[IP] Hollywood less gender-friendly than the US Senate AND the Afghanistan government?
Begin forwarded message:
From: rick tait <rickt@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: December 20, 2005 10:30:27 PM EST
To: David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: IP Submission: Hollywood less gender-friendly than the US
Senate AND the Afghanistan government?
Dave,
I'm not sure if this is *entirely* appropriate for IP, but such a
good cause along with a very definite political and technical aspect
surely deserves a wider audience! If you deem appropriate, the
exposure to your subscribers would help *enormously*!
BACKGROUND/DISCLAIMER:
My fiancé (Tara Veneruso) is a director, and she also founded and
runs a grass-roots organization called MOVIES BY WOMEN, whose purpose
is to increase the number of women directors working in film,
television and other media. In order to highlight the STARTLING
statistics of gender and racial inequality in Hollywood, MOVIES BY
WOMEN is partnering with the Guerrilla Girls to put up a very large
billboard smack in the middle of Hollywood, right in the middle of
Oscar season. Unfortunately, the cost of the billboard is quite
enormous and we are seeking small (tax-deductible!!!) donations to
help defray the costs!
Thank you SO much. Please note that I myself am not officially
affiliated with the campaign. I am merely a very happy long-time IP
subscriber/old-school UNIX cowboy who feels that this issue needs the
exposure that your list may garner!
Very sincerely yours,
Rick Tait.
rickt@xxxxxxxxx
323.829.5703
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Dave: I wonder if you might consider this plea for help as a
submission to IP? Such a good cause, along with a very definite
political and technical aspect surely deserves a wider audience!!!
Very sincerely yours,
Rick Tait.
/========BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN ALERT========\
++ Do Your Part To Shake Up Hollywood During The 2006 Oscar Season!
MOVIES BY WOMEN is partnering with the Guerrilla Girls and sponsors
such as New York Women in Film & Television to create a billboard
highlighting the gender and racial inequality in the entertainment
industry.
During the 2006 Oscar® season, this billboard will call much-needed
attention to the "startling statistics" that only 7% of all directors
working on the highest grossing films of 2005 were women -- down from
11% in 2000! Everyone who passes on Sunset Boulevard, in the heart of
Hollywood and near the home of the Academy Awards©, will be exposed
to the truth that women all too rarely fill the most esteemed role in
filmmaking.
There are in fact, three times more female US Senators than there are
female directors. In recognizing that NO female director has ever won
an Oscar® for Feature Film Direction, Cinematography, or Sound, we
must also conclude that Hollywood does not promote women as leaders
in such technical fields.
By donating to the MOVIES BY WOMEN billboard campaign, you will help
us raise the $6,000 necessary to present the world with the following
facts:
- 6% of the recently-elected Afghanistan government is comprised of
women, a better statistic than Hollywood.
- 94% of all Writing awards have gone to men.
- Only 3% of all Acting awards (Leading & Supporting) have gone to
persons of color (African-American, Latino, and Asian-American
combined).
Hollywood likes to say that they are cutting-edge, but in reality the
entertainment industry is lagging behind EVERY other industry in
terms of equality for women and people of color. Don't miss out on
this opportunity to make a *global impact* -- the images we create go
out to the entire world!
Time is of essence. This is the last crucial 15 days for us to raise
the money. By getting the billboard up, we create a media buzz, that
buzz gets the conversation going, those conversations spark change.
We can do this if we do it together. Even $10 can help us reach our
goal!
YOU have helped us raise an amazing amount in the past few weeks --
but we still need more donations in order to pay for the billboard
materials. To help us get the $3,400 still needed, please send $10,
$25, $50 or even $100 today and *encourage others to donate*. Thank
you for helping to make a difference!
++ HOW YOU CAN HELP +++
To read more about the startling statistics and to make a (tax-
deductible) donation to our billboard campaign, please go to http://
moviesbywomen.com/oscar2006pr.html
See previous billboards here: http://moviesbywomen.com/
billboard_1.jpg and here: http://moviesbywomen.com/billboard_2.jpg
++ MOVIES BY WOMEN (http://moviesbywomen.com) highlights feature
films directed by women, supporting them the first weekend they are
theatrically distributed through the infamous weekly email known as
THE FIRST WEEKENDERS GROUP.
++ THE GUERRILLA GIRLS (http://guerrillagirls.com) is a rogue group
of anonymous females who build awareness for inequalities in the art
and entertainment industries. They launched the first "Anatomically
Correct Oscar" billboard campaign in 2002 and a second campaign in
2003. The location of the billboard during the height of awards
season in Los Angeles created a furor in the domestic and
international communities with articles in such diverse media outlets
as Access Hollywood, the UK's BBC, the LA Times, NBC-TV, CBS-TV.
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