The Evolution of Feminism Through Chick Flicks from 1960s to 2010s in Hollywood

Research Article
Open access

The Evolution of Feminism Through Chick Flicks from 1960s to 2010s in Hollywood

Xianyun Cai 1 , Ruihan Li 2* , Dian Tian 3 , Xinting Xu 4
  • 1 Golden Apple Jin Cheng No.1 Secondary School    
  • 2 No.9 Middle School    
  • 3 Wuhan Britain-China School    
  • 4 Nanjing No.1 Middle School    
  • *corresponding author lrhnb529@gamil.com
CHR Vol.68
ISSN (Print): 2753-7072
ISSN (Online): 2753-7064
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-075-7
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-076-4

Abstract

Chick flick, the commercial film that appeals to female audiences, roots from “woman’s film” prevalent in early 20th century. This essay traces the evolution of chick flicks from the 1960s to 2010s in Hollywood. We divide the chick flicks in three stages (1960s-1970s, 1970s-1990s, 1990s- 2010s) by the development of feminism from the second to third wave. We analyze several films chosen to represent the chicks flicks of each stage—-Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Pretty in Pink (1986), The Devil Wears Prada (2006) ----from three aspects: (1) The characters' personas, including their outlook on love, values, etc; (2) Narratives, including role relationships; (3) Makeup and costume. This essay also discusses the use of the word “chick flicks”, as a result of its ambiguous and ambivalent definition in social and cinematic scale and tries to reappropriate its meaning: labeled as cheesy and senseless for decades, chick flicks need redress to gain a equal status as other films. We contend that chick flicks change or evolve alongside the progression of the movement of feminism, especially the second and third wave of feminism. To be specific, the chick flicks cover themes from a simple romantic story of how two people fall in love to more diverse topics about life, personal growth, and even social issues.

Keywords:

Chick Flick, Waves of Feminism, Gender Stereotype, Reconstruction, The Male Gaze

Cai,X.;Li,R.;Tian,D.;Xu,X. (2025). The Evolution of Feminism Through Chick Flicks from 1960s to 2010s in Hollywood. Communications in Humanities Research,68,155-162.
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References

[1]. Breakfast at Tiffany's Blake Edwards 1961

[2]. Coco chanel (1971)https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3004479.Coco_Chanel

[3]. Sobel, C. K. L. (2021). Cinematic Fashionability and Images Politics. Journalism, 11(2), 73-80.

[4]. Jin, H. Chanel’s Ford: A Revolution of Women’s Rights and Fashion.

[5]. Janelle Reinelt, "States of Play: Feminism, Gender Studies, and Performance" (page 2 of 4)

[6]. Quotes from G. W. F. Hegel https://ndpr.nd.edu/reviews/hegel-on-beauty/

[7]. Diane Negra (2008) Structural Integrity, Historical Reversion, And The Post-9/11 Chick Flick, Feminist Media Studies, 8:1, 51-68

Cite this article

Cai,X.;Li,R.;Tian,D.;Xu,X. (2025). The Evolution of Feminism Through Chick Flicks from 1960s to 2010s in Hollywood. Communications in Humanities Research,68,155-162.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on Interdisciplinary Humanities and Communication Studies

ISBN：978-1-80590-075-7(Print) / 978-1-80590-076-4(Online)
Editor：Heidi Gregory-Mina
Conference website: https://2024.icihcs.org/
Conference date: 26 December 2024
Series: Communications in Humanities Research
Volume number: Vol.68
ISSN：2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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References

[1]. Breakfast at Tiffany's Blake Edwards 1961

[2]. Coco chanel (1971)https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3004479.Coco_Chanel

[3]. Sobel, C. K. L. (2021). Cinematic Fashionability and Images Politics. Journalism, 11(2), 73-80.

[4]. Jin, H. Chanel’s Ford: A Revolution of Women’s Rights and Fashion.

[5]. Janelle Reinelt, "States of Play: Feminism, Gender Studies, and Performance" (page 2 of 4)

[6]. Quotes from G. W. F. Hegel https://ndpr.nd.edu/reviews/hegel-on-beauty/

[7]. Diane Negra (2008) Structural Integrity, Historical Reversion, And The Post-9/11 Chick Flick, Feminist Media Studies, 8:1, 51-68

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