I know we have discussed this in class before, but here is a
very informative infographic on the gender inequality faced in film. Behind the
scenes, men greatly control the directing, producing, screenwriting, etc.
scene. In the past 85 years, only four women have been nominated for a best
director award, and the first woman won in 2010. That just baffles me to see
how the film industry, which seems to be a stereotypically feminine, is
controlled by men. There are some absolutely incredible directors and producers
that are female, yet we tend to never hear anything about them…
It also shocks me to see how these inequalities exist not
only behind the scenes, but on screen as well. In the list of the highest paid
actors/actresses, of the biggest 16 paychecks earned per film, not a single one
was earned by a female actress! I believe there are a number of talented actors
and actresses out there today, and it shocks me to think what could possibly
differentiate some of those actors and actresses from one another. Like, how do
we have an actress out there like Jennifer Lawrence who has made a number of
empowering films making less than Adam Sandler, whose films have obviously gone
downhill in quality over the past few years.
As mentioned previously, I also find it very ironic when the
film industry is stereotyped as being very feminine. I remember when I did
theatre in high school, a number of individuals would second guess a man’s
sexuality for being in theatre, behind the scenes or on stage. It is
interesting to see how that stereotype seems to completely change when a price
and fame are put on it.
Overall, it shocks me to think of the inequalities that
still exist in 2013 pertaining to women in film. Whether it is behind the
scenes, on screen, or through the characters portrayed, women tend to either be
seen as inferior to males or portrayed in a weaker light through characters
that they act.
This infographic actually doesn't surprise me at all. They listed Ava Duvernay as one of the 5 influential women in film but the funny thing is, as influential as she is her film that won an award at Sundance and also features a lead female character, still hasn't been released in theaters.
ReplyDeleteSome reactions while reading:
ReplyDeleteOnly 30% of women talking?! wow. I know we talked about male-centered dialogue by women characters, but any conversation? that's kind of shocking.
The 32.5% increase in teenage girls appearing nude was appalling
I'm surprised about women making documentaries more than narrative films. I wonder why that is?
It seems that overall, women are making more waves, although they may be few, in the film world.
All in all, I'm with Ebony, not really surprised at the majority of it. A little discouraging, and a little hopeful I guess.
I find it sad by how rarely I am jarred by women portrayed provocatively in film. I am so used to seeing women dressed scantily in the media--- it seems that this is often simply a part of the character!
ReplyDeleteIt's also funny/sad how there have been such wide successes in features like Girl with the Dragon Tat (one of my fav series) and Hunger Games- yet there still seems to be lacking investment in such films w/ strong women!
Please take Dr. Crowell's Class "The Female Bildungsroman" a lot of these issues are touched on. It was shocking to take the class and look at movies, that I thought were inspirational, that fuck women over. Not only do many movies portray women in a ignorant light, but racism/classism/agism is alive and well in most movies. Unfortunately, I now have a disdain for the movie Juno because of the plot like and how stupid the directors made Juno's mother. Also many inspiring movies can create false hope in some young women. For instance, the movie 'Pariah' leaves the viewer with a sense of hope for the character. Interestingly, the director seemed to think that getting on a bus the San Fran was the way out of homophobia. Anyways, the film industry is a bog boys club, and women are just some of the puppets they use.
ReplyDelete