Schwarzenegger and the
women
Teresa Ebert, Anja
Maubach
Susan Faludi
“In typical themes, women were set against women;
women´s anger at their social circumstances was
dipoliticized and displayed as personal derpression
instead; and women´s lives were framed as morality
tales in which the “good mother” wins and the
independent woman gets punished.”
Faludi, Susan.1991.Backlash. The Undeclared War Against American Women. New
York: Crown
Susan Faludi
“The few strong-minded, admirable women are rural
farm mothers defending their broads and
housewives guarding their families from predatory
single women.“
Faludi, Susan.1991.Backlash. The Undeclared War Against American Women. New
York: Crown
Susan Faludi
“The good women are all subservient and
bland housewives, babies or voiceless
babes. The female villains are all women who
fail to give up their independence.”
Faludi, Susan.1991.Backlash. The Undeclared War Against American
Women. New York: Crown
Susan Faludi
“In so many of these movies, it is as if Hollywood
has taken the feminist films and run the reels
backwards. (…) Their new quest is to return to
traditional marriage, not challenge its construction;
they want to escape to workplace, not remake it.
The female characters who do have professional
lives take little pleasure from them.”
Faludi, Susan.1991.Backlash. The Undeclared War Against American Women. New
York: Crown
Women in “Conan the
Barbarian”
Mother:
outward appearance: does not differ from male (fur, use of guns)
Strong-minded, tough, self-confident, determined
BUT: seems to make fun of herself by trying to pretend she could
use a gun and defend herself.
His counterpart:
Independent, mature and intelligent woman
She can fight as good as Arnold
She dies in the end
BUT: Does she die because of her independence, courage and
strength?
“You are all sluts”
That how Conan calls some women who offer themselves to him.
Men in “Conan the Barbarian”
Arnold:
Outward appearance: strong,
tough, use of guns,
Takes revenge for his mother
Gets stronger and stronger,
builds up his body as a slave
kid to kill the murderer of his
mother
Cult leader:
Better weapons, has his own
helpers who fight for him.
He changes into a snake and
is executed by Arnold
Women in “Kindergarten Cop“
Villain´s mother:
presented as very independent who stops at nothing
Very ambitiuos, brave, uses guns and kills
Arnold´s collegue:
Woman in a male job, but is also getting married
BUT: Does she give up her independence for a traditional life?
Dominic´s mother: tries to protect her offspring and is presented
as a typical woman
Does not wait for rescue, but active herself
Men in “Kindergarten Cop”
Arnold: throughout the
film he works in a
female job (educator)
and develops a male
way of dealing with it.
Partner´s boyfriend:
presents both, female
and male
Villain: typical male
characteristics
Women in “Terminator 3”
Female robot: male
character traits with
almost even power to
the terminator
Sarah Conner: does
not wait for her rescue,
but tries to protect
herself
Men in “Terminator 3”
Arnold:
Strong male robot, is
attacked by female
robot that is as even
strong as him
Humiliates the female
robot whenever it is
possible
Conclusion to films
Faludi´s thesis cannot be proven
Schwarzenegger plays superior male
characters as well as equal male roles
Women are friends as well as enemies
Arnold is not presented as a male prototype,
but it is important for his own reputation to
present a balanced and complex image.
Connection to reality
This presentation has shown us that you
cannot categorize somebody, not even
Arnold
Arnold helped the process of emancipation to
proceed (women as equal protagonists)
more and more significant roles throughout
the years
Is Arnold a feminist or an
antifeminist?
Antifeminist Feminist
“ I used to feel that women
were here for one reason. “Women are the engine
Sex was simply another driving the growth in
kind of exercise, another California´s economy
body function.”
unique.”
“I crossed girls of my list –
except as tolls for my “When I am a governor,
sexual needs.” I will prove to women
no romanticizing and no that I will be a
ideology of love
champion for women.”
Schwarzenegger, Arnold. The
Education of a Bodybuilder. New York:
Pocket Books