Do traditional female stereotypes still exist on South African Television? an intricate case study analysis of The River and The Herd
Date
2021
Authors
Nehanda, Nicollete
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Abstract
This research focuses on why the representation of the fatal woman is constructed and recycled by patriarchal structures in South Africa. Using the feminist film theory and the theory of representation, this dissertation evaluates the fatal woman stereotypes that women are boxed into when represented on South African screens. This researcher analyses two case studies, The Herd and The River to illustrate that some television narratives are designed to limit the power that women possess in society. Drawing on historical cinematic accounts, this research illustrates how the fatal woman archetype has many iterations, which seek to maintain the patriarchal hegemonic imperative. The study focuses on the matriarchs of each case study, Lindiwe Dikana, and MaMngadi. The gendered modes identified from each character are similar to the noir femme fatale trope, as this study identifies key fatal woman characteristics such as manipulation, seduction and destruction. Overall, this study found that the corpus of the episodes of the individual case studies did not offer a nuanced and dynamic representation of black women, but rather ascribed them roles and statuses that encourage the perpetuation of patriarchal domination within the South African societal fabric. Hopefully, this study, by pointing out the glaring retrogressive representation of women on South African television, could encourage the emergence of a new wave of television content that offers an anti-racist and anti-sexist narrative
Description
A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Arts in the Department of Film and Television, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2021