Gender Roles - Is the video a parody or a serious look at gender roles?

We feel that this video is a parody, and does not offer an objective perspective of gender roles in this time and age. The video projects a narrow perspective on the behaviour of men and women, and this is done through stereotypes of their character. It is largely based on the producer’s view of how men and women are likely to (or supposed to, in his perspective) behave. Numerous generalisations are made about how men and women will behave when they are put in a similar situation, and we feel that video makers are biased against women. Although no deliberate messages were put across regarding the different behaviours, the video seems to imply that women are more easily distracted and indecisive, as compared to men. It also seems that the women’s behaviour is more exaggerated in the video to achieve humour.

However, this video is also true to a certain extent as there would not be stereotypes if a certain behavior does not always happen. It is true that women still tend to do housework at home while men watch TV as it has always been from the past that the men go out to work while women stay home. Although some of these stereotypes may hold some truth, times are slowly changing and these views are becoming gross stereotypes of gender roles in the society. Women are becoming more independent and career minded while some men do stay at home to do housework. Although it is probably almost impossible to completely get rid of these stereotypes, gender roles are not so explicit nowadays as women are increasing doing what is supposed to be a man’s role while men are increasingly doing which is supposed to be a woman’s role and these is less and less gender discrimination.

In conclusion, this video was probably more relevant in the past but it is outdated in today’s context as we find ourselves disagreeing with many of the portrayals of the different genders, since men and women are slowly moving away from these stereotypes.

Cheong Li Min, Rachel Chin, Lim Shi Min, Sun Yi Yue, Tao Tao 09S03K