Another poll

[phantasmrose]

This time it's about women in film, both in front of and behind the camera. Again, this information is not being saved or stored or used for any nefarious purposes. If you haven't done so already, please check out my other poll about movies in general.

(Yes it is mildly biased. Deal.)

Comments

[dracothelizard]

"Why do you think movies with female leads don't do as well?"

I only voted 'bad scripts and plots' here because they're things that make a movie fail, not because I think that 'female lead = bad scripts and bad plot'

"Would you go see more movies with female leads if they were GOOD movies?"

I would go see more movies in general if I thought they were good.

[rustleaf]

I only voted 'bad scripts and plots' here because they're things that make a movie fail, not because I think that 'female lead = bad scripts and bad plot'

I'd like a little clarification from the OP about that. I think that due to sexism in the population, certain types of female lead roles may lead to a film failing/doing less well.

However, I took the question to mean that females don't have the talent to lead and that makes it fail, so I didn't select it.

[dracothelizard]

Exactly. I can see an action movie with a female lead doing less well with the box office than an action movie with a male lead. Tomb Raider is a huge exception in this genre, and I think that only worked because of the tie-in with the games series. But a romantic comedy with a female lead tends to do quite well at the box office.

[phantasmrose]

The question is entirely left up to interpretation by the poll-taker. I intentionally left some of them vague or without context. :)

[purple_solle]

How do you feel about the rape of women being used as shock/gore factors in ultra-violent movies (such as The Hills Have Eyes)?

"Ultra-violent" makes me think of A Clockwork Orange, where the rapes were an important plot device. I was nine when I first saw that movie and understood why the scene was there, so it is definitely possible to have a rape scene in a movie that isn't complete crap. It works well in horror parodies too (Evil Dead, Planet Terror, Forbidden Zone) but when its only purpose is shock value (and Pulp Fiction counts for this, too), I'm definitely against rape scenes in movies.

[phantasmrose]

I almost wrote "violent horror films" to clarify that a little better, but I'm loathe to call some of those films horror because they so little resemble true horror films (Bruce Campbell recently went on a rant about this somewhere). I agree with you, though. I'm not an anti-rape in movies across the board advocate, but I think male movie makers just throwing it in and treating females as disposable gore-factors isn't right. I got a long response on JF on how female fear is needed etc etc but I sat in The Hills Have Eyes (both of them) and listened to the male audience giggle.

[withinity]

I think both men and women are portrayed as sex objects in movies, and in either case it wouldn't bother me unless it were overdone.

I can't recall ever watching an ultraviolent movie or even watching a trailer for one, I just know nothing about them. Though apparently I'm a bit desensitized in that regard.

I wasn't aware that full frontal female nudity is more acceptable than frontal male nudity.

[phantasmrose]

I wasn't aware that full frontal female nudity is more acceptable than frontal male nudity.

It is; movie audiences tend not to balk at seeing an exposed vulva, but a penis will get gasps and giggles or men shifting uncomfortably and looking away. Even in soft core porn on HBO, there's never any penis.

I don't know if you watch much Japanese porn but they do have to pixelate the penis there, haha.

[withinity]

They also make a huuuge deal over female pubic hair, so it seems about equal to me. Even at Volks where they sell the porno figurines of anime girls in unlikely poses, they put little post-it tapes over the naughty bits. It seems like female nudity is usually of the Barbiedoll variety, you don't really see anything.

[phantasmrose]

Do they? I thought that was just the pedophilic nature of so many Japanese man.

[rustleaf]

I couldn't list any female directors off the top of my head, but then I probably couldn't name any/many male ones either (outside of Harry Potter lol). I just don't retain that sort of info. Which is why I am pleased that trailers and ads usually say 'from the director of such films as z, y and z'. I remember films!

However, you could probably list off male directors, and I would recognise a fair few of them, I don't think this would be the case with the female directors unless they were actors first.

[phantasmrose]

Most people can't name any directors at all, but can come up with "I know that guy who did Lord of the Rings and King Kong" and remember them by a sort of entity. I was just curious how many people could. :)

To expand on some answers I gave:

[hanzan]

Does it bother you that women in movies tend to be portrayed as sex objects?
Only when it's overdone. Just like I only object to the males being portrayed as sex-objects when it's overdone.

How do you feel about the rape of women being used as shock/gore factors in ultra-violent movies (such as The Hills Have Eyes)?
The rape of women being used as shock/gore effect makes me uncomfortable. However when done right it can be most effective but for pure pointless shock without underlaying connection to the emotional core of movie it irritate me. I didn't feel any of the options really fit me so I replied "It bothers me a little but not enough to really anger me".
Irreversible has one of the most painful rapes put to film, and in the context of the movie it's completly justifiable. The Hills Have Eyes... not so much. Last House On The Left? A despicable movie, but I wouldn't change a frame. The male rape in American History X? Most uncomfortable but needed.

How do you feel about full frontal female nudity being acceptable but not full

Re: To expand on some answers I gave:

[wrongly_amused]

I second your opinion on the rape factor. If it's contextual point is fitting, I'm still disturbed, but I let it go. But rape (to a male or female, though it's most often female, admittedly) for the general shock of it? Not something I enjoy viewing, and while I won't leave a theatre, I'll certainly walk out of a room.

Re: To expand on some answers I gave:

[hanzan]

*nods*

And I liked your comments about objectification. Even if I'd argue for that men also are objectified (even if not to the extent that women are). Maybe not as often as bodies, bur rather stereotypes that you're supposed to fill/fit.

Re: To expand on some answers I gave:

[phantasmrose]

Every gender and role are objectified and made into stereotypes in movies. That's just kind of how most movies are. But I don't think anyone can argue that men are objectified on a level equal to what which women are.