Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Women actors

40 replies

MrsTerryPratchett · 26/10/2017 16:24

I'm trying to get this thought straight in my head so bear with me.

Hollywood and acting particularly is full of very young, very pretty female actors. Male actors can be older, ugly, fat, weird looking. But women all need to be beautiful and fragrant.

We are sold this as what the market wants. But after Weinstein, it has occurred to me that it seems more likely that good female actors are passed up because male directors and casting staff only want to sexually harass and assault beautiful young women.

Is the casting couch the reason we don't see character actors who are female in the same light as male? Is it the reason that 55 yo male actors have 20 yo female 'wives' on screen? Is it the reason that unless you are incredibly famous your career dies after 30? Do we have a paucity of great female actors because of sexual assault and harassment? It takes time to become a great actor and it seems that women are neither given the roles nor the time.

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsTerryPratchett · 27/10/2017 15:49

Men who commit sexual offences do so against a wide range of women, and sometimes men and children.

In the context of the recent revelations, it appears to be young, beautiful women. I think the poor Coreys will change that debate in Hollywood eventually. I do think that the victim choices of the perpetrators won't be based on the talent of the actor though.

OP posts:
Bucketsandspoons · 27/10/2017 15:48

Its one of the reasons that despite it's many faults, I like Greys Anatomy. The blind casting not only created a lot of racial diversity but put women like the very gorgeous Sara Ramirez and Chandra Wilson in key roles and the series shows them off looking fantastic when they're anything but stereotypical Hollywood body types.

Dozer · 27/10/2017 15:42

“male directors and casting staff only want to sexually harass and assault beautiful young women. “

Men who commit sexual offences do so against a wide range of women, and sometimes men and children.

Agree though that it seems likely that the sexism that pervades the industry is demonstrated both by sexual assaults and the inequality in parts available to women, and pay.

MichelGarnier · 27/10/2017 15:36

Yy Queen Deborah of the guilty feminist spoke about that once. She was watching the big short (I haven't seen it) with her husband and apparently there's a scene where Margot Robbie explains some economics bit whilst naked in a bath and she felt it was just totally for men and the filmmakers had just presumed she would be in the other screen watching a chick flick or something.

MichelGarnier · 27/10/2017 15:32

I read an article about a similar thing recently. Basically it boiled down to - if the casting director/producer/director whoever don't find the actress fuckable then she won't get the part. So if they like young, white, under 25 women, that's who gets in the film.

They seem to forget that a massive chunk of cinema goers are over 50s, or that they have the money and time to go, anyway. So that's why there was the 2nd best exotic marigold whatever, because the first one did so well at the box office, because it appealed to an older audience.

QueenOfTheSardines · 27/10/2017 15:31

Most films are made by men and contain things that the men who make them are interested it. The last few films I've watched I've commented to DH that various aspects of it are straight up 15 year old boy fantasy stuff. Even "good" films.

As long as men are making films about things men are interested in we will continue to see a wide variety of male characters with a range of looks, personalities, interests, and the female characters presented as 2-D stereotypes, often young and attractive and there for aesthetics.

Like, why do they always have to visit strip clubs in so many american films and TV shows? Because who doesn't like to see some sexy ladies in the background while the plot is being furthered, is why!

Whole thing pisses me off.

Short answer is yes hollywood is by men for men so what do you expect.

deydododatdodontdeydo · 27/10/2017 15:23

2 words - mamma mia. Ridiculously huge box office. Hollywood types dismissed it as a fluke.

Really?
They are making a sequel.

Original poster
MrsTerryPratchett · 27/10/2017 14:58

I'm sorry as I didn't mean to play rape apologist or something by the way

Not at all. I think the money plays it’s part too.

I do think the Mamma Mia/SATC/Bridesmaids ‘it’s a fluke’ line gets wheeled out a lot. It’s only a fluke because it happens once. Try doing it again and you’ll see!

I watch Pitch Perfect when I’m depressed about this. Especially #2. The women are varied, interesting, funny, strong and the male characters are plot points for them and it only just passes a reverse Bechdel test. And it made money!

OP posts:
deckoff · 27/10/2017 07:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IndominusRex · 27/10/2017 06:56

2 words - mamma mia. Ridiculously huge box office. Hollywood types dismissed it as a fluke.

Original poster
MrsTerryPratchett · 26/10/2017 23:53

It’s not helped by constantly hearing people say things like, “she’s pretty but not a great actress“. No shit Sherlock. She was chosen based on her looks and vulnerability rather than her talent.

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsTerryPratchett · 26/10/2017 23:42

And I’m sure the films with middle aged women in them are massively cheaper to make.

The specific issue I’m angry about though is that your choice is to be a young, beautiful women who is repeatedly sexually harassed or on the scrap heap. There is no Al Pacino/Brad Pitt/William H Macy/Matthew McCauahey (sic) route for women. That would be raw talent/pretty boy to director/character acting/lean on buses and wait for a meaty role.

Not helped by the fact that there are just less women in films. So you can’t really be a jobbing actor either.

I’m so angry that all these women have been attacked AND we have a shitty sexist film industry as cause and effect.

OP posts:
Raisedbyguineapigs · 26/10/2017 23:31

I agree with you. I think that an industry with an overwhelmingly make senior management structure, purely driven by money has decided that pretty young women are what makes money. Hopefully now that women have moved into directing and producing, they can show that films with good female actors of all types do make money that may change. Hollywood studio executives are followers, not creative or innovative.

miri1985 · 26/10/2017 23:25

"if they ever did see results from films with a middle aged leading women, they'd replicate those a trillion times."

I dunno about that, I mean the 2 SATC films where there was an all female cast in their mid 40's-50's were blockbusters and I don't think it started a trend.

deckoff · 26/10/2017 17:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Swipe left for the next trending thread