The Women’s Media Summit was orchestrated to plan actionable change for eliminating the gender disparity in media, and they’ve just submitted one of their first proposals: stop watching movies that aren’t made by women. So... practically all of them.
Deadline reports that the organization, which is made up of about 100 people in various industries in media, have just submitted their “White Paper” to the public, the result of a three-day forum held at Provincetown in March. One of their first strategies is to “boycott films that score poorly on gender equity.” You can watch Wonder Woman and films directed by Ava DuVernay, I guess, which actually doesn’t sound too bad.
There are several other suggestions in the White Paper, such as tax credits to films with women directors, litigation against discrimination, funds for advertising both the media disparity and the benefits of women filmmakers, and the development of a financial network for women in film. The boycott is a way for the average consumer to tell Hollywood that they won’t shell out for another Transformers movie:
Another goal is to have production companies adopt a labeling system, similar to the “No animals were harmed in the making of this film,” but for equitable gender representation behind-the-scenes and on the screen. Another is to cultivate two million activists that regularly use GradeMyMove.com to “boycott films that score poorly on gender equity” and “encourage viewers to vote with their dollars for gender equity.”
I only go to see movies in theaters like twice a year anyway, so very happy to join this boycott. Unless it works. Then I guess I’ll be buying a large popcorn at the concession stand several times a week.