Introduction
Through the words that are spoken by individuals, it is possible to get an impression of who they are or what their preferences are. Male and female characters differ in various ways concerning how they speak. Ordinarily, existing differences relate to how they think and how they feel about things and life in general.
Drawing from a study by Smith, Choueiti, Prescott, and Pieper (4), female characters tend to speak less than their male counterparts. This paper presents a comparison of the way male and female characters speak in films or on television shows. To drive the point home, a few examples of male and female characters will be cited.
How Male and Female Characters Speak in Films or on Television
By and large, female characters in films or television shows are depicted as being shy, polite, and very quiet. They tend to have a soft spot and can be extremely convincing when they speak about different issues. Typically, female characters speak very tenderly, unlike male characters. Male characters are often rough and time, and again, they are only bothered about conveying a message to the listener or the audience.
When female characters speak, it is evident that they have a unique ability to make use of words in a way that greatly favors them but also able to meet the needs of the audience. In films, male characters normally assume tough roles and are thus required to behave in a manner that shows how mean they are in the way that they relate with others. Male characters in films and television shows are mostly loud and aggressive in their actions and in the way that they speak.
Another characteristic of female characters is there has a deep concern for others, and this leads them to speak with emotions and feelings. Female characters spend so much time complaining and gossiping about different things. Considering that male characters are expected to depict courage and power, it is understandable that they have to speak and act in a way that paints them in such a manner.
How female characters speak also depends so much on their assigned role in films or on television. In general, female characters assume feminine roles that compel them to behave and speak in a certain way. However, the way female characters in television shows speak is usually informed by their nature as abilities as women. To a certain extent, how female characters speak in television shows may be determined by the existing situation or the message that has to be passed on to the audience.
A very good example is that of the popular Oprah Winfrey Show. Anyone who has ever watched Oprah Winfrey’s show will agree that the mood of the show and the way Oprah would speak would depend on the prevailing circumstances and the message to be passed on to the audience. The way female characters are brought up also has a major impact on the way they speak. The influence of their parents and childhood friends during their formative years equally plays a big role in shaping how they speak and relate.
Unlike female characters, male characters like to portray machismo and are thus convinced that it is improper to talk about their feelings or to be regarded as a weak person. For this reason, male characters normally speak with authority and make every effort to hide their feelings from the audience or any person they are communicating with. In the television show known as Days of Our Lives, Bob Brady portrayed a very strong character throughout. Another example is that of Jensen Ackles, who acted as Jason Teague in Smallville.
The scenes of the show are quite scary and clearly, demonstrate how male characters like to assume roles that bring out the aspect of authority. In Smallville, Jensen would speak in a deep fake voice just to bring out the idea of masculinity. Some male characters also make use of very strong words whenever they speak.
Unlike female characters, male characters present the audience with a strong mind and great determination to get things done. In some isolated instances, however, female characters have ended up achieving a high level of credibility or authority in films or on television, almost similar to male characters (Smith, Choueiti, Prescott and Pieper 8).
Like their female counterparts, the way male characters speak depends on how they were socialized during their early childhood days. Largely, the boy child is taught to act tough right from when they are young. They are advised that speaking softly is a characteristic of females and not males. As a result, male characters are forced to put on a brave face in almost every situation they may encounter. This affects the way they speak in films or on television.
Female characters can also be extremely manipulative in the way they speak. They do this as a way of attracting a bigger audience. Also, female characters tend to display a high level of determination to realize their dreams. While it may only require little effort for male characters to achieve certain things in life, female characters may be required to put in double the effort displayed by male characters to realize the same achievement.
Conclusion
Based on the discussion presented in this paper, there are several ways male characters differ from female characters concerning how they speak. While male characters are generally masculine and speak with authority, female characters tend to be soft and emotional in the way they speak.
To a large extent, the difference in the way they speak can be attributed to the way they were brought up and trained. As earlier pointed out, male characters are trained to be tough right from childhood. This is unlike female characters are expected by society to be tender and caring.
The roles assumed by male and female characters in films or on television shows also have a big part to play in determining how they act and speak. Characteristically, female characters will take on feminine roles, and this compels them to speak tenderly and to display a caring attitude. On the other hand, most roles that are taken up by male characters require them to depict courage and power.
Male characters are normally expected to be fearless people who can not easily show their emotions. As explained in this paper, however, it is possible to come by strong and courageous female characters. This notwithstanding, male characters generally assume masculine roles while female characters take up feminine roles. The roles assumed by each gender later determine how they speak in films or on television.
Work Cited
Smith, Stacy, Marc Choueiti, Ashley Prescott and Katherine Pieper, 2012, Gender Roles & Occupations: A Look at Character Attributes and Job-Related Aspirations in Film and Television, Web.