Document Type
Article
Source of Publication
Cogent Arts and Humanities
Publication Date
1-1-2025
Abstract
A prevalent notion in the film industry across the globe suggests that female-led films may underperform, leading producers to avoid casting women as leads. This fear of alienating male audiences perpetuates patriarchal ideologies, objectifies female bodies, reinforces gender stereotypes, and alters perceptions of femininity. Examining this perception, the present study investigated the impact of the gender of the protagonist on the audience preference, challenging the misconception that exists in the film industry globally that films starring females as protagonists are less commercially successful. The study conducted an online experiment of 434 participants who were assigned different movies starring male and female main characters and then completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory. They watched and read a summary of the movies and rated their expected pleasure of 24 randomly selected movie plots. Participants have also reported their previous exposure to the films. The study findings indicated that the anticipated pleasure of viewing female-dominant movies depended not on one’s sex but on gender identity. Interestingly, agentic (masculine-identified) participants were more likely to enjoy male-led films than feminine (communal-identified) participants were to enjoy female-led counterparts. The neutral participants noted no difference in their enjoyment. Additionally, increased familiarity with high-budget female-centered movies supplemented the significant correlation between female lead characters and expected enjoyment. In essence, The study challenges the stereotype that female-led films are less successful, suggesting that the industry should feature more diverse, empowered female characters for gender equality.
DOI Link
ISSN
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Volume
12
Issue
1
Disciplines
Film and Media Studies
Keywords
Anticipated Pleasure, Female Protagonists, Film Industry, Filmmaking and Postproduction, Gender Stereotypes, Mass Communication, Sex Roles, Social Identity, Visual Communication
Scopus ID
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Akhtar, Fokiya and Rasul, Azmat, "Empowering women on screen: exploring the influence of female protagonists on contemporary culture and gendered enjoyment in film" (2025). All Works. 7034.
https://zuscholars.zu.ac.ae/works/7034
Indexed in Scopus
yes
Open Access
yes
Open Access Type
Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series
