Media texts are constructions, conveying several meaningsEach media text contains intentions behind it – for example to serve certain parties or agendas, to shed the light on minorities, and so on. A passive consumer of media will not be able to notice or realize the intentions behind media texts. Media texts include representations of people, thinks and ideas. It is wrong to consider representations as realities. Rather, producers select only aspects that are useful in achieving their objectives.
This paper is investigating how Hicham Lasri ironically represents gender in his web series in the same way Moroccan patriarchal discourse perceives it; his sense of irony and sarcasm exposes the defects of gender representation as well as gender perception in a Moroccan context. "Bissara Overdose" is selected as a sample. The reason behind selecting it is its impact on social media; the episodes were shared on several Facebook pages; the feedback was surprisingly positive for a patriarchal environment. Episode two of "Bissara Overdose" even won the price of best video in Maroc Web Awards 2017. "Bissara Overdose" is a text that aims at deconstructing gender stereotypes in gender representation.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction:
2. Media text:
3. Gender representation:
4. Gender representation in Bissara Overdose:
5. Conclusion:
Objectives and Topics
This paper investigates how director Hicham Lasri utilizes irony and sarcasm in his web series "Bissara Overdose" to critique and deconstruct Moroccan patriarchal gender perceptions and stereotypes.
- Deconstruction of gender stereotypes in media
- Analysis of rhetorical and semiological tools in media production
- Critical examination of Moroccan societal norms and gender roles
- Evaluation of "Bissara Overdose" as a counter-stereotypical media text
Excerpt from the Book
Gender representation in Bissara Overdose:
Bissara Overdose are mini web-series directed by Hicham Lasri, produced by both Lasri and Philippe Perrot and starred by Fedoua Taleb. Bissara Overdose discusses women status within the Moroccan patriarchal society; many reviews described it as being created from a feminist perspective. Bissara Overdose is a one-actor movie, whose main character is a young woman called Khadija, also known as Cathy. Using this nickname, Lasri might be referring to Cathy, the main character in the gag-a-day comic strip, drawn by Cathy Guisewite. In Guisewite work, Cathy is a funny female character representing in many situations negative stereotypes about women. In the strip comic, Cathy’s struggle was related to the “Four Basic Guilt Groups” of life – food, love, family and work.
Khadija is a single woman, she said that she is 29 years old, which is apparently a lie, as she winked when she mentioned her age; a woman lies about her age, women seek to give the impression that they are still young and fertile; young women, especially in patriarchal societies, are “favorized” over older women. This “favorization” is even worse when an aged woman is single; there is a social pressure on single aged women: here we can mention the Moroccan term ‘l’baira’, referring to a single aged woman.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the premise that media texts are deliberate constructions used to convey specific agendas, necessitating analytical deconstruction to reveal producer intentions.
2. Media text: This section introduces rhetorical and semiological analysis as essential frameworks for understanding how meaning is organized and generated within media products.
3. Gender representation: This chapter examines the historical dichotomy of "Good Women & Bad Women" and explores how stereotypes are constructed to reinforce societal norms and patriarchal power structures.
4. Gender representation in Bissara Overdose: This section provides a practical analysis of Hicham Lasri’s series, demonstrating how the protagonist challenges traditional Moroccan gender expectations through irony.
5. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes how Lasri’s body of work consistently aims to expose and critique essentialism and patriarchy in Moroccan society.
Keywords
Gender representation, Media studies, Bissara Overdose, Hicham Lasri, Patriarchal discourse, Semiology, Rhetoric, Gender stereotypes, Moroccan society, Counter-stereotypes, Media construction, Social performance, Third-wave feminism, Cultural critique, Meaning generation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the representation of gender within Moroccan media, specifically using the web series "Bissara Overdose" as a case study to analyze patriarchal social constructions.
What are the central thematic areas discussed?
The study focuses on media construction, the impact of gender stereotypes on societal relationships, and the role of irony as a tool for social critique.
What is the central research question?
The research investigates how Hicham Lasri ironically represents gender to expose the defects and biases inherent in the Moroccan patriarchal discourse.
Which scientific methods are employed in the study?
The author utilizes rhetorical analysis and semiological approaches to deconstruct the visual and narrative elements of the chosen media sample.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the theoretical foundations of media analysis, the definition of gender representation, and a detailed look at the character "Cathy" and her discussion of sensitive social issues like domestic violence and polygamy.
Which keywords characterize the work best?
Key terms include Gender representation, Media studies, Patriarchy, Semiology, Rhetoric, Gender stereotypes, and Moroccan society.
How does the author define the role of "Cathy" in the series?
Cathy is presented as a character who acts as a vehicle for the director to sarcastically discuss paradoxical societal norms, challenging the traditional "Angel in the House" archetype.
What significance does the "Moustashat" term hold in the analysis?
The term is analyzed as a social label used to stigmatize women who deviate from traditional gender roles designed by patriarchal discourse.
- Quote paper
- Anass Belhassan (Author), 2018, Gender representation in Moroccan media. The example of "Bissara Overdose", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/430868
