The future
The problem: Rampant sexual objectification of women in film.
The reason: A lack of female perspective in the film industry.
The solution: Get more female perspective in the film industry!
The numbers have shown us the the mere involvement of women in a movie production can reduce onscreen gender inequality. So naturally, the only solution is to have more women involved in filmmaking. A 2007 article in the NWSA Journal highlights the lack of opportunities and support that women in the film industry get. Of course, two years after its publication, Kathryn Bigelow (left) became the first woman to receive the Academy Award for Best Director, for her film The Hurt Locker. Although the 2011 USC study showed that the number of women involved in the film industry hasn't increased much since then, Bigelow's win will hopefully be the first of many for women, so that once a female Best Director is no longer considered a big deal, women's involvement in filmmaking will be very much the norm.
Becoming a screenwriter or director is of course not possible for everyone, but there are ways that women can resist the negative impacts of sexual objectification in movies on their own. Simply knowing about the issue and the factors that cause it can help women of all ages understand what's really going on when they see highly sexualized characters onscreen. Those women who don't work to change the film industry from within can at least look out for themselves in the meantime by being informed.
The reason: A lack of female perspective in the film industry.
The solution: Get more female perspective in the film industry!
The numbers have shown us the the mere involvement of women in a movie production can reduce onscreen gender inequality. So naturally, the only solution is to have more women involved in filmmaking. A 2007 article in the NWSA Journal highlights the lack of opportunities and support that women in the film industry get. Of course, two years after its publication, Kathryn Bigelow (left) became the first woman to receive the Academy Award for Best Director, for her film The Hurt Locker. Although the 2011 USC study showed that the number of women involved in the film industry hasn't increased much since then, Bigelow's win will hopefully be the first of many for women, so that once a female Best Director is no longer considered a big deal, women's involvement in filmmaking will be very much the norm.
Becoming a screenwriter or director is of course not possible for everyone, but there are ways that women can resist the negative impacts of sexual objectification in movies on their own. Simply knowing about the issue and the factors that cause it can help women of all ages understand what's really going on when they see highly sexualized characters onscreen. Those women who don't work to change the film industry from within can at least look out for themselves in the meantime by being informed.