Gender Inequality in Modern U.S. Film

Brie

December 1, 2013

Intro to Womens Studies

The Inequality and Lack of Intersectionality in U.S. Film

This should come as a shock to no one, but here it is: A new study out of the U.S. finds that films with female directors and writers do well at the box office.

"Employing more women in writing and directing roles makes sound business sense for the film industry, according to new research from the American Film Institute" (Hollywood Reporter). Statistics show that a higher percentage than average of U.S. made indie films in 2012 had a female writer and/or director.

Women go to movies (they make up 50% of movie ticket sales). Women want to make movies. The movie industry needs more women, would be successful with more women, and yet... there are not enough women or enough films fairly or accurately depicting the atypical U.S. woman.

Keywords in Feminist Film Theory

* Male gaze: films are made in order to fulfill a voyeuristic desire for men to look at women as objects;

focus is on the production of meaning in film, how it imagines a viewing subject, and the ways the mechanisms of cinematic production shape the representation of women and marginalized others (Mulvey)

* Subversive gaze: people who refuse to gaze the way filmmakers expect by making other kinds of movies (Shaw)

* Oppositional gaze: bell hooks suggests that women of color in film reject stereotypical representations in film and actively critique them--this is important for intersectional and transnational perspectives (Shaw)

* Heteronormative Hollywood: Hollywood tends to incorporate heteronormative themes that reinforce gender ranking through genres such as romantic comedies, action films, and westerns--these films portray heterosexuality as the dominant theme representing masculinities (Shaw)

Gender Inequality in Film

* Average ratio of male actors to female actors is 2.25:1

* Percentage of teenage females depicted with some nudity increased by over 30% from 2007-2012

* 1/3 of female speaking characters are shown in sexually revealing attire or are partially naked

Gender Inequality in the Film Industry

* Ratio of men working on films to women is 5:1

* Of the top 250 films in 2012, 9% of the directors were women

* Of the top 250 films in 2012, 2% were cinematographers

* In 2013, the highest paid female actor, Angelina Jolie, made $33 million, roughly the same amount as the two lowest-ranked men

* Age appears to be a dominant factor in an actress's monetary success compared to men

* Of the 16 biggest paychecks earned by actors per film, not a single one was earned by a female actor

* $465 million versus $181 million: The collective earnings of the top ten highest paid actors versus the top ten highest paid actresses

Gender Bias in Film Awards

* In 2013, during the 85th Academy Awards across 19 categories, the ratio of men to women nominated was 4:1

* In Academy Award history, four female filmmakers have been nominated for best director

* Average age of "Best Actress" winners is 36 compared to the average age of "Best Actor" winners (44).

* 77% of Oscar voters are men

Dear Paramount Vantage,

My name is Brieana Ripley and I am a 20 year old student, film fanatic, and feminist at the University of Washington studying Comparative Literature. I am writing to you for the purpose of drawing attention to the startling gender inequality in U.S. film. The discussion I raise is beyond male versus female within the film industry. U.S. film culture is dominated by white men who use cinema in order to glorify their white maleness and their dreams (Mulvey). Diversity of any kind has been eradicated or worse, stereotyped, leaving little room for the richness that only comes from intersectionality and fair representation.

Even with the recent blockbuster successes of female-led films (such as The Hunger Games) along with the 4% increase in the number of women directors responsible for the top 250-grossing movies in 2012, there is no question that Hollywood has a long way to go in removing the many stereotypes and hurdles faced by film viewers, actresses, and female filmmakers. Stereotypes, discriminations, and biased representations dramatically warp the way U.S. society, women, and minority groups are perceived by audiences. I am urging you to take a look at the staggering facts--I have provided a list which may serve as a starting point but is certainly not a total representation of the wretched inequality between men and women in film and in the film industry. I only skim the surface whereas this pressing topic calls for an urgent analysis of the U.S. film industry's glorification of white males and inappropriate cultural stereotypes.

Recently, Jennifer Lawrence was commended