Jezebel
In The Independent today, Johann Hari writes, "Where have all the strong women gone?" Hari gets all nostalgic for Bette Davis: "She was not only a woman; she was an electrical storm with skin. She never pretended to be dumb, or a little girl. She didn't do soft, or simpering. She had a voice like sour cream, and eyes like a raven." But, Hari argues, women on film — and on TV — have weakened. "If the symbol of 1930s Hollywood was Bette Davis in Jezebel, defiantly wearing red to her virgin-white ball, today it is Cameron Diaz in There's Something About Mary, rubbing semen into her hair because she is too dumb to realize it's not hair gel."
But what about Buffy? You may ask (I definitely ask!) Hari answers:
The few strong women in Hollywood movies and TV are safely located in an unreal world: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena: Warrior Princess. The closest to an unapologetic feminist is Lisa Simpson - and she is eight years old, and a cartoon. This isn't because Hollywood is especially sexist. Hollywood largely gives us what we want - and we don't want to idolize strong, powerful women today.I tried taking a look at my DVD collection to see if there were any movies with strong women in it. Whale Rider was the only "modern" movie. And the lead is — in the words of Ms. Britney Spears — not a girl, not yet a woman. Maybe Flirting? Or Blue Crush. I don't own Death Proof but I plan to. Other than that, all of the other films with strong women (The Women, His Girl Friday, The Wizard Of Oz?) are from a bygone era. (The rest, stuff like Midnight Cowboy, Nowhere, Shampoo, Adaptation, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Velvet Goldmine, Harold & Kumar... male-oriented.
Hari notes that today, a majority of college graduates are female. We have a woman running for president. We live in a time where women are in business, in government, in outer space. Why aren't they in entertainment?
Johann Hari: Where Have All The Strong Women Gone? [Independent]
Comments
Aunt Mame needs to make a comeback.
OMG Blue Crush was the shit, y'all! It spoke volumes to my inner-surfer girl, as embarrassed as she may be typing this right now.
The Kill Bills?
Haha! Doomsday!
Man, that chick was so awesome.
Where are the strong women? Right here!
And Blue Crush... LOVE IT! I want to move back to Hawai'i asap.
Can we come up with a less date modern example than Cameron Diaz? What about the mere existence of Jessica Simpson's movie career?
FERN GULLY!
The lead chick was tough as hell, and incredibly sympathetic. I love her.
But then, it is animated...
If I look at my DVD's I would have to say Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, does that count?
Or Ever After. That was the best Cinderella adaptation for my daughter to see. If there is one I mean.
Hari notes that today, a majority of college graduates are female. We have a woman running for president. We live in a time where women are in business, in government, in outer space. Why aren't they in entertainment?
Ummmm, because they're in business, government, and outer space?
anything cate blanchett does.
Yeah, in what numbers are we represented in government, etc..It seems to me that across the board we are down in every field, not just in entertainment.
What about Veronica Mars? (R.I.P.)
Hollywood largely gives us what we want - and we don't want to idolize strong, powerful women today.
sounds like the ring of truth to me
Spanish, I know, but what about Volver?
@Sukie in the Graveyard: hahaha. THE NAME IS BATTY
It's because we're abandoning all notions of cultural criticism or even entertainment in the pursuit of making money. A woman can't be strong; she's got to be bankable. That means not challenging people's settled perceptions, at least not in such a way that they know it's happening and start with the "I won't spend my hard-earned money to see some harridan" crap. They want to leave the theater with a boner or never go in at all.
I dunno about this. She takes ONE example of a strong female character from an old movie, and ONE example of a weak female character from a (kinda) recent movie. There could have been 500 movies with weak women from the 30s and 500 movies with strong women from today. Bad argument.
Clint Eastwood once observed this actually started half a century ago in the 50's. That's when he says he noticed a change in women's roles from Bette's heyday.
But you're missing something if you don't see Rhona Mitra whoop ass all over the UK in Doomsday.
The disney movie motorcross was pretty amazing! I was obsessed with it in 7th grade!
@special_boots: Beat me!
Cuz strong women are all bull dykes, yo. Obvs. At least that's what lots of people think, and they're the assholes buying movie tickets and DVDs. Isn't the target demographic for films like 14-18 year old boys because they are repeat viewers? Don't think they're so much into the lady power.
I will always, always love "Bring It On." Maybe this is not the best example. But I luuurrrvvvee it!
@blackbirdfly: LOL
@KittenFluff: God Bless Veronica Mars.
They don't want to end up on Maxim's unsexist woman alive list?
I thought the Pirates franchise did a good job. Little girl loves pirates as a kid, grows up to be a pirate. Why is a movie with Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom considered "male-orriented"?
Because the studio heads believe that women can't open movies?
Million Dollar Baby, A Mighty Heart, what about Clarice Starling?
based on a cartoon, but Tank Girl rocks me
What is with all this feminist analysis of Hollywood that seems to forget that there is life after the 1990s? I mean, There's Something About Mary is 10 years old!
@ineffable.me: Price check on prune juice, Bob. Price check on prune juice.
They compromised and settled just like Lori Gottlieb.
yeah... you forgot about Kill Bill, that woman is all Jezebel
Because men don't want us to want to idolize strong women in Hollywood. Guess who controls most of the purse strings throughout the entertainment industry still?
What about Buffy?
Overrated as hell and not nearly as clever, funny, interesting, or good as Whedon fans think.
Johann Hari, Mata Hari, anyone else sense a feminist plot here?
@kitschenette: Okay, I should have read the entire article. She cites a lot of examples of modern weak female characters.
@Macloserboy: Please tell me you felt some of the love for that movie that I did. God, it was so good, and I know it was awful, but I loved almost every minute of it. It was everything I had hoped 10,000 B.C. would be and wasn't, and so much more.
@lurkystars: Not that I'm blaming men entirely, but when was the last time you saw a "Margo Channing" character recently? Help me out here?
The strongest femmes I could find my collection were: Anywhere But Here, Beyond Borders, Ghost World, and D.E.B.S..
Sad.
@Katie: As much as I lurve the Kill Bills, they are totally sexist. A harem of women doing a dirty old man's bidding...and then only going on a rampage because of a maternal instinct?
I love the ass kicking, hate the paternalism.
Yeah, there aren't very many strong women in movies... unless they're kids. Juno and Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine. Addison Montgomery, before Private Practice?
@kinamoto: oh wow, we can never be friends. I'm sorry.
What about Gillian Anderson in X-Files? I mean, it's a science fiction show, but she was a doctor performing badass autopsies all thetime, and wasn't intimidated by men, even the Flukeman. She's been my hero for years.
I've often heard the argument that entertainment is more and more misogynist. Ever heard of the Bechdel Test? In order to pass, a movie has to have the following criteria:
1. There is more than one female in the film.
2. The females have a conversation with one another in the film.
3. That conversation doesn't involve men.
Once I heard about it, I started applying it every time I went to see a movie, somewhere in the back of my mind. ONE movie made in that last 30 years passed.
Go back farther (I've been into the classics lately), and the percentages go up.
Another site I read from time to time (the Hathor Legacy) does feminist-minded reviews of different forms of entertainment, and they refer to "Pre-Code Hollywood." I'm not sure what they're talking about, but they do make a compelling case that we're going backwards in our attitudes, where entertainment is concerned.
Lord of the Rings? Eowyn?
I know the source material is from the 50's, but the movies are pretty recent.
@ineffable.me: Affirmed. Also, I think, anything Julianne Moore does.
@arodriguez.romero: Yes! And Y Tu Mama Tambien
@KittenFluff: Yay V Mars! Also Firefly/Serenity - there are a couple of kickass women there. Admittedly, it's similar to Buffy where it's not set in the real world.
strong women aren't portrayed in the media because for all of the advancements that women have made in the world today, they are still in the minority in hollywood.
There was this little movie called "Alien", and the excellent sequel called "Aliens," in which a particularly interesting woman battles/outsmarts/kills this alien. I think that character was a "Strong Woman."
Also, Holly Hunter in "The Piano" was fantastic, Merryl Streep in a number of films.@blackbirdfly: and what you said.
@special_boots: I cannot put into words how much I FUCKING LOVED THAT MOVIE! Escape From New York + The Road Warrior + 27 Days Later + Resident Evil + The Warriors + Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD! How can you not love that!?!