Seed & Spark: The United States of Femerica

 

This is a guest post by Jaclyn Gramigna.

Recently, I interviewed for a position on a short film with the director of the project. During the interview, the man, probably 10 years my senior, openly shared with me his experiences as a filmmaker so far, which I can relate to, being a maker of films myself. Needless to say, the conversation was easy-going and I didn’t think twice when I uttered something along the lines of, “I’m a feminist.”

The words had barely fallen out of my mouth when suddenly, instant panic appears in his eyes, train of thought screeching to a stop, sirens, the whole nine. For the rest of the meeting he tip-toed around everything, terrified to set me off on a man-hating rant, or whatever he thought might happen. His reaction almost made me want to apologize for saying it (almost). What the frack? Two minutes ago you were confiding in me and now, that one little word has changed me into an intimidating, unapproachable person?

I don’t think this guy quite grasps what feminism is and I suspect he’s not alone. If you don’t have a clear idea of what it is, or even if you think you do, I’ll save you the trouble of looking it up. The Merriam-Webster dictionary^[1] defines feminism as, “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.” It is as simple as that, or it should be…

But wait—hold the phone! Shouldn’t we, as a modern society, have progressed beyond this? Especially, when surveys^[2] say that 96 percent of Americans believe men and women should be equal. Why am I nervous to call myself a feminist when most Americans are technically feminists too?! I can’t tell you exactly why. I could theorize, play the blame game, rant about how it makes me want to punch things (and believe me, I have) but frankly, all it would amount to is more hot air. I will take this moment, however, to quote Oscar Wilde: “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” I have a hunch that how men and women are portrayed differently on screen (in the films, TV shows and videos we watch on a daily basis) is at least partly at fault for the lack of progress.

To spell it out, the fact that women are “subtly” portrayed as one note stereotypes, the butts of sexualized jokes and downright inferior to their male counterparts in (particularly) Hollywood movies, instills in our minds that that is how it should be. We grow up seeing this as truth and many people still think there isn’t a problem at all (women can vote, so…)! Of course, there are exceptions, like with everything, but in the end they are exceptions.

Let’s change gears and look at a common “field study.” There’s a lot being written about street harassment right now and it’s about damn time! Despite its “adorable” nickname, “cat calling,” is something that nearly every woman living in a city is victim of. Whether they come from someone homeless or suited up, “Smile, you’re beautiful,” “You got big ass titties!” or, “Come here, I want to get wet between your legs,” all garner a similar reaction: self-consciousness, anxiety and fear, to name a few. No matter if you grow up to be a post office worker a CEO or Beyoncé you’re conditioned by movies and advertisements to have body issues (i.e. “it’s a good thing she’s smart”), which gives men the power to make you feel uneasy and vulnerable and if you stand up for yourself, you’re the bitch because it was meant as a compliment. It is definitely the kind of thing that if we don’t laugh we’ll cry. Especially, because it was not considered to be a legitimate issue until very recently^[1] (pardon me while I scream and beat my pillow to a pulp).

 

I’m going to go out on a limb and say something (not so) radical…if female characters are given the same care (portrayed as more well-rounded people on screen) like male characters generally are (whether they’re good, evil or just lazy), then (life imitating art…) women will be respected and treated as equals in real life!

This is a fantastic thought but it’s an issue whose roots run deep and cannot be changed over night. The fact that Eleonore Pourriat’s short film, Oppressed Majority, (Majorité Opprimée by Eleonore Pourriat) which reverses gender roles, went viral, gives me hope. The fact that some of my male friends who watched it said that it changed their perspective on how women vs. men are portrayed on screen, revs me to action!

A huge reason why I started making films was because they have an unparalleled capability to inspire thought, emotion and change by simulating experiences an audience might never otherwise have. When I first set out to be a filmmaker I didn’t grasp how lopsided the industry was or even why that was a problem. Now that I’ve seen “life imitating art,” I, as a woman and a filmmaker can see how important a voice like mine can be and I feel a responsibility to make work that aligns with these beliefs. (In a world, where women don’t have to fear their own sex appeal…comes a shameless plug, for my short film, Downtown—about a girl who has a very private moment in a very public place—streaming on Seed&Spark.)

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