Connect with us

Entertainment

Hollywood Accused of Gender Bias in Hiring Female Directors

Published

on

This photo released by Universal Pictures shows director/producer Elizabeth Banks on the set of "Pitch Perfect 2." (Richard Cartwright/Universal Pictures via AP)

This photo released by Universal Pictures shows director/producer Elizabeth Banks on the set of “Pitch Perfect 2.” (Richard Cartwright/Universal Pictures/AP)

SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The ACLU is asking federal and California civil rights agencies to investigate what it calls “the systemic failure” to hire female directors in the entertainment industry.

The ACLU of Southern California and the national ACLU Women’s Rights Project said Tuesday they were moved to act after compiling statistical evidence of “dramatic disparities” in the hiring of women as film and television directors. This was bolstered, they said, by anecdotal accounts from more than 50 female directors.

“Hearing such an outcry about it, and when it’s backed up with statistics, it’s a pretty solid sign there’s discrimination going on,” Ariela Migdal, a senior attorney with the ACLU Women’s Rights Project, said in an interview Tuesday.

Fewer women are working as directors today than two decades ago, according to the ACLU. It cites research that shows women represented only 7 percent of directors on the 250 top-grossing movies last year. That is 2 percentage points lower than in 1998.

“Women directors simply aren’t getting a fair opportunity to succeed,” Migdal said. “Our hope is that the involvement of the civil rights agencies and calling it what it is — a civil rights issue — will lead to concrete solutions.”

Recent research by the University of Southern California’s Media, Diversity & Social Change Initiative found a general perception in Hollywood that stories by or about women are more niche than mainstream, and therefore less profitable. A recent study commissioned by the Sundance Institute and the advocacy group Women in Film shows women have comprised fewer than 5 percent of directors of top films during the past two decades.

The executive director of Women in Film said in a statement Tuesday that the organization is proud its study “provided a statistical foundation to the ACLU in addressing systemic failure to hire women directors in the film and television industry.”

The statistics reflect the reports the ACLU gathered on its website from female directors “who were incredibly frustrated by the barriers they face in TV and film,” Migdal said.

Filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, whose 2011 Sundance documentary explores how media portrayals of women have led to fewer women in positions of power, said in a statement Tuesday that she’s personally witnessed discrimination against women in the entertainment industry. She said this was particularly true “against female directors, who are repeatedly told they’re not as qualified to direct as men and who are blacklisted for speaking out.”

The gender of the director matters because it influences what’s seen on screen, said Melissa Silverstein, founder of Women and Hollywood, which advocates for gender parity in the entertainment industry. Movies directed or written by women are 10 times more likely to show a female protagonist than those written and directed by men, she said.

“When we don’t see women reflected behind the scenes and on the screen, it basically tells us that we don’t count,” she said. “I want to live in a world where a little girl can dream of being a hero just as much as a little boy can because she sees multiple examples of heroic women. … We need examples of heroic women making changes in our lives so boys and girls can see that it’s not just a boy thing.”

The Directors Guild of America’s own research confirms the gender disparity. A study released in January shows men have made up 82 percent of first-time directors in episodic television over the past five years. Another DGA report found that only nine percent of guild-covered releases in 2013 were directed by women. That’s 18 female directors (including co-directors) out of 191 films.

Calls and emails seeking comment from the directors’ guild were not immediately returned.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

Published

on

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Continue Reading

Bay Area

Love Life Organization Shows Love

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day. It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

Published

on

Members of the 1975 NBA championship team, Charles Dudley (left) and Clifford Ray (right) embrace Love Life Foundation leader Donald Lacy for his antiviolence mission. Courtesy photo.
Members of the 1975 NBA championship team, Charles Dudley (left) and Clifford Ray (right) embrace Love Life Foundation leader Donald Lacy for his antiviolence mission. Courtesy photo.

City of Oakland Celebrates 1975 NBA World Championship Team 

By Donald Lacy

Special to The Post

 As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day.

It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

The 1975 NBA World Championship team were invited back to the City of Oakland last Friday, to be properly celebrated for their ground-breaking performance in 1975.

The heartwarming ceremony highlighted the recent passing of the legendary coach of that team, Al Attlles, and his former players Clifford Ray and Charles Dudley were on hand to represent the “Cardiac Kids” as they were called back then for their ability to make great comeback victories during their run for the title.

Warriors great Chris Mullin and former spiritual advisor Gary Reeves gave heartfelt testimonies of their experiences under Attles’ leadership and their relationship with the inspiration they received from the NBA 1975 World Champion Golden State Warriors.

The City of Oakland provided proclamations to all parties with speeches made by city leadership including Mayor Sheng Thao and Deputy Mayor Dr. Kimberly Mayfield and activity host Love Life non-profit founder and Executive Director Donald E. Lacy Jr..

There will be a celebration of life event Nov. 9 honoring Attles’ legacy at Alameda College.

Continue Reading

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of October 23 – 29, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 23 – 29, 2024

Published

on

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Continue Reading

Subscribe to receive news and updates from the Oakland Post

* indicates required

CHECK OUT THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE OAKLAND POST

ADVERTISEMENT

WORK FROM HOME

Home-based business with potential monthly income of $10K+ per month. A proven training system and website provided to maximize business effectiveness. Perfect job to earn side and primary income. Contact Lynne for more details: Lynne4npusa@gmail.com 800-334-0540

Facebook

Exclusive interview with County D.A. Price days before recall election. Photo by Ken Epstein.
Activism3 hours ago

‘Jim Crow Was and Remains Real in Alameda County (and) It Is What We Are Challenging and Trying to Fix Every Day,’ Says D.A. Pamela Price

“People have no idea what the vision is for the next district attorney, or where the office will go if I am, in fact, recalled, she continued. “I'm just running against a billionaire,” who does not show his face in public, she said. Courtesy photo.
Activism3 hours ago

‘Criminal Justice Reform Is the Signature Civil Rights Issue of Our Time,’ says D.A. Pamela Price

Activism1 day ago

Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

Keyanna Ortiz-Cedeño at her graduation from UC Berkeley after receiving her master’s degree in City Regional Planning. Alongside her, are her parents holding a Puerto Rican flag. Courtesy photo.
Activism3 days ago

“Two things can be true at once.” An Afro-Latina Voter Weighs in on Identity and Politics

PPIC
California Black Media4 days ago

Ahead of Nov. Election, Event to Check Pulse of California’s Political Landscape

Stock Photo
Alameda County4 days ago

Access Better Health with Medically Tailored Meals – Transforming Health Through Nutrition for Medi-Cal Patients

Courtesy of National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Art4 days ago

A Prolific Painter: Artist and Advocate Lois Mailou Jones

iStock Photo
California Black Media4 days ago

Not So Sweet: California State Health Campaign Highlights Dangers of Sugary Drinks

Yahushua Robinson
California Black Media4 days ago

New California Law Will Protect Students During Extreme Weather

California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber. Photo Courtesy of ShirleyWeber.com.
California Black Media4 days ago

More Than 1.2 Million Youth Pre-Registered to Vote, Secretary of State Weber Announced

Courtesy of Art Harris.
Black History4 days ago

Health is Our Wealth: An Afrocentric Perspective to Health & Wellness

On Sept. 19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bipartisan legislative package to improve housing initiatives and address the homelessness crisis.
California Black Media4 days ago

Gov. Newsom Signs Legislative Package to Increase Housing, Improve Accountability

Shutterstock
Activism4 days ago

On Your November Ballot: Prop 6 Could End “Involuntary Servitude” in California Prisons

Minister King X
Activism4 days ago

Minister King X, Civil Rights Group Sue California Prisons Over Right to Protest

Photo courtesy UC Berkeley News.
Community4 days ago

Advanced Conductors Provide Path for Grid Expansion

Trending

Copyright ©2021 Post News Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.