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We’re Gonna Talk About It Podcast
Episode 17: Women in Tv and Film

In this episode the contributions to the American film and television industries made by women are in the spotlight. While both industries are still dominated by men, women have always made huge contributions and progress often innovating and changing the landscape on the way.  

From the earliest attempts at filmmaking, to groundbreaking female leadership at major studios and networks, female-led media have always been a part of our entertainment history. In fact, in television’s infancy, around 1949, women made up 25 percent of the creatives behind the shows of the time. Over the decades, that number dropped to a depressing 6.5 percent by the 1970’s! Thankfully, the numbers are back to just over 25 percent again…so…progress? 

Multi award winning actor and producer Geena Davis has even started an institute to study data related to the gender gaps in media, and started initiatives to get more positive women’s representation in film and tv. Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media – See Jane She also produced a terrific documentary about this very subject This Changes Everything (2018) – IMDb 

Buffie and Carolyn will talk history, representation, why women’s stories matter what’s gotten so much better, and what the data tells us about how far we still need to go.  Guests include nationally known filmmakers and television writers. Learn more about how Rock What You Got™ is amplifying the voices of under-represented people at rockwhatyougotlive.com.

As always, let us know what you think at Hello@rockwhatyougot.com and as always, thanks for listening! 

 

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

RESOURCES IN THIS EPISODE

Book When Women Invented Television: The Untold Story of the Female Powerhouses Who Pioneered the Way We Watch Today by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong (goodreads.com) 

Gertrude Berg, Irna Philips, Betty White, Hazel Scott 

Film This Changes Everything (2018) – IMDb 

Data Research Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media – See Jane 

Funding For Women In Film: New Study Peels Off Layers Of Inequity (forbes.com) 

News Turning Red Director & Creative Team Talk About How the Film Evolved (collider.com) latest Disney/Pixar film has an all female lead creative team! 

AAAAND dealing with periods! Disney’s Turning Red is ‘unapologetic’ about period talk, says director – Polygon