With the release of the mega-expensive, and mega-anticipated, superhero tent-pole film Avengers: Age of Ultron, many critics have expressed fatigue at the manner in which Hollywood blockbusters portray their women heroes.
If the Avengers represent peak Marvel (in notoriety and public recognition) then Black Widow by association is the main female character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And quite honestly, thats not saying much, io9s Meredith Woerner and Katharine Trendacosta wrote shortly after the films release.
Trendacosta and Woerner also noted that By the time Marvel makes a standalone female superhero film (Captain Marvel), Captain America, Tony Stark and Thor will all have had three stand-alone separate films. Thats 19 films before a singular film that stars a woman superhero.
And its not just the lack of representation that has critics flustered; its the depiction itself.
'Age of Ultron' sees Black Widow yet again employing her feminine charms to help advance a fellow male teammates personal growth, The Daily Beasts Jen Yamato wrote in her assessment of the films Black Widow problem. In Yamatos estimation, the great big money making machine that is Marvel Studios (which happens to be owned by Disney) just isnt thinking in terms of appealing to a female audience, despite the fact that they do indeed have one.
So how do critics propose to put an end this perceived blockbuster sexism? According to Melissa Silverstein, founder and editor of Indie Wires Women and Hollywood, the problem stems not from a lack of representation in front of the camera, but from behind it.
Women are shut out of directing roles, and its hurting movies, Silverstein proclaimed in an essay for The Washington Posts Post Everything.
As Silverstein points out, only 4.6 percent of studio films were directed by women in 2014. Which means that even though the audience is roughly 50 percent female, the media naturally carries predominantly male sensibilities.
The need for women behind the camera isnt mere tokenism; the sex of the director makes a difference in who is shown on camera and how, she argued. Films are the most democratic and universal way we communicate and share our stories, Silverstein continued. They are our cave drawings. Representation is key.
Silverstein is not alone in her outrage. According to Buzzfeed News, the ACLU has officially launched an investigation into Hollywoods hiring practices specifically because of the lack of women directors.
Just because its Hollywood doesnt mean theyre not subject to the same discrimination rules, BuzzFeed News quotes the senior staff attorney for the ACLUs Womens Rights Project, Ariela Migdal, as saying.
According to Buzzfeeds interview with Migdal, women directors are not only hired less, they also have a substantially more difficult time finding work after theyve completed a project. In other words, job security is virtually non-existent for women filmmakers.
All this despite the fact that, as Buzzfeeds Mary Ann Georgantopoulos points out, women attend the movies, and enroll in film school, at practically the same rate as men.
If the Avengers represent peak Marvel (in notoriety and public recognition) then Black Widow by association is the main female character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And quite honestly, thats not saying much, io9s Meredith Woerner and Katharine Trendacosta wrote shortly after the films release.
Trendacosta and Woerner also noted that By the time Marvel makes a standalone female superhero film (Captain Marvel), Captain America, Tony Stark and Thor will all have had three stand-alone separate films. Thats 19 films before a singular film that stars a woman superhero.
And its not just the lack of representation that has critics flustered; its the depiction itself.
'Age of Ultron' sees Black Widow yet again employing her feminine charms to help advance a fellow male teammates personal growth, The Daily Beasts Jen Yamato wrote in her assessment of the films Black Widow problem. In Yamatos estimation, the great big money making machine that is Marvel Studios (which happens to be owned by Disney) just isnt thinking in terms of appealing to a female audience, despite the fact that they do indeed have one.
So how do critics propose to put an end this perceived blockbuster sexism? According to Melissa Silverstein, founder and editor of Indie Wires Women and Hollywood, the problem stems not from a lack of representation in front of the camera, but from behind it.
Women are shut out of directing roles, and its hurting movies, Silverstein proclaimed in an essay for The Washington Posts Post Everything.
As Silverstein points out, only 4.6 percent of studio films were directed by women in 2014. Which means that even though the audience is roughly 50 percent female, the media naturally carries predominantly male sensibilities.
The need for women behind the camera isnt mere tokenism; the sex of the director makes a difference in who is shown on camera and how, she argued. Films are the most democratic and universal way we communicate and share our stories, Silverstein continued. They are our cave drawings. Representation is key.
Silverstein is not alone in her outrage. According to Buzzfeed News, the ACLU has officially launched an investigation into Hollywoods hiring practices specifically because of the lack of women directors.
Just because its Hollywood doesnt mean theyre not subject to the same discrimination rules, BuzzFeed News quotes the senior staff attorney for the ACLUs Womens Rights Project, Ariela Migdal, as saying.
According to Buzzfeeds interview with Migdal, women directors are not only hired less, they also have a substantially more difficult time finding work after theyve completed a project. In other words, job security is virtually non-existent for women filmmakers.
All this despite the fact that, as Buzzfeeds Mary Ann Georgantopoulos points out, women attend the movies, and enroll in film school, at practically the same rate as men.
