Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Celebrating Women in Show Business

Let’s face it, in as much as I don’t happen to like or agree with the way that it is…

…this a man’s world.

And it’s quite evident in show business.

Roles are written primarily by men FOR men.

And being someone who comes from a theater background, I know for a fact that there are many more substantial stage roles for men, than women.

The pickin's are slim.

Therefore, this places women in a very narrow box of competition.

And then there’s the old double standard….

Men grow gracefully with age, so their careers usually grow with them.

Whereas women simply age, so their careers are usually ticking by a clock.

Women are also much more pigeonholed into “types.”

And it’s really only the women who have been fortunate enough to move past a certain age bracket, and have managed to achieve a certain amount of clout because of box office ticket sales, who continue to get offered roles.

And it’s also the women who have wisely used that clout to take control over their own careers, by finding, producing, and directing their own projects, that sustains them.

And oh!…what a threat these women are to Hollywood.

Because they have created their own power.

Women such as: Julianne Moore, Susan Sarandon, Meryl Streep, and Geena Davis to name but a few, are women who have overridden the odds and have gotten to a place of independent choice.

I once heard Susan Sarandon speak during a Q&A, and she shared that the public would be amazed at how many god-awful scripts are offered to her, which she turns down.

So when I see women who have had long illustrious careers, and in a position to freely pick and choose, it makes me happy and proud for them…

…because I know it hasn’t been easy.

You GO, girls!