Tootsie Film Stereotypes

Tootsie Film Analysis

The 1982 film, Tootsie, is a movie that addresses the gender stereotypes and roles that society perpetuates to influence the way men and women see each other. Dustin Hoffman plays a struggling actor named Michael Dorsey who dresses up as a woman, using the stage name of Dorothy Michaels, and lands a high-profile role on a TV show. Throughout the movie, Dorsey experiences life as a woman, encountering stereotypes he reinforces as a man. Director Sydney Pollack uses strategies such as contrasts between Michael Dorsey and Dorothy Michaels to show how gender roles and societal expectations impact how men and women see and treat each other.

In a defiant rage, Dorothy tries out for the role of Emily Kimberly, a feisty feminist

He dismisses Dorothy quickly, saying, “Ya’ see, I’m trying to make a statement with the role… I’m sure you’re a wonderful actress, but you’re just a bit too soft, too genteel, not threatening enough.” The swift dismissal of Dorothy's gentle-natured presentation shows that his internalized views of gender stereotypes influenced how he views the idea of a woman in power. However, since Michael had not yet fully assumed the role of Dorothy, he quickly switched to his masculine Dorsey attitude, doing all he could to get this part. By escalating the situation with a newly founded aggression, manifested through threatening statements towards Ron, Dorothy emphasizes how anti-feminist the situation is. She shouts, “I’ll tell you what you really want. You want a caricature woman to prove some idiotic point... like power makes women masculine... or masculine women are ugly.” Sydney Pollack shows the audience that men’s interpretation of women is that they cannot be in a place of

He tells him that this isn’t fair to Sandy and yet, Michael defends with, “It’s for her own good. Look, I never told Sandy I wouldn’t see other women, I just know it would hurt her if I did... and I don’t want to hurt her. Especially since Julie and I are just girlfriends.” His take on the situation is put into a sore perspective for him just a few scenes later when Julie invites Dorothy over as moral support before her breakup with Ron. His standpoint flipped, and as a woman, Dorothy wastes no time calling him out on the way he is treating her. She gets to the point and tells Ron, “You patronize her. You lie to her. You deceive her.” He then defends himself in a similar way to Michael. “Look, Dorothy, I never told Julie we were exclusive. I never said I wouldn’t see other women. I just know she doesn’t want me to see other women, so I lie to her to keep from hurting her feelings.” Sydney Pollack uses this to establish a parallel between Ron and Michael Dorsey. This foil of the two characters laid out by Pollack allows the audience to compare the discrepancies between the perspective of the same situation from the eyes of both genders. Dorothy Michaels is astonished at the terrible way that Ron is treating Julie, kissing other women and taking part in relationships outside of the one that they had. However, Michael Dorsey has been doing the same