Equal representation in film and television matters. The world is 50% female. But if you spend your days watching movies and television (which we are doing more and more every year) you may not realize it.
So, what does the world look like according to film and television? It’s filled with men. Run by men. And the women who are around are young, beautiful, and aimless.
A new study on the representation of women in film and television in 2013 breaks down the specific numbers. They’re not surprising, but they are outrageous. A few highlights:
- Females comprised 15% of protagonists and 29% of major characters
- 13% of the top 100 films featured equal numbers of major female and male characters, or more major female characters than male characters
- Female characters were younger than their male counterparts
- Female characters were less likely than males to have clearly identifiable goals or be portrayed as leaders of any kind
- Females accounted for 30% of all speaking characters (includes major and minor characters)
- Only 15% of all clearly identifiable protagonists were female
- Males 40 and over accounted for 55% of all male characters. Females 40 and over comprised 30% of all female characters
We see the impact of these numbers all over. In Jenna Maroney’s manic fear of aging and constant lying about her age on 30 Rock. Maroney’s behavior, while sometimes bonkers, is not unjustified. Or in the public abuse leveled at Kim Novak’s appearance at The Oscars. TV audiences were shocked by the presence of a woman who did not meet the accepted ideals of a woman in that role.
The reality is what we always knew it was. There are fewer roles for women. The number of those roles is further reduced the older you get. Fewer leading roles, fewer speaking roles, fewer heroes and leaders.
In 2013 “other-worldly females” (aliens, etc) appeared more frequently in film and TV than Asian women. Numbers like this make Jenna Maroney seem a lot less crazy, and the movies like The Bling Ring, Sofia Coppola’s movie about aimless young women portraying real-life aimless young women, a lot more facund.
Lots of very fascinating content here. Clearly this is quite an issue, hopefully these numbers will result in some thoughtful discussion and action in the industry.
However, I find it very curious that you choose Bling Ring as an “eloquent” (yes, I had to look up the word facund) response to this issue you are trying to address. I have never such an aimless group of young women as the ones that were in this film. They are a depressing depiction of what happens when all that matters is beauty and money and no real brain is being required to get through life.
That’s my interpretation of the Bling Ring, too. But that’s also why I think Coppola’s film on the subject of being young and beautiful and aimless and wanting wealth speaks intelligently to the cultural problems inherent in film as an industry that chiefly values stories with women that are young and beautiful and aimless.
That doesn’t make it any easier to watch, though.
Thanks for stopping by, stranger.
I see where you are coming from and I suppose any way to address the subject is better than none. However, personally, I would be far more interested in content that took women seriously and showed what they are capable of instead of perpetuating the current cycle by making more movies about aimless women.
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