Diablo Cody Talks About Megan Fox and Feminist Film Making

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 6/18/10 at 2:47pm

On how United States of Tara represents a theme found in all her work: "I feel like everything I've done has dealt with exactly the same thing – about being a female, but not being able to decide what type of female you want to be. I feel like I'm in conflict, personally."

On Sweet Valley High: "It's another f*cking moving about the Madonna and the Whore running around wreaking havoc."

On Megan Fox: "People really hate Megan. She's a really nice girl. She's just outspoken."

On a Hollywood double standard: "Women aren't allowed to be anti-heroes or flawed. Megan got lambasted for talking about Michael Bay. Shia LaBeouf criticized another director, and he got called 'refreshing' and 'honest,' while Megan is a bimbo who should never work again. Women aren't allowed to be as complicated as men."

On being a feminist filmmaker: "If anything we're less post-gender than 10 years ago. The Kathryn Bigelow thing was awesome, but it's difficult to be a feminist filmmaker. No one wants you pressing your feminist agenda on nice clean celluloid. It doesn't sell."

On how she depicts youth: "People say 'teenage girls aren't so clever. Your characters should be less articulate to reflect our youth.' People who say that aren't spending time with teenagers."
Link

[strummergirl]

Posted: 6/18/10 at 2:59pm

I was not a big fan of Juno (or Jason Reitman movies in general) so while I do think teens are depicted as dumb too often in films, Juno was practically speaking in an entirely different language that took some suspension of belief, and I was the age demographic. But I love USoT (and Jennifer's Body) and I agree with Diablo Cody. The double-standards (Hi, Thelma and Louise) and trying to sell a feminist film (which is tough for both male and female filmmakers, but especially the females when they are so greatly outnumbered) are just so pervasive in the Hollywood system as well as the critical community.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/18/10 at 3:08pm

Can't. Stand. Her.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/19/10 at 1:14am

Juno was practically speaking in an entirely different language that took some suspension of belief, and I was the age demographic.

Yes, yes, yes, strummergirl, both those things can be true, we have to be able to hold contradictions.

Just ask yourself if movies pass The Bechdel Test, created 25 years ago in Dykes to Watch Out For. All the hemming and hawing about feminism becomes just a jill-off party if you don't look at the basic essentials.

The Bechdel Test

Updated On: 6/19/10 at 01:14 AM

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/19/10 at 12:56pm

Whenever I think of women directors, I think of this: In the year 2000, two directors had big hits with tricky material I'm sure no one thought would be popular. One was Christopher Nolan with MEMENTO, the other was Mary Harron with AMERICAN PSYCHO.

It's been ten years. Nolan is now at the top of the A-list game with the BATMAN movies and others. Harron on the other hand has done only one other movie--THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE--and has otherwise been delegated to directing cable shows like BIG LOVE and THE L WORD.

You haven't come a long way, baby.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/19/10 at 2:16pm

Word, girl.

[nygrl232]

Posted: 6/19/10 at 2:53pm

Hollywood just hasn't come that far. Margaret Cho talks about her sitcom in the 90's and being told she had to lose weight. She went through a hellish time, lost 30 lbs., wound up in the hospital, and then her show got canceled and replaced with Drew Carey, who was not told to lose weight.