7/24/2023 0 Comments This changes everything hollywood![]() : The need for racial diversity on screen Huffpost: Why seeing yourself on screen mattersĭo you think it’s important to incorporate a wide range of perspectives in media? What do consumers lose if they don’t hear from women, people of color, the disabled, or immigrants? Why is increasing diversity such a challenge? ![]() Starring Geena Davis, Cate Blanchett, and Jackie Cruz.ĭo you think it’s important to see yourself or people like you in the media you consume? What happens if you’re “invisible” in the media world? Kids will likely be bored with it but older teens and adults who are interested in learning about and discussing topics related to entertainment, gender, diversity, discrimination, and similar themes will find that This Changes Everything will challenge or even change their perspectives on the media they consume. It ranges from personal stories – Chloe Grace Moretz sharing her feelings of being objectified when she was told to insert silicone implants in her push up bra at age 16 – all the way to penetrating historical analysis – why did women succeed in the early years of the movie industry only to disappear when “talkies” came on the scene? This Changes Everything is a fine documentary with interesting anecdotes and a solid grasp of the facts. And some networks have made a sustained effort to increase the diversity of the people on both sides of the camera – and have found increased profitability. That institute has also reached out to work collaboratively with studios, particularly those producing children’s television, to increase diverse representation in programming. And Geena Davis has founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media which has funded research studies to quantify the under-representation of female characters on screen. Sweden marks movie posters with stickers to indicate if they have passed the Bechdel test – a simple test that determines if a film contains two female characters who have conversations that don’t revolve around men. While most of the movie is depressing, there are bright moments that stand out. They discuss the 1984 sexual discrimination lawsuit launched against Hollywood studios by the Director’s Guild of America – which was instigated by six female directors – and jump ahead to a current US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation of the studios. The film also goes behind the camera to speak with female directors and explore what happens when women’s career paths are blocked, denying them the opportunity to tell their stories and shape our culture’s understanding of women’s lives. Drawing on interviews with highly successful women in the industry – Meryl Streep, Jessica Chastain, Reese Witherspoon, Sandra Oh, Shonda Rhimes – director Tom Donahue delves into issues like sexual harassment, objectification, the camera’s male gaze, gender stereotypes, and male-centered stories. These are some of the questions tackled in the documentary, This Changes Everything. ![]() How extensive is the problem of female under-representation in Hollywood and what effect does it have on the people who consume the media? And the male actors have three-quarters of the speaking parts. Fifty-one percent of the population is female, but for the past 80 years, there have been three times as many male actors on the big screen as there have been female actors. It also has an incredible power when you see someone like you on screen.” So says Shonda Rhimes, successful screenwriter, when discussing the problems of gender disparity in the entertainment industry. “Media has the power to educate to shape people’s thoughts.
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