Meryl Streep: Hollywood Hates Strong-Minded Women & Intelligent Filmgoers

On 60 Minutes last night, Meryl Streep talked about her new movie, The Iron Lady, and Morley Safer had the audacity to point out that she often plays strong-minded women. Streep countered: “No one has ever asked an actor, ‘You’re playing a strong-minded man…’ We assume that men are strong-minded, or have opinions. But a strong-minded woman is a different animal.” It’s pretty obvious that Streep is interested in memorable women, however: She showed Safer a house where a woman who was a slave acted heroically, and she is part of the movement working on creating a National Women’s History Museum in D.C.

Streep also discussed the fact hat the film industry really only cares about 18-year-old boys — hence all the blockbusters built on comic-book and fantasies.

That’s called the narrowing of the audience. The movie business has worked very assiduously to discourage you and other intelligent, discerning people from the theater, from the movie theater. They have worked hard to get rid of you, because you don’t go then and buy toys and games.

Ugh, what are those of us who’d rather see Meryl Streep movies than Transformers VII supposed to do? Rid America of teenage boys? Actually, hm.

Meryl On The Narrowing Of The Film Audience [Women And Hollywood]
The Many Faces Of Meryl Streep [60 Minutes]