Reel Talk: Feminism and Male Creators

When it comes to popularizing action heroines, a lot of credit has been given to Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and James Cameron, creator of Sarah Connor and director of Sigourney Weaver's Oscar nominated turn as Ripley in Aliens. This past week however, both men and their feminist credentials have been under fire. The story surrounding Whedon is easily the most troubling as a piece by his ex-wfe Kai Cole alleged years of cheating and emotionally damaging behavior by the beloved creator using his 'feminist writing' as a shield against critique. On the other end, James Cameron earned a respectful rebuke from Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, after he said that the praise heaped upon the superhero film was misguided, calling it a step back while invoking his own Sarah Connor as a better example.

So let's get the initial reactions out of the way. With Whedon, it's sincerely disheartening, though not unbelievable, to hear about this behavior. It immediately calls his helming a Batwoman film into question and offers up a new dirty lens with which to view his previous work. Does this remove Buffy's legacy or the glee at watching River ripping through Reavers in Serenity? No. Those are still meaningful to the young men and especially women who were inspired to embrace female heroes and their power. Should you be faulted if you can't watch his creations or view them with a hyper-critical eye? Absolutely not. The only reaction I view as negative is to pass his ex-wife's post as mere gossip and continue to champion Whedon as king feminist (I'm aware of the oxymoron). You can hate the man and his creations or just the man if you like.

Cameron's comments sound like textbook mansplaining about feminism. In critique of a female centric superhero movie with a female director he decided to cut it down as a regressive objectification and invoked one of his own characters as the "right way." Patty Jenkins has long said that being "sexy" is part of being feminine and I thought her response which called for more female characters from the gritty to the pretty was spot-on.

The real question in all of this, in my mind, is less about select comments from two filmmakers, but more about what male creators role is in supporting feminist ideals. Here's some quick suggestions.

Step #1: Write More Female Characters, Period

If you're a man, and perhaps an established screenwriter, and you've yet to make a woman your central character, or notice your work has a token woman, change that. It doesn't matter what kind of role it is. This goes double for traditionally male centric movies. From mentors, to henchpeople, to big bads, or heroines, there's little to no reason why every movie couldn't feature an equal number of bad-ass ladies to men. And make sure it's not just white women. Women of color should be involved as well. "But I don't know how to write women properly!" I hear you saying. Well that's what the second step is for.

Step #2: Collaborate With Women About Everything

Men writing female characters in a vacuum is a bad idea. It's exactly how well-intentioned supposedly empowered characters become vapid sex dolls or another ugly stereotype. A female voice in editing, casting, direction, and beyond can help you flesh out your characters from something one dimensional into something more interesting and complex or at the very least, something positive.

Worried about your female hero having a sexy costume? Ask the actress what she thinks about it. Unsure if your conversation between two women feels authentic? Ask some female writers. It's never weak to expand your input, especially when you're stretching beyond your experience.

Step #3: Promote & Fight For Equality

After Jennifer Lawrence expressed her frustration at making less than her male co-stars, actor Bradley Cooper said he would share his salary information with female co-stars during the contract phase. That's a good start. But if you're a writer/producer/director you can do even more.

Be open about salary figures. Ensure that the women and men on your movie are being paid similarly for similar roles. Avoid loaded or sexist language when delivering critiques. Exercise zero tolerance for sexual harassment. Don't sexually harass anyone. Treat everyone the same.

This can only help your reputation and your retention rate moving forward.

Step #4: Put Your Weight Behind Female-Run Projects & Distribute Credit To The Creators

And finally we come to the most important element: getting women in positions of power. There's no easier way to getting more female roles of all sorts on screen than promoting more female scripts and directors.  If a studio isn't sure about a great script, persuade them or agree to executive produce. If you've got a famous name, they can use it for advertising.

Should this become a hit movie and people ask you abou't your takes on feminism or what drew you to this project you have two options.

1. Re-emphasize the quality of the story and project, complement the filmmakers, and emphasize that it's a story for everyone.
2. See 1.

It's crucial to not pat yourself on the back or offer your stance on what feminist film-making is. Just say you're a feminist, that the women you're working with are awesome and that they need all the credit and more projects in the future. 

If someone asks you about a movie you don't like, don't celebrate your own work. Just say that you're happy to see a project like it reach such a broad audience. Be like Ryan Reynolds and give cute shout-outs on social media. Let women decide a film's feminist credentials on their own, your input is not required.