With more and more nonbinary, queer and otherwise gender nonconforming actors landing high profile roles (hey, Bella and Liv, hey!), the strictly binary world of top-tier acting awards must change to fully embrace humanity’s beautiful spectrum of otherness. I know, I know, here’s something else for the folks protesting drag story hours and pride displays at Target to get upset about. The funny thing about life is the only true constant is change, yet we chafe like overstimulated toddlers at the very thing that helps us grow and evolve. Still, I get it, change is hard (something I’m learning first-hand in my personal life at this very moment), but oh so necessary. People are people. Talent is talent. Awards are awards. The more everyone feels safe and included to be themselves fully (without trampling on the rights of others — see, that’s the part you keep messing up, bigots), the better for us all. Happy weekend, all.
p.s. The Tonys were also another showcase for queer theater kid extraordinaire Ariana DeBose to do the thing. Honestly, just have her host and dance and sing and generally queer up all of the awards shows always. Wouldn’t you rather watch her over Ricky Gervais or James Corden literally any day ever?
ETA: I agree with everyone's concerns about the inequality of current non-gendered awards, so I by no means think we can do away with all such classifications. But I am open to inclusive options which continue to push for parity in award distribution and recognition.
I disagree with making award shows gender neutral until these numbers change
ReplyDeleteEighty-five percent of films featured more male than female characters, but only 7% of films had more female than male characters.
Females made up only 34% of all speaking characters, declining from 36% in 2020.
Women comprised only 35% of major characters. For purposes of the study, major characters were those who appeared in more than one scene and were considered instrumental to the story.
Major female characters were younger than major male characters. Almost twice as many major male characters (11%) as female characters (6%) were aged 60 and above.
In the top-grossing films, 31% featured female protagonists, 57% featured male protagonists and 12% had a combination of male and female protagonists.
Ariana DeBose is a whirlwind of energy! She is absolutely overflowing with talent.
ReplyDeleteI share Carmen San Diego's frustration with the compounded century and a half of forcing a focus on men and male perspectives on the entire populace and the male domination of media.
ReplyDeleteThat the incredibly lo bar asked for by the Bechdel Test has been failed by so many productions shows how miserably the entertainment media and societies have failed us.
YES! Can we also show some love for Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally? They were nominated for writing the score to "Shucked." And c'mon, Brandy's new self titled album is soooooooo good.
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