Hollywood Sausage Fest

Anyone who has been tortured by some of the really bad movies getting way too much play at the local theater these days probably wasn’t surprised to read the New York Times story yesterday about the shortage of female power in Hollywood. Despite the fact that women make up 51% of movie goers, three of the four women who held top jobs at Hollywood’s major studios have left in the past 14 months. All have been replaced my men.
I’m no fan of essentialism (i.e. women always make movies other women like because they share some innate sensibilty a.k.a bad romcoms), but there is something unarguably frightening about one of our nation’s most powerful messaging industries being in the hands of only men. There seems to always be a heavy line up of unnecessary sequels, horror and violence at the box office, usually with a little sprinkle of objectification of female bodies throw in for misogynistic measure. Certainly this has something to do with who is holding the purse strings.
I want less Steven Seagal and more Jane Campion, Kimberly Peirce, and Zana Briski. Is that too much to ask?

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