This is ridiculous.
This is ridiculous. Big deal, he made one major movie. Yes, it's an extremely important one, but he made one, and I'd love to know if it was his idea or if Oprah pitched him, because I'm guessing there was a lot to do with Oprah.
I mean, I can't tell if it's this one reporter's perspective that's so obnoxious, or if this was such a kerfuffle that it warrants all-caps public apology coverage. Did people really get all bent out of shape because she forgot "The Color Purple"? Should Spielberg get all the credit for making one movie with women about women? I'm also not so sure that this was people defending Spielberg so much as feeling that it was a white woman marginalizing a movie about people of color.
Personally, I think this is being used to undermine her point, which is totally valid and which remakes her point, yet again, that women's voices are supposed to be criticized, and apologetic and shut-up. She made a factual mistake. Ok. Does it invalidate her point about the poor presentation and involvement of women in Hollywood? No way.
P.S. Movies with one major female cast member, even if she was "the lead", are grossly insufficient and prove yet more of Banks' point about inclusion and representation of women ("Sugarland Express", "BFG"). Yes, her speech would have been stronger if she had held "The Color Purple" up as an example of what should be done, but why isn't there a long list of movies like that? Why is it even a question? Why does anyone even know what the Bechdel test is?
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rambling-reporter/elizabeth-banks-apologizes-steven-spielberg-calling-him-lack-female-leads-1013996?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_1792995
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rambling-reporter/elizabeth-banks-apologizes-steven-spielberg-calling-him-lack-female-leads-1013996?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_1792995
I mean, I can't tell if it's this one reporter's perspective that's so obnoxious, or if this was such a kerfuffle that it warrants all-caps public apology coverage. Did people really get all bent out of shape because she forgot "The Color Purple"? Should Spielberg get all the credit for making one movie with women about women? I'm also not so sure that this was people defending Spielberg so much as feeling that it was a white woman marginalizing a movie about people of color.
Personally, I think this is being used to undermine her point, which is totally valid and which remakes her point, yet again, that women's voices are supposed to be criticized, and apologetic and shut-up. She made a factual mistake. Ok. Does it invalidate her point about the poor presentation and involvement of women in Hollywood? No way.
P.S. Movies with one major female cast member, even if she was "the lead", are grossly insufficient and prove yet more of Banks' point about inclusion and representation of women ("Sugarland Express", "BFG"). Yes, her speech would have been stronger if she had held "The Color Purple" up as an example of what should be done, but why isn't there a long list of movies like that? Why is it even a question? Why does anyone even know what the Bechdel test is?
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rambling-reporter/elizabeth-banks-apologizes-steven-spielberg-calling-him-lack-female-leads-1013996?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_1792995
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rambling-reporter/elizabeth-banks-apologizes-steven-spielberg-calling-him-lack-female-leads-1013996?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_1792995
You're very much not wrong. "He did that one" is a really bad defense there, it's blatant tokenism.
ReplyDeleteAnd frankly, "a career of X years and only one movie led by a female character?" has about as much weight anyway.
I'm also not so sure that this was people defending Spielberg so much as feeling that it was a white woman marginalizing a movie about people of color.
And for seemingly ignoring Shari Belafonte, also a WoC, who tried to tell Banks about it.
It's whataboutism and the perfect being the enemy of the good all teh way down.
Well, hey, there was also "the BFG", which had a girl in one of the main roles! Forgetting that, is clearly an awful, awful thing to do.
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