We Saw Your Hate

Jokes are an important tool of those in power for reinforcing the status quo. The Oscar telecast was viewed by 1 billion people around the world, and the complete disrespect of anyone who wasn't a straight white male MATTERS. It showed the world Hollywood is in control of its women, people of color, gays, and other nationalities. It said "You don't belong and aren't welcome." When naive online commenters say the Oscar telecast doesn't matter or that feminists are taking the jokes out of context, they are lacking the context of daily life for industry women and minorities in Hollywood...and the fact that Hollywood's largest export is its view of the world. 

What is extra infuriating about this telecast is that three months ago Kathryn Bigelow was a shoe-in for another directing nomination and her movie was the front runner for Best Picture. "They" run a public campaign against ZERO DARK THIRTY for its torture portrayals, and a private campaign in Hollywood Oscar Screenings spreading the rumor that Bigelow wasn't capable of directing the film and her younger boyfriend screenwriter Mark Boal had to take over onset because he was the brains and talent. Next thing you know, we have the most sexist telecast I've seen in twenty-five years of watching the Oscars, and Kathryn Bigelow is erased from it. Did you see a red carpet interview with her? A close-up during the 3 1/2 hour telecast? Any mention of her or her 2013 directing nomination snub? As a woman working in Hollywood, I can tell you that all of my fellow female friends got the message loud and clear: "One win was enough, little ladies. Now lay down and squeal like a pig or you're a poor sport who will get even less next time. And DON'T GET FAT."

Vi veri universum vivus vici

Watching my favorite blogger Enty at Crazy Days and Nights and his Hollywood Justice League expose some horrible Hollywood pedophiles under the laws of celebrity gossip. It will be interesting to see how this chess match goes down. Soooo proud of those involved in bringing these crimes to light.

We are all V.

Great Articles over at Film School Rejects

Looks like these are over a year old, but still relevant and terrific. Always happy to see a site normally centered on men discuss these topics:

10 Films You Didn't Know Were Directed By Women

Turned On, Tuned In Femme Filmmakers includes links to other articles including Salon.com on the stats of film schools graduating as many women as men nowadays, yet studios only employing them for 4% of their movies a year. There is also a great list of 124 movies directed by women.

And this wonderful comment on a catty Forbes piece evaluating actressess' ROI that brilliantly includes a close up of each lady's chest along with her deterimined economic worth. Actresses Worth Their Weight in Cash.

Kudos to journalists Bethany Perryman and Cole Abaius for the articles, and FILM SCHOOL REJECTS for publishing them.

It's hard for a rapper BITCH, too...

The FAR EAST MOVEMENT is the first ever Asian American group to break into the Billboard Top 100, but surprise surprise it's their female guest vocalist who didn't get announced on their recent awesome performance on The George Lopez show. It never fails to amaze me how race always trumps gender, and how sexist people who've fought for race rights can still be without even noticing.

I can't get enough of this song LIKE A G6, but it's Dev who makes it. Lopez will remember her the next time she stars on his show because she's going to blow up big...

October Herror Fest: Directress #6

It's October, which of course means there are no women who make horror films. So here's a feature by another director who doesn't exist:

Elizabeth Schieffer

Schieffer has pulled off a coup that is all too rare for female directors of any genre...she has won a studio-sponsored short film contest. Universal Studios (who should know a thing or two about horror) has awarded her short JASPER its top honors for Halloween Horror Night. And the prize package also gets her short seen on the not overly friendly to female filmmakers SyFy.com and Chiller TV. Three birds with one ricocheting stone!

Actually, don't get too excited about ladies taking over Hollywood just yet...the Hollywood judges picked the top ten and then online voters picked Elizabeth as the deserving winner (Viva the democratization of filmmaking and filmmgoing!).

Unlike all the seasons of PROJECT GREENLIGHT and those other horrible industry contests that were milquetoast showcases for interchangeable frat boys, we get to enjoy Ms. Schieffer's challenging and inspiring short online right now...and we better get to cheer her on to at least a few Hollywood meetings. Perhaps if the suits actually watch Beth's smart, funny, stereotype-bending work they'll know not to judge a dame by her gender.

The Dallas Observer's coverage of the win.
The official press release from Universal.

And for your viewing enjoyment, below is the entire three minute award-winning short JASPER...directed, produced, and special fx-ed by Elizabeth Schieffer:

October Herror Fest: Directress #2

It's October, which of course means there are no women who make horror films. So here's a feature by another director who doesn't exist:

Rachel Talalay

Writer/Director of the funny and gross FREDDY'S DEAD: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE.

After Freddy, Rachel directed GHOST IN THE MACHINE and TANK GIRL. Now she works in TV and has directed episodes of THE DEAD ZONE, WITHOUT A TRACE, and MASTERPIECE THEATRE. She also has writing and producing credits on many of these projects.

"The other day I was discussing with my man whether it was a mistake to go the humorous, tongue-in-cheek route with Freddy. I wondered if we should have gone full-on horror. He reminded me that at the time it was the right decision. We were burned out on ideas, on scripts, and horror was predictable. We were looking for something to make it different."

- Rachel Talalay

Here's a terrific interview with Rachel.

Rental Suggestion: FREDDY'S DEAD: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE



Thank you to Hart Fisher, the mastermind behind TV show AMERICAN HORRORS for the suggestion of Rachel Talalay!

My daily shot of terror

My Google Alerts, more often then not, are filled with bad news. Here's one I got today. Nothing like being quoted out of context...in another language...of a highly sexualized yet repressed partriarchal society.

Elisabeth Fies (kidsis)님의 트위터
트위터메뉴. 홈 · 검색 · 동네 · 사람찾기 · 도구 · 도움말 · 로그인. kidsis. Elisabeth Fies. 내글들. Peppy little spooge vacuum. Better Off Ted uncensored. ...

That WAS a really funny link to an uncensored bit from TV show Better Off Ted. Sigh. Now it's an advertisement for me to be a mail order bride.

A meaningful life is not a popularity contest

"You are not on the earth to be shut up, and you are not on the earth to be shut down."

A great four-minute pep talk about why what other people think of you is none of your business, courtesy of Marianne Williamson.

Marianne and The Course of Miracles was a favorite of Mom's. I can't believe how young the lady looks; I've known her teachings all my life.

"You are not born to be at the effect of lovelessness, in other people or in yourself."

I call bullshit

Do you know the stats on how many women kill themselves by hanging?

And women with promising acting careers and a man sleeping next to them? In Paris?

In comparison, know the stats on how many women are murdered by their boyfriends?

Bullshit. The boyfriend killed her.

Ellen Degeneres commencement speech

It's that time of year again, and Ellen has outdone every speaker everywhere. A gorgeous must see via Fishbowl LA.

Girls Rock - Last chance to MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!

Okay, dammit. Let's turn this nasty energy out there around...

Today is the LAST DAY to donate to my friend Brea Grant's Smackdown charity drive.

Girls Rock Camp Austin is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls and women of all backgrounds and abilities through musical education and performance.

It couldn't be easier or quicker to donate even five bucks through Paypal, and they're such a small charity even that will make a difference. Please step up, donate, pass the info on. TODAY ONLY!



Because we need more of THIS AWESOMENESS:



I want THE SQUIDS to be in PISTOLERAS. Rock on, ladies!

Don't know what to do...

...with all this vitriol aimed against women. Read the comments to the article.


This whole subject is soooo loaded and complex.

The facts are that only 1 out of 10 films made feature a female protagonist, and that only 5% of the Writer's Guild is female.

For whatever reason, Hollywood does not want to tell women's stories, and does not want women telling any stories. Period.

No, there are not less female screenwriters. No, there are not less women consuming entertainment. That's all simplistic bullshit said by simplistic people who want things to stay the way they are. Like that UCLA professor who once dressed me down in class for an hour because it was such an unimportant topic that didn't matter to the heartland ticket buyers...

Should we blame these female screenwriters for promoting their sexuality and coming up with a PR angle that Hollywood and people want? Blame the female reporter who spun them like the vacuous Sex and the City girls? The NYT editor who chose to run the article in the style section instead of the arts? The anonymous internet commenters who call anyone with an opinion a feminazi?

Should empowered men and women circumscribe Hollywood and go build their own internet distribution empires, eliminating the barrier between artist and audience and the need to play Hollywood's reindeer games?

I don't know. I feel tired. I've tried to focus on partnering with men, empowering everyone, ignoring the negative, simply deleting the comments I get here from misogynists.

I don't know. My soul is tired.

You all take over for a day. This Watchman wants to retire.

On the 75th birthday of Gloria Steinem. How apropos.

This is why you're fat

Great accompanying site to White Whine.

"The Slinger:

Hash browns covered with grilled onions with two side-by-side cheeseburgers, topped with a couple of fried eggs, sunny-side up and then covered with chili and garnished with two pieces of toast come on the side."


Jesus Christ, people! I have never in my life desired to consume even a bite of something like what is on that site, let alone my own carton of icecream, pan of pizza, or cheesecake.

Sigh. More inequities in the universe.

All it took for me to gain weight to become "LA fat" (bigger than a size 2) was off-the-charts stress from caregiving for mom, and no time to work out an hour a day.

What happened to the rest of y'all is on you and your cheese-and-pepperoni god.

Happy 75th, Gloria Steinem

1993:

November 2008:


And what have YOU done today to change the world?

The Trouble With Twitter - In Cartoon Form

Via Mediabistro. Couldn't have said it better myself.

At last, a little reverse ageism

Well, thank you mother nature for a small bone. A study says that babies born of older men have lower IQs, while older mothers produce healthier babies. Iiiinteresting. Add mutating sperm to men's concerns. Why do I feel like sending this article to all the men on Match who won't date women their age?

700 apply for 1 janitor job

more signs of the apocalypse.

PS You're old.

Via Jezebel, the 90s are back.

And check out this heartwarmer. Could've been my mom.

Testing Economic Stimulus

Pharmacist launches homegrown economic stimulus with $2 bills.

Elizabeth Gilbert: A New Way To Think About CREATIVITY

I've been mulling over this topic myself for two weeks now. More from me soon. And now, the other Elizabeth: