I have a young daughter and am very disturbed by the absense of feminism today. Growing up and finding out your only worth is how you look and what you put out is not good for the psyche. I blame the media and the lack of father figures in boys lives. Demeaning women is rampant in video games. The future does not look good for women.

Sally? I used to think it was Molly Bloom. I've got to update my reading list.

Yeah, yeah, movies are for women like a guy whose bedwinning line is that he won't give you the clap. It must work for somebody.

Tanya Gold's great. Cintra Wilson's also pretty good for that dose of acid strong enough to peel off elephant hides.

I`ve learned to accept the force of gravity on what used to be perky pecs, eventually to be tucked into the waistband of my pants, legs that resemble wrinkled pantyhose when I`m not wearing any, and my well-padded butt. What I haven`t come to terms with is the faithlessness of the goddamn sisterhood: women who would shoot me in the back and bet on which way I`d fall if it would get them the attention of some guy and I was inadvertently in the way,ie: like the last time I was in the bank and the teller abandoned me in such a hurry she almost left her hair behind, all smiles at the man in the suit...yes, I reminded her I was there first. My point is that if we women stuck together the way men do, these draconian stereotypes could be relegated to a dusty shelf at the back of the cave sooner rather than later. Furthermore, I`m comfy with my laugh lines but I don`t want to be marginalized because of them. I agree with ch. Also, I am well aware that there are dads out there actively involved not only with their sons but, also, with their daughters, in a nurturing, caring relationship--my son comes to mind. Excellent article, Dorothy. Now, can anyone tell me what happened to common decency in our society, or was it just a figment of my imagination?

I`ve learned to accept the force of gravity on what used to be perky pecs, eventually to be tucked into the waistband of my pants, legs that resemble wrinkled pantyhose when I`m not wearing any, and my well-padded butt. What I haven`t come to terms with is the faithlessness of the goddamn sisterhood: women who would shoot me in the back and bet on which way I`d fall if it would get them the attention of some guy and I was inadvertently in the way,ie: like the last time I was in the bank and the teller abandoned me in such a hurry she almost left her hair behind, all smiles at the man in the suit...yes, I reminded her I was there first. My point is that if we women stuck together the way men do, these draconian stereotypes could be relegated to a dusty shelf at the back of the cave sooner rather than later. Furthermore, I`m comfy with my laugh lines but I don`t want to be marginalized because of them. I agree with ch. Also, I am well aware that there are dads out there actively involved not only with their sons but, also, with their daughters, in a nurturing, caring relationship--my son comes to mind. Excellent article, Dorothy. Now, can anyone tell me what happened to common decency in our society, or was it just a figment of my imagination?

Actually guys don't always stick together. If a couple breaks up and the woman is popular you can pretty much count every male "friend" to give her a call within a few weeks and then bring her to the pub to watch her old boyfriend drink :) Anyway, I wish I could keep my daughters worried about anything besides their looks. Was dong well till school hit. But whan can you do, the whole culture seems geared towards getting them to focus on being attractive.

Actually, what baffles me is not only what happened to feminism but what happened to common sense; you don't have to be a feminist( which I proudly am) to get that making a fool of yourself and other women, doesn't achieve much for you or them. Why the hell would it ever be worth it?

Nice, Dorothy. "Oh it's the end of your clavicle" was particularly hilarious. I am working parttime at a women's gym (reception) and the first thing I noticed (that really depressed me) was the reading material available. People, Cosmo, Glamour... and so on. Crap, crap, more crap. In the receptionist's drawer up front, too- I almost ran screaming out of there. So I added a Common Ground, Alive health mag, and when women are waiting I give them a handful- not once yet has a woman taken a mag other than the Cosmo etc crap. Not once!! It's amazing; I am really treating it like an experiment. So I work tomorrow and I'm going to infuse the magazine pile with a Scientific American (ok that may be a bit heavy while on the treadmill, I admit), and Bitch (haha) and see what happens. I have some old Photo Life's lying around too. Granted, gym time is a time to de-stress and People can be a REALLY good laugh, but c'mon... oh and hey- like- Jen and Brad, like, broke up aye?? Oh my GOD like oh my GOD... and like, Jen is doing everything to get him back because she, being rich and famous and all that, needs him back so badly, apparently. UGH- what the heck, I'm opening the gym tomorrow, maybe I'll burn the pile of them out back.

Today's media is certainly full of images of nincompoop women, but also of equally caricatured superheroes and the like. There are very few balanced, principled, strong, not-falling-down female protagonists. It was ever thus; Kate Hepburns were pretty rare in Kate Hepburn's day, too. Undoubtably, this reflects pernicious sexism. But it also may suggest a problem with smart characters, in general. They don't do the stupid things that are necessary to fit formulaic plots. It may simply be easier to sell this kind of story (gotta get the widest possible audience). Dialogue-heavy film with intellectual characters = "art house" marginalization = investor disinterest. Fortunately, it gets easier to make films all the time. The market for "non ditzy chick" is therefore easier to service. I hope!

The author asks, "Why are females increasingly portrayed as twits who fall down?" Heeled shoes alter body balance. The higher the heel of a shoe the more body balance is compromised. Men's dress shoes and especially women's high heels significantly alter body balance, hence compromising spinal alignment, the ankles and the entire bone structure. Humans evolved walking barefoot on the planet, hence flat footwear, which is close to the ground, such as sandals, do not compromise body alignment, and by virtue of their architecture closely resembling human-feet, reduce the probability of stumbling, twisting an ankle, or taking a fall especially on stairs. ****Uma Thurman was in Kill Bill Volumes I and II, where she was an action star, but female action stars are still rare.****

I don't remember any time when 'Hollywood' wasn't cranking out at least two or three hundred movies about dumb women to every one about a smart one. When was this mythical golden age?

Ok, found some Time mags today at work. Bush was on the cover of one as Person of The Year. That was more depressing than the Cosmos, even... speaking of the dumbing down of our entire culture...

Hah! listen to them. Revenge is sweet! Revenge for Blondie, Tim Taylor, Jim Carrey in everything he ever did. Finally cartoon women are as foolish looking as cartoon men have always been.

On the other hand, we are talking about comedy here, aren't we? There are cool roles for both genders out there someplace, too.

Hi. I work video store. I rent Barbie movie like no tomorrow. Every day Cinder this, Cinder that. I say 8 out of 10 time, renter of children video like "Princess whatever" be woman. Woman difrent all over. Some like Sex in city, some like L Word, but later one care lot less bout shoe brand, I think. I think "oppressed" sell very well to woman for long time. I say, 'Thank You' for buying.

I don't watch sitcoms so can't comment..I agree with this article wholeheartedly; some of the most gorgeous "of a certain age" women have made the tragic mistake of having their lips enlarged and the result is grotesque and sad.

I wait, too, for MEN to rise up against the way they are portrayed , particularly in commercials, where, if one were visiting from outer space, one would have every reason to believe men on earth are completely retarded, invariably balding, and fat, fat FAT!

I have no idea how we can make this trend stop... maybe not even go to the films? I do know this bullshit is why I quit working on film scripts. People with no qualifications at all wind up in decision making positions and then think that T&A and violence are required... even for a comedy. I have no idea how to encourage or force a change. Maybe it's the old "seeing more enjoying it less" syndrome but God, wouldn't you just love to have something as good as African Queen? THey don't make'em like that any more!!

It's just wonderful to see that when women are portrayed as twits its against all womem. Funny slant on things? Does one think that commedians, ie: male, are also twits? Does the glove fit in both categories? Perhaps the fact that those types of movies are hitting a sore spot amoungst women also reflect the life those women are living. If a movie bothers a person, it is more then likely they see that movie person as themselves. If this were not true then why would slapstick, movie humor even bother anyone? Its just a movie, nothing more then a movie, and doesn't portray anything else except a fantasy.
It also seems that women read more into a movie then men, of course, women can speak for men, after all, they know exactly what men are actually thinking. And perhaps after it is all said and done, there is a chance that the femi-nazi's will pass the way all fanatics go. Equality is not just a word, it is a two-way street that asks for respect both ways. But to take out humor under the flag of the self-righteous doesn't let all beings have their place.
I guess the bottom line here is, try changing your own life before you decide to change anyone else's, or is the challenge too great and it's easier to rail against the sky and at the lives of others?

As right wing religion converges with right wing intolerance, the undermining of social justice will increase. Primary targets? Feminism, the movement that fought male chauvinism and gave women the right of economic equality; Socialism, the movement that encourages a society to share its wealth with its citizens; Tolerance, the concept that a persons beliefs and practices are prima facie permissable unless they cause direct harm to others. Fasten your seatbelt folks, cause it aint gonna be pretty.

Femi-nazi, dr? Women commenting on a forum over a movie are now femi-nazis??

I'm buckling in, Jeff!!!!

Last year, video/dvds came out for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Casa de los Babies, Hero, The Magdalene Sisters, Osama, Love Actually, Les Triplettes de Belleville, Dirty Pretty Things, A Wrinkle in Time, The Cooler, Vera Drake, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Before Sunrise -- not too shabby for my tastes, and the actressy roles weren't too bad either. Holy gees, was there ever a lot of crap though. Of course, lots of people probably think the type of movies I like are crap, so it's a good thing there are choices.

It's a good point that comic roles for women usually mean clueless. Smart, intelligent roles usually come hand-in-hand with a morbid plot and emotionally draining experience. That's probably why women go for the cheesy princess or romance-porn flicks at the rental shops. No heavy thinking or emotional processing required.

Last year, video/dvds came out for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Casa de los Babies, Hero, The Magdalene Sisters, Osama, Love Actually, Les Triplettes de Belleville, Dirty Pretty Things, A Wrinkle in Time, The Cooler, Vera Drake, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Before Sunrise -- not too shabby for my tastes, and the actressy roles weren't too bad either. Holy gees, was there ever a lot of crap though. Of course, lots of people probably think the type of movies I like are crap, so it's a good thing there are choices.

It's a good point that comic roles for women usually mean clueless. Smart, intelligent roles usually come hand-in-hand with a morbid plot and emotionally draining experience. That's probably why women go for the cheesy princess or romance-porn flicks at the rental shops. No heavy thinking or emotional processing required.

Sure sounds like a lot of fragility out there. Did Abbott & Costello, Charlie Chaplin etc., etc., make all men look silly? I don't think so. There is a rise in mockery to sell products to one sex or the other these days and the fact that we go out and buy them anyway, sorts of speaks to the basis of the problem.
As for the movies? Most are made down to a narrow audience, not up to a standard. The good ones speak for themselves across all borders.
So women, if you want respect then expect it in every situation. But don't go and get confrontational, leave that for the femlibbers.

The problem with all of these comments like “it’s just comedy” and “Charlie Chaplin and Abbott and Costello didn’t make men look silly” is that comic men come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, types etc.—Cary Grant AND Laurel and Hardy, and now Rodney Dangerfield and John Goodman, say, AND Jim Carey and Johnny Depp. I can’t really think of any other type of comic female role these days where women are anything more than eye candy and “cute”—which is what Dorothy was talking about it— cuteness—and cuteness is not particularly funny. Is a fluffy pink teddy bear funny? The key is the range of the human comedy. Where are the Hepburns, okay, but also, if there is a “golden age” surely it was TV in the 70s and 80s when there were women like Edith Bunker (actress’s name?), and Joan Rivers, and Gilda Radner, and Lily Tomlin and Roseanne—where women were human beings and not just the usual bubble-lipped bimbos (though of course they existed too and will always exist in the gallery of human comedy.) I watch quite likeable comedies like the Coen brothers films or that Once Upon a Time in Mexico with Depp and Banderas and assorted middle-aged and elderly men-- men can be shown in a huge range of comic action and comic type but women are only beautiful creatures. I am so so tired of it, so I don’t watch many movies (usually only when they’re on tv and being watched by my husband—who actually likes feminists, he is a wonderfully confident man. ) I instead spend most of my time devoted to comedy reading Jane Austen novels or A COnfederacy of Dunces (no one seems able to make a movie of that one; or read good poetry (that least pop culture of arts). I agree that cuteness as the defining feature for women is offensive. Let our daughters be anything but cute once they are over the age of 10. (And boys are cute until then too.) Mass media, corporate-owned pop culture is, with a few exceptions, for bimbos and idiots.

You'l be happy to know Nancy, that they are indeed making a movie of Confederacy of Dunces.

Nobody's mentioned the phenomenon of breast implants yet, although they too may affect balance when running in your tight skirt wearing your 3 inch heels. What has gone wrong in our culture that has caused women to run in droves to get their boobs made bigger, and spending thousands to do so? And please don't tell me it's because of the intolerance of right wing "religionists". It's pathetic to see how women want to impress, or, worse, one-up each other. It's harder for a woman to receive female rejection than male rejection. Face it, the women in the change room at the fitness center are a lot more critical of how another women's body looks than guys ever are. You know how other women check out your boobs, look for midriff rolls, scrutinize your thighs for cellulite, and look for imperfections, and do the mental score sheet on how good/bad you look. It's the same in the high school change room, where bulimia and anorexia rule. Many of us who came of age in the 70's rejected stuff that was fake, plastic or superficial. Thanks to clever marketing and a greedy entertainment industry, things have now swung the other way, and it's stylish being shallow and silly. Plastic is popular again. Looking good is way more important than doing good. Sneering at men has been a popular topic for several decades. Having exhausted that topic, our screenwriters turn their attention to the foibles of women. Thanks for such a thought-provoking article, Dorothy.

I would like to mention that in Robert Bly's lecture tour for Sibling Society he spoke at length about men or fathers being ridiculed. He warned of mothers would be getting the same dumbed down goof treatment dad's got. This being part of the "horizontal view" development he describes in his book.
Robert Bly a prophet??
He was right on this one.
I believe his interpretation was that when Mom and Dad are figures of ridicule the TV ,or better truth on the screen, becomes the source of credibility. Hence the vertical view without any figures to look up to when parents are defeated by ridicule

Nancy- have you heard of 'Bitch- feminist response to pop culture'? It's a good mag, published in Oakland, Calif. I'm pretty sure Chapters has it, and Women In Print would. Your husband will like it too :)

There are too many overweight men in media, this is teaching young men that it is acceptable to be overweight. Due to biological reasons male-humans hold fat around their stomachs and close to their hearts making them more likely to have a heart attack. There are too many men having fatal heart attacks in their 40s and 50s, that is well below optimal human lifespan.

...There are too many anorexic men and women in media. Maybe they think if they look like they just emerged from the Gulag they will get the sympathy audience. It's time to start force-feeding them like French geese. Glug. Glug. Glug.

Feminazi's dr? This is an extremely offensive slur that shows your incredible ignorance at the atrocities the Nazi's committed. Do you even know anything about Nazi's or are you just an ignorant mysogynist?

Fi's comment was right on--re reading material in waiting rooms, etc. But I disagree that it's all female-fluff oriented. It's also politically oriented. Doctors' offices are the worst--Maclean's, Cosmo, People's Mag, Canadian Business Report, NY Times, Chatelaine, BC Business, and other totally rightwing Stepford media crap. It is to puke

Narwhal stated "It's pathetic to see how women want to impress, or, worse, one-up each other". I won't deny that a lot of us do it. I think we want to one up more than impress. Women know we are judged and valued for our looks and if we look good there is a better chance for success. I'm tall, thin and attractive (and very well educated) and I won't apologize or feel "unsisterly" for using those physical assets to increase my advantages in life. I know it won't last forever so I get the most from it while I can.

Boring: more talk about women by women. If you really want to impress others ( men and women ), perhaps you could find something greater and more important to talk about than yourselves!

Boring: more talk about women by women. If you really want to impress others ( men and women ), perhaps you could find something greater and more important to talk about than yourselves!

E Bates- there is nothing greater nor more important to talk about than ourselves, thank you very much :) I agree, Ruby! Stand tall, sister!

Wanna see something truly sickening? Watch any commercial to do with raising kids, cleaning ANYTHING,cooking or oganizing something and see how the men are portrayed versus the women in the ad. The men are termially stupid and most times not even capable of making a sandwich or dressing a kid in a raincoat.
Methinks you doth protest with one eye shut.....

Towards a solution: do not support shit media. Get rid of your television--physically get rid of it. Movies are rarely worth it. Don't watch them. The tyranny of the screen! And by the way--I'm barefoot, pregnant, in the kitchen, and very empowered thanks very much.

Towards a solution: do not support shit media. Get rid of your television--physically get rid of it. Movies are rarely worth it. Don't watch them. The tyranny of the screen! And by the way--I'm barefoot, pregnant, in the kitchen, and very empowered thanks very much.

There is definately a huge trend toward dumbing down of the culture. The majority of films released now are put in front of 17 year old male focus groups and surprise, surprise they want more sex and stupid females. Popular culture is profit driven and much of it is run by huge corporations. Female singers are told to "sex up" their act or they are denied support from the record companies, radio stations and music channels. Scantily clad or naked females in a televion show or film can be a relatively inexpensive way to pump up ratings and profits since actors who don't speak in a film are paid very little. If you speak very little and have little experience you also receive little pay.

Dorothy mentions shows such as "Desperate Housewives" which are aimed at women but are written, directed, edited and filmed almost entirely by men. A few shows have female producers but their job is basically to raise funds. Women are still mostly relegated to hair, makeup, script supervisors, and of course acting.

True, Oprah does show on makeup, and fashion and popular culture, but she also puts on shows about a diverse range of topics and rarely talks down to women. She is always ready to promote some cause in the African-American community.

One of the problems with tokenism is you get such a narrow range of views. Condi Rice isn't in the White House to promote black women's views. She is there as the token black women and because she goes along with whatever Geogie and the neocons want.

For awhile in popular culture the vast majority of "bad people" were male. Now that tide has shifted and it seems like the majority of villain now are female. Even if statistics fail to come anywhere near that reality.
Thanks for the article Dorothy. It is a topic that needs much more coverage.

Why, oh why must every feminist-oriented discussion disintigrate into a defence of feminism itself? For every woman who raises even the most benign of issues, there's some dude whining, "What about men? We're oppressed, too!". Please.

"Femi-nazi"? Are you freakin' kidding me? The 1970s called, Dr., they want their clever catch-phrase back. And E. Bates, this might be the first time you've heard this, so take your time and read it twice if you need to, Sweetie: Women are not here to impress you.

Amen