Title: Kissing Booth
Released: August 11, 2021
Directed by: Vince Marcello
Access on: Netflix
Netflix summary: When teenager Elle’s first kiss leads to a forbidden romance with the hottest boy in high school, she risks her relationship with her best friend.
Gaze Theory: This movie is a perfect example of Gaze Theory from both the female and male perspective. The first scene that depicts gaze theory is when Elle arrives at school wearing a very short skirt because her school pants ripped. All the boys in high school are whistling and yelling at her as she walks by; completely objectifying and sexualizing her. In addition, one boy comes up behind her and spanks her, treating her as an object instead of a person. This sexual assault is completely blown off as flirting when he then asks her on a date and she agrees to it. Noah even says to her, “That skirt is asking for it” but this statement is blown off as a joke rather than completely objectifying Elle’s character. Another scene in the movie where Elle is sexualized is when she accidentally goes into the boys locker room. She then proactively dances in front of all the shirtless boys in just her bra and underwear. In this scene we see just shots of her body as she dances. Noah, the main male character, is also extremely sexualized. In almost every scene he is shirtless. The audience sees shots of just his back or his muscular silhouette. Both the characters are extremely sexualized considering they are meant to be in a teenage relationship. Once the two are officially dating, there are many sex scenes between them.
Goffmanian Analysis: Throughout the film, the size difference between Elle and Noah is emphasized. In kissing scenes, Noah is seen having to bend over to reach her. He is also pictured towering over her just to show how tiny Elle is in comparison. This reinforces the idea that masculinity is about size and that men should be larger in both height and muscles. It also pushes the narrative that femininity relies on being small. There are also examples of feminine touch when Elle is dancing at the party or in the locker room. She is seen softly touching her own body and moving her hair. Similarly, in these scenes the audience also sees licensed withdrawal as Elle looks away and invites the boys and audience to look at her.
Sex Role Theory: The film also depicts many gender norms and stereotypes that are dangerous. First, Elle is depicted as a young girl whose entire life is surrounded by boys and finding love. She is also portrayed as a very sexual being despite only being a freshman in high school. Noah is depicted as the classic “bad boy” figure that all the girls chase after. He also represents a very toxic form of masculinity. In one scene, he screams at Elle telling her to come back and hits the hood of the car hard enough to get her attention. Despite being hot tempered and controlling, Noah is meant to be seen as the misunderstood bad boy instead of depicting his behavior as toxic. Both of these characters are examples of very extreme masculine and feminine characters.
Effect: This film promotes many dangerous ways of thinking when it comes to gender. First, it sexualizes and objectifies many of the characters but most explicitly, Elle. This idea that 14 year-old or 15-year-old girls are this sexual, can push teenagers to feel like they must be this way. It also says that in order to find a love interest, one must objectify and sexualize themselves. In regards to negatively affecting teenage girls, the film also depicts very toxic behavior from men. Noah is shown as a “bad boy” who gets all the girls. He also is seen as this misunderstood boy with anger issues who gets in fights all the time. The film makes it seem as if this behavior is okay and what young girls should seek out. In regards to negatively affecting teenage boys, the film shows them that this type of behavior will get them girl.
Shared by: Olivia Smidel
Image Credit: https://www.amazon.com/Kissing-Booth-Beth-Reekles/dp/0385378688