Here is a comment from Jezebel that absolutely, 100% sums up what I was trying to say about Girls the other day.
That’s what I find so frustrating about this whole thing. Every point Dodai makes above is absolutely true, but the fact that we only have these conversations around shows that focus on women is a really big problem. It’s like even the so-called feminist media has decided that it’s just fine for male-centered shows to be as white-washed and focused on privileged people as they like, but when women do it, it’s shocking and terrible and a gigantic problem, and the show itself must be condemned until it’s taken off the air. No one cares when male shows are white-only and dripping with privilege, but when it’s a female show, it’s an overwhelming and unbelievable problem that must be dealt with immediately.
It’s like the whole bullshit “white girl problems” meme—we’ve taken privilege and made it gender-based. White women are the only ones with privilege that needs to be examined and derided and kept from being expressed at all costs; white male privilege is just a fact of life that’s not worth getting upset about it, must less trying to stamp out.
I absolutely agree that the fix is to start calling out male shows, not to stop calling out female ones, but since the former is basically just not done, we’re stuck in this incredibly frustrating place where female-centered shows are roundly and loudly condemned for their unbelievable clueless privilege while male-centered shows are completely let off the hook, every single time.
Amy Poehler posters at the Georgia Capitol rally for women!
Besting thing EVER!
Oh my god, I love this.
(via galentines)
(Source: catbushandludicrous, via nowhys)
An actual conversation that occurred on my Facebook a few minutes ago.
Total Film’s 100 Greatest Female Characters: Statistical Breakdown
The stats:
Out of Total Film’s list of the 100 Greatest Female Characters in movies…
Only 79 have full names, and only 73 are listed by their full name.
6 are not human women, and 3 are not humanoid.
38 are a character in someone else’s story. 25 of those are primarily a love interest.
Approximately 1/5 do not survive their film.
Almost 1/2 are victimized or imperiled in their films, and 1/3 are victims of rape, sexual assault, family or intimate partner violence.
There are four women of color. Two of these women (the only adult women of color and the only black characters) are portrayed by the same actor, Pam Grier.
There are three characters identifiable as bisexual and one character identifiable as a lesbian.
More than half the characters are approximately 20–35 years of age.
22 appear in films at least co-written by women. Only 5 appear in films directed by women.
(Source: feministfilm, via monkeyknifefight)
Does Everyone Still Hate Katherine Heigl? A Thoroughly Unscientific Grantland Survey | Grantland »
I find this entire article disgusting. Let’s bash Katherine Heigl because one time she called Knocked Up sexist (I like Knocked Up, but it IS egregiously sexist at times, even if it is semi-meta about it) and because she left Grey’s Anatomy because they turned her character into a psychopathic ghost-fucking cancer patient. I’m not saying the career choices of Miss Heigl are top-notch, but the blatant sexism seething from every media mention of her is so degrading, especially in a world where male actors can shit all over their movies on almost every occasion without being publicly lambasted (I’m looking at you Sean Penn). Also, the fact that one of the sources in the article calls to question why she adopted a child, claiming that she did it because she wanted a baby without ruining her body, is absurd and immoral. She adopted a baby from Korea because her sister was adopted from Korea and it was an important personal decision for her. And even if that wasn’t the case, why the fuck does this person feel they have the authority to call out a mother’s actions and try to relate it to her lackluster career efforts? Remember when Katherine Heigl was first looked down on because she stood up for her best friend, who was attacked with a gay slur by a co-star?
Why is it okay that articles like this can even exist? The most upsetting part is that the majority of the nasty comments are from women. I think this is the worst one:
Not only is she the archetype of the skate-by-on-her-blondeness celebrity, she’s also so blatantly insincere that it shines through in her performances. She ruins Knocked Up for me; I’m left so sad for Rogen’s character because he knocked HER up.
(Source: popculturebrain)
Hello Giggles »
I want to like Zooey Deschanel’s brainchild website Hello Giggles, because it’s a women-targeted website and has a lot of cool features, but I just can’t get on board because of that FUCKING SIDEBAR with all of that quippy “lady stuff.” The whole project is breaking one of my painstaking rules of online feminism: it’s too twee. Why is there such a horrible misconception that women are only interested in talking about “cute” things and recipes and clothes? I’m not saying that we DON’T like to talk about those things, because of course we do, but why is it necessary to package it in some lady-approved format all the time? It’s not that we shouldn’t celebrate our womanhood, and I don’t mind the vibrant colors and feminine artwork, but I personally feel like we’ll never break out of this sexist media shell if we keep parading a girly faux pas over logical thought processes that apply to all breeds of humans.
Maybe that makes me a hypocrite (as someone in the process of launching a website that features female writers exclusively and will feature some lady-based art conception and features). And actually, I do like a lot of this site (and I promise it’s not just my disdain for Zooey D that’s motivating this post). It’s more in the little details than anything (like the fact that the only TV shows they review are America’s Got Talent, The Bachelorette and The Real Housewives or the fact that they have a column called “BFF” - even if said column DOES feature Mindy Kaling). Maybe I’m being over-critical. Also, the website is called HELLO GIGGLES. Upchuck!
When I am assertive, I’m a bitch. When a man is assertive, he’s a boss. He bossed up. No negative connotation behind ‘bossed up,’ but lots of negative connotation behind being a bitch…When you’re a girl, you have to be dope at what you do but you have to be sweet and you have to be sexy and you have to be this and that. And you have to be nice. I can’t be all those things at once. I’m a human being.”
— Nicki Minaj (via prydonian)
(Source: formerlydidyoublush, via milkradio)
