Tag Archives: Bechdel Test
How To Be An Active, And Activist, Film Spectator
It’s an overwhelming time to be an activist. Everybody’s requesting campaign donations, signatures for petitions and phone calls to Congress. There are meetings, marches and peaceful protests to attend. There are pins to wear, MONEY TO STAMP and justice to be served. It’s exhausting, not to mention a whole lot of work. Fortunately, there’s a […]
When Boys Write Girls: A Lesson in Gender Appropriation
There’s been much ado on the topic of CULTURAL APPROPRIATION in storytelling –often regarding the debate, “should a White person write a story about a Black person’s experience?” In a similar vein we might question the issue of gender appropriation, i.e. should a man write a story about a woman’s experience? There are strong arguments […]
Why and How Male-Driven Films Can (and Should) Be Feminist Friendly
Last time, I took to task the male-driven film, Manchester By the Sea, for aggrandizing bad male behavior while resigning its female characters to the limited patriarchal roles of crying, nurturing and providing sex. Lamentably, this profile fits far too many male-driven films, and this malpractice needs to stop. For starters, it’s bad storytelling. Constantin […]