Sexy Jane

[Skanky Vamp]

reposted from OregonLive

Women-led movies and TV series have momentum in Hollywood, with women such as actor/producer Reese Witherspoon and "Wonder Woman" director Patty Jenkins considered among the most powerful in the entertainment industry.

But it's still a man, man, man, man's world.

Want proof? Then check out producer Ross Putman's Twitter feed. Fed up with the oppressive male gaze in scripts that land on his desk, he started tweeting, "verbatim," how the female leads are introduced, changing the characters' names to "Jane" to save the screenwriter from embarrassment. (Okay, the real reason is so he doesn't get sued.) Putman, who estimates that more than 80 percent of Hollywood screenplays are written by men, closes his Twitter bio with: "Apologies if I quote your work."

The producer of independent films such as "Rogers Park" has been sharing female-character intros for a while now, but we just discovered his account. Below we offer up some of the more, um, memorable tweets.

"JANE, mid-twenties, with a lithe, gossamer beauty that belies a deep inner strength she’s unaware she possesses."
"JANE looks sexy in her gym gear as she works up a sweat."
"We’re close on a woman’s perfect ass in a thong (this ass belongs to JANE, 19)."
"Enter JANE, early to mid 30’s, dressed in a form fitting power suit. She has the body of a teenager and the face of a star."
"JANE, 30s, is cute, but could be hot if she made an effort."
"JANE, 30s, tomboyish hot."
"JANE stands, wearing nothing but her bra and underwear, displaying a body born of good genetics."
"JANE, 40s, good looking for her age."
"Time stops as the smoke clears to reveal the beautiful JANE. Her face is exquisite, her body divine."
"JANE (35) lies in their bed nude and beautiful and asleep"
"A young woman suddenly dives in, stark naked. Swims the length of the pool & comes out at the end. Meet JANE, 24. Toned, scrappy & tattooed."

This reminds me of how feminist Joss Whedon described Wonder Woman in that abysmal screenplay he was writing. Talking about her curves beautiful hair, etc.

 

[HowiMetdaSlayer]

For a minute I thought you meant...

 

[Ethan Reigns]

It would be interesting to see how men are introduced in other movies.

How many "tall in the saddle" Byronic heroes with a past get introduced like that?
How many get introduced by their magnificent physical characteristics?
How many are described as rich or powerful or politically connected?
How many are defined by their profession?

The screenplay usually gets read in a vacuum then thrown over the transom to a director who may not know the author or anything else about the story as written. The screenwriter gives some idea of what the characters are like including physical characteristics because he has no other way to select an appearance. One of the tragedies of American film is that there was a period of about two decades where movies were silent and screenwriters were called "scenario writers" because there was no dialogue except screen panels that showed the occasional piece of information. It became known as a director's medium because the director had control of all aspects of the film. Playwrights don't have to put up with this BS - in fact the attendees at a play may call for "Author, author" if it exceptionally good and the author will appear.

It is the bizarre world of cinema where the creative genius is not rewarded with any credit other than pay. If I watch a William Goldman or Joe Eszterhas movie, I don't care who directed it or who produced it. In television, the situation is more normalized. The screenwriter is usually better-known than the directors and better regarded. The result of this is, since movie screenwriters have no power and are as anonymous as Whistler's father, they have no input or information as to who gets cast unless the movie is laid out as a starring vehicle for a certain star or starlet. The screenwriter has to show his intentions of the type of person who should be cast. In a number of stories, the writer has to show the female lead as having the sexual horsepower to carry the show. So the introduction has to be described dramatically and in terms that show attractiveness. Male leads are introduced the same way because they have to have the male sexual horsepower to be desirable.

I don't see the objections raised in the OregonLive article as being reserved for actresses. Actors get the same treatment and screenwriters have no other way to describe a character, so this is going to continue.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

It is really degrading how women are described by some men, but if Teresa Palmer wishes to describe me as ooh yummie - I promise not to object.

 

[thetopher]

When it comes to film a script has very little power, producing and directing are the actual reality of how films come about. How many studio's read a script then reject it and get their own writers to come in and re-write the story just different enough so they don't have to pay the screen-writer?
How many bring their own writers in to 'punch up' or completely re-write a story once they own it?
Are we really supposed to take vague descriptors of a fictional female character seriously as an example of some sort of oppression?

You want to talk about the 'male gaze' in actual films then that's another thing, although the actions and role of a character should probably matter more.

oppressive male gaze in scripts

Bwahahaha. This part was genuinely funny.