Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Time to make the link between abuse and film content
Kate Hardie | Opinion | The Guardian: Many creative men have come out since the Weinstein allegations, making it clear that they do not agree with sexual abuse. I wasn’t aware there was any doubt that sexual abuse was a bad thing, but it’s good to have it clarified. (Forgive the sarcasm. It’s been a long week.) But so far, very few have been brave enough to start a conversation about the subtler, yet no less urgent, subject of the content of their own work, to examine their own record regarding the treatment and the representation of women.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
The only way women will be able to change the patriarchal society in the entertainment industry is to become the powerful figures of the industry themselves. I completely agree with Katie Hardie in her assessment that, even though there is a surge of men condemning sexual abuse, there is an innate nature within the industry that subconsciously creates a dangerous environment for women. Because the producers and directors are male, they do not have the same sensitivities that a woman would have because they never had to experience such an uncomfortable experience. To change this, consumers must be willing to support content that have been written, produced, and directed by women to show that women are capable of making objectively good content that is also marketable.
We see the unnecessary nudity and objectification of the female body especially in blockbuster action films like the Transformers franchise where there is no significant plot point to having the female lead scantily clad but writers and producers include it because they think that it will bring in bigger audiences. As consumers, we must show that this is not necessary, especially if the actress feels uncomfortable shooting such a scene.
But, in the present, the power lies within the hands of men. If these men are going to condemn sexual abuse, they must also recognize their own actions are perpetuating this cycle and must actively work to stop it.
Post a Comment