The Weekly Whims Of HatManJim: Are A Lot Of The Films Hollywood Produces Sexist? Yes. Maybe They Should Be.

October 24, 2009 No Comments

A weather-beaten eye cast over the media: HatManJim looks at a story in the headlines and as a feminist with a penis (Menimist? Femi-meni-mist? I just believe i n women’s rights, I’m not having gender-reassignment. OK?), attempts to map the sexism inherent in the press, without inadvertently saying anything lecherous about breasts.

Nicole Kidman has accused Hollywood of perpetuating violence against women by portraying them as “weak” and as “sex objects” in front of a US congress subcommittee, according to this article in the UK’s The Guardian.

Actually, that’s not true at all; it’s just how The Guardian and everyone else have angled it for the write-up. If you watch the accompanying video Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher introduces both those terms and asks if they are not something that Hollywood perpetuates and Kidman mumbles “probably”.

The Australian-born actress was appearing before the committee to give evidence in her role as a representative of the UN Development Fund for Women. She was giving evidence to support The International Violence Against Women Act, which would obligate the American Government to support anti-violence against women campaigns in other parts of the world.

She also mentioned, in response to the question, that she has turned down film roles that portray women as “weak” or “objects of violence”. Like the courtesan forced to marry for money in Moulin Rouge?

Or, as The Guardian article mentions her role in the 2003 film Dogville in which her character is “humiliated, raped and chained to a large iron wheel”.

I’m not having a go at Kidman who is clearly fighting the good fight. In fact Dogville, directed by Lars von Triers who has recently been accused of misogyny for this year’s Antichrist, is an interesting film that shows the extent of human cruelty and the way in which people can pardon horrific actions by dehumanizing the victims. Plus, Kidman’s character has a surprise for her oppressors at the end.

My point is, as Kidman says, Hollywood (film in general) can be part of the solution as well as part of the problem. Admittedly this should come from the character’s providing good female role models.

But at the same time, knowing that violence is committed against women, should this not be portrayed, and explored in film, if done in a tasteful mature way? You could hardly make a film looking at The Holocaust without showing violence against Jews.

Yes, films are sexist. But that’s because the society in which they are made is sexist too. Surely it’s better to hold a mirror up to that fact rather than sweep it under the carpet?

Any thoughts on this?

HatManJim’s column will appear every Saturday.

Tags: feminism, feminist, film, HatManJim, Hollywood, misogyny, Nicole Kidman, objectification, rape, role model, sexism, sexual abuse, UN, violence against women, women's rightsHatManJim, Morning Quickie