Gender Balance in Films?
November 29, 2011
by Bruce Nahin
|The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and not necessarily those of The New Agenda.
A recent study published by the Walter Annenberg Communications Institute at USC (researchers Stacy Smith, Marc Chouetti and Stephanie Gall) was recently released. The study surveyed the top 100 grossing films for the year 2009. The results are revealing. The researchers examined 4,342 speaking roles. Of these roles, 32.8% were female and 67.2% were men (evidencing the ratios of genders in films – a topic for another article) or approximately a 2.5/1 male -female ratio. There were few gender-balanced films.
In the study it was revealed that, despite what I had presumed were some strides towards the contrary based on anecdotal evidence (the author works as Executive Vice President at Continuum Pictures on the Paramount lot), films continue at a strong pace to marginalize and sexualize women. In fact, the most astounding and troubling statistic is the same prevalence of actions occurring to young women in the 13-20 year old category as with their older sisters.
The survey found that 33.8% of female characters were in sexy clothing, 28% showed exposed skin, cleavage or upper thigh regions. This is compared to 5.3% of males in sexy clothing and 11.2% showing skin. One can only assume that these images increase the objectification of women in society and a commensurate reduction in self worth, anxiety and other similar results.
The “entertainment” industry is disgustingly sexist. Even when they do shows with women in them they are sexist garbage….The Playboy Club, Charlies Angles, Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, and of course the reality genre’s insane, insecure bimbo shows. I really don’t think that the sort of women who is associated with this sort of crap content on any level could ever produce quality women’s content and yet they are who the industry goes to when they get the rare urge to produce something women will actually watch. Another problem for the industry is they have conditioned women consumers to expect crap content from them. At this point if they accidentally and against all odds produced a show that might resonate with women on a primal level, they likely couldn’t get women to watch it because women have been conditioned to expect uninteresting distorted garbage. They have spent so much time trying to sell women their place in male fantasies being oblivious to the fact that the male view of the world is not the only view and women don’t want to pay to see they world through male eyes when they can simply look at the real world thorough their own female eyes.
Another thing about “Women’s Content”. Notice how the networks dedicated to “women’s programing” fail repeatedly and we all know that the only place women read “women’s magazines” is in the hair salon and that’s because they don’t have any other options. So while I am not a consumer of “Women’s Content” I still think it is a good idea to have magazines and channels devoted to what the morons in charge of the industry consider to be “women’s content” since it is an effective way of concentrating a bunch of really offensive programing and advertising into one easily avoidable place.
Hi Bes, I have to say that I watch a few cop shows this season with female cops — Rizzoli and Aisles, Unforgotten, and a few others I can’t think of at the moment, but they are touch, wear pants and flat shoes, and they don’t do their hair or wear makeup. They’re real cops. It’s a nice trend. I’m hoping that it becomes a movement, since it seems to appeal to women.
Your brave Marina, Between the usual sexualized clothing and the contrivance that all women victims die nude or in lingerie I don’t watch cop shows anymore. I have been conditioned to expect a steady parade of sexist imagery. Every now and then I catch a Perry Mason rerun though and I love those and PBS has a few women characters.
Bes – try out Rizzoli and Isles. Not only do I really enjoy it, it’s my husband’s favorite show. Smart women. Depicts what a woman to woman friendship is really like. Shows a workplace where the men and women respect each other’s contributions. Good role model show for our daughters. You might be pleasantly surprised.
I should give Rizzoli and Isles a try. I have gotten out of the habit of watching TV. About the only shows I watch now are “Hungry Girl” and “On the Record with Greta” and local news. I sometimes watch Vampire Diaries with my daughter but the kids don’t watch TV anymore like they did even two years ago. They seem to pick up whatever show they want at the moment on their personal computer. Other than that I read in the evening, either books or on my new Facebook account that the kids set up for me since I have now rediscovered about five old friends I had lost track of. Also since my kids are mostly gone I can go out to the gym a few nights a week, so the TV pretty much just sits there junking up the living room and getting dusty.
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