In the Blog

Sexism in the City

June 7th, 2008     by Cate Simpson     Comments

I know we’re all bored to death of hearing about Sex and the City, but I had to mention this article in yesterday’s Star about the sexism that’s been cropping up in some of the film’s negative reviews (thanks to one of our readers for the link).

Peter Howell draws our attention to reviewers who accuse the women turning out to see Sex and the City of blindly following the herd, or of being so dumb and impressionable that a few designer labels is enough to get them going.

One blogger, he points out, even called it a “Taliban recruitment film” because it encourages greed and egoism. Because obviously the Taliban are the only available alternative to materialism.

Why isn’t anybody calling out movie producers for their assumption that all it takes to get male movie-goers to the box office is car chases, explosions and breasts? If thousands of men flock to see the latest action flick, why isn’t that film’s very success suddenly a mark against it and proof that all men are shallow and vapid?

The Star article sums it up nicely:

“I can actually think of a rough male equivalent for SATC. It’s a film franchise about a man with a huge ego and unfettered sense of entitlement, who cavorts with people who have spectacular budgets for clothes, cars and travel. Our hero consumes vast quantities of liquor and caviar and thinks nothing of trashing his high-priced toys. His name is James Bond. His 22nd movie, Quantum of Solace, is currently being filmed. And when it is released this fall, you won’t find anybody seriously suggesting that the enjoyment of it is a chance to get men out of the house, a degrading of the national IQ or a recruitment opportunity for the Taliban.”

Tags: media savvy

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