n

Symbolic Annihilation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Apart from the text, sexism in the film Tilik<\/em> is also shown by not showing the good side of Dian and Bu Lurah. Two figures who actually have different sides in life as independent, successful, and productive women do not appear. Both of them are more often presented as women who deserve to be gossiped about, to blame, and continue to be objects of sexism practiced by fellow women. Tilik<\/em> puts forward a story about negative things that can happen if a woman is successful. Through the main character who appears, Tilik <\/em>offers a narrative that women’s beauty and independence are a threat, not only to men but also to women. This is evidenced by the narrative constructed by the director in the film, that Dian can make households and villages restless. Through the main character, Tilik<\/em> led the opinion that beautiful and independent women need to be watched out for.<\/p>\n

At first glance, Tilik<\/em> gave a very large portion of women to exist coloring the world of cinema. This can be seen from the dominance of female actors in the film. Unfortunately, the presence of a female figure with characters such as Bu Tejo, Bu Tri, and Yu Sam actually puts women as someone who deserves to be blasphemed and marginalized. Their presence is represented by the habit of gossiping and reproaching successful women, it just emphasizes the bad image of women. This is different from male representation. In the film, Gotrek, who is depicted as ‘eavesdropping’ and enjoying the women gossip, is not an ideal character in a patriarchal culture. Men who like to ‘chat’ are excluded from the male characters in general. Gotrek became a \u2018strange\u2019 and funny figure because he was considered not to represent the stereotype of men who were considered rational and productive. In this case, Gotrek is categorized as “the other”. This position is very inversely proportional to Yu Ning, who is categorized “the other” because she doesn’t like gossiping.<\/p>\n

The symbolic annihilation of women was also shown by Tilik<\/em> in the scene of women’s resistance to the police. The label \u2018the power of mak-mak<\/em>\u2019 (mak-mak is a term for women) which often appears in various media conversations in Indonesia is clearly shown when Bu Tejo and other women managed to trick and force the police not to ticket the offenses they had committed. Women are presented with a ‘power’ which has a negative connotation to fight anything that gets in their way. The word \u2018staple\u2019 used against the police on duty reflects an irrational way of thinking and is identified with women. The police scene at 23:35 minutes is overwhelmed with women, depicting women can do anything with their power and determination.<\/p>\n

Male Gaze<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Sexism in Tilik<\/em> is not only represented through language and the symbolic annihilation of women. Sexism is also found in various visual images resulting from camera work. Through camera gaze, depictions of fussy, nagging, and cynical characters are visualized by the exaggeration of the character’s lips and mouth. Emphasizing the stereotype of women who likes to nag and gossip. Through these images, Tilik<\/em> provides visual pleasure to the audience, who may see it as entertaining humor. In addition, this image reinforces the stereotyped representation of women’s character, such as nagging and sexism towards other women. This visualization can be seen in various scenes, especially when they say sexist language, as in the following snippets.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Image of the camera gaze that focuses on the mouth and lips of women in film Tilik<\/em> (source: www.youtube.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The male gaze does not only appear through the camera gaze and the characters. Tilik<\/em>‘s storyline is framed by a story ‘ending’ that reinforces various narratives and visual sexism that are displayed in various dialogues and previous scenes. Yu Ning, who had always reminded other women to be wise in receiving information, was actually positioned as the wrong person to convey information about Bu Lurah. This condition was used by Bu Tejo to further pressure Yu Ning. At 28:28 minutes Tilik<\/em> presented Bu Tejo’s dialogue which said, \u201cSo, spreading rumors that are not clear is slander or not, is it?\u201d This sentence was uttered by Bu Tejo, only because she and the other women can’t visit the Bu Lurah, who was still being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). The word slander, which is actually inappropriate, has become a powerful weapon to position Yu Ning, who from the beginning was positioned as \u201cthe other\u201d by her friends.<\/p>\n

The peak of sexism occurs at the end of the film scene. Dian is described as dating the ex-husband of Bu Lurah, who in appearance and age is more appropriate to become her father. Of course, the issue is not whether or not women are allowed to have relationships with men who are much older. The framing of the ending of the story indirectly legitimates the act of sexism that was committed by Bu Tejo to Dian, as an act that was not wrong. This also illustrates that young women who suddenly can live in a stable manner, cannot be separated from the presence of men, either as girlfriends or mistresses. This stereotype is very strongly framed, both through language, visual images, and storylines. This can be seen in minutes 29: 26-30.10, when Dian tells that she is not comfortable with her relationship status which is kept a secret. The camera’s gaze was focused on the hand of the old man who was grasping Dian’s hand tightly. In her anxiety, Dian leaned on the shoulder of the old man who became her boyfriend.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(source: www.youtube.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The visualization and ending of the story contain a message that happiness and peace for women cannot be separated from male figures, who are imaged as strong and capable of being protectors. This depiction is no different from the image of women in a number of box office films, especially films that depict princesses pursuing the joy of a prince’s caresses. A stereotype that is continuously displayed in the cinema so that it sticks in the memory of the viewers. Making the plot of a film cannot be separated from various interests. There are power relations and dominant norms of society that are then represented in a text. It is unfortunate if the film plot is made only to follow the fantasy of the director. When linked with Mulvey\u2019s opinion (1989), Film Tilik<\/em> creates views, worlds, and objects, which produce the illusion that is cut according to men’s wishes. The male central gaze occurs in such a way that we see most events through his eyes and identify them with his gaze.<\/p>\n

Conclusion <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Sexism in Tilik<\/em> is reproduced and practiced in various forms, such as language, the symbolic annihilation of women, and the male gaze in the form of visual images, characters, and film plots. This act of sexism is carried out by fellow women, which places women as both objects and subjects of sexism. This representation is shown continuously in various dialogues and scenes from the beginning to the end of the film.<\/p>\n

Depictions of sexism also construct stereotypes of women framed in a spectacle. Tilik<\/em> describes women as gossipy, chatty, and even irrational. In addition, Tilik<\/em> also provides an overview of women’s lives which are covered by competition between women. What is even more ironic is the stereotype that women’s happiness is very dependent on male figures. This stereotype appears at the end of the story, becoming the main message as well as the final conclusion of the framing of the image of women in the media.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

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ABSTRACT \u00a0\u2018Tilik\u2019 is a short film dominated by female characters. It covertly depicts sexism and frames it into entertaining humor.\u00a0 Tilik illustrates women as a group who enjoy gossip, are irrational, become the object, and also subject to sexism. In this film, sexism is presented as if it represents the character of women and is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"gutentor_comment":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zulfatunmahmudah.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zulfatunmahmudah.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zulfatunmahmudah.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zulfatunmahmudah.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zulfatunmahmudah.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=471"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/zulfatunmahmudah.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":473,"href":"https:\/\/zulfatunmahmudah.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471\/revisions\/473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zulfatunmahmudah.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zulfatunmahmudah.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zulfatunmahmudah.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}