The Hollywood Melodrama era started in the 1930s to 1940s producing many well-known stars that are still admired and recognized today. Female stars such as Barbara Stanwyck, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, and Jean Harlow were some to be recognized for defining feminine roles in this era. Specifically, taking roles that crafted the stereotype in this genre of female protagonists in heightened emotional states; challenging social issues, pressures, and/or injustices that popular culture was concerned with at the time. Melodramas were also known for being mainly about women, written by women, and at certain times have been solely enjoyed by women more than men.
By the 1970s, the discussion and analysis of woman in film began, which
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These movies are notably similar in the case that they are marketed towards and enjoyed by more by women than men. Additionally, chick flicks typically involve a female protagonist in plot lines revolving around relationship-based emotional themes, usually about romance and love. When looking at Haskell’s definition, multiple examples in this genre can be found within the past decade featuring her topics. Sex and the City would be one great example of a chick flick that includes all of Haskell’s film topics. It centers around four female protagonists whose storylines deal with issues concerning romance, marriage, domestic life, self-sacrifice, family, and motherhood. The character Carrie Bradshaw represents the storyline concerning with marriage; Miranda with romantic and marriage problems; Samantha with self-sacrifice and domestic life predicaments; and Charlotte with family and motherhood obstacles. While this film is a good chick flick example of Haskell’s modern day version of women’s film, it is also a good example of how these films are less respected than other genres. Sex and the City chick flick only received a forty-nine percent among critics on rotten tomatoes. According to the Huffington Post, most women who work in film absolutely hate the term “chick flick” because it takes away any power and demeans the quality from films that star or are about them. Then, the next question is: why do chick flicks still not get the same respect as other