SABC 1: Uzalo 29/11/2018

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Name of the monitor: Sakhile Dube
Name of Television station: SABC 1
Name of programme: Uzalo
Date of broadcast: 29 November 2018
Time: 20:30-21:00
Clip Timing: 15:05 – 16:02
Genre: Drama Series
Theme: Crime and violence, GBV, Negligence.
GBV focus explicit or implicit? Implicit
Gem Classification: Subtle Stereotypes
Provide a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7cp7HqzVpg&t=423s

A brief description of the scene:
Nkunzi and his brother Qhabanga are busy discussing their hijacking business and while in the middle of a discussion, Hlengiwe (Nkunzi’s second wife) enters the office and says that her hormones are everywhere and she needs her husband to make her feel better. Hlengiwe does all this because her husband has been pushing her to get pregnant so that he can have a child who will become an heir.

Analysis

This scene is classified as a subtle stereotype because it portrays women as slaves to their hormones and, in the men’s reaction to Hlengiwe, undermines women by portraying them as a nuisance and as not understanding the importance of business.

Men and a woman speak in the scene but there is no reasonable balance as a woman is a victim and regarded as interrupting men’s conversation. A woman’s viewpoints are not heard in this scene and a male’s voice predominates. The men in the scene undermine the woman’s needs.

When Hlengiwe discusses her hormones with her husband in front of the brother in law, Nkunzi mentioned that Hlengiwe cannot discuss hormones issues in an office environment. This dialogue implies that female hormones are an inappropriate topic for an office environment and that business takes precedence over Hlengiwe’s needs, despite the fact that it is predominantly Nkunzi’s desire to have a child and provide an heir. Ultimately, Nkunzi chooses to prioritise his business dealings over his pregnant wife’s needs and does so with disrespect for her condition. This scene also provides a typical example of how, stereotypically men are always authoritative providers and women are always dependent mothers.