"The fact is - Women are seriously under-represented across nearly all sectors of the glove. Not just on-screen, but for the most part we're simply not aware of the extent. And media images exert a powerful influence in creating and perpetuating our unconscious biases. However, media images can also have very positive impact on our perceptions. In the time it takes to make a movie, we can change what the future looks like. There are woefully few women CEOs in the world. But there can be lots of them in films. How do we encourage a lot more girls to pursue science, technology, and engineering careers? By casting droves of women in stem, politics, law and other professions in movies today" - Geena Davis
What I've discovered in this essay is that in the early days of filmmaking, women had the right to explore very complex characters and were able to play around with them. Since then, the times have changed and Hollywood is having a hard time catching up to women of today. Below is a video I found about how women are STILL miss represented.
In my essay, I talk about the statistics of gender inequality in films. How certain aspects portrayed on the big screen can have a negative focus for young girls. I give 4 examples I believe are inspirational to women of all ages: Katniss Everdeen from the Hungar Games, Queen Elizabeth Tudor from Elizabeth, Juno, and Meridia from Brave. Please keep in mind these are just 4 characters and there are more. The point is to continue in this direction. To encourage future filmmakers to explore to complexities of womanhood, our character depth (meaning we are not just here for the male-gaze) and to show women in power.  |
| Meridia |
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| Elizabeth |
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| Juno |
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| Katniss Everdeen |
link to my essay: http://whocanilookuptoonscreen.blogspot.com/
Bibliography:
Hay Code Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Production_Code
The National Womens History Museum, https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/film/14.html
The New York Film Academy: Gender Inequality if Film, https://www.nyfa.edu/film-school-blog/gender-inequality-in-film/
Martha Lauzen, PhD, It's a Man's (Celluloid) World: On-Screen Represenations of Female Characters in the Top 100 Films of 2013, http://womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu/files/2013_It's_a_Man's_World_Report.pdfSoraya Chemaly, 20 Facts Everyone Should Know about Gender Bias in Movies, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/20-mustknow-facts-about-g_b_5869564.html
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