Shonda Rhimes

A photo of Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes is best known for creating the ever-popular show, Grey's Anatomy. Shonda Rhimes is a screenwriter, producer and director, and her works shine as feminist works. Among these works would be Private Practice, Scandal, and How To Get Away With Murder. In these shows, Shonda has made sure the protagonist is female, and that these females had well-respected careers that are typically held by men. Part of her goal, I think, was to create female characters who are strong on their own, and strong enough to be independent of men. And, of course, they all pass the Bechdel Test.
Notably, not only does she try to work out the gender stereotyping, but she also focuses on the racial aspect. In Grey's Anatomy, multiple characters are of diverse races, which is important, because she makes sure that her shows are not dominated by white male actors (not that she excludes either). I myself have never watched any of these shows, but perhaps I should.

Post 5: Jane Campion

There are not many female directors in the world of cinema, let alone films that deal with feminism. One female director whose films are in line largely with the ideals of feminism is New Zealand director Jane Campion. Campion is known for such films like "Sweetie" and "Portrait of a Lady". Campion's style of filmmaking focuses on misunderstood women and the way that stereotyped views of women distort the reality of who they are. Her films are a commentary on the false understanding that women, as well as men, are particularly gloomy and dull. In an interview with "Interview Magazine", she addressed the notion that, "male critics complained that the protagonist was so gloomy, that she never lightened up, and that they couldn't really enjoy the film" by saying, "I just feel sad that those men had that impression, because they must have a tragically dull vision of what it means to be female." Campion portrays the women in her films as "genuine" and "based in reality." 

Her film, "The Piano"released in 1993, shows the "realness" and "tragic history" of a woman and how she deals with her circumstances. The traits surrounding the protagonist are tragic but real, as opposed to the stereotypical portrayals of women. Although women are shown as being abused in many films, this film focuses on the character rather than the external femininity of the character. That is the aim of feminism. To not be judged but their outside characteristics and expected portrayals, but rather by their internal humanistic behaviors and values. Jane Campion succeeds thoroughly in making films that possess the power of bringing feminism to cinema.

Barbara Hall & Betsy Beers

Barbara Hall

"Madam Secretary"--
Tv series created by Barbara Hall

The launching of the tv show series “Madam Secretary” makes me feel curious about the people that work behind the scenes, and one of them is Barbara Hall, the tv series creator. The political drama tv series, “Madam Secretary”, talks about the former CIA analyst, Elizabeth McCord(who is then the secretary of States that drives international diplomacy) dealing with both global and domestic issues. At the same time, she also battles with the political conspiracy that happens in the office as well as home issues. I like how Barbara creates the plot because the first-lead character, Elizabeth McCord is a strong, fair and smart woman in running as the Secretary of State, she has the strength of dealing with both global issues and home office political issues which I think is outstanding. In one of Barbara’s interviews, she states “I want to create a character that when people watch her as she approaches her job, they might say “If I was Secretary of State that’s how I would get it done” and “somebody’s kid might say “What’s the big deal about a female president”, you know”. I like the way she creates this series because the female character is independent and capable of doing her job and most importantly, she is not the type of vulnerable characters who needs to rely on men all the time and stay behind man’s back. Also, she adds some entertaining materials into the drama so it doesn’t seems too dry or boring to most of the audience because people can get tired of political drama really often and especially when the first-lead character is female. Since Barbara has always been interested into political affairs so she is also the co-executive producers in other successful tv series like “Homeland”, law shows like “Judging Amy” and also this metaphysical shows which she is most noticeable for is “Joan of Arcadia”.  

Betsy Beers at the Marie Clarie New Guard
Luncheon

Betsy Beers is both tv and film producer who is mainly recognized in creating tv series like “Scandal”, “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Grey’s anatomy”. Some of them are considered as successful feminist dramas because of the strong and intelligent first-lead female characters and their lives are not only about men and being like housewives. “Grey’s anatomy” makes her and other great producers awarded for the “Producer of the Year Award” in 2007 and Emmy nominations. “Scandal” was awarded as “Television Program of the Year Award” by American Film Institute in 2014. I especially love one of her speeches at the Marie Clarie New Guard Luncheon which she addressed “As much as I was encouraged by the number of female-centric shows being bandied about, it feels like we’re being treated like a trend or a quota to be filled. Women on television are not a fad; we are a reality!..I hope girls all over can count on our shows to remind them it’s OK to be strong and complicated…And if we can have our own night, someday they can too”. I hold the same idea with her and I feel It’s time for women to take roles in their own lives, not to please other people and satisfy their needs. The majority needs to see women’s intelligence not by judging at their looks only and this is something that has been lacked for long time in this society. There are some drama series that have been cancelled simply because those are leading by female characters in politics and a lot of people don’t find it interesting when women are the ones who take controls. This stereotype needs to be changed and fortunately a lot of women-lead media works have been coming out nowadays and those female characters have the abilities to inspire and shape a lot of female audiences’ perspectives in their lifetime issues and encourage them to do whatever they are feeling comfortable with. I feel this is very important for women even young girls to reshape their ideas and go towards their own paths.

Mindy Kaling

This photo was taken from Mindy Kaling's Instagram, because I think it's important to reproduce images of people that they  created themselves, and have chosen to share.

Mindy Kaling is impressive in so many ways. She has written three books, one play, two television shows, and several blogs and extra projects. She is featured in three television shows and ten movies.

Kaling became a writer for The Office when she was 24 years old. She was the only woman on a staff of 8. She wrote several episodes, directed their webisodes, and directed one full episode. She is also featured on the show as Kelly Kapoor. By the time her contract was renewed for the eighth season of the show, she was promoted to Executive Producer and granted her a development deal for a new show.

Today, Kaling is the writer, producer, showrunner, and star of her own series, The Mindy Project, which features successful gynecologist Mindy Lahiri as she navigates life in the best way.

Kaling has received some criticism about The Mindy Project regarding its generally white cast and production team. To these comments, she gracefully responds that "I'm a fucking Indian woman who has her own fucking network television show, okay? . . . I have four series regulars that are women on my show, and no one asks any of the shows I adore -- and I won’t name them because they're my friends -- why no leads on their shows are women or of color, and I'm the one that gets lobbied about these things … People have a higher expectation for me. They say, 'Why aren't you doing enough?"

Mindy on the Insulting Nature of Interviewers

Kaling has been nominated for 25 awards (Emmys, Writers' Guild of America Awards, Screen Actors' Guild Awards, NAACP Image Awards, etc.)  and has won eight.

These accomplishments speak for themselves. It's no secret that Mindy Kaling has been outrageously successful and inspirational. But besides that, she is generally socially responsible. She uses her success, fame, and eloquence to question the way she's spoken to or interviewed, and to voice her opinions candidly. She fights back when interviewers assume she speaks for all women of a certain size or of Indian descent. She points out double standards unashamedly. She acknowledges her status as a role model for young Indian women, but rebukes the assumption that she is the voice for Indian women, or that her character serves to comment on Indian culture.

Mindy Kaling is an important person in so many different ways - not because she's Indian, or because she's a woman, or because of her looks, but because she's so good. She's successful, intelligent, eloquent, thoughtful, interesting, funny, and cool. She makes you want to be her friend, she makes being a woman on television look easy, and she makes questioning the way you're treated look awesome.

If you need a little more Mindy in your life, here's a link to a Huffpost article called "12 Things We Learned from Mindy This Year"

Thanks, Mindy.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindy_Kaling

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1411676/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes

My absolute favorite show is Grey's Anatomy, and it's created by the one and only Shonda Rhimes.  Shonda Rhimes is known for her dramatic "OMG! I can't believe that just happen, why are you doing this to me Shonda!?" shows.  She is a director, screenwriter and a producer and has created a number of shows that brings out feminism, one of them being Grey's Anatomy and others such as Private Practice, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder.  What's so great about these shows is that Shonda has women as the lead characters with careers that are usually dominated by men.  Her shows inspire women (including myself), it includes the drama that we love and everything a woman should be in this world: strong and independent.

Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang

 One of the characters from Grey's Anatomy, who really stood out on the show as a strong woman was Cristina Yang.  Her storyline was real independant woman, focused on her career of being a surgeon.  She was woman who didn't want and didn't become a mother.  In Grey's Anatomy's season 8, Cristina had an abortion (which you hardly see on television), and it shows how there was nothing wrong with it.  She wasn't a monster, she was just pursuing her dreams and not letting no man take that away from her.

Not only does Shonda bring out feminism in her shows, but she brings out the racial diversity.  In Grey's Anatomy, you see characters such as Cristina Yang, Miranda Bailey, and Callie Torres who are different races.  Her shows are not dominated by white actors, they are diversed.  In her other shows, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder, she has African American women dominating the shows.  Shonda Rhimes is not just great for creating awesome ass dramatic shows, but she makes them in a way where women are on top!  “This moment right here, me standing up here all brown with my boobs and my Thursday night of network television full of women of color, competitive women, strong women, women who own their bodies and whose lives revolve around their work instead of their men, women who are big dogs, that could only be happening right now.” - Shonda Rhimes

The Coppola Era

Sofia Coppola - Actress, Screenwriter, Director, Producer

      Before I learned to take note of the importance of directors and writers, I had already been drawn to Sofia Coppola's films because of the rarity in execution of which she presented them in such a mainstream world of film art. She executes this new innovated art form, where her films are vibrant filled with female characters and roles with depth whether in suburbia or a palace, while simultaneously allowing the actors to explore the world of the story presented to them even in the most subtle of ways. What makes her so important from a feminist standpoint as a filmmaker is that "I try to just make what I want to make or what I would want to see. I try not to think about the audience too much" said by Coppola in an interview for Interview Magazine regarding her filmmaking process. By diving herself into her work as she often states in interviews once a story has captured her, she just goes for it, for herself and no one else. This is not to say that her films don't modify certain audiences and outcomes but all films do, the fact that as an artist she presents her work from her own deeper personal meaning which ends up passing Bechtel tests and critical acclaim from women in the film industry, feminists, etc that's what fundamentally makes her stand out as a filmmaker. 

     I could be drawn to her films because I am one of four sisters a storyline she often uses, I love watching and hope to play roles from the 18th century, but her indie esque, low budget, drive mixed with her coming of age, adaptation of books and stories, with a need to have female characters on the forefront who are so often silenced in these lives they were born too as we see, visually, the beauty of a home/neighbored or the elegance and royalties of palace surrounding them, the struggle comes out and we see groups of women standing behind one another to find and eventually express their freedom, negatively or positively. The fact that she tries to blend highly acclaimed actresses into her films amongst the unknowns (who perform so well) so we see story versus actual personal life coming into the film so unnecessarily because of society's obsession with celebrity and fame, that alone gives Coppola the credit she deserves. She goes after our stories, the ones we seem to slip by as women but struggle with everyday yearning for this idea of freedom and luxury which is adjacently attainable if we think about it. 

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

               

                  The Bling Ring (2013)

Marie Antoinette (2006)

     Just to add to her acclaim, Sofia has passed on her filmmaking skills as they were passed down to her, to her niece Gia Coppola. Gia most recently directed the film adaptation of James Franco's novel, Palo Alto, which not only passes the Bechtel Test, is an indie, but was widely received like her aunts films at the Tribeca Film Festival, producing high hopes for the filmmaker to follow in family footsteps while creating films for women in this industry conducive to society showing who we, as women, really are. Coming of age, boys, and all that bull shit we deeply care about because we can't help it and that's simply the truth. 

Palo Alto  (2013) trailer/poster

   

Gia Coppola - Director

     One more filmmaker I must bring attention to is Amma Asante who is the writer-director of the film Belle (2014). Indie Drama to Hollywood Player, an article important to her process and goals an an artist. Belle passes the Bechtel Test, has strong female leads for a story taking place during the 1700s when women were silenced, especially when race comes into the conversation. The actors brought this story, the drive and emotion of struggling to identify yourself as a woman and a woman of color, even love, in a world not willing to accept you for being a human being. Great direction is clearly seen and has been critically acclaimed, Asante is definitely a director I would love to work with and see more films of as she creates them. 

Amma Asante (left), Belle (2014) Film Poster (right)

  

Yentyl directed by Barbra Streisand

Yentyl, a film starring and directed by Barbra Streisand goes into depth of the struggle for a woman to achieve the same degree of education as a man during her given time and place under the circumstances of being a Jewish woman, it was quite difficult. Streisand addresses the issue of women inferiority in a comedy, whose narrative both passes the Bechdel test and suggests the partialness of such compromised laws through which Streisand's only means of pursuing a profession otherwise disregarded to her is to break social rules and lie about one's gender identity. The ridiculousness of Streisand's role and her choice of directing this type of narrative are both statements of awaiting change to resolve through a medium Streisand chooses for its empowering solidity. "That's why I like making movies, too, because it lasts," says Barbra Streisand.

"Less than 6 percent of women are directing films today, and that was (the same as) in the time I did "Yentl," says Streisand.  Streisand remarks that if it was not for her acclaimed talents as a singer, she too would be grouped among the majority of women who receive 77 cents to the dollar that men receive in the same line of work.  

Streisand is a role model for women as she participates and brings attention to concepts deemed often indifferently that treat women like second-class citizens.  Since she has a voice, it is wonderful that she takes the role of a spokesman for women that are not treated equally even in groups that involve medical research to name one example.  Streisand plays the role of a man, despite her renowned image, a remarkably beautiful woman, telling a story that exemplifies the beauty based on the truth, "anything is possible," in which her aspirations surpass her limitations to attain the same treatment as a man does to engage his mind and build his professional society-dictated role.