Flavorwire: This fall, we wrote about Some Lady Parts, a new Tumblr that was devoted to airing and posting many of the most absurdly sexist casting calls to be found in the acting world.
Since then, the site has become even more popular. Recently, its creators collaborated with Upworthy on a video in which aspiring thespians talked honestly about how these damaging casting calls hurt their self-esteem and their sense of themselves in the industry. “We just want to play human beings, rather than bodies,” one said.
8 comments:
This is a problem that has been brought up several times on the blog in the past, and it seems like every time it becomes more blatantly clear that there is an issue with the way that casting calls are being written. The core issue lies mainly in the fact that there aren't very many solutions being put forward. How do we go abou writing casting calls that are descriptive without being offensive? Obviously, there are multiple facets to the issue, such as the fact that the casting calls put forward in this article are clearly more sexist than anything, which is relatively easy to resolve; the casting directors ave to stop putting forth calls that are directly tied to gender in their offensive structure. Stereotypes are also often referenced in casting calls, which is problematic within itself and should probably also be abolished if we want to work towards more socially-healthy call notices.
I feel like I was *just talking* about not disrespecting actors. Yes, their warmups are ridiculous and they do silly things, but they know better than we do about their craft. In this instance, it goes further, breaking women’s roles down to how they relate to the men in the script (see: “girl friends of guys” “every guy’s dream” etc). And yes, sometimes you need that stand-out leggy blonde to attract the boy next door, but is there really no better way to write these? I assume these are for the lower-budget films but there really is no excuse even if they are. And if they’re for upper-level roles, then I’d the business if I was an actress. I’m sickened by the way female roles in theater and film are stripped down to the physical characteristics. Men aren’t cast like this. Sure, you have you’re “tall, dark, handsome,” looking/for ads, but even that can be tweaked if you got the right guy in at the audition. Still, what if the people on your television or on your movie screen or on your stage are not models! According to these casting calls, the world will collapse! There’s no way my leading lady can be short, or different or anything! Honestly, these casting calls are not casting women. They’re casting shells of people. Time to change, world. Wake the heck up.
We always hear a lot about how there are not very many diverse and 3 Dimensional roles for females in tv shows and movies. But we rarely hear about how this lack of dynamic characters translates to incredibly sexist casting calls. One thing the casting call does is obviously show just how sexist these roles are. If you imagine the most one dimensional female character from one of those male driven comedies, you can only imagine how sexist that casting call must have been. It really shows just how sexist a movie is. I would love to see casting calls from famous movies with one dimensional female characters; it would do so much to expose just how sexist the character was written. There would be no excuse for characters being created like this, and hopefully it would be a call to action.
Every time this blog brings up the lack of fully formed female roles, they just become more and more real about the amount of sexism that goes around in the acting industry. It’s so frustrating that this is such an issue because it just seems so obvious that women should also have roles that are just as complex as their male counterparts but they don’t. If the shallow sexist roles start as shallow sexist casting calls how can there be any hope that that role will ever become more than just a female body there for her body. More people need to be made aware of just how bad the casting calls are. This issue is so frustrating because it just shouldn't be an issue. Women should not have to fight to have equal opportunities because they already should have them. But they don't so we have to fight for them and you just know that there are going to be so many guys who just say “well then don't act”. They have been brought up thinking that all of this is fine and dandy for so long that they cant even fathom why these casting calls would be offensive. It’s awful.
What are we, in the 40’s? I kind of, understand the need to fulfill a stereotype for theatrical purposes, kind of, but honestly can’t we as a society do a little bit better than ‘searching for sexy hot women’. Or ‘stereotypical trailer park prostitute’. If you came in to the audition and learned what the role was about in a respectful manor, and then were asked if you were ok with it, that would be ok. I’m not trying to say that people shouldn’t want to put up plays dealing with those types of characters, but at least have the respect for the potential performer of that character to present it in a way that dignifies the actress as an actress. Just because you’re looking for someone to fulfill the role doesn’t mean that the actress is the character. And just because you’re looking for an attractive female actress doesn’t mean that you have to specify that they should ‘always be looking to please her man’. It’s just slimy.
So apparently women don't have any defining characteristics besides their looks? Good to know, hollywood.
When we talk about equality in Hollywood, it is so easy to only focus on the visible Oscar winning movies and popular shows. While we are still struggling in those categories, any improvement feels like a big coup for the industry as a whole. While it is powerful, there is a huge wide industry full of terrible sexism and ridiculous oversimplifications of complex gender issues.
These casting calls are both the cause and the symptom of this business, written by men who have only ever been exposed to stereotypical depictions of women, and train a new generation of professionals to continue to see women in the exact same way. It is a horrible vicious cycle that won't be stopped until everyone, small commercials, sitcoms and oscar winning movie alike make a concerted effort to not only cast more women, but cast them in complex, interesting and nuanced roles comparable to their male counterparts.
It is outrageous that casting calls are even allowed to post half of those things. They are utterly sexist and I can’t believe that any woman would ever want to audition for a role where the production company feels comfortable posting and ad like that. These ads aren’t asking for women they’re asking for acting cardboard cutouts, or inflatable dolls. Even if you need an attractive woman for a role there is a way to put out an ad for one without degrading them and talking about them if they are sub-human. Stereotypes are never attractive, so I can’t fathom why anyone would put out an ad for an actress while adhering so closely to them. The problem here is a lack of consideration for women as human beings. Why don’t the ads ask for strong beautiful actresses that can play the role they need, rather than asking for things like a stereotypical white trash prostitute, or a hot girl from next door that is essentially an object of sexual desire. There is a huge issue of respect in these ads, but an even greater problem alluded to. The entertainment industry is almost exclusively run by rich white males who often degrade women, therefore many of the roles for women, especially in film and television are very flat and one sided, which allow casting directors to feed into these stereotypes to find an actor. More understanding and respect is needed for women to take on the role they deserve in entertainment.
It's shame that Hollywood so blatantly views women in such a discriminatory light. It's as though the industry completely overlooks the fact that the women auditioning for these roles have dedicated their lives to this craft, and not just their "hot, girl-next-door-type" bodies. On one hand, I do understand that some films and plays require an actress to look a certain way, however, there is no reason for the casting calls to be written so insensitively. It's as though there was no thought put into the wording of the description at all, and the casting agents were just spewing out synonyms for the word hot. It is unfortunate to face the reality of the situation, which is that the industry has little time to worry about the feeling's of actors and actresses. There is certainly a "suck it up" attitude that comes with entering the real world of the profession, so I don't see any real change coming forth in creating a less discriminatory world for actresses, simply because the main concern is to get the job done, and not to coddle those being paid to work.
Abby Jackman
Cameron Knight
Post a Comment