SABC 2 Muvhango 31/12/2018


Date: December 31, 2018
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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Name of monitor: Your name Faith Zaba
Name of Television station: Channel where you are getting the scene SABC 2
Name of programme: Name of News programme Muvhango
Date of broadcast: Date when the news item was broadcast 31/12/2018
Time: Time of broadcast 21:00
Genre: Type of programme
Drama series Drama Series
Theme: Which topic category is this? List all the topics that relate to this scene SOCIAL TOPIC: Peace and conflict, family feud, love hate relations
GBV focus explicit or implicit? Please ensure that the examples you chose either explicitly or implicitly concern GBV Implicit
Gem Classification: Gender and Media Classification
Gender Aware
Gender Blind
Subtle stereotypes
Blatant stereotypes Gender blind
Provide a link: Link to where this scene can be accessed
If no link provide the artefact upload on drobox

Brief description of scene:

In the last scene, the character of Susan comes back home after leaving for awhile and the character of Masindi tries to insult her and accuse her (Susan) of being an unfaithful wife.

Context

The incident is one in a chain. The storyline starts when Azwinndini’s infidelity secret is revealed and Susan decides to leave in order to calm herself from the continuous pain that her husband has caused her over the years. The trigger this time is that, Azwinndini cheated with a married woman and gave her a child.

Why it has been given this GEM classification:

The character’s pain is overlooked and her role as a wife is being used to judge her actions. Woman are often boxed into one role and their characterisation is one dimensional based on the stereotypes that accompany that role (e.g. the ‘good wife’ or ‘good mother’) The man is not being blamed for his part and his actions are implicitly condoned.

Focus:
GBV is not the main focus but verbal and emotional abuse.

People in the programming.

The women are talking in the form of an argument and the man that is within that scene speaks occasionally. The two genders are not balanced as there is only one male character and two females in the scene. They are used in different ways. Females speak about how a certain experience has affected them while the man tries to avoid blame. There are no comments on GBV.

Language

Sexist language is used, describing how women should behave when married and how to behave when a man cheats. All make the point that the woman should not let her pain destroy her family regardless of what happens. The woman is expected to put her family first above her own pain. And the man is not condemned for his cheating ways even though he has done it more than twice in the past. There is no mention of gender based violence.

Visuals.

The man is portrayed as the victim, because his wife had moved out of the house, and the wife as a villain for having left her husband for “another man”.

Intersectionality:

The cultural norms are being enforced when the woman cheated on is expected to endure the pain of being constantly cheated on by her husband without showing that she disapproves of the husband’s actions, because that is how a married woman is expected to behave. A man is not expected to be apologetic for his actions according to certain cultures. Expressions such as anger and disappointment are shown.

Conclusion:

Susan’s emotions should’ve also been understood as she has taken the pain of being cheated on constantly throughout the marriage. The husband’s actions should have been addressed and the mother-in-law should not compare her experiences with that of others. The show missed an opportunity to explore how women are affected personally by infidelity through their shallow characterisation based on gender roles and expectations.


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