Little Shop Of Patriarchy : Analyzing Constructed vs. Essential Gender Roles

Frank Oz’s Little Shop of Horrors (1986) is more than a silly kooky musical. The comedic plot dramatically dances with themes of domestic violence, poverty, and sexism. For this project, my poster will explore the expectations and representations of femininity and masculinity set up at the film's beginning versus the end. The film’s context will connect to research involving gender essentialism (innate, biological sex) and gender constructionism (socially constructed gender roles). I will analyze the roles of Seymour, Audrey, and Orin to exhibit how they discover their constructed and essential gender identities. The film represents Audrey as a ditsy hyper-feminine character through physical and behavioral choices such as her high-pitched voice and submissive attitude toward her abusive boyfriend, Orin. Orin represents the toxicity of hyper-masculinity through his conceited mindset and the pain he inflicts on others. Seymour’s gender identity is blurred, and similarly to Audrey, he is easily manipulated and strives to please everyone regardless of his own wishes. He commits cruel acts to produce the life he desires with Audrey, unknowingly contributing to his own demise. Through the analysis of these three characters, I expect to interpret their gender roles and the chronological process of their identities throughout the film.