So...why is this sexist again?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/mar/25/helen-mirren-sam-mendes-empire

Helen Mirren accuses Sam Mendes of sexism at Empire awards

Skyfall director chided for citing only male film-makers as his inspirations in awards ceremony acceptance speech.

"I don't want to unduly pick on Sam Mendes, but when he spoke about his inspirations earlier this evening, I'm afraid not a single one of the people he mentioned was a woman," said Mirren, to cheers from the audience. "Hopefully in five or 10 years, when Sam's successor is collecting their Inspiration award, the list will be slightly more balanced in terms of its sexual make-up. In the meantime, this one is for the girls."

So if you're not inspired by women in one area of your life, you're sexist? Would Mirren prefer Mendes included a woman as part of his inspiration simply out of pity and fear of being criticised?

I don't really see what her point is.

Edit: On reflection this is probably just The Guardian being **** stirrers. She could well have been suggesting that there aren't enough female directors, and didn't want to single out Mendes as being the only one who didn't mention a female inspiration.

(edited 11 years ago)

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Reply 1

Arturo Bandini

Where did she say he was sexist?

seems more like a sensationalist headline taking her comments out of context

Reply 2

ily_em

She's not saying he is sexist by saying that (that's why she said she "didn't want to unduly pick on Sam Mendes"), but it's more a kind of inbuilt sexism in society. Maybe it's the case that it's hard to get along as a film maker in Hollywood if you are female. So she wants that to change and for people to realise that women can be good at making films too/ :dontknow:

Reply 3

Hopple

I don't see her calling him sexist :s-smilie:

You're right that he isn't sexist, but I took her comments to be more along the lines of "I hope we get more women directors so in future people will talk of being inspired by directors of both genders".

Reply 4

Kiss

Original post by ily_em

What's wrong with having no female inspiration? Do you HAVE to have a female to inspire you? No, of course you don't. She's just being a bitter old hag by nit picking everything someone mentions, or in this case fails to mention. Who's saying women are or aren't good at making films? That was never mentioned nor implied on Mendes' behalf, the only one creating a **** storm about this is Mirren, and whilst she did not directly say he was sexist she definitely implied it.

Reply 5

fluttershy

I think there are two issues here. Firstly, female directors were far less common in the past. That means that there are far more male directors that would insipre the directors of today. In the future as female directors become more common then there will be more sources of inspiration from them. Secondly whilst a member of a minority group (in a particular field, if not in society as a whole) would be more likely to gain inspiration from someone in the same group, there is nothing strange about the fact that someone not from that minority would not. People tend to be inspired by people who they see some of themselves in. A woman is likely to be inspired by another woman by thinking "if they can suceed in a male dominated field than so can I", wheras what inspiration would a man be expected to have?

Reply 6

Farm_Ecology

Original post by Hopple

I don't see her calling him sexist :s-smilie:

It's true. Its hard to tell whether she is saying "I hope in 10 years there will be more women to go on his list", or "I hope in 10 years, he will be inspired by more women".

Reply 7

Drewski

Other than Kathryn Bigelow [who's films I'm not really a fan of] I'm having trouble naming any other female directors. Anyone?

Reply 8

username129099

As has been said in the comments of the article, her point is probably more about why there are a lack of female directors for him to be inspired by, rather than he should have mention XYZ

Reply 9

Hopple

Original post by Farm_Ecology

It's true. Its hard to tell whether she is saying "I hope in 10 years there will be more women to go on his list", or "I hope in 10 years, he will be inspired by more women".

Yeah, I think I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, since there are plenty who would explicitly accuse Hollywood or wherever of being sexist.

Reply 10

Pedd

He can cite whoever the heck he likes, it's not sexist. Still, I reckon that the Guardian took her out of context.
There is a point to be made that Hollywood has less female directors than males.

Reply 11

Snagprophet

I'm sorry, but seeing as there are no women close to being near the Chris Nolan and James Cameron level, why try and spaz out like some self-persecution? I only know of two women directors, the one who did Hurtlocker, which I haven't seen, and the one that did Twi-Sh*te.

It's *******s, he hasn't gone out of his way to avoid women. So wtf?

Reply 12

uktotalgamer

It isn't. It's that whole argument of making women equal for the sake of it...

Like in government, "oh we must appoint more women politicians". Even if their not the best for the job? Complete load of rubbish.

She wants to get out her own arse.

Reply 13

Psyk

Original post by uktotalgamer

There's a difference between artificially increasing the number of women in certain fields by introducing quotas or hiring people specifically because they are female, and encouraging more women to go into that field.

I'm against gender quotas or hiring someone because of their gender (except perhaps in cases where it really is relevant). But I don't see the problem with industries taking steps to encourage more women to work in that field. And of course vice versa in jobs where women dominate.

In the software development industry I think there's probably a lot of potential talent that's being completely untapped. Not sure you could ever really expect to have a 50:50 gender ratio in computer programming, but I bet there are plenty more women out there who have the raw natural ability for it. But because of the culture around it, people assume that it's a guys thing, for most of them it probably doesn't even cross their mind to go into it. So I think it's actually in the industry's interest to encourage more women into it.

I don't really know much about film making, but I'm sure the same would apply there.

Reply 14

jenniferscott

I think, Maybe it's the case that it's hard to get along as a film maker in Hollywood if you are female, so she is sexist again.

Reply 15

truffle_girl

Original post by Converse Rocker

Would Mirren prefer Mendes included a woman as part of his inspiration simply out of pity and fear of being criticised?

Most likely. That's how feminism/political correctness works. Demanding equal outcomes where it benefits certain groups, without any proof that there is not equality OF OPPORTUNITY.

Edit: On reflection this is probably just The Guardian being **** stirrers. She could well have been suggesting that there aren't enough female directors, and didn't want to single out Mendes as being the only one who didn't mention a female inspiration.

Again, most likely. It's always struck me as ironic, when The Guardian readers attack The Daily Mail for ****-stirring, when it comes to issues such as immigration. There may be some truth in it, but The Guardian does the same thing, when it comes to issues such as these.

Reply 16

username952244

Original post by Converse Rocker

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/mar/25/helen-mirren-sam-mendes-empire

So if you're not inspired by women in one area of your life, you're sexist? Would Mirren prefer Mendes included a woman as part of his inspiration simply out of pity and fear of being criticised?

I don't really see what her point is.

Edit: On reflection this is probably just The Guardian being **** stirrers. She could well have been suggesting that there aren't enough female directors, and didn't want to single out Mendes as being the only one who didn't mention a female inspiration.

Her point is that she's a paranoid nutter that thinks that men rule society.

Reply 17

Redolent

She wishes there were more women directors for Sam Mendes to be inspired by. She didn't call him sexist. I don't think it really needs to be brought up in such a personal way but she's entitled to her opinion.

The problem is the person who wrote the article trying to stir it up. Claims that Mendes "failed" to mention women (as if there was some obligation for him to be inspired by a woman in this context) and that he "ignored the contributions of female film-makers" (implying it was some sort of conscious act against female film-makers) are entirely laid on by the article writer, as far as I can see. Poor journalism more than anything.

Reply 18

Ezekiella

Yeah I see what you mean that is ridiculous. It would be sexist to choose women as role models just for the sake of being women, rather than their actual attributes which he wanted to emulate.

Reply 19

tengentoppa

Misleading headline. It seems like she's just pointing out there aren't that many inspiring female film directors and that she hopes that won't be the case in 10 years time.