Title: He’s All That
Released: August 25, 2021
Produced by: Mark Waters
Access on: Netflix
Netflix Summary: An influencer specializing in makeovers bets she can transform an unpopular classmate into prom king in this remake of the teen classic “She’s All That.”
Gaze Theory: In this film there are multiple scenes where gaze theory is utilized in addition to scenes that objectify women. First, the main character, Padge, catches her boyfriend cheating on her. The girl he is found cheating with is partially exposed to the camera in this scene. The audience is meant to see this girl as a “slut” or an object for the male character’s pleasure. It is meant to be apparent that this girl is being used for sex. Next, one of the popular girls throws a pool karaoke party where every girl is dressed in bikinis. Padge sings at the party and dances with sexual undertones. She touches herself seductively while shaking her hips and at one point even spanks herself. This can be considered gaze theory because the scene does still objectify her and make her performance centered around the male gaze. At this party, Padge’s ex-boyfriend also shows up with his new girl. While performing his song, his new girlfriend is barely wearing any clothes and then starts to twerk and grind on him. Again in this scene her character is objectified and depicted as his means to pleasure rather than a person
Effects: This film begins with a message that is all about fake beauty and putting up a front on social media. In regards to young girls, this is a very negative message. Recently, social media has put a lot of pressure on teen girls to look a certain way. The beginning of this film only reiterates this. Throughout the film, girls are shown that the “hot” girls who dress provocatively are the popular students or in other words the most successful. The girl characters who are objectified are then seen as the goal. However, the end of the film does offer a different message. Padge reveals that her life was all for show and that the stuff she talked about wasn’t most important. She then ends up with her dream guy, Laney. Although the end message is positive, it still pushes the narrative that in order to be successful and find a male partner, girls should be sexual objects.
Shared by: Olivia Smidel
Image Credit: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4590256/