Friends

• There are not enough movies that speak effectively to the experiences of women. That is movies made with a female perspective.
• Many moves reinforce sexist ideas regardless if they are made primarily for women or for men.
• There are not enough women who direct major movies.
• There are not enough movies where the main character is female. There are also not enough movies where half, or more of the cast are female.

These four problems are related, but not the same. Acting like they are all the same problem pigeonholes women who write and direct films. It also suggests that movies with female main characters cannot draw male audiences and tells male writers and directors that they are not responsible or able to change the type of work that they create so it draws female audience. It suggests that if a movie is written by a woman, or if it draws a large female auidence it canot be sexist. None of this is really true. Yes, having more women working in the industry at all levels would do a lot to address the imbalance, but not because women would write in direct movies for women, or becuase women would "naturally" make movies that are not sexist-- it's more about what will get funding, what will be approved and promoted. Having women play a role in the decision making process could get more movies with good female characters to the screen.

I think that this same idea could apply to movies about black people, or movies about LGBT people... what do you think? In some of the communities here in livejournal I have read some bright ideas about how having diversity in fiction isn't just a matter of ushering in minority or women writers and expecting them to fix everything. (Anyone remember what post I'm talking about?) The fact that minority and women writers can't find work is an issue of job discrimination. It's not the same as the problem with the lack of diversity in the content. That's a reflection of cultural problems that relate to who's story is perceived to be important. A story written by a woman who grew up in a sexist culture will probably still have a sexist perspective if she has never thought very much about sexism. But, the fact that she is closed out of a job market is still a problem.