Male and Female Characters and Representation

Male Characters and Representation

Men within soaps are also known as Patriarchs, they are far less common within soap operas then the female character who is arguably a counter type role as we see many female character that lead their communities, and dictating the terms within family issues and situations, this may affect the males representation as it takes away their typical masculine qualities such as; assertiveness, strength, and ruthlessness, these qualities would make the male character an outsider to the soap communities and can be supported by the fact that we often see successful and long-lasting male characters who have adapted similar capabilities which are associated with femininity by adopting feminine traits such as sensitivity, caring and the ability to demonstrate emotion, an example I have chosen for this description is; Tyrone from Coronation Street.

Taking this into consideration, this creates a limitation based on the variety of male roles, which can be made available; this effects the representation of male characters as they are commonly televised within soaps as, the figure of the businessman or entrepreneur within the soap, a recent example I have chosen for this description is; Derek Branning from EastEnders.

Female Characters and Representation

Females within soaps are also known as Matriarchs, they are often more important and withhold strong representations within soap operas, this is arguably why many women watch soap operas as this is rarely seen in other genres. The term gossip is often related to women and may carry largely negative connotations, however it is widely used within soap opera and empowers the female representation within soaps as Brown’s theory indicates the importance of intimate conversation and problem solving as narrative features, females are often the centre of this theory which causes them to play a vital role within their community and the majority of narrative strands used within episodes, and explains why there is a wider range of female roles to be played within soaps.

Female representation is also strengthened by traits they possess as we often see them as ringleaders of the community, as well as possess a great deal of male traits, as previously mentioned; assertiveness, strength, and ruthlessness. A good example of a strong female actress within soaps is; Kat Slater from EastEnders.