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Are things going backwards in terms of the representation of women in films/TV?

41 replies

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 13/01/2011 18:12

Was watching a film called "A Foreign Affair" the other day, made in 1948. It follows a congresswoman visiting Berlin after the war as part of a committee. She was the main character, and (as well as the love story element) it was about her professionalism, and how she developed and changed her views throughout the film.

I was a bit shocked to realise that I couldn't think of another film about a female politician made since.

So are some things actually going backwards in terms of how women are depicted? Another of my favourites from a similar era is "His Girl Friday" about a female journalist.

Why were these films being made then, and not being made any more?

Or are there better modern films I should be picking up on?

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HandDivedScallopsrgreat · 14/01/2011 12:18

Oh yes - always liked that! Very clever and thoughtful.

StewieGriffinsMom · 14/01/2011 11:44

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HandDivedScallopsrgreat · 14/01/2011 11:42

SGM - I watch all those shows too. CSI original has brought in Lawrence Fishburne and although Kathryn is the team leader (taken over from Gil) all the focus is on Fishburne.

Watched part of Question Time last night and once again only 2 women and 3 men on the panel (and then Dimbleby - the elderly gravitas required by formula). Has anyone ever seen the programme with more women than men on it?

StewieGriffinsMom · 14/01/2011 11:19

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ElephantsAndMiasmas · 14/01/2011 10:33

I like the women in CSI, I can pick my way between the "sexy" female corpses for them. And Law & Order. Obviously need to watch more sci-fi though :)

Cuddy in House always seems to be failing to do her job because she is obstructed by her massive sexual attraction to Dr House.

I liked the West Wing for this as well, especially CJ, but other than her few of the storylines were actually about the female characters doing their jobs. Women featured but mainly on the sidelines IIRC.

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nowonthepill · 14/01/2011 09:33

why is toy story bad? I always thought it was quite good as there is no dad around...makes a change to the usual perfect 2 parent families represented.

Malificence · 14/01/2011 08:00

TV has some excellent female characters.

Nikita.
Dr Cuddy in House.
Dr Temperance Brennan in Bones
Col. Samantha Carter in Stargate.
Dr. Janet Frazier, Stargate again.
Captain Katherine Janeway from Voyager.
Penelope Garcia from Criminal minds.
All the women in Wareouse 13, ditto CSI.

You're obviously watching the wrong stuff, not nearly enough Sci-fi or crime/medical drama. Wink

Interestingly they are all American too.

StewieGriffinsMom · 14/01/2011 07:52

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sakura · 14/01/2011 04:47

yes Terminator 2, loved that!

sakura · 14/01/2011 04:45

ooh, you should all read Backlash, she talks a lot about this. Yes, things absolutely slide back, just when women thing they're getting somewhere.

I like Chocolat. Single mother, travels about like a nomad, sets up her own business in the village, takes in a DV victim and gives her a job, has random sex with Johnny Depp (who is younger than her) ... ahh, bliss

BelfastBloke · 14/01/2011 00:25

And there IS sexual subtext between them; it's one of the ways he toys with her.

BelfastBloke · 14/01/2011 00:24

Lurcio, you're entirely wrong about A Few Good Men.

The music, the advertising, the trailer all make it seem that Demi Moore and Tom Cruise are equals, but in actual fact he undermines her in almost every scene they're in together. She ALWAYS comes off stupider, and he's smug Tom Cruise-like.

Drives me mad.

Original poster
ElephantsAndMiasmas · 14/01/2011 00:05

oh YES Lurcio I forgot about Ginormica (always forget to include "superhero" in my job searches as well) - reminds me of this which has the line: "I like giants, especially girl giants, cos all girls feel too big sometimes regardless of their size".

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TeiTetua · 13/01/2011 22:37

Going back a few years now, but I thought the various "Prime Suspect" series were very good.

OmicronPersei8 · 13/01/2011 22:22

The Princess and the Frog? I know there's a love story and it's Disney, but I've told DD it's the only Disney princess to aspire to. She works hard, dreams of having her own business, her mother works too, she does marry a prince but he is penniless and ends up working with/for her.

PonceyMcPonce · 13/01/2011 22:11

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LurcioLovesFrankie · 13/01/2011 21:35

Kids films - Monsters vs Aliens, Ginormica saves the world and dumps her hideous boyfriend.

A few good men - Demi Moore and Tom Cruise works side by side preparing the case for the big courtroom drama, entirely professionally and without any sexual subtext whatsoever.

StewieGriffinsMom · 13/01/2011 21:28

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ISNT · 13/01/2011 21:27

Good one SGB

Mind you she was still "beauty" from that dire TV show to me Grin

sethstarkaddersmackerel · 13/01/2011 21:21

are we going backwards? - yup.
I still haven't seen Toy Story 3 but I've heard bad things about it....

Coleysworth · 13/01/2011 20:44

ooh yes, I love Mark Kermode's rants: the one about SATC2 was a classic :)

StuffingGoldBrass · 13/01/2011 20:20

Terminator 2: Judgement Day - Linda Hamilton weight trains, shoots people, sees off Schwarzenegger and doesn't have a love affair.

notquitenormal · 13/01/2011 20:16

Private Benjamin was on the other day, I've always really liked that film. One of the few films I can think of without an obligatory romantic pairing at the end.

JessinAvalon · 13/01/2011 19:47

One of my ideal men, Mark Kermode, makes this point about female characters in films often in his film review programme on radio 5 on a Friday. I have heard him say several times that the character led films of the 40s and 50s featured much stronger female protagonists than some of the crap that is churned out now (hence he made Transformers 2 his worst film of 2009; the female character was only there to serve as eye candy for the lowest common denominator, he said (I paraphrase)).

youarecallunts · 13/01/2011 19:47

I know.

But the OP asked for films that show women having careers.