Following on from Mariana's post about the 'Casting Couch' check out this video, a satire about casting, funny, but sadly all too true. I would love to know your thoughts ladies? What experiences have you had? As a female director, I definitely experience misogyny
in work places, and see male counterparts given jobs before me, often because they have the ability and confidence to be 'pushy' which I don't feel comfortable with, or they go our for drinks with the right people, also another thing I don't feel comfortable with.
This video is talking about more than misogyny, about all kinds of prejudice.
Lets hope the various movements that have been coming up to fight against injustice, particularly in this industry, where unfortunately its still rife, will not just be a passing trend.
In my experience, a misogynistic workplace culture is hidden by supposed liberalism.
I know one thing I'm guilty of, is not calling things out when they happen, I feel I will be labelled, and I know that is deeply embedded in my psyche because of past experience of being called 'controlling' when simply standing up for myself.
Lets' start calling things out, and if they don't want to work with you again, perhaps they are not worth your/our talents anyway!
Yeah I think I mainly feel this in comedy. I respect a joke if it’s a clever joke but if you call anyone out on a joke that is not okay, you “can’t take a joke” which is the worst defence for poor writing/being in general a trash-human.
This has impacted on me, in all of my jobs since graduating. I would say that other women have also played a part in keeping this alive, in work settings by allowing men to feel it's amusing or acceptable to comment on women's appearance/ sexuality/ clothing/ choice of haircut.... basically anything seems to be game when it comes to the female!
I know I have often been referred to as "unfriendly, aloof, intimidating, rude..." by male colleagues who basically don't have the capacity of language or intelligence to cope with a female who won't accept their 'banter' or 'remarks' and once people learn I am a lesbian, well, it explains it all!!!
I do think we have a responsibility to pull men/ boys/ women up on comments... whether they are said in jest or not. The old boys network still exists and it exists because even the most liberal men when push comes to shove wants the 'top job' or the 'higher salary' or the pat on the back... women still have to be stronger, bolder, louder - none of which are easy BUT necessary.