In Hannah McGill's article, Gender Bias in Hollywood, being amused by her DVD company's Christmas gift which only contains men's skin products, she points out the limitations of the mainstream film industry regarding its gender bias. Women in mainstream films that are recognized as "successful" or "popular", as she notices, are usually either insignificant characters or stereotypically categorized to be "...pregnant, preoccupied by domestic chores, or both."
Referring to almost every film that comes up in my mind, I can strongly relate to her upset about this situation and am quite surprised at how I didn't pay attention to this trend. Indeed, despite some progress that has been made, the film industry is still a male-dominant industry in every way. Women in this industry serve specific purposes, and almost every one of them is to contribute to a men's story. Only in those clearly labeled as "feminist" films would women become the center of the story and actually be depicted as independent individuals. The problem is, these films have always been considered as different and as the minority. Film being a powerful mass media and a highly influencial art form, is both an evident reflection and a major determinant of the society's stand on gender. Judging from the current status of the film industry, we still have a long way to go eliminating gender bias.
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