Tag: Writing

Ambitious Women in Media, Leadership

November 1st, 2025
Ace Vee

Margot Robbie in Barbie

Representation of women in power, mainly ambitious women in the media, has, throughout the years, been mixed. Media here reinforces stereotypes against women. Generally, there is a preconceived notion that women should not be allowed to enter any high-ranking position. Or the preconceived notion that women would not be effective leaders, portraying them as either heartless, unlikeable workaholics with no personal life of their own. On the other hand, the positives are confidence, independence, and resilience. Shows, movies, and literature—prominently, most of the media—showcase women as either bossy and cold or naive and unintelligent. In modern day, you can still see that being shown; however, there is more representation of women being empowered and efficient leaders. The importance of this representation is that it reveals how women were and are being treated. Media in general has the potential of women getting more of a chance to have complete and accurate representation.

Literature Review

There is a multitude of criticisms directed towards women in leadership positions. Particularly about the preconception that, due to their gender, they are less capable than men. Establishing traditional gender norms in the workplace or any organizational structure frequently makes women out to be less credible as leaders. Through their status, reputation, mannerisms, stereotypes, appearances, and more. (Irmgard Tischner et al., 2019) In addition to those criticisms, there’s also the portrayal of women acting overly emotional and unstable. Most women who are trying to gain the upper hand, achieve success, or deviate from the norms. Whether that be in reality or the fictional world, they are shown to either be betrayed, fired, or dying unexpectedly. For instance, in the series Game of Thrones (2011), many of the characters are terrible, victimized, villainized, etc. But in particular, Daenerys Targaryen eventually established herself as a powerful ruler, only to be villainized and destroyed and labeled as naive and unintelligent for her ill-advised actions. Sexism in the media constantly affects everyone, including women. Mainly, prevents women from entering leadership positions, like politics. It especially discourages young women from entering the social and political sphere and exposes young girls to stereotypical media; they are less likely to find motivation or interest for political roles. (Haraldsson et al., 2018)

Women are continuously observed through a gender-based lens that assesses their likability and competency. For example, Captain Janeway acts hypocritically in Star Trek: Voyager, 1995, in season 4, episode 16, “Prey,” when she claims that the Starfleet crew does not sacrifice others’ lives to protect themselves. She does that exact thing in season 2, saving two of her crew members. (MSN, n.d.) Or like in Parks and Recreation, 2009, Leslie Knope is an important employee of the parks department and wants to be a valued part of politics. She later in the season advances through the ranks and is later recalled. In season 6, episode 5, “Gin It Up!,” citizens tried to get Leslie recalled through a series of humiliation acts, mainly because the public disapproved of her and her changes. She imposed multiple changes to address the issues of obesity and address Eagleton’s debt with tax dollars. (Gibbs, 2023) Even in the news, there are a lot fewer women reporters because of corporate media and some of the public caring more about entertainment than actual facts. (Riedl et al., 2022)

In the media, ambitious women in leadership roles are often judged primarily by their appearance rather than their skills, talents, or intelligence. The way women are portrayed, especially through ads and in marketing, just shows how they promote conventionally attractive people. (Lin & Yeh, 2009) Or how, in celebrity culture, you mainly see women acting out, destroying their lives, and having mental health problems. Or the 2007 incident of a high-profile celebrity Britney Spears shaving her head. Fans, media, spectators just labeled her as crazy but in reality she was dealing with a difficult divorce and dealing with losing custody of her two kids. Or, Lindsay Lohan ending up with a drug addiction. From disney kid to drug addict pipeline, a global issue of craziness among young women emphasized by the “girls in crisis” storylines among celebs, who deal with eating disorders, chronic relationship issues, and substance abuse. (Meyer et al., 2011)

While the characters in these films and shows may have both feminine and masculine traits, their femininity is frequently used to discredit them. If they exhibit any masculine traits, they are seen as flawed or unlikeable; if they embrace their femininity, they are deemed superficial or unintelligent. For instance, Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, 2001, at first is deemed unintelligent simply because of her love of fashion and for her upbeat personality. Despite proving herself as a capable lawyer, she is constantly questioned due to the way she expresses herself. This is reflected in media where women’s competence is overlooked by societal expectations about how they should look and behave.

From the 1990s to 2024, the portrayal of ambitious women in the media has changed, reflecting societal attitudes towards women in leadership. Early representations, such as Dana Scully (The X-Files, 1993), challenged gender norms in law enforcement, paving the way for more authoritative roles like Captain Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager (1995). By the late 1990s, The West Wing (1999) highlighted women striving for political power within male-dominated spaces. The 2000s introduced narratives like The Devil Wears Prada (2006), where ambition was portrayed as both an advantage and a crutch. More recent portrayals, such as Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder (2014) and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017), further depict women challenging traditional gender roles in the law and entertainment industry. Most recently, Barbie (2023) offers a new perspective on how society pressures women and how society puts unrealistic expectations on women.

Methodology

This research analyzes five different media artifacts spanning different years and examines how ambitious women have been represented over time. The selected artifacts are mainly YouTube clips of different media, including the TV series Star Trek: Voyager (1995), The West Wing (1999), Parks and Recreation (2009), How to Get Away with Murder (2014), and the movie Barbie (2023). These works were chosen for their cultural impact and their portrayal of ambitious female characters in leadership roles. This study primarily examines character representation, stereotypes, and the progress of media representation. Through this analysis, I aim to discuss recurring portrayals of ambitious women and how these depictions reflect or challenge societal norms over time.

Analysis of Media Artifacts

Star Trek: Voyager (1995), a show about Captain Janeway, the female leader guiding her Starfleet crew on missions through space. She challenges traditional gender roles with her leadership style, mixing both masculine and feminine traits. Breaking away from stereotypes of being a passive caregiver. As the first female starship captain, Janeway commands with empathy and intelligence and is able to make tough decisions. Or how in this one particular scene in the series she has a conversation with a little girl about what it takes to be a leader and the actions and mindset you have to have to be a leader. (Talking Salmon, 2008) She is neither overly emotional nor completely dominating to the point it is annoying. She reshapes the narrative about women in power and goes beyond the traditional gender norm.

Now, in The West Wing (1999), women in politics are shown as intelligent and influential. Characters like Cregg and Hayes hold high-ranking positions and are very respected in their field. Cregg is the White House Press Secretary she deals with challenges in the media of constantly being underestimated and undermined in a position of power. And Ainsley Hayes being underestimated because she keeps up with her appearances, being discriminated against because of her gender, and has to constantly prove herself in a male-dominated field. Highlights the challenges these characters face, like being constantly questioned about their authority or the consistent need to try harder just to prove themselves to others. Or how it even showed a new perspective on feminism and how it could lead to a better connecting experience. (Christoffel Middel, 2017) Balances women’s power with the reality of constant gender biases or stereotypes. Just like in Parks and Recreation (2009), Leslie Knope faces constant backlash due to her gender, as she is mainly working in a male-dominated field. Frequently overlooked and undervalued by her peers and by the public. She is consistently proving her dedication and her skills, overcoming multiple changes, and not only that, but she also faces a lot of problems within politics. Especially in this one scene in the series Leslie setting the world straight in an election and how people are constantly asking whether or not she is making the right decisions. (Parks and Recreation, 2015)

Like Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder (2014), it reinforces stereotypes, especially about Black women. She is confident and complex. She defies the classic angry Black woman trope by showing how powerful, valuable, and deeply sympathetic she is. While she defies that trope, she reinforces stereotypes about hypersexuality amongst women. Pushes back against some stereotypes but still has its challenges. Even in her own trial she is constantly getting undermined and used. And how she deviated from the norm. Or even in the Barbie movie that faces traditional gender expectations and mainly how society imposes how women should act and behave. The movie explores how women are expected to fit into a little narrow mold about beauty and perfection. It also challenges society’s pressure to conform to gender roles. It did encourage viewers to start having freedom and self-worth. Or how even on the Barbie movie poster, it mainly focuses on Barbie but also focuses on unrealistic standards and expectations put on women to be perfect, while men do not get the same treatment or standards. Barbie. (n.d.)

Conclusion

The portrayal of ambitious women in the media has evolved significantly throughout the years. Showing clear progress in developing complex and visible female characters. From early depictions of seeing women in secondary roles to being the main character in a series. Like Parks and Recreation or How to Get Away with Murder, the media gradually encouraged women in leadership positions. Even though there is progress, there are still gendered stereotypes often showing women facing a variety of personal obstacles before achieving anything. Reflection on how there are still ongoing societal changes women face. Even though the representation has improved, there is definitely room for some changes. Future media representation should continue to question stereotypes and to continue to show women in a positive light. It is crucial to foster an environment of equality and empowerment.

References
- ABC. (2020, May 15). Annalise’s Powerful Closing Argument—How to Get Away with Murder [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYEAHjNId5Y
- Barbie. (n.d.). The Movie Database. Retrieved February 20, 2025, from https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/346698-barbie/images/posters
- Christoffel Middel. (2017, March 14). The West Wing: Feminism vs. Feminism [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bbz5q2dxRU
- Gibbs, L. (2023, February 27). Why Parks & Rec’s Leslie Knope Was Recalled. ScreenRant. Retrieved February 20, 2025, from https://screenrant.com/parks-recreation-leslie-knope-city-council-recall-reason/
- Haraldsson, A., & Wängnerud, L. (2018). The effect of media sexism on women’s political ambition: evidence from a worldwide study. Feminist Media Studies, 19(4), 525–541. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2018.1468797
- Lin, C., & Yeh, J. (2009). Comparing society’s awareness of women: media-portrayed idealized images and physical attractiveness. Journal of Business Ethics, 90(1), 61–79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0026-z
- Meyer, M. D. E., Fallah, A. M., & Wood, M. M. (2011). Gender, Media, and Madness: Reading A Rhetoric of Women in Crisis through Foucauldian Theory. Review of Communication, 11(3), 216–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/15358593.2011.578254
- MSN. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2025, from https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/the-star-trek-voyager-season-4-story-that-turned-captain-janeway-into-a-hypocrite/ar-AA1q5bWL
- Parks and Recreation. (2015, February 11). Parks and Recreation | Leslie Sets the World Straight (Episode Highlight) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMnxPsQanrs
- Riedl, A. A., Rohrbach, T., & Krakovsky, C. (2022). “I can’t just pull a woman out of a hat”: A Mixed-Methods Study on Journalistic Drivers of Women’s Representation in Political news. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 101(3), 679–702. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990211073454
- talking salmon. (2008, January 17). Janeway’s leadership advice [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8KxIPd_Yi8
- Tischner, I., Malson, H., & Fey, K. (2019). Leading ladies: discursive constructions of women leaders in the UK media. Feminist Media Studies, 21(3), 460–476. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2019.1640266
Fairy Tales Normalize Traditional Gender Roles & Stereotypes

November 1st, 2025
Ace Vee

Have you ever heard the iconic saying, “It’s a Man’s World, We Just Live in It”? Well, this saying is relatively important to past and modern-day society. Women’s rights are being taken away, for example, overturning Roe v. Wade, and women are constantly being discriminated against. Not only in literature such as fairy tales but also in TV shows, movies, campaigns, politics, etc. Children’s literature supposedly for kids is also discriminating against women and men. Fairy tales, if you do not know, are stories that have evolved and share a blend of cultural beliefs, significant events, and/or past-held values. They were created to entertain and reflect on past periods. Fairy tales can offer an escape to anyone of any age, gender, or race. However, while they can be a magical read, some stories provide a traditional and gender-stereotypical view. They depict women and men as very separate, with men coming out on top and women shown as lesser than for their status. Men are portrayed as brave, heroic, independent, and self-serving, while women are seen as naive, obedient, dainty, and self-sacrificing. These stories are predominantly centered around a patriarchal society normalizing traditional gender roles while also affecting children’s and adults’ perceptions of the opposite gender.

Fairy tales establish a set of rules for both genders, determining what is and is not appropriate. Places women in an unfavorable position while placing men on an ungodly pedestal. Female characters in multiple different stories and versions are usually shown as dependent and heavily relying on the men in their lives. Whether that be relying on men to rescue women from creatures, their terrible lives, or even their dysfunctional families. Often these characters get married in the end as a “happily ever after,” even if they did not want to be married. They are forced against their own will and placed into an arranged marriage. These tales do not concern themselves with the desires or goals of what a woman wants, and if they do, it is heavily unreliable, as most of the authors are men. In these stories, women are looked down upon as passive, weak, and only viewed on appearances (Ismail 942).

In other versions, including Disney, these tales reinforce the narrative that there is a significant power imbalance between men and women. And continues to establish the inequality already placed on both genders. This is even happening in real places like Rwanda, a country in East Africa, where their fairy tales encourage children to be in specific roles according to their biological sex. For example, teaching boys to either act or be in more dominant, assertive, and high-power roles. While women are encouraged to stick to home-based chores that are considered “womanly,” such as cleaning, cooking, keeping up with appearances, etc. A constant pattern you see is how men are given more of a position of power, unlike women, who are assigned a more passive and docile role (Ruterana 85).

Gender was and still is seen as a status symbol indicating social standing, economic class, wealth, freedom, and power. Being male or female, even today, holds a lot of power, resulting in discrimination against you because of your gender or rights being held back from you because of your gender. For instance, in the Brothers Grimm’s “Rumpelstiltskin,” the miller’s daughter was held against her will in the castle due to her dad lying that she could spin straw into gold. Her only escape was Rumpel making a deal with her that she had to give up her firstborn to spin some gold. She gets married to the king without her consent, and when Rumpel comes to claim his deal, he loses because she knows his name, which is his weakness. Even when she gets some power, the only one punished is Rumpel and not her father or the king. Even though Rumpel does get punished, he has more independence and power than she does, even as the queen. These recurring depictions of men being displayed as superior to women have been deeply ingrained into society through gender stereotypes, personal bias, education, literature, media, etc. And these different forms have both influenced and shaped how they behave, function, and think in terms of the real and fictional world.

Fairy tales promote harmful stereotypes that can hinder not only men’s and women’s relationships but also culture itself. These stories include upholding strict gender roles and continuing power imbalances and dynamics between genders. Women are seen to have limited roles that mainly emphasize appearances, beauty, helplessness, lack of strength, and inability to function alone. Like in Andersen’s and Disney’s fairy tales, they display women as submissive, caring, and concerned with matters of marriage and falling in love; on the other hand, men are focused on more action-based adventures and are given more active roles (Knyazyan 166). For example, Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” is obsessed with being on land and fighting for someone, mainly a prince’s love. So, she chooses to find the sea witch to turn her human in exchange for her voice, and if she cannot make the prince fall in love with her, she has to kill him. She does not do that and instead returns to the ocean and fades away. All for some guy she barely knew and hardly talked to. In most of these stories, you see girls or women fan-girling over some average, bare-minimum scum.

This pattern has extended beyond a fictional world and has entered the physical world, even influencing cultures. These stereotypes do not just shape the fictional world; they also shape real-life perceptions. Just like in Rwanda, fairy tales utilize gender roles in these stories and expect certain genders to focus on a more appropriate task based on their gender (Ruterana 86). Or in Charles Perrault’s “Cinderella,” she is shown as a stepdaughter and a maid for both her stepmother and siblings. Her place was in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, etc. And her sisters were focused on falling in love and how pretty they came off as. Because appearances were heavily prioritized and expected, these expectations fail young women and place their value not on intelligence but on what they can do for others and how they appear to others, especially men. That’s why you see so many women in abusive relationships so consumed with needing a relationship that they involve their entire livelihood in it. This bias and discrimination limit opportunities and expectations for both genders. Although there are, in some cases, strong female characters, they are still restrained by traditional views. They are defined by their relationships, personal appearances, and outdated standards (Ismail 942). Fairy tales, despite modern culture and equality movements, protests, etc. There is still conflict between genders and still a reinforcement of gender expectations that are still engraved in society. This continuation has negatively impacted everyone, mainly children and women.

Fairy tales affect everyone: children, adults, women, etc. Its effects are incredibly negative to children and people’s perception of women. These tales normalize gender roles and stereotypes and affect children’s development while also shaping adults’ perception of each other. Children’s development is vitally influenced by gender roles depicted in these tales, building understanding of what is acceptable and what is not. Also creates a barrier between genders that can hinder socializing as well as community. The Rwanda case discusses how children are socially conditioned to start doing appropriate tasks according to gender (Ruterana 85-101).

Not only do they shape children, but they also influence adult perceptions of gender. These tales contribute to how women and men behave in relationships and modern-day society. These stories can contribute to gender biases and outdated expectations. Helping adults understand gender, but in a more biased way, with men being viewed as heroic and women being objectified (Ismail 939). Women feel the need to fit into these insanely outdated standards that keep them restricted to traditional and limited roles. Not only that, but these standards hinder mutual growth and respect and stifle relationships.

Going beyond just biases and harmful perceptions can also lead to discrimination against women. Discrimination towards women is often rooted in biased views on traditional gender roles perpetuated by media, citizens, and stories. Leading to unequal treatment in everyday life. Fairy tales present women as second-class citizens at best, which you can see in the real world. Especially in the workforce, politics, and media. The underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, as well as the major pay gap between men and women. Now, there are more women in powerful positions, but men are still seen as superior. Even with equality in place, there is still scrutiny for women who do not fit the mold (Knyazyan 172). These stereotypes are deeply ingrained in society, and stories contribute to the real-world attack on women. Children’s fairy tales play a pivotal role in shaping societal perceptions and ongoing attacks on the opposite gender.

Fairy tales, while they can offer an escape into a magical place that is reading, can also offer up subtle misogyny and sexism. The sexism here contributes to children, especially boys, discriminating against or feeling superior to women. Fairy tales are becoming a huge setback to women in general, and if they fixed this inequality issue, fairy tales would become more enjoyable and quite valuable. But until that happens, it still is and might continue to be a man’s world.

Works Cited
- Ismail, Hisham Muhamad. “Objectification: Examples of Female Characters in Selected Traditional Fairy Tales.” Journal of Language Teaching and Research, vol. 14, no. 4, July 2023, pp. 939–43. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1404.11.
- Knyazyan, Anna. “Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Literature (With Special Reference to H.C. Andersen’s and W. Disney’s Fairy Tales).” Armenian Folia Anglistika, vol. 13, no. 1-2 (17), Oct. 2017, pp. 165–74. https://doi.org/10.46991/afa/2017.13.1-2.165.
- Ruterana, Pierre Canisius. “Children’s Reflections on Gender Equality in Fairy Tales: A Rwanda Case Study.” The Journal of Pan-African Studies, vol. 4, no. 9, Jan. 2012, pp. 85–101. liu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:531460.
Art & Monetization

August 9th, 2025

Dear reader,

From a young age I was taught that you can make a profit of anything even creative endeavors you like doing like art. And to me at first that was pretty exciting because I had many different art ideas and talents such as writing, making jewelry especially making bracelets and drawing sometimes sketches and pen portraits but mainly digitally. And when I was younger I would be trying to find ways to sell them to promote them alas they would fell.

Because most of than not I would get bored of trying to promote my content or trying to even make my content because it started feeling like a chore. Not something I wanted to do anymore something I had to do. So the once fun thing I was doing making my art just became another chore off of a to do list to get done.

“Oh I just gotta post today cause I made a schedule saying I would.” Or “I just gotta make art even though I’m tired.” Or “I gotta make money I gotta my family would stop talking about it.”

What was once insightful suggestions became a consistent nag. Every other comment would be how I was going to make money over what I was doing because other than that what was the point. And that ideas ladies and gentleman and non-binary pals is a bleak idea.

You shouldn’t do art because you have to, you shouldn’t do art because your forced to, you shouldn’t do art because it’ll make you money (unless you want to lmao not stopping you just shouldn’t be your only reason that gets old real fast). You should do art because it makes you feel alive again that’s why. You should do art because it makes you happy. You should do art because it fills your soul to create to make something meaningful, or beautiful, or even cringe.

Creating art expresses life it expresses emotions it expresses who you are I mean of course it’s not your identity but it expresses a part of you that words themselves can’t express. So if anyone’s reading this just take a minute to find why you starting creating in the first place. Whether it be dancing, making video content, or painting.

Whatever it is whatever the hobby take a moment to ask why you started and how it made you feel before views, before likes, before you even knew that you could sell it. Ask yourself these three things when was the last time you felt alive or just like a kid again? Two did expressing yourself through art make you feel alive? And three to not only create but to do something just for you?

Kind regards,

Ace Vee

Tag: Writing

Ambitious Women in Media, Leadership

Literature Review

Methodology

Analysis of Media Artifacts

Conclusion

Fairy Tales Normalize Traditional Gender Roles & Stereotypes

Art & Monetization