...when it comes to film.
- When women dropped over half a billion to see Titanic,
frequently citing Kate Winslet and/or her character as their reason
(and the special effects in more than a few cases), it was dismissed as
a fluke. The biggest gross-earner of all time, and we’re not allowed to
learn anything from its success because it was just a fluke. And why
was it a fluke? Uh, something about when it was released, and what else
was out, and er, stuff. Conventional wisdom. Don’t question it.
- When huge numbers of women attended the Matrix movies,
the industry refused to accept this as proof that women liked action
movies, sci-fi, a kick-ass female lead who sometimes rescues the guys,
or lots of guns. Or even gawking at Keanu Reeves. Nope, it had to
be that we were attending with boyfriends, husbands and male friends -
thus proving once more that only men determine the success of a movie,
and women’s tastes can safely be ignored without anyone being accused
of prejudice.
- When Firefly proved more popular with women than men, that should’ve helped industry pros alerted by the appeal to women of Titanic and the Matrix movies narrow down just what it was we were digging: that we love special effects and action as much as men, if you just give us at least one relatable female character. Instead, it was recognized as “proof” that Firefly wasn’t cutting it as an action series and needed to be axed.
- When Buffy the Vampire Slayer drew plenty of male viewers
(7 men to every 10 women), it should’ve proven that guys will indeed
watch female action heroes. But instead, the fact that the show
targeted female viewers put it right out of the running for any
consideration about male viewing habits. Which is kind of like saying
if a non-Christian kid chooses to go to a private Christian school
because it’s providing a better education than the public schools in
his area, his choice and its results don’t merit consideration because
the school was targeting Christians.
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