Women in Hollywood

I read a story in the Washington Post last week. It was entitled Women & Film. The premise of the story is that movies made about strong women don't do well at the box office. It reports that women aren't supporting films about strong females. Films starring women that are financially successful are more about groups of women and relationships versus strong women and their accomplishments. This scares me. It furthers states that men were more comfortable than women thinking about a woman in the oval office when they discussed a TV show about just that. Hmmm??!! How can this be? Is it a confidence issue among women? Do women see themselves as sexualized objects even more than men? Do women spend more time thinking about breast size and wrinkles then men do? I think 'yes.' I believe we are socialized to do so and propagate it ourselves. I wonder what advertisers spend their time talking about when they are developing a campaign for night cream. I doubt it is about portraying a strong woman in a corporate setting leading a strategic planning meeting. Look at these lovely ladies.....

All photo credits The Washington Post

Do you know who they are? They are film directors; Lone Scherfig and Jane Campion (The Education and The Piano respectively as well as other wonderful films). Highly accomplished, wrinkles and all. Don't get me wrong... I like to look good and have a variety of lotions and potions to attempt to keep my skin taut. I just believe that intelligence, knowledge, confidence, strength, creativity, stamina ~ aka building of the mind ~ in tandem with love, support, encouragement, faith, respect ~ aka building of heart and soul ~ will take any woman further in the long run than mere physical beauty. It's the beauty on the inside ~ mind, heart, and soul ~ that are the building blocks of a strong woman.

Additions?? Thoughts??