Women are still underrepresented at the Oscars, and GUYS C’MON!
While inclusivity is a calling card of this year’s Oscars, a new study has revealed that women are still underrepresented in this year’s Oscar nominations, and C’MON GUYS!
While the likes of Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Natalie Portman, Ruth Negga, and Octavia Spencer have all been nominated for their powerful and complex roles, and films like Arrival, Hidden Figures, and Jackie have all been celebrated for their depiction of strong female characters, it seems that nominations for women are still lacking.
In data compiled by the Women’s Media Center, an organization co-founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem, it was revealed that women represent only 20 per cent of the non-acting categories in the 89th annual Academy Award nominations.
What’s upsetting about this figure, however, is that it is actually DOWN from last year by 2 per cent. The news comes despite an overhaul of Academy membership, which saw an increase in women and people of color. No female directors were nominated at this year’s awards, while only ONE female screenwriter was, Hidden Figures screenwriter Allison Schroeder.
In good news though, nine women were nominated as producers in Best Picture, the largest nominations count of any category.
"We have a saying, ‘If you can see it, you can be it,’ but in the crucial behind-the-scenes non-acting roles, our ‘Women’s Media Center Investigation’ shows that what you see is 80 percent of all nominees are men," said Julie Burton, President of the Women’s Media Center. "Four out of five nominees are men — meaning male voices and perspectives are largely responsible for what we see on screen.
This failure, Burton notes, is directly related to the report from San Diego State’s Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film that found that only a shocking 17 per cent of women made up directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers working on the 250 top-grossing films (domestically) in 2016.
"Clearly, women cannot get through the door and if they cannot get through the door, they cannot be recognized—and rewarded—for their excellence and impact, Burton said. “In the meantime, and with appreciation to Michelle Obama, we ask the studio and agency executives who are okay with making a bunch of deals that exclude women to ‘Be Better.’ The perspectives, experience and voices of more than half the population deserve an equal seat at the table.
Check out an infographic of the report below.
Despite this upsetting news, however, there are some wins for women, specifically when it comes to documentaries and scores. Mica Levy, who composed the score to Jackie, became the first woman to be nominated for original score since 2000, while Ava DuVernay has been nominated in the Documentary Feature category for 13th, a film about the history of mass incarceration of African Americans. DuVernay became the first woman of color to have a film she directed nominated for Best Picture in 2014 with Selma.
Regardless, it appears that there’s a long way to go before there’s true equality when it comes to all aspects of filmmaking. More needs to be done.
