Ruminations About the True Beauty in American Beauty

In the article An Ambivalent Alliance: Hostile and Benevolent Sexism as Complementary Justifications for Gender Inequality, Peter Glick and Susan T. Fiske stated that polar characterizations of women still exist in today’s society. Hostile sexism (antagonistic views) are aimed towards women who challenge the power men have (i.e. through seduction, feminist ideology, ambition). 

Benevolent sexism (chivalrous) is a double whammy—it idealizes women, but its used to placate them as they contribute to their own subordination (i.e. women need to be rescued, objects of affection). Ambivalent sexism is composed of both benevolent and hostile. The ideology of ambivalent sexism appears conflicting, but in actuality both benevolent and hostile sexism relates and supports one another. 

The front cover of the American Beauty DVD displays a woman holding a rose to her bared, lower torso. Although the entire movie gravitates towards defining American beauty, examining the women in the film can give us a deeper sense of this definition. The film, which is laden with sexist undertones, presents us with several themes of hostile and benevolent sexism we see aimed at women today. 

Carol Burnham is portrayed as a career obsessed, control freak. She’s stuck in an unhappy marriage and is unsuccessful at her job. She is the “bitch” of the film, constantly nagging Lester, her husband (“Uh oh, Mom’s mad!”) as he goes through a midlife crisis. While Lester fantasizes about his daughter’s friend, smokes pot, quits his job, and buys a new car, these actions are depicted as praiseworthy. Lester never once thinks about how it will affect his wife and daughter, but this doesn’t matter. His actions are justified - the man has freed himself from the restraints of an unhappy life.