In the aftermath of the horrific mass murder in Santa Barbara on May 23, 2014, which the murderer committed from a place of entitled and violent rage against women, Hollywood needs to take a long look in the mirror. The portrayals of women as willing sexual objects, easily gained, is not only annoying, it is dangerous. The murderer (I am withholding his name, you’ve heard it) grew up in the shadow of Hollywood, his parents entertainment industry professionals, in a community with sexually advanced peers and prevalent bullying. The young man had early and traumatizing exposure to pornography and other sexually explicit material. From his perspective, and he was a disturbed young man, undeserving brutes got sex from beautiful women, while he, a perfect gentleman, was ignored. He equated sexual attention with self-worth. And when he didn’t receive the sex he felt entitled to as a man, he lashed out in the most horrific way possible, taking the lives of innocent students and eventually himself.
Yet in this same school year, two female UCSB students have been gang raped by young men in Isla Vista. Across the country more and more women are coming forward as victims of rape on college campuses and seeking justice against school administrations’ lack of disciplinary action towards the men involved, while the Justice Department is investigating 55 Universities’ compliance with Title 9. So while the rampage of murder on the streets of Santa Barbara is the most horrific incident, violence against women is not isolated to a murderous madman. The glorification of young sex, popularity, binge drinking, and material possessions (which has seemingly only increased in Hollywood over the last decade) is making the world a more dangerous place for women. From films like Project X to Spring Breakers, young and nude high school girls cavort like nubile nymphs across the screen, willing to have sex with any boy who offers her a body shot. Young adolescents model this behavior, with alcohol and rape a common cocktail. Hollywood has helped to create a rape culture: where many young men feel entitled to free and easy sex and see women from a primarily sexualized lens. And then, the young men who see themselves as outsiders to the mythologized hedonistic sex-culture, become hate mongers against the women they feel rejected by. Meanwhile many young women have confused goals as they make their way in a society which glorifies their looks over their achievements, all the while navigating a dangerous world of harassment and threat of violence. The most recent tragedy shines a light on the disturbing state of affairs that we find ourselves in today. Misogyny is not just inconvenient, it is dangerous. The question is, what are we, as women in the entertainment industry, going to do about it?
#1. Stand Up, and Speak Out: If anything good can come out of such a sad state of affairs, is that women’s voices will be heard, and the silence we have become so accustomed to will start to be broken. #YesAllWomen has gone viral on Twitter. Women all over the world are contributing to the hashtag, which shares stories of every day sexism, harassment, and violence that women experience. I wish that I had seen more of my entertainment industry sisters speaking out with the hashtag. I was surprised that many in my feed were treating the weekend like any other, and remained silent to the pervasive harassment they have received, especially in our industry. So speak out ladies! Another wonderful way to speak out against sexism in the media is with the hashtag #NotBuyingIt. It is a movement lead by MissRepresentation which communicates with brands and media who use sexist advertising or content.
#2. Share Our Stories. If more of us women in entertainment told our stories: the stories of harassment, the tough choices, and how we have overcome the double standards before us, the pervasiveness of the objectification we face would lessen, because the men who do it would not feel so safe and anonymous. I for one had a very confused beginning in Hollywood. My first mentors here seriously advised me to have sexual relationships with older powerful men as a valid career path to get ahead in the industry. I am very grateful that my self-worth is as high as it is, I didn’t follow that advice, and I no longer consider those people allies. Nevertheless I was deeply confused on how one actually creates a career in Hollywood as a women, and had to dodge my fair share of sexual predators. I consider myself lucky. I know some young women who did have those sexual encounters for parts: in the end they got minor roles in big projects and a bad reputation to boot.
#3. Produce our Stories, and Collaborate with Women. We need to create the content we want to see in the world! Beyond complaining, we must become writers of our own roles, producers of our own web series, films and television shows. We must produce content and work with other women to get it out there. The audience exists, heck, it’s over half of the population. We must overcome the challenges to our success in this industry and make success for ourselves and for each other! Beyond complaining about our lack of seats at the table, we have to create a different table and compete with the boys club head to head.
At the end of the day the culture of Hollywood is in drastic need of shifting. People across the globe are waking up, and demanding equality like never before. With the power of the internet and social media, more everyday people are coming together to demand equal rights, and shedding light on the dark nooks and crannies of our society. We live in a time of incredible transformation. We have the opportunity to be at the forefront of positive change. As storytellers and artists we create the content that changes people’s hearts and minds. We have an incredible tool at our disposal, our truth, which has the power to influence others beyond our wildest imaginings. So it is time for Hollywood to take a long look in the mirror, to banish the misogyny, the objectification, and to stand up for women as equals in our society. Please help be a part of that change in our industry. We owe it, as the mirror to the world, to do some self-reflecting.