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Two actresses in character as Mormon missionaries

One's a Hugh Grant thriller, one's a hot-mess reality show - and both center on stereotypes about Mormon women

December 09, 2024, Rebecca Janzen

In film, religion is often a way for audiences to wrestle with ideas about gender and social change. That’s all the more true if the religion is considered conservative, or prone to stereotyping, both of which apply to Latter-day Saints. Female characters’ dilemmas are often depicted as the result of their faith – but their characterization may say more about the rest of America than the church itself.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, Research, Service, McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, The Conversation

Film character Lady of Guadalupe in pink and lace dress and blue shawl over her head

'Lady of Guadalupe' avoids tough truths

June 14, 2021, Rebecca Janzen

The film “Lady of Guadalupe” available on many streaming services, mixes a fictional retelling of the 16th-century appearance of the Virgin Mary to a Mexican peasant named Juan Diego with the tale of a wholly fictional 21st-century reporter. Professor of Spanish and comparative literature Rebecca Janzen writes in The Conversation although the film portrays the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe for a broad audience, ultimately itsanitizes the real-life brutality of the Church toward Indigenous peoples in the 16th century.

Topics: Faculty, Research, History, McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, The Conversation

A statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Mexico City

The Virgin of Guadalupe is more than a religious icon in Mexico

December 10, 2020, Rebecca Janzen

Each year, as many as 10 million people travel to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, in what is believed to be the largest Catholic pilgrimage in the Americas. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the pilgrimage will instead be held online this year. Rebecca Janzen, assistant professor of Spanish and comparative literature, explains the significance of the pilgrimage for The Conversation.

Topics: Faculty, Diversity, McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, The Conversation

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