To begin, watch this review of 500 Days of Summer from the perspective of feminist philosophical analysis. While the video is a little silly at times, it's also a great example of what I'm looking for with your projects - a philosophical "reading" of a piece of media that opens up questions about its relationship to reality and our lives.
For now though, I'm curious what you think about her argument after seeing the film. You job is to write a response (worth 25 pts) to her claim, which is that the movie is NOT a romantic comedy and Summer is not a "manic pixie dreamgirl," which is a term cultural critics invented to describe a one-dimensional female character who seems to exist just to make a sad male protagonists happy again. Instead, she sees the movie as a philosophical critique of how too many men see and treat women: as objects for their amusement, not subjects in their own right. This is the same argument made by the great existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir in her groundbreaking feminist work The Second Sex. She sees it as an ontological question: "What IS a woman?" And she thinks a "woman," like a "man," is a social role designed and defined by society, which has typically been controlled by men. Do you think the movie takes a position similar to de Beauvoir's? Or do you disagree? Or do you think the movie DOES take the feminist position but disagree with it? Or think the movie SHOULD take that position but doesn't? Post a full-paragraph response (a paragraph means 6-10 sentences here) for a quiz grade.
16 Comments
kristen wimmer
4/17/2016 07:27:14 pm
I would agree that this is not a romantic comedy, but I feel as though that argument is rather obvious considering one of the narrator's first lines is "this is not a love story". The very point of the movie is not illustrating how two people complete each other, but instead how one is complete on their own. Tom's journey is a struggle to find that he alone can make himself happy. Tom's flaw is that he seeks fulfillment through other people, and even worse, an ideal vision of, "the one". In this sense, that one woman he dreams of could be considered as an object, seeing that it is simply a figure he longs to pull him from despair- which illustrates a one sided relationship rather than a symbiotic one. Building on that, Summer is not the "manic pixie dream girl", or the one to to deliver him true joy. Summer actually defies the stereotype of women in society; rather than having the will to complete a man, she would much rather be independent. I would say that the movie does take Beauvoir's position because Summer does not encapsulate the "woman" norm, and does not allow herself to be an object. Usually when we think of women being used as objects, we think in a more sexual sense without emotional attachment. However, Tom seeks out a woman to fulfill him mentally, not physically- which is still using someone, if you cannot reciprocate. Moreover the bigger lesson here is that whether you are "man or "woman" there is no "better half". Out of Tom's suffering he finds true happiness since it is he himself that pursues his dream career in architecture, and thus 500 Days of Summer delivers the critical message that codependency does not lead to true joy.
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Skye post
4/18/2016 04:20:34 pm
While I wasn't here to see the movie for the previous classes, I remember it from a time ago. When I was refreshed by the ending (as well as the review), I interpreted it MUCH differently. I love the destruction of the cynical concept: there's no place for loners in a world for two...Tom thinks. But even in the end, when he meets autumn, it's not about him finding a girl, or even being all by himself. It's about recognizing that the only CONSTANT and, in a sense, per many thing in our lives is ourselves. That's all we get; but that's ok!!! It's not bad to be alone. Summer is not a manic pixie dream girl, however, in some ways she is still a plot device. She's sort of an anti- manic pixie dream girl, because she comes off as everything this guy could ever want, but then brutally destroys this fantasy by one thing- not being HIS. This definitely contributes to addressing the idea that women are not objects. The movie empowers women, as summer seems to have a sense of control over Tom by not being in love with him, and putting herself first. We don't love people because they fill our hollows and emptiness and cravings and longings. We love people because they make us feel good. We choose to love. Therefore, we kind of are putting ourselves first, because their happiness becomes ours. I think Tom and Summer continue to love each other, not romantically, but in the sense that they want each other to be happy as well as themselves. And they go on with their lives because they just aren't meant for each other. In their separate struggles, they still hope the best for each other. This really characterizes the both of them, but the story focuses on Tom, again making summer more of a plot device than a character, despite how well developed she was. It just uses Tom as an example; as it could've even used a girl who finds her dreamboat of a guy- i kinda don't think the gender is important here. It's a lesson to all of us that we may never find our soul mates (as if! There's like 7 billion people in the world) . But hopefully we will find the one good enough to take us away from them. Not because they're any better, but because we love them. Although the review was a bit much at times, the girl gets it :) but again, ignoring gender. The first step in love is being independent. We don't need love. It's not something you share. It's something you give.
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Ricky Wild
4/19/2016 06:47:45 am
In 500 Days of Summer, I think that Summer is not a "manic pixie dreamgirl", but rather a character that is independent and looks out for herself. She doesn't look to make Tom a great person or too complete him, but she looks to make herself complete. And in doing so, she uses Tom and doesn't think Tom is the right choice. She is strong and independent enough to make that decision on her own. She is looking our for herself, before trying to help Tom. That there, is the freedom women deserve and one can assume the ultimate goal of the feminist movement. Had she not been independent, she would have rolled over and been in love with Tom, unfazed by the fact that she might not even like him. It is quite interesting to note that Summer isn't upset by Tom's reaction and even says something relating to her living her own dream.
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Haley Watson
4/19/2016 06:48:47 am
I think that while 500 Days of Summer isn't a typical romantic comedy, I still think Summer fufills the role as a "manic pixie dream girl". Tom found Summer intriguing, but not in the sense that she's just an object. He truly had feelings for her, but Summer obviously didn't have the same feelings for him. She definitely plays the role as a manic pixie dream girl because we don't find out much outside information about it other than what is essential to the main plot line. I also found that Summer really didn't consider Tom's feelings when she ended things with him and got married. This became prevalent in one of the last scenes of the movie when the two are reunited at the bench. I found Summer's one diminesion-ness annoying, as this is a common role of women in many films today. You could use de Beauvoir's lenses towards the creators of these movies. They create female characters that are just there to further progress the storyline or the protagonist's "journey".
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Shea Cody
4/19/2016 06:56:26 am
The movie 500 Days Of Summer takes the same stance as De Beauvior in questioning the role of men and women in society. There is a strong theme of feminism through the movie. The movie portrays a women who does follow the typical roles laid out for women. Sumer chooses to be her own person rather than a thing that is meant to complete a man. The character, Summer shows that it's ok for anyone, not only women to be on their own. No one has to be attached to another person. Even though Tom is constantly looking for another person to complete him. He is not comfortable being on his own. This movie is a form of role reversal. In atereotypes, women are constantly looking for a man to take care of them and men are looking for a woman to simply complete them. In 500 Days of Summer, the woman, Summer is comfortable and even prefers to be on her own while the man, Tom is constantly searching for someone to take care of him because he cannot be alone. This movie isn't always portrayed as a feminist movie, but there is definitely a strong feminist theme throughout it.
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Emilie Weiner
4/19/2016 06:57:09 am
I feel like people have been telling me to watch (500) Days of Summer for an annoyingly long time, and I am extremely glad that we were given the opportunity to do so in your class. Frankly, I had heard mixed reviews from the Internet and I didn't really know what to expect, considering most of my bias stemmed from its incredible soundtrack. However, after watching it, considering the video about the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, and recognize how the film made me feel emotionally, I have come to the definite conclusion that this movie is certainly not an ordinary romantic comedy with one dimensional characters. Too much of the film is unconventional for it be so. As time goes on in the plot and more and more of the layers of Tom and Summer's relationship are stripped back, an onion of both characters imperfections reveals a hollow middle. The truth is that Tom was an idealist, blinded by the expectations that our sexist culture brainwashes us with. Yes, Tom is a good guy, but our boys are taught that girls are hopeless romantics looking for love and marriage, while the men are perpetrators of slut shaming, rape culture, and are praised for having many partners. Although Tom admits to not knowing what love is and wants to find it, he still expects Summer to go against what she openly admitted from the start: not wanting anything serious. She is defiant, herself, and embodies her imperfections, flaws, and conflicts perfectly, because in this case, there is no happy ending for the unhappy boy. Reality's a bitch, but this movie will teach people to listen, especially about love.
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Gabriela Recalde
4/21/2016 08:16:15 am
As we were watching the movie, I could tell that majority of our class was "on Tom's side" and thought that Summer was a bitch. I have to admit that the first time that I watched this movie, I hated Summer for breaking Tom's heart and I didn't really consider that she made it clear that she didn't really want hearts in the equation at all. She never intentionally tried to hurt Tom, Blinded by Joseph Gordon's performance as a romantic nice guy, I think we are concerned with his breaking of the emotionally repressive macho-man stereotype. Because of this, it is almost wired into us to be more empathetic towards him. So, once again, it is knee-jerk to point the finger at Summer. However, if we take a step back and analyze the situation rationally, it is clear that Summer did nothing deserving of our hatred.
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Mya Alexice
4/21/2016 10:42:43 am
This is one of those movies that I watched when I was younger and had a completely different idea of then I do now. Summer was a heartless bitch and Tom was the poor "nice guy". These thoughts came before my awakening to feminist theory and the social inconsistencies that are put upon men and women.
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Erin Kirkpatrick
4/23/2016 09:37:53 am
I don't think 500 Days of Summer in a rom-com despite the plot centering around a "boy meets girl" trope for a majority of the movie. I was grateful to be seeing it for the first time in class because at every "moment" they shared, I thought about what middle school Erin would think of this movie. That terrified me. It's quite easy to interpret Summer as a manic pixie girl because that is would we are used to. It's easier to accept the food than bite the hand that is giving it. There seemed to be a pretty even split on who was okay with Summer at the end of the movie and who thought Summer was a heartless individual, thus being on Tom’s “side”. This being said, I don’t think either characters are at fault for Tom’s heartbreak. Yes, it’s never fun to see a character go through a heartbreak, let alone the protagonist, but it has been drilled into our generation and those that came before us that there is this perfect person out there, who will have the same taste in everything with no flaws.
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Nicole Ortiz
4/24/2016 08:48:34 pm
I think that as a viewer, Summer is not a manic pixie dream girl. She isn't focused on keeping Tom happy or being in a serious relationship with him. I think that while she is an important friend to him (pushing him to be happy), she isn't anything else. To Tom however, she is a manic pixie dream girl. We can see this best in his expectations of the party. He wanted her to be with him the entire time and mostly ignore everyone else there. Tom wants to see her as his 'other half' when neither of them need someone to complete them.
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Logan Applegate
4/25/2016 07:35:29 am
I agree that Summer is not a "manic pixie dream girl". She doesn't stay with Tom until the end, and creates a sorrow in Tom much more than a happiness. Her life doesn't revolve around making Tom happy. She is more concerned about making herself happy. There are scenes where Summer is clearly having an "off" or "bad" day. Tom tries to cheer her up during these scenes, and instead of her shrugging off the sadness, she remains true to her natural emotion. I think what people see is the way Summer looks, the way she talks, and her bubbly personality; and that's where people get the idea that she's a manic pixie dream girl. She fits the part, but there are subtleties about her that point in another direction making her not one. She does things purely because SHE wants to. Tom has no control.
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Hannah Wallis
4/25/2016 07:49:43 am
I can see why many people have different notions and ideas about this movie. The first time I watched this, I was probably 13-14 and I can remember sitting there and being like "wow Summer sucks, she led Tom on and now he's left with nothing". However that's not the case.
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Olivia Nooney
4/25/2016 10:31:10 am
I think that Summer's character is making fun of the manic pixie dream girl stereotype. The introduction of Summer shows this; she's special enough to increase cd sales and income at an ice cream shop. Compared to other manic pixie dream girls, Summer instead focuses on herself and what SHE wants; the opposite of what the stereotypical female character does. To me, Summer seems like she's actually trying to escape being a manic pixie dream girl. This film takes the feminist position in a satirical way.
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Abby Westgate
4/25/2016 06:50:59 pm
Simone de Beauvoir argues that men define themselves by being what women are not. If a woman is a damsel in distress, the man is the hero. She also says that men view themselves as the subject, and women are the objects of possession. In 500 Days of Summer, Tom is definitely searching for the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, and wants to see Summer as one, but does not realize that she doesn’t fit this mold. Tom says that he wants to find love, and he believes that Summer is the object that would allow him to do this. However, Summer tells Tom from the very beginning that she is not looking for a relationship. This makes me agree with the girl in the youtube video; it seems the movie does take a feminist position, because Summer is more than a two-dimensional character with no backstory. Tom sees her this way, and unfortunately believes that her sole purpose is to make him happy and to help him discover love. As audience members, we see the flaws in Tom’s logic. If Tom watched the film, he would continue to see Summer as the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. He refuses to see that she has her own life, even when he is faced with evidence that she has a life outside of her interactions with him. The film is more of a comedy than a romantic comedy; at times it is hilarious to watch Tom digging himself deeper into his hole. Even after Summer has moved on, the movie hints that Tom is about to embark on a similar journey with Autumn, his new Manic Pixie Dream Girl.
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Adel Soliman
4/25/2016 07:02:14 pm
I don't see anything about the worth of a woman coming from this film. Summer isn't depicted as the perfect girl, but rather Tom's instant infatuous connection to Summer depicted by all of her physical traits he described about her. And as they got to know each other more and bonded, he wanted to be able to consider her his girlfriend, but she denyed it claiming she didnt want to be "owned" or the property of a man, yet this is not the case. It is all about perspective on how you look at things. I always grew up thinking the ideal relationship is between to people who can comfortably live together and be loyal to one another. simple as that, doesnt mean one person has ownership over the other, cause Tom could've easily said i dont want to be owned by a girl and have the title of a boyfriend stuck to one person. This turns into interpretation of language where one analyzes the english language and develops a personal interpretation to it. And to Summer, that ment they can make out, be togther and have shower sex, yet cant be dating cause th eterm girlfriend is restricting her and thus making her an item when really, the termonolgy splits it 50-50.
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Jessica Auriemma
4/25/2016 08:47:17 pm
(500) Days of Summer s definitely not a romantic comedy featuring a Manic Pixie Dreamgirl. The very first scene of the movie quite plainly states this. Moreover, Summer is not a one dimensional person. She is given a backstory and her flaws (lack of commitment) are clearly outlined throughout the film. However, I feel where the confusion about it being a rom-com comes in is that the movie mainly follows Tom instead of Summer and he objectifies her to no end. Summer is not a heartless bitch who led him on, she was upfront as to what she wanted and Tom’s inability to accept that is what caused all his problems. When Tom is playing Wii Tennis with Rachel, Rachel states “Just because she likes the same bizzaro crap you do doesn’t mean she’s your soulmate.” This line is the point the whole movie is trying to prove to its audience and Tom struggles to accept this fact throughout the film. He comes off as some poor brooding idealist boy who just wants his quirky dreamgirl to love him back when in reality he is taking a woman who clearly was not going into the relationship (if it can even be called that seeing as Summer repeatedly states she does not want a relationship) with the same end goals. Just because Zooey Deschanel plays a vintage-y quirky character should not automatically lump her into the Manic Pixie Dreamgirl trope. She is a character like Tom with a backstory and flaws but through Tom’s unwillingness to accept that Summer too gets a say in how their “relationship” goes makes it easy to see her as the impossible to pin down dreamgirl existing only for the male’s benefit when for the duration of the film nearly every action and line Summer delivers is for her own benefit and pleasure, not Tom’s. If she really existed only for his benefit then the movie would not even exist seeing as the entire movie is about her leaving him to pursue her own happiness.
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