Gender Stereotypes In Great Hickspectations

According to Stephen Johnson, an author and writer about science and technology, traditional narrative stories trigger emotional connections to the characters and help the audience absorb stories (Johnson 319). Johnson is referring to narrative stories on television and the way they connect to their audience. These television stories present common gender stereotypes in a way that educations the audience of gender roles and triggers an emotional response. In the episode “Great Heckspectations,” which is Season 9, Episode 20 of the television show The Middle, gender stereotypes are challenged by the characters through the story lines of prom, parent roles, and sibling relationships which allows the audience to understand modern gender roles

When television shows want to persuade the audience to feel a certain way or conform to a particular ideal, they use impactful plot lines to engage the viewers. As a television audience, we watch a narrative show, hanging on every action and word of our favorite character, without realizing the impact it has on our everyday life. The gender stereotypes we see on our favorite shows, like The Middle, do have an impact on us and when those stereotypes are challenged or changed, it can make a difference. In this episode of The Middle, Brick and Cindy test the gender stereotypes of high school boys and girls by changing the rules of prom. They challenge this high school rite of passage by not attending the prom dance and having an evening at the library instead. Brick is usually breaking the social norms on the show with his socially awkward behavior, but on this episode he tries to show his masculine side when he asks Cindy to the prom. He wears a tuxedo, bursts through a banner and has a marching band express his “promposel” to Cindy. Unfortunately, she turns says “no” and he must return to his nerdy ways and dress up as a human bookmark for Cindy to agree to attend prom with him. Brick challenges typical gender stereotypes by showing his masculine and nerdy sides, allowing the audience to decide which one they prefer. Susan Bordo, a professor of gender studies at the University of Kentucky, explains how in Disney’s version of Beauty and the Beast, mixed messages about manliness get directed at the audience due to the contrast of Beast controlling his animal rage as well as portraying his gentle side (Bordo 220). Theses gender stereotypes, when expressed and questioned, on television shows like The Middle have an impact on American society and viewers’ thoughts and change their understanding of modern gender