What's Wrong with 'Female' Directors?

Sarah Polley

We don't specify a musician as a 'female musician' or a writer as a 'female writer'. Do we really need to say 'female directors'?

In the past few weeks, there seemed to be a sudden rise in the use of the phrase by critics, entertainment reporters, and bloggers. What gives?

Yes, it's extremely important there be more women in the entertainment industry and exposure for those women getting their start is invaluable. Whenever there's a story acknowledging Hollywood has a numbers problem in terms of women produced, directed, written, acted, etc. films, people should cheer those articles. The problem continues to need to be discussed. 

But every time it becomes a topic of discussion, especially in relation to someone's work, isn't it taking away from the hard work that's already been done? 

As director Jane Campion recently said while discussing the issue at Cannes, "What's very difficult when they come to a festival like Cannes, it's always like 'oh so you're a woman director'. How many guys get 'oh so you're a male director?'. It would be lovely if people just said, 'oh you're a director, congratulations on your film'."

Jane Campion

For those working inside the industry, labeling themselves as 'female' is viewed as minimizing. Campion, Kathryn Bigelow, among others, simply want their work to be viewed in the same way one would view a film by Martin Scorsese or David Fincher, their fellow 'male' directors. They want a level playing field. 

Campion thinks the question about whether the film industry is tough for 'female directors' is a tired one. "Put all your energy into making an amazing piece of work because women can obviously make as good a film as guys. Kathryn Bigelow has shown quite clearly that, even taking on topics like action movies and war films, she can make the best films in the world," Campion advised young filmmakers.

Bigelow, too, is adamant about considering herself not as a 'female filmmaker' but a 'filmmaker'. When she won the Academy Award for Best Director in 2010, she stated in the press room: "I long for the day when the modifier can be a moot point, but I'm ever grateful if I can inspire some young, intrepid, tenacious, male or female filmmaker, and have them feel the impossible is possible." 

Kathryn Bigelow

In a Hollywood Reporter roundtable, Patricia Clarkson talked about the lack of strong roles for women, saying even female directors did not always work on projects which featured strong roles for women. While there should be more well-written parts for women (an issue discussed here), expecting the women in the industry to write and direct these films places a burden on women as artists.

There's not an expectation for men to write about men, why should there be the same for women? Women should be able to write films or books or sing or direct films about whatever they wish, same as men, but somehow they are burdened with the additional mantle of what they 'should' do as a woman in an industry which is already tough for women. 

Since Bigelow is a woman directing 'guy films', many reporters have tried to peg her down over the years, but Bigelow never lets herself be pigeon holed and steers the conversation away from gender, back to filmmaking. 

When asked by Charlie Rose why she's drawn to directing 'action' films, Bigelow answered, "I actually look at it from the standpoint of character. However, I often find myself drawn to characters who find themselves in extreme situations and have peak experiences. I think as a filmmaker, I believe the medium can be very experiential. I can transport you to any location where you can actually have a physiological response to that location, so I'm drawn to characters that allow me to push the medium in that direction. I suppose there's an artistic challenge there that is kind of exciting to me." 

To those who work inside the industry, it seems the 'female' label has a different resonance than it does to those who are outside the industry, looking in. Yes, Hollywood keeps proving itself as a place which still does not look upon woman as equals. There are plenty of stats to back it up--the network upfronts being the most recent incendiary--but there are plenty of artists who have fought against those odds and made it.

Looking at the industry as women, let's hope the field will continue to expand to include new artists. Looking at the industry as an artist, however, let's try not frame everything by that 'female' modifier.

Elaine May

Mad (Wo)Men 6x08: "Because it's my job!"

This episode of Mad Men was more trippy than the episode where Roger took LSD.

While most of the guys in the office take an injection of an "energy serum" from Jim Cutler's doctor, Peggy remains 'sober' while working on the Chevy account.

Don catches a glimpse of Peggy comforting Ted over his partner's death from cancer. Ted's secretary shuts the door, so the audience doesn't really know what happens between Peggy and Ted.

Peggy's patient and listens to Don's energetic, mostly non-sensical rambling. "That was very inspiring," she replies to one of his speeches. "But do you have any idea what the idea is?" He doesn't.

The drugs make the passage of time seem lightning fast, so before Don knows it, it's Saturday. Everyone seems to change outfits a million times, so it's confusing what day it is.

Later, the creatives are goofing around in the lounge. Stan is still high from the injections and Peggy is drunk. They have the genius idea for Stan to stand under a drawing of an apple and for Ginsburg to throw Xacto knives and pencils at the drawing, over Stan's head. Peggy flinches as Ginsburg is about to throw. "Don't hit his eye." Ginsburg hits Stan in the arm with an Xacto knife.

Peggy examines Stan's wound and although he claims he can't feel anything, Peggy takes him to the bathroom to wash out his wound. She staunches the bleeding with a homemade tourniquet. Stan, still drugged, keeps kissing her cheek. "I want you to stop," Peggy tells him. Stan says she doesn't think she really does. "I have a boyfriend," Peggy offers up weakly. Stan ignores her and kisses her, a long kiss.

Stan tells Peggy his cousin was killed in action in Vietnam. Peggy clearly feels awful and they talk about it a little. She talks to him about knowing what it's like to feel loss. She tells him he can't mask it by using drugs and sex.

The chemistry between Peggy and Stan has been there since he appeared in season four and the way their friendship has developed is one of the best parts of the show. It's unclear if Peggy has ever considered Stan in a romantic way before, though. Later, when she finds him already ignoring her advice, by fucking the I Ching girl in the office, she seems pretty annoyed. "I'm going home!" She announces loudly.

Although her storyline was just as wacky as Don being on drugs, it's clear how much everyone who works with her closely respects and adores her. Even if they often express it in a physical way, like Stan, there's also a mutual respect and trust between the two of them. Ted is attracted to her physically as well, but also because she's so good at what she does. Even Ginsburg comments on her skills. The men's attraction to Peggy is different than their attraction to Joan might be, however. Joan is not respected for her work and still viewed as a sex object by most of the men at the agency. The guys find Peggy attractive because of her hard work and less to do with her physical attributes (although Stan does compliment on her ass.)

Speaking of Joan, you could say everything falls apart at the office when Joan isn't around since she was missing this week.

Despite everyone at SDCP on drugs, Sally's storyline was scarier this week. Since Don is bouncing off the walls at work, he forgets his kids are visiting that weekend. Megan watches them, but she has plans Saturday night, so she leaves Sally in charge of her brothers.

Sally is reading in bed (Rosemary's Baby) when she hears someone out in the living room. It's clearly a woman who is stealing things from the apartment, but she spins an elaborate story, and manages to convince Sally she knows Don.

By the time Don comes home and finds out about the robbery, everyone is there: Megan, the kids, Betty and Henry, and the cops. Betty, of course, flips out about Megan leaving the kids in the apartment alone. Megan apologizes to Sally, but Sally, having just been through an ordeal, snaps at Megan (who she usually adores) and Don: "I want to go home!"

The next day, Sally and Don speak on the phone. Sally comments that she doesn't know anything about her father. Don's quiet for a long moment before telling her she did everything right. He tells her he left the back door open, so it was his fault.

And it's true, he did. He left the service entrance to the apartment open, because he's been sneaking down to stand outside the service entrance at the Rosens, listening to Sylvia. While on drugs, Don thinks he's found the 'answer', not for the Chevy account, but how to win her back.

Possibly the robbery or his sobering up makes him see things more clearly, because the next morning, as he's leaving for work, Sylvia gets on the elevator at her floor, and the two ride down to the lobby in silence.

No Peggy Olson: Elisabeth Moss and Rape Culture in Top of the Lake

Posted over at Lauren C. Byrd

Mad (Wo)Men 6x07: "I'm really glad you're here."

Even though this episode was mostly about Don controlling Sylvia, we’ll concentrate on the main female characters in the show first.

Honestly, the best thing about this episode was the Peggy and Joan reunion. As Joan shows Peggy to her new office (Harry’s old office), the two women catch up. “I’m glad you’re here,” Joan says.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Peggy replies sincerely.

Olson and Holloway Agency has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?

Joan, in typical Joan fashion, is organizing the newcomers in the office due to the SDCP and CGC merger. It’s a big undertaking, but Joan doesn’t seem harried at all. She’s been through a lot of changes at Sterling Cooper and now SDCP.

Ever committed to her work, when she starts having stomach pains, she’s hesitant to leave the office during such an important transition for the company. But Bob (James Wolk) finds her ill and convinces her she needs to leave to see a doctor. He accompanies her and even tricks the nurse into allowing Joan to see the doctor sooner.

When Bob drops by Joan’s apartment the next day, her mom drops hints about Bob’s attractiveness. Joan isn’t convinced he’s interested so much as he’s worried about his job. With all the new people from CGC, a new hire would be the first to go. In fact, in a later scene, the SDCP and CGC partners are in a meeting to discuss staffing cuts. Joan saves Bob’s job by saying he works on a lot of accounts with Ken Cosgrove, so he’s already familiar with big money clients.

Peggy, meanwhile, is getting used to being back in the offices of SDCP. When she comes in, she says hi to Stan and Ginsburg, her old creative team.

The first new account they tackle is Fleischman’s margarine. Since Don is missing, Ted starts the meeting without him. Don, when he returns, isn’t too pleased about it. Don makes a peace offering of booze, which then proceeds to get Ted drunk, because no one can drink like Don Draper. When Ted wanders out to the creative bullpen, clearly intoxicated, Peggy has to mediate the incident. Don proceeds to have a creative meeting of his own, which Ted is too drunk to attend.

Already, Peggy is feeling sidelined by Don’s behavior, which placed her in an awkward position during the creative meeting where her former boss (Don) got her current boss, Ted, drunk.

The next morning when Don comes in, Peggy is waiting for him on the couch in his office. She brings up the Ted situation. “I hoped he would rub off on you,” Peggy tells Don. “Not the other way around.”

“He’s getting everything he wants. And you’re obviously on his side,” Don replies.

“Why did you do it at all if there are sides? You could have just tried to hire me back. You never even asked me to lunch.”

What Don did to Ted was uncalled for, but Peggy seems to be leaping to conclusions about her importance to Don. She can’t admit she’s upset about the merger, just as Don was upset when she left. Don and Peggy have always been honest with each other, sometimes brutally so, and this is no exception. Don chides Peggy for thinking the merger was all about her, with a rather insulting comment: “…just so I could have you in this office complaining again.”

Although Don’s comment was unnecessary and Peggy’s advice for him to grow up and move forward is smart, Peggy might be a little in the wrong here. She needs to not referee Ted and Don from the sidelines. Let them get in their own pissing contests if they want to, because it will probably end in mutual self-destruction.

Mad (Wo)Men 6x06: "I don't like change."

Crossposted at Lauren C. Byrd.

Peggy Olson

Oh, Peggy, Peggy, Peggy.

Since day one, Peggy is a female character to root for (her hard work and moving up the ladder at work), but her romantic choices are questionable at best. First there was Pete, who seduced her first at her apartment and then in his office. Then there was Duck, who wanted to woo away her copywriting skills to a new company, but whose alcoholism still plagued him. Now there's Ted Chaough, Peggy's superior who hired her.

After spending the last couple weeks winking at Chaough's possible attraction to Peggy, it was unclear whether Peggy returned the sentiment. This week, there's a late night kiss in his office, and it's still unclear. But then Peggy imagines Chaough in place of her boyfriend Abe and it's clear the feelings are mutual.

Peggy and her boyfriend Abe's move to the still developing Upper West Side proved challenging for Peggy. She's used to more creature comforts and isn't as comfortable in the environment as Abe. "I don't like change. I want everything to stay the way it was," Peggy tells him. An interesting statement considering they are living in a time of change (1968) and Peggy chose to make a change in her career by moving to CGC.

It also explains her attitude towards the shift at work later. While in Detroit to pitch for Chevy, Don and Ted decide to join forces and combine their fledgling agencies, but only if the pitch for Chevy is successful. When Ted returns from Detroit, he invites Peggy to his office to hear the news, where she is surprised to find Don sitting on a couch in the corner of Ted's office. Peggy tries to wrap her head around the idea of working for Don again, but she agrees to come aboard the new endeavor.

It makes sense the show wants to bring Don and Peggy back to the same room, since their dynamic was one of the best things about the show before. But like everything else, it's changed. Don probably still holds a tiny bit of resentment about Peggy leaving SDCP, Peggy got in to pitch for Heinz without Don knowing, and now Don's basically stolen Chevy from CGC. The rivalry is heating up!

Joan Harris (Holloway) 

This episode contained storylines for the women which placed them directly in Don's orbit. Don has a dinner with Herb, the sleazy Jaguar salesman whom Joan slept with at the end of last season in order to secure Jaguar's business with SDCP (and to elevate her to partner), and rather than putting up with Herb's bullshit because he's a client, Don does what Don wants to do and fires him right then and there.

Of course, Don being a creative mind, doesn't worry about how this will effect the firm monetarily. As Pete points out, he's already rich, so Don doesn't think about money. Don's always had a very moral outlook in the advertising industry--about the only place where Don has morals--especially compared to his colleagues. In this case, it's unclear if the dinner incident with Herb is what sets Don off.

To give Don the benefit of the doubt, he knows Joan's attitude towards Herb, and then Herb comments on Megan's appearance in front of Don. Maybe Don simply wasn't turned off by Herb's need to step on creative's toes, but by Herb's attitude towards women. From a feminist perspective, this seems an odd argument to carry, since Don is in his own way disrespectful of women, including Megan.

When Joan finds out Don dropped Jaguar without considering the detriment to the company, she's personally offended. "Honestly, Don, if I could deal with him, you could deal with him. And what now? I went through all of that for nothing?"

Don tells her not to worry, he will win this. She turns back to him. "Just once I would like to hear you use the word 'we.' Because we are all rooting for you from the sidelines, hoping you'll decide whatever you think is right for our lives."

Joan felt Don was her only ally with Jaguar, because he was the only one of the SDCP partners who told her not to sleep with Herb, but it was already too late. Joan's decision to sleep with Herb has irrevocably tangled her personal and professional lives together. While Joan is mad at Don, who she thought best understood her situation, she's also mad at herself for her choice.

Megan Draper

Since it's Mother's Day, Megan's mother Marie is visiting and Megan confesses to her she doesn't know what to do about Don. "He's so far away that sometimes when we're alone, I feel like I'm making conversation." Her mother advises her that dressing sexily will fix the situation. And temporarily, it does.

But Marie also brings up the fact that Megan's life has changed. She's becoming recognized--two girls in the elevator ask for her autograph--and Don may claim he's comfortable with it, but he may feel Megan belongs more to other people than to him.

Of course, it could be argued Marie's view of Megan "belonging" to Don is rather old-fashioned. Especially considering Marie doesn't seem to "belong" to anyone.

Although Megan's acting career is burgeoning, it's odd seeing her sit by Don's side at a business dinner, polite and agreeable. In that situation, it's hard not to compare her to Betty Draper, the dutiful wife by her husband's side.

Related articles

• A Girl on Mad Men: You Never Fail to Overheat, Do You? ("For Immediate Release," Season 6, Episode 6) (vol1brooklyn.com)
• Mad Men Watch: How Much Damage Did You Do, Peaches? (entertainment.time.com)
• Mad Men, Season 6 (slate.com)
• Maureen Ryan: Best 'Mad Men' Episode In Two Years? (huffingtonpost.com)

Mad (Wo)Men 6x05: "You're really good at everything."

Author’s Note: This is part of an ongoing series, analyzing the female characters on Mad Men throughout season 6. (Crossposted here.)

A lot of people disliked last night's episode of Mad Men, an episode which included one of the pivotal events of 1968, Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.

The show does a good job of showing how life events continue to happen during a national tragedy (think of Roger's daughter's wedding after JFK's assassination.)

(Another theory about this season is its framed by Dante's Inferno, which Don was reading on the beach in Hawaii. Each episode represents a new level of Hell. Although there will be more episodes (13) than levels of Hell (nine). This week was supposed to be Greed, but it might be Violence?)

Peggy Olson

At the beginning of the episode, Peggy is considering buying an apartment on the Upper East Side. Despite her job working for "the man", Peggy lives outside gender norms the most. Her relationship with Abe is quite progressive. They live together and aren't married and now she's considering buying a place without his financial assistance, but in which they would live together. "I'm more a trusted advisor," Abe tells the real estate agent, who assumes he was the one paying for the place.

Over the last few episodes, Peggy's boss, Ted, seems to take a particular interest in her, but it wasn't clear until this episode that his interest is not in the same mentor-ly way as Don's. At the advertising awards, Ted arrives with his wife, and then sits next to Peggy to assure her she will win many ad awards working for them. Ted's awkwardly taken the seat of her boyfriend, Abe. Abe isn't territorial about it, and Peggy doesn't seem interested, but it'll be something to keep an eye on as the season continues.

Peggy and Don play out interesting parallels with their secretaries after Martin Luther King's death. When Peggy arrives at work, her secretary Phyllis is in her office, emotional. Peggy gives her a hug and tells to go home. "None of us should be working today." Phyllis takes her up on her offer and leaves, thanking her.

Don's secretary, Dawn, is late coming into work. When she arrives, he expresses his worry for her, from both him and Joan. Joan announces the office is closing early and Don agrees with the decision, telling Dawn she can go home. "I'd really rather be here today," she tells him. "If you're staying, I'll stay."

When Peggy's offer on the apartment falls through, she expects a little sympathy from Abe. She asks him for his input on the apartment, despite not contributing financially. "Honestly, I saw us raising our kids in a place with more different kinds of people." Peggy's delight and surprise at him mentioning having children with her is an interesting development. Peggy's never really discussed how she feels about children, not even after giving birth to Pete's child.

Megan Draper (vs. Sylvia)

As Megan and Don are leaving for the Andy Awards (advertising awards), they run into their neighbors, Sylvia and Arnold, who are leaving for D.C. for the weekend.

When Megan mentions she's nominated for an award, Arnold assumes it's for acting, but Megan tells them it's for an advertising campaign she worked on. "My goodness, you're really good at everything," Sylvia replies.

And in that moment, Don Draper made a bit more sense. When he was with Betty, his paramours consisted of strong women with careers. Now he's married to Megan, a strong woman with many talents and a career, he's bedding housewives. Is it a coincidence or is Don a grass is greener guy?

Megan is also bigger than Don when it comes to Peggy, going to greet her and chat at the Andy Awards, while Don avoids her. (Until he can't. Martin Luther King's assassination overrules whatever petty jealousy Don is feeling towards Peggy and he says they can take Peggy home after Abe leaves the ceremony early to cover the riots in Harlem.)

Megan wins the award, but it's barely a thought after the events of the evening. Merely something forgotten on the couch amidst the news.

Megan also represents a rather thankless role when it comes to Don's kids. As someone who started off as their nanny on a trip to Disneyland, it seems weird to think Megan is officially the kids stepmother now. She's none too pleased when Betty asks Don to come pick up the kids in the middle of the unrest after MLK's assassination. "She's a piece of work."

Megan takes Sally and Gene to a vigil in the park, while Don and Bobby escape to the movies. Later, Megan voices her concern for Don's penchant for drink, asking why he can't be there for his children. Don unloads on her his feelings and shortcomings as a parent, an unusual open moment for him, and it seems to signal he can tell Megan things he would have never told Betty. Not as much is hidden from Megan. But it also seems a cruel confession to someone who, only a few months earlier, suffered a miscarriage and who might want to have kids with Don someday.

The emotional confession from Don seems to signify he still feels something for Megan, but it's unclear if it was a product of the upheaval caused by MLK's assassination.

Related articles

• Maureen Ryan: 'Mad Men' Recap: The AMC Drama Takes On A Historic Event (huffingtonpost.com)
• A Girl on Mad Men: Everyone Likes to Go to the Movies When They're Sad ("The Flood" Season 6, Episode 5) (vol1brooklyn.com)

Age gap isn't root of problem in Hollywood

Last week, Vulture posted some infographics about the growing age gap between leading men and their co-stars/love interests.

There's much to be said for Hollywood's penchant to pair 60 year old men with women who are 20 to 30 years their junior, but Vulture's infographic and informal "study" failed to address the main issue at stake here. The age gap is a symptom of a larger problem in Hollywood. Namely, female characters being thought of as simply "love interests". A continued demand for complex female characters (of all ages) is something Hollywood needs to hear.

There's a long list of 40+ aged actresses, besides Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren, who continue to work, but it's often hard to remember when we're surrounded by damsels in distress or petite ingenues.

Here are a few examples:

Julianne Moore

Coming off an Emmy and Golden Globe winning performance as Sarah Palin in Game Change, Moore has several movies in the pipeline for 2013.

The English Teacher - When a former student returns to town, it causes Linda Sinclair (Moore) to break out of her simple existence.

Carrie - The remake of the 1976 classic will have Chloe Grace Moretz in the title role, with Moore as her mother, Margaret White.

Catherine Keener

Keener, who prefers independent film, didn't achieve a more widespread notoriety until she was cast opposite Steve Carell in The 40 Year Old Virgin. 

Nailed - David O. Russell's next picture is about a waitress who gets a nailed lodged in her head. She travels to D.C. and meets a young senator who takes up her cause. Keener looks to be in a supporting role and there is no firm release date yet. 

Untitled Nicole Holofcener Project - Keener is also cast in the newest Nicole Holofcener project. Keener & Holofcener have worked together on all of Holofcener's films. The newest project is about a divorced woman who pursues a man who might be her new friend's ex-husband. Toni Collette and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are also slated to star. 

Patricia Clarkson

The East - The film with Brit Marling, Ellen Page, and Alexander Sarsgaard got a lot of early buzz at Sundance. Clarkson most likely will be in a supporting role. It opens May 31.

Last Weekend - Clarkson plays the matriarch of a dysfunctional family. During a weekend at their lake house, things start to fall apart, and she questions her role in the family. 

Allison Janney

Touchy Feely - Director Lynn Shelton's (Your Sister's Sister) latest is about a massage therapist who develops a sudden aversion to touching others. Rosemarie Dewitt and Ellen Page also star. 

The Way, Way Back - The writing team behind The Descendants, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, wrote and directed this film about a teenager who comes into his own over the course of a summer.  

Vera Farmiga

Currently starring as Norman's mother in Bates Motel, you can also catch Farmiga in a variety of independent and studio films.

Middleton - A man and woman meet and fall in love while taking their children on a college tour. Stars Andy Garcia and Farmiga's younger sister, Taissa.

Of course, women playing a bigger role than simply the love interest is going to require a massive change in Hollywood. We need more women in roles at the studios which will then in turn lead to more and meatier female roles. 

Don't believe the trickle down effect is real? Just look at Amy Pascal over at Sony, who came through awards season touting the biggest female driven film of the year, Zero Dark Thirty, starring Jessica Chastain and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Now she and director Nancy Meyers are teaming up for Meyers' next film. 

Women buy movie tickets, so it only makes sense we see ourselves on the screen more often.