Women in the 1930s and '40s were accomplished, headstrong, interesting human beings and STARS in movies.
But today, from watching mainstream movies the question that comes up is: Do only boys have value in the universe? Do women, as separate, thinking human beings, have a right to exist in movies, video games and TV shows?
In most American media, it would appear that women are just objects for men's use. And there are only two or three uses for a girl.
Are these the only options form the guy's point of view: CAN YOU BANG HER, CAN SHE NURTURE YOU?
Comment from Worf, one of my FAVORITE, (sexy) male commenters: "I have to disagree
at least to a point. The movies I see coming out are all about beautiful women
in tight leather outfits with guns blowing away bad guys. Even in the most
popular genre out there, the Zombie flicks women seem to outweigh the men both
in number and the likability of the character. The "Resident Evil"
series is a prime example. Not only is the hero a woman, there are several
other strong female leads in the roles. Another popular blockbuster series
"X-Men" should have been called "X-Women". The strong leads
were predominantly women except for Wolverine. All sorts of movies these days
seem to focus on strong female leads.
ReplyDelete
Why do women have to wear tight-leather outfits?! Why is it
always a man's world and a man's fantasy? These are not movies made for women
with intelligence. This is a man's porn fantasy. Real women don’t like cartoon
movies.
There are few if any movies that have great dialogue and are not
about romance or blood lust or fantasy violence. There are few “geeky” nerdy
cool intelligent women doing amazing cool intelligent thoughtful things -- and
not desperately trying to catch a man either. Men get to have all the fun. We
don't even get to be geeky -- unless we have a 22" waist.
There is not
one bit of intelligent material out there for me to watch.
I am not into the Housewives of Goldigger Hills or Redneck
Hillbilly shows or Cable romance. I'm into smart, talky films – that make you
think -- Da Vinci code, My Dinner with Andre, Manhattan, Annie Hall, and
intelligent thrillers or psychological dramas like Erin Brokovich -- but they
are nowhere to be found.
I am also NOT into desperate mommy porn like 50 SHADES OF GREY.
There is one intelligent grown up film per year, if that. Everything else is
for little boys. Or boys my sons' age.
And forget older women altogether like the ‘Golden Girls” -
there is not one movie about real women and the humorous struggles they go
through to get through college or create art or get a business started.. or
sing in a band or even dream a big dream… Remember “Social Network” and “The
Descendants?” All these movies are from a man’s point of view. Very few movies
from a woman’s point of view are GREENLIGHTED by major studios.
There aren’t even any movies about strong women going up against
crappy husbands as Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and Bette Midler did in “First Wives Club”
I hate to say the
real reason why this is happening. I really don’t want to say it.
Kudos to Disney for finally hiring two female directors for
their new animation movies, “Frozen” and …
The Bechdel test (/ˈbɛkdəl/ bek-dəl) asks whether a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. Many contemporary works fail this test of gender bias.
- Is there more than one character in the female that has lines and a real character name? In other words, she is not just a generic "Bartender" "Sexy woman," Young woman, Woman in park, etc.
- Do these women talk to each other?
- Is their conversation about something other than the GUY they both like?
http://traffic.libsyn.com/beatsandeats/Lydia_Cornell_Pilot_Teaser_12-1-13.mp3
Lydia Cornell Show Pilot Teaser | Too Close For Comfort Star | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Coming to...
HOLLYWOOD HATES WOMEN - all that matters is if she is "bangable"
Men in movies and TV shows are always looking at women simply as objects that can serve or service them. Men basically want:
1. Someone who will bang them (sex, hooker, girlfriend)
2. Someone who will nurture them (mom)
3. Someone who will bring them coffee (Secretary)
Is it the X-Files? Paranormal Sex? Tragedy turned into Comedy? Edge of Insanity? Edge of the Universe? Our new teaser on Beats and Eats on itunes.
Be there or be square: TUNE into our wild and crazy show, a feast for your senses and listen to my episodes of our podcast and my upcoming Youtube Broadcast.
Help us come up with a catchy title. Every week I will mention titles in the running and your name could be mentioned - YOU can be part of our cool new show, along with extra sneak peeks and prizes.
Listen to the cool music Nick Gelso Co-Host, Beats and Eats chose. Love Frank Sinatra and the eerie paranormal music. Live on iTunes and Stitcher within the hour.
ttp://66.147.244.83/~beatsan2/2013/12/01/lydia-cornell-show-pilot-teaser-too-close-for-comfort-star-curb-your-enthusiasm-coming-to-be-in-december/
I have to disagree at least to a point. The movies I see coming out are all about beautiful women in tight leather outfits with guns blowing away bad guys. Even in the most popular genre out there, the Zombie flicks women seem to outweigh the men both in number and the likability of the character. The "Resident Evil" series is a prime example. Not only is the hero a woman, there are several other strong female leads in the roles. Another popular blockbuster series "X-Men" should have been called "X-Women". The strong leads were predominantly women except for Wolverine. All sorts of movies these days seem to focus on strong female leads.
ReplyDeleteWHY DO THEY HAVE TO WEAR TIGHT-LEATHER OUTFITS??? WHY IS IT ALWAYS A MAN'S WORLD AND A MAN'S FANTASY? THESE ARE NOT MOVIES MADE FOR WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE. THIS IS A MAN'S PORN FANTASY
ReplyDeleteTHERE ARE NO MOVIES THAT HAVE GREAT DIALOGUE AND ARE NOT ABOUT BLOOD LUST OR FANTASY VIOLENCE OR THAT HAVE WOMEN DOING AMAZING COOL INTELLIGENT THOUGHTFUL THINGS -- AND NOT WANTING TO BE IN LOVE WITH A MAN EITHER. MEN GET TO HAVE ALL THE FUN. WE don't even get to be geeky -- unless we have a 22" waist.
There is not one bit of intelligent material out there for me to watch. I AM NOT INTO THE HOUSEWIVES OF GOLDIGGER HILLS or redneck hillbilly shows or Lifetime Hallmark romance. I'm into talky movies, intelligent psychological dramas, women like Erin Brokovich -- but they are nowhere to be found.
I am also NOT INTO 50 SHADES OF GREY.
There is one intelligent grown up film per year, if that. Everything else is for little boys. Or boys my sons' age. And forget older women altogether - there is NOT ONE MOVIE ABOUT REAL WOMEN AND THE HUMOROUS STRUGGLES THEY GO THROUGH TO GET A BUSINESS STARTED OR SOCIAL NETWORKING
Worf you are very sexy, in fact you are one of my favorite sexy male commenter on this blog. But I beg to disagree and NOT in all CAPS.
ReplyDeletePlease read your comment and my edited comment inside the blog itself.
Thank you
xo
Lydia
It's true that women have been exploited and this will never change.
ReplyDeleteThe reason is: it brings in tremendous box-office $$$.
If well written stories of men and women can portrayed in movies that would be fine., but the movie would have to have elements of intrigue and suspense.
Production companies are not going to waste time and money on frivolous maudlin movies that don't provoke the baser elements of men and women.
Yea Lydia, I agree with you on the intelligent film thing but I don't particularly see it as a male or female thing. I've been complaining in here for years that ALL films are mindless now except for a small hand full of well done drama films. Most everything coming out of Hollywood these days is either some cartoon superhero saving the world or car chases, etc. Women are in them too. Look at the Twilight Series. Female lead. Look at Snow White and the Huntsman. Its all crap.
ReplyDeleteHollywood has officially run out of ideas. They're making movies about every cartoon character and fairy tale we've ever read, and other than Zombie flicks everything else is guns and car chases and explosions with people all flying up into the air with their arms raised in precisely the same manner as the last 32,000 movies to do that in the last 10 years.
I think the overall problem is low quality movies altogether. Aside from "Lincoln", I honestly don't think I've seen a great movie in a long time. Just endless, mindless, CGI laden super hero shoot-em-up crap. Even the zombie flicks are getting rotten. World War Z was barely adequate. It was entertaining, but no where near the sort of movie it should have been. Just a lot of CGI zombies running around and lots of explosions. Big whoopdi do.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to see GOOD movies these days, then look to England. They're making all the good stuff that's coming out.
But again, not being a female actress in Hollywood I can't have the same perspective on the issue as you would so just saying what it looks like to me. Like I said I'm sure it's worse for the women, but I have watched a lot of movies with strong female characters. In fact I like movies with female characters because skimpy clothes or not I prefer looking at women for two hours rather than men. So I watch all sorts of what would traditionally be referred to as a girls movie. So I've seen a lot of different stuff.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of the powerful actors of today who can demand top dollar from movie I think "Jolie, Anniston, Theron, Swank, Zeta Jones, Lawrence, Mirren, Bullock, etc. A lot of the heavyweights are female.
Anyway don't kill me for disagreeing. I'm not really, just not sure that the problem you're speaking of doesn't go a lot deeper than just with the women.
Elysium was pretty good, and it had a strong female lead who didn't wear skimpy outfits. Jodie Foster played a really evil eeeevil lady. So don't know maybe that's bad she was the evil one. But in resident evil Milla Jovavich was the good guy (lady) and she didn't wear skimpy outfits....nope...wait.... oh yeah.......forgot..yea she did.
ReplyDeleteReal skimpy as I recall.
Ok....so maybe you got a point there.