Chicks and...: How New Girl was Written by a Woman and Reads Like a Man
Disciplines
Screenwriting
Abstract (300 words maximum)
While the male gaze has dominated the portrayal of male and female relationships in film and media, scripts and pitches written by women tend to stand out in their reflections of traditional societal positions and stereotypes. New Girl has been hailed by its long-standing audience as a radical and fresh take on these relationships and personal growth of, especially male, characters through the running of the series. The show was written and pitched by Elizabeth Meriwether and stars a female protagonist that is unapologetically optimistic, fun-loving and feminine. However, the pitch of the show presents a jarringly unique perspective that reflects a more masculine-based tone. Rather than empathize with her female protagonist, Meriwether seems to rub elbows much more with her male protagonist, Nick Miller, in the pitch. In this presentation, I will be exploring how even woman-written media can reflect a male-dominated industry by analyzing the New Girl pitch, various episodic scripts, episodes and academic studies on these perspectives in film.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Communication & Media
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Mariam Janad
Additional Faculty
Anna Weinstein, English, aweinst6@kennesaw.edu
presentation for Nov. 16
Chicks and...: How New Girl was Written by a Woman and Reads Like a Man
While the male gaze has dominated the portrayal of male and female relationships in film and media, scripts and pitches written by women tend to stand out in their reflections of traditional societal positions and stereotypes. New Girl has been hailed by its long-standing audience as a radical and fresh take on these relationships and personal growth of, especially male, characters through the running of the series. The show was written and pitched by Elizabeth Meriwether and stars a female protagonist that is unapologetically optimistic, fun-loving and feminine. However, the pitch of the show presents a jarringly unique perspective that reflects a more masculine-based tone. Rather than empathize with her female protagonist, Meriwether seems to rub elbows much more with her male protagonist, Nick Miller, in the pitch. In this presentation, I will be exploring how even woman-written media can reflect a male-dominated industry by analyzing the New Girl pitch, various episodic scripts, episodes and academic studies on these perspectives in film.