#lucy fischer

We might begin with the very concept of stereotype which on one level denotes "having no individuality, as though cast from a mold." Ironically, this very notion of uniformity constitutes a stereotype in the depiction of women in film. One thinks of female screen personae in terms of types with a reflex that is not so automatic in the case of males. We have, for instance, the "blonde bombshell," the "femme fatale," the "vamp," the "gamin," or the "sex goddess." These are not "career" specifications as are the masculine labels of "gangster" or "cowboy," but rather categories of sexual proclivity and physical demeanor. Indeed the entire history of cinema can be seen as constituting an ongoing fashion show of popular female "styles."