Woogyman

Do you guys believe female oscar winners have been portrayed as sex objects in films they have won the Oscar(s) in? (or nominated in) Looking at the following movies...
Monster
L.A. Confidential
Casino

or your general views/thoughts!

Thanks.

Steve Crook

Make a list of all the winners (and possibly all of the nominees) and then say how many of them might have won because they are regarded as sex objects. It probably is the case for some of them, but is it for all of them?

Did Helen Mirren win for The Queen because she was a sex object?
Helen can be very sexy, but was she at all sexy in that role?

And when you've done it for the ladies, do it again for the fellas and see how many of them might have won because of their looks rather than because of their acting ability

Steve

penfold

Have you seen Monster ?? If so, you would know that Charlize Theron is heavily disguised in it; and plays the absolute antithesis of a sex object in the film.

Actually, your question makes no sense. Are you asking if the actresses have won Oscars by playing sex objects; or are you asking if the actresses, once nominated, have been portrayed as sex objects in the media ???

Get your question sorted, watch the films, form your own opinion, and then share; then we'll bat it about a bit and let you know what we think, how does that grab you??

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Wicked Lady

I've often thought that being too attractive was a disadvantage for getting an Oscar for both male and female actors.

narabdela

Excellent advice. No gain without pain in this life I'm afraid. I'm willing to discuss your conclusions, but I'm not going to sit an exam for you. The purpose of an education is to assimilate information and learn how to process and use it.

Moor Larkin

Dangerous Talk

Woogyman

Sorry for not making much sense! I've actually done most of my research!

My actual question is "Have Female Oscar Winners been portrayed as a Sex Object in the film they have won the Oscar (or nominated in)"
My hypothesis, is that a large number of female actresses have been portrayed as a sex object in films they have won Oscars in.
Going deeper into this and asking is it the sex role which got these actresses nominated for an Oscar and even win (which will be hard to find out). This is why i am also looking into Institutional detail - The Oscars; the voting system and how it might affect nominations. I did find out, "Actors constitute the largest voting bloc, numbering 1,311 members" therefore voting may be rather bias!

I also looked into Winning Trends and found that a large number of actresses have won (or been nominated for) for portraying hookers (girls of the night, party girls, whores, call girls, madams, etc.), example:
1. Julia Roberts was nominated as Best Actress for her role as a LA hooker/escort in Pretty Woman (1990)
2. Mira Sorvino won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar as a bubble-headed prostitute in Mighty Aphrodite (1995) - in the same year, two other nominees for Best Actress also played prostitutes: Sharon Stone for Casino (1995) and Elisabeth Shue for Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
3. Kim Basinger won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar as a Veronica Lake-look-alike hooker in L.A. Confidential (1997)
4. Charlize Theron won the Best Actress Oscar as a serial-killer prostitute in Monster (2003)

After these findings, i watched the following films, Monster, L.A. Confidential and Casino and looked into whether the actresses have been portrayed as sex objects in these films. My findings...
Casino (1995) - Sharon Stone plays Ginger McKenna a attractive hustler and prostitute. She was nominated for best actress in a leading role. This supports my question since Sharon Stone was represented as a sex object (sexually attractive) throughout the film and was nominated for her role.

Monster (2003) - Charlize Theron plays Aileen Wuornos a serial killer and prostitute. She won the Best actress Oscar. However, she was not portrayed as sexually attractive which doesn't support my theory/question, but the question is did she win the award for playing a prostitute, a serial killer or playing a lesbian (love scene with Selby). I can also look into the concept of the Male Gaze!

L.A Confidential (1997) - Kim Basinger plays Lynn Bracken a Veronica Lake look a-like and a call girl. She won an Academy Award for best actress in supporting role. Throughout the film, she was portrayed as a sex object, sexually attractive (after looking into the mise-en-scene of couple scenes). She played a call girl and won an Oscar.

Watching these 3 films i found that these actresses have won Oscars/or nominated for one for playing a sex associated role, though only one was clearly not portrayed as a sex object (Charlize Theron in Monster). So, to some extent my research and analysis of these films supports my idea that female actresses have been portrayed as sex objects in the films they have won/nominated for a Oscar.

Now, i don't know what do actually do, have i finished? or shall i look into something else?

Thanks.

Women, Sex & Film...
womensexandfilm.blogspot.com

CaptainWaggett

Are you looking at those actresses who have won the Best Actress Oscar while not playing sex objects - Hilary Swank, Helen Mirren, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts to name 4 since 2000?

Woogyman

No, should i?
I suppose, looking into something that disagrees with my theory would be relevant. These characters are rather sexually attractive but obviously didn't play a sex role. I mean, a sex object doesn't necessarily mean playing a sex role (call girl, etc.).

Sex Object: any person seen only as sexually attractive.

So, actually these actresses may support my theory!

Women, Sex & Film...
womensexandfilm.blogspot.com

Steve Crook

No you haven't. You haven't even started.

You've looked at 3 films, you've considered 4 cases. Your results show a large(ish) number that support your theory - but only from a minuscule sample of all the people that have been nominated.

That's why I suggested in my first post in this thread that you look at some more. And look at the men as well as the women.

If I was marking your paper it'd be an instant fail.
1/10 Must try harder

Steve

Steve Crook

Yes, you should look at things that appear to disagree with your theory.
That's how you test a theory

Steve

moonfleet

Quote:"Sex Object: any person seen only as sexually atractive"

For who ??....some actors can be "perceived" as sexually atractive AND play very well, as Sharon Stone did in "Casino" !!!

Moon.

"Very difficult !" "Craazy!"

Woogyman

Thanks! I need help to create open questions for a focus group which will help answer/test my theory...

Women, Sex & Film...
womensexandfilm.blogspot.com

Steve Crook

Why?

Here's a novel idea, why not just research it yourself

Steve

Woogyman

I asked, i needed help creating questions, not asking you to create the questions. I mean, my theory being that female oscar winners have been portrayed as sex objects in the films they have won the oscar in, but how will i create open questions to test it? I mean, asking the members of the public won't help me, how will they know that playing a sex object is what got the actresses to win an Oscar. How will it help?

On Thrusday im going to the BFI (bfi National Library), what shall i look out for and photocopy? Just a list of past Oscar winners? I don't want my time there to be a waste of time. Thanks.

Women, Sex & Film...
womensexandfilm.blogspot.com