Comments on: Hollywood Feminist of the Day: Nell Scovell http://womenandhollywood.com/2009/10/27/hollywood-feminist-of-the-day-nell-scovell/ from a feminist perspective Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:29:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Gina http://womenandhollywood.com/2009/10/27/hollywood-feminist-of-the-day-nell-scovell/comment-page-1/#comment-5547 Gina Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:59:40 +0000 http://womenandhollywood.com/?p=3956#comment-5547 A big thanks to Nell Scovell for speaking out. Access is a huge problem. Women writer/directors have a much harder time getting representation. You simply can't submit your work without an agent or manager. If you check the bottom tier clients at at the big agencies like WME, UTA, CAA, you'll find that many of them are men with very few credits. They are still in the very early stages of their careers, yet an agent has signed on to market them as a writer or director. Women never get the same support. For example, Courtney Hunt didn't have an agent until Frozen River got into Sundance. The screenplay was later nominated for an Academy Award. Apparently at no point during the years it took Frozen River to get financed did it occur to anyone that she was a great writer that they could sell. The bar is so much higher for women. Any other business with such appalling statistics in employing women year after year would institute a diversity program. If they were smart they would, because this cannot go on forever. A big thanks to Nell Scovell for speaking out.

Access is a huge problem. Women writer/directors have a much harder time getting representation. You simply can’t submit your work without an agent or manager. If you check the bottom tier clients at at the big agencies like WME, UTA, CAA, you’ll find that many of them are men with very few credits. They are still in the very early stages of their careers, yet an agent has signed on to market them as a writer or director. Women never get the same support.

For example, Courtney Hunt didn’t have an agent until Frozen River got into Sundance. The screenplay was later nominated for an Academy Award. Apparently at no point during the years it took Frozen River to get financed did it occur to anyone that she was a great writer that they could sell. The bar is so much higher for women.

Any other business with such appalling statistics in employing women year after year would institute a diversity program. If they were smart they would, because this cannot go on forever.

]]> By: Hope http://womenandhollywood.com/2009/10/27/hollywood-feminist-of-the-day-nell-scovell/comment-page-1/#comment-5543 Hope Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:20:09 +0000 http://womenandhollywood.com/?p=3956#comment-5543 I am a young writer hoping to enter the world of late-night comedy in the next few years, and Ms. Scovell's article was both terrifying and heartening. I think the most important thing she recommends is putting the application guidelines online or at least in an accessible place so that women and people of color (of both genders!) can have access to the same opportunities as the white guys who recommend their white guy friends to do white guy comedy. I don't think the value of equal access can be overstated. The fact of the matter is that if we were given equal access, we could show our equal talent. I am a young writer hoping to enter the world of late-night comedy in the next few years, and Ms. Scovell’s article was both terrifying and heartening. I think the most important thing she recommends is putting the application guidelines online or at least in an accessible place so that women and people of color (of both genders!) can have access to the same opportunities as the white guys who recommend their white guy friends to do white guy comedy. I don’t think the value of equal access can be overstated. The fact of the matter is that if we were given equal access, we could show our equal talent.

]]> By: Rosemary Carstens http://womenandhollywood.com/2009/10/27/hollywood-feminist-of-the-day-nell-scovell/comment-page-1/#comment-5541 Rosemary Carstens Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:36:21 +0000 http://womenandhollywood.com/?p=3956#comment-5541 Nothing ever seems to change, sadly. I've experienced these kinds of situations myself in years past, tho not now that I work for myself and have become more assertive and confident. Altho I'm bothered that people were using sex as a currency on the Letterman show, I'm not shocked. That's sort of business as usual on both sides of the gender fence. What bothers me more is that they so clearly discriminate against women writers with experience and ability who could add a lot to the mix. I find most of Letterman's "humor" adolescent or just plain stupid. He's too old for that nonsense and his show reminds me of a tired, day old biscuit--you'll only eat it if there's nothing else or you are too tired to cook. Nothing ever seems to change, sadly. I’ve experienced these kinds of situations myself in years past, tho not now that I work for myself and have become more assertive and confident. Altho I’m bothered that people were using sex as a currency on the Letterman show, I’m not shocked. That’s sort of business as usual on both sides of the gender fence. What bothers me more is that they so clearly discriminate against women writers with experience and ability who could add a lot to the mix. I find most of Letterman’s “humor” adolescent or just plain stupid. He’s too old for that nonsense and his show reminds me of a tired, day old biscuit–you’ll only eat it if there’s nothing else or you are too tired to cook.

]]>