Rebecca Ann Berlin
I was born in April 1990 in Denver, Colorado. I was raised in Aurora where I currently reside. I recently completed my BFA at the University of Colorado Denver. This collection is predicated on my belief that certain films and female film icons have the power to change minds and inspire young women. The goal of this series is to convey strong feminist themes through vivid and popular imagery. In this work there are both famous and infamous female figures from film and television to give the viewer a cinematic look at feminism.
Further Thoughts:
Not to get all preachy on you, but thinking of women as second-class citizens has become so engrained in everyday life that society barely recognizes it as sexism.
Women’s lib did wonders for the feminist movement in the seventies, but it is not over yet. There is a common misconception that women burned their bras and let their leg hair grow so now the problem is solved and all the feminists should just calm down. This attitude depresses and concerns me.
Feminism is not about having armpit hair or not wearing make up, nor is it about hating men and being disapproving of housewives. Feminism isn’t even about being a woman. Feminism has nothing to do with any of that. All feminism means is women have the right to the same opportunities as men. If a woman wants to be a housewife, then that is her right as a feminist. If a woman wants to be a lesbian racecar driver, then that is also her right as a feminist. The point is that if men have the right to make their own choices and decisions, then women should have that right too.
Since the media and pop culture are such driving forces in the development of young minds, sexism (or a lack of feminism) in media is the issue that I am focusing on. The media is sending the message that women and girls are less important and less interesting than men and boys. This has been statistically proven. These are the unsettling facts presented on the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media:
Males outnumber females three to one in family films. In contrast, females comprise just over 50 percent of the population in the United States. Even more staggering is the fact that this ratio, as seen in family films, is the same as it was in 1946. Females are almost four times as likely as males to be shown in sexy attire. Further, females are nearly twice as likely as males to be shown with a diminutive waistline. Generally unrealistic figures are more likely to be seen on females than males. Females are also underrepresented behind the camera. Across 1,565 content creators, only seven percent of directors, thirteen percent of writers, and twenty percent of producers are female. This translates to four point eight males working behind-the-scenes to every one female.[1]
Gender stereotyping is an inherent problem in today's entertainment landscape, and children are the most vulnerable recipients of depictions that send the message that girls are less valuable and capable than boys. The Institute's research illustrates that female characters who are lucky enough to garner speaking roles tend to be highly stereotyped. From 2006 to 2009 not one female character was depicted in G-rated family films in the field of medical science, as a business leader, in the law, or in politics. 80.5 percent of all working characters are male and 19.5 percent are female, which is a contrast to real-world statistics of women comprising 50 percent of the workforce. With repeated viewings, young audiences may fail to realize this lopsided view is not, in fact, reality and believe there is no need for gender parity or industry change. For nearly 60 years, gender inequality on screen has remained largely unchanged and unchecked. Without an educational voice and force for change, this level of imbalance is likely to stay the same or worsen. Only through education, research, and advocacy both from within the studio system and entertainment industry, and with parents and kids, can we affect real change in this heavily gender-biased media landscape.[2]
Men hold almost ALL of the decision-making positions in the media.[3] So the simple fact is that women have almost no say in how they are represented. Does that seem fair or realistic in any way? However, my work isn’t so much a negative critique of society as much as it is a celebration of women and feminist icons. These drawings are some of my own, personal feminist icons and all-around badasses. My hope is that by highlighting these women, it will inspire others to see how cool feminism and women can really be. I would also hope to encourage the media to stop assuming that audiences don’t care about women or stories about women. The wild amount of success these female characters brought to the films they were in clearly proves that the media is mistaken and that audiences do care about women!
[1] “Research Informs and Empowers,” Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media, (accessed March 1-16, 2014) http://www.seejane.org/research/index.php
[2] “Research Informs and Empowers,” Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media, (accessed March 1-16, 2014) http://www.seejane.org/research/index.php
[3] Kristy Guevara-Flanagan commentary, Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines, directed by Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, 55 minutes, Vaquera Films, 2012, DVD.
Bibliography
Guevara-Flanagan, Kristy. Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines. 55 minutes. Vaquera Films, 2012. DVD.
“Research Informs and Empowers.” Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, (March 2014): http://www.seejane.org/research/index.php