WEBVTT 00:00:07.855 --> 00:00:11.847 As you might have guessed, I watch a lot of movies, my favourites are science fiction 00:00:11.847 --> 00:00:17.655 but also action, dramas, and thrillers and I'll even admit the occasional romantic comedy. 00:00:17.655 --> 00:00:22.134 If you go to the movies a lot too you may have noticed something that the vast majority of these films 00:00:22.134 --> 00:00:25.845 have in common, most of the movies seem to be stories about men. 00:00:25.845 --> 00:00:32.438 One of the primary reasons Hollywood continually churns out films about men is because we live in a male centered society. 00:00:32.438 --> 00:00:37.215 Most simply, male centeredness is an aspect of patriarchy that shows us that we place and prioritize 00:00:37.215 --> 00:00:43.064 our attention on men, men's stories, the things men want to do and the things men don't do. 00:00:43.064 --> 00:00:46.948 As a result, the images we see in the media often focus on male-centered stories. 00:00:46.948 --> 00:00:50.792 One way to demonstrate male centeredness is not only to look at the films being made 00:00:50.792 --> 00:00:53.734 but which films are most celebrated and honoured. 00:00:53.734 --> 00:00:58.413 To do this, I looked up the films that won the Academy Award for best picture over the last 50 years. 00:00:58.413 --> 00:01:01.221 Let's see whose stories are being told? 00:01:01.221 --> 00:01:05.405 Starting in 2009 is The Hurt Locker which although directed by a woman is still all about men. 00:01:05.405 --> 00:01:07.410 Slumdog Millionaire - men 00:01:07.410 --> 00:01:10.318 No Country for Old Men - need I say more 00:01:10.318 --> 00:01:11.822 The Departed - is about men 00:01:11.822 --> 00:01:13.694 Crash - is an ensemble 00:01:13.694 --> 00:01:18.146 Million Dollar Baby - is interesting because it's pretty equally a story about a man and a woman. 00:01:18.146 --> 00:01:19.788 Lord of the Rings - men 00:01:19.788 --> 00:01:21.890 Chicago - is woman centered 00:01:21.890 --> 00:01:23.795 A Beautiful Mind - men 00:01:23.795 --> 00:01:26.102 Gladiator - is about a man who fights other men 00:01:26.102 --> 00:01:27.472 American Beauty - man 00:01:27.472 --> 00:01:29.277 Shakespeare in Love - man 00:01:29.277 --> 00:01:31.517 Titanic - is from a man's perspective 00:01:31.517 --> 00:01:32.787 The English Patient - man 00:01:32.787 --> 00:01:33.925 Braveheart - man 00:01:33.925 --> 00:01:34.998 Forrest Gump - man 00:01:34.998 --> 00:01:36.268 Schindler's List - man 00:01:36.268 --> 00:01:38.441 The Unforgiven - is about men on horses 00:01:38.441 --> 00:01:42.105 The Silence of the Lambs - is about a man who eats people, and this is interesting because although 00:01:42.105 --> 00:01:47.165 Jodi Foster's character plays a pretty big role in the film, you would never describe it as a movie about 00:01:47.165 --> 00:01:52.186 an FBI agent who... you would describe it as a movie about Hannibal Lecter. 00:01:52.186 --> 00:01:53.656 Dances with Wolves - man 00:01:53.656 --> 00:01:55.963 Driving Miss Daisy - is about a man and a woman 00:01:55.963 --> 00:01:58.027 Rain Man - is about a man and his brother 00:01:58.027 --> 00:01:59.792 The Last Emperor - man 00:01:59.792 --> 00:02:00.776 Platoon - man 00:02:00.776 --> 00:02:03.016 Out of Africa - is woman centered 00:02:03.016 --> 00:02:04.759 Amadeus - is about a man 00:02:04.759 --> 00:02:06.898 Terms of Endearment - is woman centered 00:02:06.898 --> 00:02:10.074 Gandhi - is about a man, albeit a pretty extraordinary one 00:02:10.074 --> 00:02:12.012 Chariots of Fire - men 00:02:12.012 --> 00:02:13.617 Ordinary People - is about a family 00:02:13.617 --> 00:02:15.723 Kramer vs Kramer - is about a couple 00:02:15.723 --> 00:02:17.494 The Deer Hunter - men 00:02:17.494 --> 00:02:19.166 Annie Hall - is about a man and his love life 00:02:19.166 --> 00:02:23.250 Rocky - is about a man who fights other men, again 00:02:23.250 --> 00:02:25.490 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - man 00:02:25.490 --> 00:02:27.562 The Godfather, Part II - men 00:02:27.562 --> 00:02:29.300 The Sting - is about two con men 00:02:29.300 --> 00:02:31.239 The Godfather, Part I - men 00:02:31.239 --> 00:02:33.211 The French Connection - is about men 00:02:33.211 --> 00:02:34.281 Patton - men 00:02:34.281 --> 00:02:36.024 Midnight Cowboy - is a man 00:02:36.024 --> 00:02:37.963 Oliver! - is a boy 00:02:37.963 --> 00:02:39.835 In the Heat of the Night - is about men 00:02:39.835 --> 00:02:42.108 A Man for All Seasons - man 00:02:42.108 --> 00:02:44.314 The Sound of Music - is woman centered 00:02:44.314 --> 00:02:48.960 My Fair Lady - is another interesting one because it's pretty equally about both a man and a woman's story 00:02:48.960 --> 00:02:50.704 Tom Jones - man 00:02:50.704 --> 00:02:55.016 Lawrence of Arabia - is so male centered that there aren't even any female speaking roles in it 00:02:55.016 --> 00:02:57.690 West Side Story - is about both a man and a woman 00:02:57.690 --> 00:03:02.203 And finally in 1960 is The Apartment which is from a man's perspective 00:03:02.203 --> 00:03:07.292 So only 4 out of 50 of these films are exclusively centered on women's lives. 00:03:07.292 --> 00:03:12.537 The vast majority are films about men and their lives and although there are some ensemble casts 00:03:12.537 --> 00:03:15.136 women often play secondary or stereotypical roles. 00:03:15.136 --> 00:03:19.723 Year after year we see men's stories being created, produced, celebrated and honoured 00:03:19.723 --> 00:03:22.872 while women's stories take a back seat or aren't even represented. 00:03:22.872 --> 00:03:25.880 And it's also behind the scenes in Hollywood that is dominated by men. 00:03:25.880 --> 00:03:31.061 It's astonishing that Kathryn Bigelow is the only woman to have ever won an academy award 00:03:31.061 --> 00:03:35.206 for best director in it's 83 year history, and she won for "The Hurt Locker" in 2009, 00:03:35.206 --> 00:03:37.919 which is most definitely a male-centered film. 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:41.562 In fact only 4 women have ever even been nominated for best director. 00:03:41.562 --> 00:03:46.443 And what's more startling is that women only account for 7% of all Hollywood directors. 00:03:46.443 --> 00:03:51.097 Hollywood executives, production companies, financial investors and backers are most interested 00:03:51.097 --> 00:03:55.765 in marketing to young men and funding stories that they, as men, can relate to. 00:03:55.765 --> 00:04:00.588 Thus they fund and produce the majority of Hollywood films to appeal to this demographic. 00:04:00.588 --> 00:04:04.532 Obviously, I want to see a many, many more films that are centered on women's lives, 00:04:04.532 --> 00:04:09.522 however it's important to note that just because a film is women centric films doesn't mean it can't still be sexist. 00:04:09.522 --> 00:04:15.087 For instance, in so called "chick flicks" women are often depicted in stereotypical gender roles 00:04:15.087 --> 00:04:18.911 being obsessed with shopping, love and finding "Mr. Right". 00:04:18.911 --> 00:04:21.721 I want to see more films that depict women as full and complete human beings 00:04:21.721 --> 00:04:23.955 not stuck in stereotypical gender roles. 00:04:23.955 --> 00:04:29.346 And just so we are absolutely clear... I'm not saying men's stories aren't good, important or interesting, 00:04:29.346 --> 00:04:34.093 but I want to point out that they are disproportionally valued and most rewarded in our society. 00:04:34.093 --> 00:04:37.435 Here are a few simple questions you can keep in mind next time you're watching a movie, 00:04:37.435 --> 00:04:40.785 to help you identify whether a story is male centered or female centered. 00:04:40.785 --> 00:04:43.028 Who has the most screen time? 00:04:43.028 --> 00:04:45.362 Whose perspective do we see the scene from? 00:04:45.362 --> 00:04:48.505 Whose story arc does the plot revolve around? 00:04:48.505 --> 00:04:50.978 Do we see them make decisions? 00:04:50.978 --> 00:04:53.361 Who do we most identify with?