Synaptic

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The final assignment (essay, podcast episode, or oral presentation) invites students to introduce readers to a theory studied in Media Criticism, an upper division course in communication studies, and then analyze a media artifact using the main concepts from their chosen theory. Keilah cleverly organizes her introduction to feminist theory as a theory designed to dismantle inequalities and conducts a detailed and persuasive analysis of how the titular character in Lady Bird breaks free from the constraints of a patriarchal system.

-Dr. Shelley Bradfield

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If you think back to your childhood, can you name a character you looked up to in a television show or movie? As young children and adolescents, it’s increasingly important to have strong role models and vast representations in the media. Greta Gerwig’s 2017 film, Lady Bird, is one such film that offers insights into the strong-willed female character, Christine, otherwise known as Lady Bird. The film raises important questions about female identity and relationships, and what it means to grow up as a girl. Lady Bird experiences the joys and pains of growing up as she goes to Catholic school, builds friendships and romantic relationships, works through a turbulent relationship with her mother, and makes the difficult transition from high school to college. Despite the challenges, she learns to establish her unique identity throughout it all. The film offers a powerful message about female identity important for adolescent girls to see as they navigate the construction of their own identities and formulation of relationships. With a need for strong female representation in the media, an analysis of these details helps us to better understand the expectations placed on adolescent girls and offers new perspectives on how to deal with systems of oppression. Therefore, I propose a media analysis of Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird to explain that while characters try to limit Lady Bird and trap her in a patriarchal system, she manages to break free and acts as a captivating feminist character by offering a story of female empowerment to young girls and women. The following critical essay will define feminist theory and other relevant theoretical terms. These definitions will then be applied to Lady Bird by looking at how Lady Bird is constructed in a patriarchal system, what expectations are placed on her, the ways in which she is “othered”, and how she breaks free from this system.

Feminist Theory

While we may assume that feminist theory has long been a part of communication studies, the reality is that feminist scholarship in communication studies has only taken off within the last fifty years. Researchers Treichler and Wartella (1986) argue that “feminist theory and communication studies can fruitfully inform each other” (p. 2), despite the fact that communication research has not generally focused on feminist theory or accounted for female voices. They argue that feminist theory needs to better set itself apart from current communication debates and continue to pay attention to “the structures and processes of representation, the apparatus and economic structures which support them, the social relations which reproduce patriarchal ideologies, and the interplay between women’s place in culture and in language” (Treichler & Wartella, 1986, pp. 12). Researchers Ott and Mack (2014) suggest a similar call for feminist media scholars to “understand media texts as products of sexist social systems and look at ways patriarchal systems of power inform the creation of media texts” (pp. 196). Overall, an understanding of communication discourses concerning feminist studies helps us better understand feminist theory in our current time.

While feminist theory has integrated itself into communication studies, it also has a large focus in literary criticism, and many definitions and concepts overlap. To fully grasp feminist theory, it’s then essential to understand a few definitions that have emerged both in media criticism and literary criticism concerning feminist theory. Perhaps most importantly is to understand that there are established systems put in place that contribute to the imbalance of power between men and women. Patriarchy, defined by researchers Ott and Mack (2014) as “a system of power relations in which women’s interests are subordinated to those of men” (pp. 195), is the main system that informs how we view both men and women, the expectations we place on them, and the roles we keep them in. Sexism, or the “discrimination based upon a person’s sex” (Ott & Mack, 2014, pp. 194), is then what we do when we limit individuals to certain roles and expectations, whether we realize it or not. In response, feminist scholars work to dissemble these systems of sexism and oppression that affect all of us. Literary critic Lois Tyson adds that “feminists are … opposed to sexism … and to the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression women face and sexism justifies” (Tyson, 2023). The disruption of sexism, otherwise known as “feminism”, is defined as a “political project that explores the diverse ways men and women are socially empowered and disempowered” (Ott & Mack, 2014, pp. 194). Feminism is the overarching ideal that unites feminist scholars, whether in communication studies, literary criticism, or film studies, and allows us to examine imbalances of power. While sexist systems often disempower women, it’s important to remember that feminists are not only interested in women, but in the equality of all people.

In thinking about how the media represents both men and women, gender roles and stereotypes are often enforced to place men and women in restrictive categories. Lois Tyson explains that traditional gender roles “cast men as naturally rational, strong, protective, and dominant while they cast women as naturally emotional, (irrational), weak, nurturing, and submissive” (Tyson, 2023). She argues that we often overlook these gender roles, but they continue to “justify inequities” that often limit and exclude women from positions of leadership and power (Tyson, 2023). Additionally, stereotypes are also used to categorize individuals. A stereotype is a “misleading and simplified representation of a particular social group” (Ott & Mack, 2014, pp. 196). We all use stereotypes, and like gender roles, stereotypes can be dangerous as they only provide individuals or groups of people with a singular story. Unfortunately, stereotypes are “commonly accepted in the media” (Ott & Mack, 2014, pp. 196), because “socially powerful groups like men have greater access to media outlets as a function of privilege, and this access grants them the ability to represent their particular impressions of other social groups to the widest audiences” (Ott & Mack, 2014, pp. 196).

Out of stereotypes broadly arise specific gendered stereotypes, which are similar to traditional gender roles. The four main gendered stereotypes are binaries that include active/passive, public/private, logical/emotional, and sexual subject/sexual object. The active/passive binary depicts men as “marked by strength and activity” whereas depictions of women “emphasize passiveness and weakness” (Ott & Mack, 2014, pp. 198). With this understanding, the next binary, public/private, emphasizes men as having active and public roles, whereas passive women are confined to the private spheres of the home. The third binary is logical/emotional, which suggests that men are more informed or logical while women are emotional. In thinking about the stereotyped roles of public/private, men are expected to make important decisions and women are expected to nurture and take care of the family, both of which require logic and emotion respectively. The final binary is sexual subject/sexual object which builds on the previous three binaries to describe men as “sexually powerful and pursuant” (Ott & Mack, 2014, pp. 202). Women, on the other hand, are objectified because of their established “weakness and emotion” (Ott & Mack, 2014, pp. 202). While these binaries may seem “out-of-date,” they continue to limit individuals.

An additional binary more specifically referred to as a “gender double bind” by researcher Karren Vasby Anderson, also emerges as an important concept. Anderson cites Jamieson’s Beyond The Double Bind who defines the gender double bind as “a rhetorical construct that posits two and only two alternatives … constructed to deny women access to power and, where individuals manage to slip past their constraints, to undermine their exercise of whatever power they achieve” (Anderson, 2017, pp. 526). In other words, the gender double bind limits women to two identities of which they can only be one at a time, and never both. When women do achieve power, these binds still work to confine them to a singular identity. Most notable is the femininity/competence bind where women can either be deemed feminine, or competent, but not both.

Lady Bird Analysis

Lady Bird grows up in Sacramento, California, in which she learns to navigate the patriarchal society she lives in and the expectations that come with it. The clearest example of this hierarchy of power comes from Lady Bird’s turbulent relationship with her mother, Marion, who often feels like she needs to have control over Lady Bird by commenting on the way she makes her eggs and how she dresses, and in the passive aggressive ways she speaks to Lady Bird. Marion is also outspoken and makes her opinions known to Lady Bird, which is the case when the pair go dress shopping for prom. After Lady Bird wonders aloud as to why she doesn’t look like “the girls in the magazines”, Marion says, “I told you not to have that second helping of pasta” (Gerwig, 2017). Marion’s comment both degrades Lady Bird and reinforces the patriarchal standard that girls are supposed to be skinny and that their value is found in their external appearance. Marion’s power places Lady Bird in a subordinated position, and their dynamic is an accurate portrayal of the lack of power women often feel in patriarchal societies when their beliefs and opinions are subordinated by those in power.

While Lady Bird clearly struggles with body image issues, other female characters and friends of Lady Bird such as Jenna and Julie also struggle with body image, female comparison, and expectations of the female body. Lady Bird and her best friend Julie both struggle with their weight and often compare themselves to other girls at school or in magazines. Julie wonders, “why can’t I look like that?” (Gerwig, 2017), and later comments that she “just keep[s] getting fatter” (Gerwig, 2017). These comments continue to enforce the idea that girls are expected to look a certain way, which can be damaging to the mental well-being and physical health of young girls. Not only do Lady Bird and Julie compare their bodies to other girls, but also their sexual experiences.

Jenna and a group of popular girls discuss their experiences one day at school, and, overhearing, Lady Bird lies about having sex to seem cool. The conversation is another representation of the harmful expectation for young girls to have had sex by a certain age to “fit in”. Expectations like these deeply impact how girls view themselves and their roles in society and can have a negative impact on their self-esteem and worth.

Due to these gender expectations, Lady Bird already finds herself in a subordinated position, which makes it all the easier for characters to “other” her or establish her as different. Upon meeting characters like Kyle and Danny, Lady Bird shakes their hands, and both times, the boys consider her weird for doing so. Not only are her mannerisms deemed weird, but so is her name, such as when Lady Bird meets Jenna for the first time. She introduces herself as “Lady Bird” and Jenna responds by simply saying, “weird” (Gerwig, 2017). Lady Bird is also outspoken and has a variety of outlandish opinions that cause her to stand out. One day at a Catholic school assembly, a woman presents against abortions, and Lady Bird tells her, “Just because something looks ugly, doesn’t mean that it’s morally wrong” (Gerwig, 2017). Based on the auditorium’s horrified reactions, it’s clear that Lady Bird’s comments tend to offend others. In each situation, Lady Bird is not only deemed different but is labeled an “other” by those with power over her.

In thinking about the ways in which Lady Bird is “othered,” a few prevalent binds and binaries present themselves. Many characters view Lady Bird as emotional and dramatic, especially her mom. From the film’s opening scene, Lady Bird makes it clear that she has high dreams and aspirations of going to a prestigious college. However, Marion makes it clear that they can’t afford such a school, and that Lady Bird couldn’t make it in, even if they could afford it. In Marion’s eyes, Lady Bird is too unrealistic, irrational, scatterbrained, and emotional (all stereotypical feminine traits), for such aspirations, which is why she doesn’t view Lady Bird as competent or capable of succeeding. Marion’s train of thought is directly related to Anderson’s “femininity/ competence double bind” (Anderson, 2017, pp. 526), which suggests that women who are emotional cannot also be competent. Marion’s expectation of Lady Bird thus diminishes her worth and ability, simply because she expresses strong desires.

Similarly, Ott and Mack’s “logical/emotional” binary also restricts Lady Bird to a limited identity that is most prevalent in her relationship with Kyle. Lady Bird loses her virginity to Kyle but finds out afterward that he wasn’t a virgin when he implied that he was. In response, Lady Bird tells him that she “just had a whole experience that was wrong” (Gerwig, 2017). Kyle insists that Lady Bird is “deciding to be upset” (Gerwig, 2017) and diminishes her for being emotional when she has every right to be. While she tries to explain herself, Kyle continues to insist that she’s being dramatic or that it isn’t a big deal, and therefore doesn’t allow her to be both logical and emotional. In doing so, Kyle holds power over Lady Bird, and uses it to tell her how she feels, thus reinforcing the expectation that women shouldn’t express their emotions unless they want to be seen as incompetent or dramatic.

In the same situation, a third binary of “sexual subject/sexual object” is present as Kyle uses his power as a man to exert himself as the sexual subject, while Lady Bird is forced to be the sexual object. Kyle lies about his virginity status and because he doesn’t love Lady Bird and just likes having sex, Lady Bird is objectified.

He makes this clear when he tells Lady Bird that he’s “probably slept with six people” (Gerwig, 2017) to which Lady Bird responds, “You don’t even know if it’s six people?” (Gerwig, 2017). Lady Bird is shocked that Kyle doesn’t keep a list because she views sex as a special thing and she isn’t afforded the same privileges and power as Kyle.

While Lady Bird lives in a patriarchal society, experiences power imbalances, struggles with gender roles and expectations, and deals with being “othered” for her differences, she doesn’t let these expectations define her. The shift in Lady Bird’s perspective comes on prom night in the car with Kyle, Jenna, and Jenna’s boyfriend. The group listens to music and Kyle states, “I fucking hate this song” (Gerwig, 2017). Lady Bird hesitates, but responds by saying, “I love this song” (Gerwig, 2017). While she’s previously tried to fit in with this group of people, her slight hesitation is the moment when she realizes that she doesn’t want to just follow what others think and speak. Instead, Lady Bird goes to Julie’s house to rekindle their friendship and the two celebrate their unique identities. In doing so, Lady Bird breaks free from social pressure, reasserts her individuality, and chooses to be empowered by her differences.

One of Lady Bird’s most striking forms of distinguishment is her use of the name “Lady Bird” over her given name, Christine. The film opens with Lady Bird and her mom driving home from a college visit while listening to an emotional audio book. When Lady Bird tells her mom that she wishes she could live through something, they start to argue and Marion calls her Cristine, to which Lady Bird immediately responds, “my name is Lady Bird” (Gerwig, 2017). After a few more demands, Lady Bird finally opens her car window and jumps out, resulting in a broken arm that she carries for almost the entirety of the film. Lady Bird’s choice of name is a significant representation of the freedom and individuality she desires as birds are often associated with flight and freedom and imply that Lady Bird feels trapped somewhere she hopes to escape from.

In light of escaping, Lady Bird makes her distaste for Sacramento clear as she tells her mom, “I hate California” (Gerwig, 2017) in the opening scene. However, it’s significant that Lady Bird returns home at the start of the film, which contrasts her desires and plans to leave home in the rest of the film. While Lady Bird is writing her college essays, a nun at her Catholic school even tells her that she must really love Sacramento because she spoke so highly of it in her college essay. When she is finally accepted to a school in New York, she repaints her pink room white, symbolic of her desire for new beginnings. When she gets to school, she goes to her first college party, gets too drunk, and has to go to the hospital almost immediately. After waking up in the hospital, she hears church bells outside and decides to attend a service. Afterward, she calls her mom to tell her that the name Christine, is “a good one” (Gerwig, 2017). These moments all bring her back to a feeling a familiarity in the world she so desperately wanted to escape to. While her hometown wasn’t perfect, she still returns to what’s familiar. While she spends the entire film trying to establish herself as different, it’s only after Lady Bird leaves home and moves to New York that she realizes Sacramento wasn’t so bad after all. It is significant that in the opening scene, when Lady Bird tries to escape and be free, she can’t fully do so and instead falls and breaks her arm. Something holds her back, and perhaps it’s the small part of her that knows her hometown and her family will always be a part of who she is. Lady Bird’s feminism isn’t about rejecting her past, but about reclaiming and redefining it.

Lady Bird’s journey of self-discovery and empowerment is an inspiration to young girls and women. Despite the social pressures and expectations, Lady Bird doesn’t let the world define her, which reminds girls and women that they aren’t limited by the stereotypes and expectations placed on them from a young age. It’s increasingly important to view Lady Bird as a feminist film with a strong feminist character, especially considering that young girls don’t often see strong female characters like Lady Bird represented in the media. With this in mind, it’s important to remember the calls of researchers Treichler and Wartella and Ott and Mack who both argue for an increase in feminist media research. Treichler and Wartella suggest that research has been limited since it’s generally hasn’t been focused on feminist theory or accounted for female voices. Ott and Mack also suggest that feminist media scholars should “understand media texts as products of sexist social systems and look at ways patriarchal systems of power inform the creation of media texts” (Ott & Mack, 2014, pp. 196).

There is work to be done in the world of feminist media scholarship, and as demonstrated by the empowering message of Lady Bird, audiences are deeply moved and impacted by artifacts that challenge traditional gender roles and expectations. However, Ott and Mack additionally call to attention how “recent feminist scholarship has begun to look at the ways in which patriarchy harms individual men” (Ott & Mack, 2014, pp. 195). Considering that sexism affects us all, future feminist media scholarship should not focus solely on how sexist systems impact women, but also on how they impact men. No one deserves to be limited by an oppressive system, and I hope that increased research in feminist media scholarship allows us all to fly a little freer.

Works Cited

Anderson, K. V. (2017). Presidential Pioneer or Campaign Queen? Hilary Clinton and the First-Timer/Frontrunner Double Bind. Rhetoric & Public Affairs, 20(3), 525-538.

Gerwig, Greta. (Director). (2017). Lady Bird [Film]. A424 Films LLC.

Ott, B. L. & Mack, R. L. (2014). Critical Media Studies: An Introduction. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Treichler, P. A. & Wartella, E. (1986). Interventions: Feminist theory and communication studies. Communication. 9, 1-18.

Tyson, L. (2023). Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide. (4th ed.). Routledge