Women in film and television
History
The Place of Women in
Film History
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Introduction
Women
have been discriminated against in various industries throughout history, and
the film industry is no exception. Despite significant progress in recent
years, gender discrimination continues in the film industry, affecting women in
many ways. From the lack of female representation in positions of influence to
the pay gap between male and female actors, the film industry has struggled to
provide equal opportunities to women in this field.
The
anecdotal evidence and statistical data conducted by women activists and
feminists in the film industry, necessarily in the commercial independent film
industries and Hollywood, show that female directors are not given the same
paycheck, support, and opportunities as their male counterparts (Mittermeier et
al., 2022). This has led to the emergence of activist projects and
organizations that are working tirelessly to raise awareness and challenge this
inequity. They present a myriad of issues that need to be addressed by the film
industry.
One
of the issues is that women are discriminated against in the film industry
through the lack of female representation in leading roles. For instance,
Hollywood has a long history of male-centric storytelling, with most leading
roles reserved for male actors. As a matter of fact, feminists, arts activists,
and Guerrilla Girls, in their campaign directed towards the film industry, affirmed
that the US Senate is more lenient or progressive on female representation (Mittermeier et
al., 2022). The Senate comprises 14 percent of women compared to 4
percent in Hollywood. Moreover, in collaboration with Alice Locas, the girls
created a series of billboards, posters, and stickers that showed the dismal
statistics of women who worked as directors in the commercial film industry (Brianton et al.,
2016). This narrative is backed by the Center for the Study of Women
research that only 31 percent of speaking roles in top-grossing films in 2020
were held by women, and only 16 percent of those films had a female lead or
co-lead. As a result, the lack of representation limits opportunities for women
to showcase their talents and reinforces gender stereotypes on the notion that
women are not as valuable as men in the film industry.
The
other issue concerns the pay gap, opportunities, and support between female and
male actors in the commercial film industry. Hemphill et al. (2017) reaffirm
that being hardworking, skilled, and talented, female actors are often paid less
than males. An article published by the New York Times showed that in 2020,
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was the highest male actor, with his
closest competitor being a female actor, Sofia Vergara (Dargis et al., 2020).
This disparity in pay not only reflects gender discrimination but also has
significant financial implications on female actors, making it difficult for
them to negotiate contracts and build wealth in the industry.
In
the past decade, women were often relegated to behind-the-scenes roles in the
film industry. Their significant roles were in the makeup, costume, and
production design. Stevens et al. (2015) explain that these roles are
essential in the filmmaking industry, but they are not recognized or
acknowledged with prestige. As a result, women who work in these positions are
underpaid and undervalued, which contrasts with their male counterparts in
higher-profile positions. This creates a hierarchical system that perpetuates
gender discrimination and limits the opportunities available for women in the
film industry.
The
impact of women's discrimination in the film industry has far-reaching
consequences, affecting not only women but also the films produced and the
audiences that watch them. For instance, Stevens et al. (2015) elaborates that most
undergraduates are woefully ignorant about the films composed by films of
female directors, let alone the avenues against filmmaking that exist for
women. This is because of the media content they have been watching, composed
of male producers, studio executives, and directors. Stevens continues to
elaborate that when women are not given equal opportunities in the industry,
their views, perspectives, and stories are not represented, limiting the
content aired to the intended audiences. As a result, female audiences are
alienated, limiting the industry's potential to reach a broader audience. The
main objective of this essay is to explore the place of women in film history,
mainly on why how there discriminated against and the actions to address the
gender discrimination in this industry.
The Reasons Why Women
were discriminated in the Film Industry
Indeed,
feminists may initiate several strategies to raise awareness on the importance
of a higher representation of women in the film industry and eventually change
the working possibilities of female filmmakers, but without making a reflection
of the significant causes why women were discriminated back in the history of
the film industry, their efforts will bear no fruits. Hankin et al. (2007) propose
that they should prioritize watching several documentaries related to women
filmmakers produced in the early 90s. These documentaries include sisters in Cinemas,
zero budget, lavender limelight, in the Company of Women, and a journey through
Women's Cinema. Hankin reiterates that these documentaries will help them understand
why women were discriminated against in the past to the consciousness of the
times.
One
of the main reasons women were discriminated against is evident in the early
years of filmmaking. Women were often viewed as damsels in distress, waiting to
be rescued by their male heroes. This created an illusion of women as weak and
needing protection, which in turn reinforced gender roles and stereotypes. As a
result, women were not allowed to take on significant roles in the film
industry. This perception remained constant for several decades, and hence,
women were not taken seriously to be directors, filmmakers, or even producers.
1930
is one of the most challenging periods in the film industry. Hankin et
al. (2004) reaffirm that despite the numerous efforts made by a few renowned
female producers and filmmakers, most women were demoted to acting roles. Even
then, their roles were limited to supporting roles, which reinforced the notion
that women were not capable of taking leading roles. The few women who managed
to land leading roles did so only after they had proven their worth as
actresses.
In
1940, there was significant progress in the number of women working in the film
industry. Hankin
et al. (2004) emphasize that this was during the Second World War, which led to
a dramatic reduction of available studio space, minimal operations in the
studio wardrobe department, the shortage of raw film stock, and most of the
male film technicians were enlisted in the armed forces. At this point, most of
the women were recruited in the film industry as replacement labor or
reservists. However, there was still a gender pay gap, and women were often
less than their male counterparts left in commercial filmmaking, even when
doing the same job. This pay gap resulted due to the fact that women were not
taken seriously as filmmakers and producers.
In
1950, women significantly increased in the film industry, which saw the rise of
the feminist movement. Gaines et al. (2013) affirm that there were fewer men
than women at this point. This created ample opportunities for women, where
they accelerated their progress and diversified their nature of assignments. However,
Gaines
reiterates that even at this time, women were primarily classified as second-class
citizens whose major role was limited to the domestic sphere. This was
reflected in the film industry, where they were engaged in simpler assignments
and viewed as homemakers, supporting characters, and love interests. Moreover,
some women who have gained popularity as female filmmakers and producers often
struggled to secure funding for their projects. Therefore, the film industry's
portrayal of women during this period was limited, stereotypical, and often
reflected the prevailing societal attitudes.
The
1960s and '90s to the millennium became a turning point for women in the film
industry. The feminist movement had gained momentum, and women were starting to
demand equal rights and opportunities. Mittermeier et al. (2022) affirm that many
female filmmakers and producers began to emerge, and women were given more
leading roles in films. For instance, Jane Campion became one of the pioneer
women who won the Plame d'Or at Cannes in the early '90s, being selected as the
winner in a "sea of men." This sparked a widespread protest on the
absence of female filmmakers in the competition. However, even after the
protest, Mittermeier
affirms that women began making more films than ever before, but still, it was
difficult for them to gain the attention or the level of recognition enjoyed by
their male counterparts.
There
has been hope in recent years due to positive developments in the film
industry. The emergence of # Time's up, and #MeToo movements has attracted the
attention of gender discrimination and sexual harassment. These movements have
re-energized the conversation about the need for greater inequality in the film
industry and the practices and policies that must be changed to achieve it.
However, Mittermeier
et al. (2022) argue that more must be done, as more women are still
underrepresented in many areas of the film industry, such as writing, directing,
and producing. Furthermore, it is absurd that women of color mainly undergo
additional barriers and are even more underrepresented than white women.
Why does Film
Historiography Oppose the Inclusion of Women's Labour?
Film
historiography, like any other discipline, seeks to create an accurate account
of the past. However, it has been noted that film historiography often
marginalizes or excludes the contribution of women to the film industry. There
are various reasons behind this exclusion and the consequences in the film
industry today.
Firstly,
the film historiography mainly opposed the inclusion of women's labor due to
gender biases and inherent sexism, which have existed within the industry and broader
society for a long time. Historically, women have undergone significant
barriers to having a voice but have been systematically excluded from positions
of power and influence within the film industry (WOMEN et al., 2017). This has
led to a lack of representation and recognition for their contributions to the industry's
growth. Furthermore, most film historians have been male, and their
perspectives may be shaped by these societal biases.
