Just a quick note to say that it's been super interesting to hear what everyone thinks - there's lots to mull over - but while differing opinions are welcome, personal insults won't be tolerated. I will also remove comments that are defamatory/libellous or egregiously attack someone else's character or reputation. Thank you everyone for reading and sharing! Thanks, Terri
Thank you for articulating this, it's a misogynistic campaign, regardless of the film's quality. I'm looking forward to seeing the film, the trailer looks great!
There's all these things of course. Kubrick literally broke Shelly Duvall into pieces. Nobody cared at the time. When was the last time you saw a female Director described as an artist/Auteur? Emerald Fennell is by any metric an artist, and a brilliant one at that. Bigelow made one of the greatest horror thrillers ever. ( Near Dark, obvs). Penelope Spheeris made a couple of the best documentaries ever made about music and musicians.
There's another thing here too of course and it's both depressing and annoying. Wilde is a beautiful woman, currently in a relationship with her star, who happens to be the current most famous man on the planet. This helps the misogynists who don't believe average women to be their equal, let alone a beautiful woman. Note the bullshit around Emily Ratajkowski's excellent book about her abuse. Some things change but never quickly.
Responding to Tim’s Thoughts. The only people who are interested in this type gossip are the exact people she’s writing about, it’s esp prevalent with women who believe Harry is with ex band mate and spread and enjoyed the ugly gossip. The women who are not mean girls find it awful. And, there are a lot of men who enjoy this gossip bc reason above or they are not nice people. So…it’s not a “women” issue, esp on this. Stay off twitter if u don’t want to see how vile they are towards her, bc Harry. And the film critics, journalists shouldn’t encourage this behavior. Does that make sense? Anyway…fantastic article. Sad it even needs to be written!
Sadly, this is nothing new. Barbra Streisand had to contend with exactly the same kind of toxic reporting when she made "Yentl" back in 1982. To counteract the malicious and unfounded gossip, the whole crew signed a letter praising the way she acted as both director and producer. However, practically no newspaper would print it. Women doing a brilliant job in a man's world doesn't attract (a certain kind of) readers, but, sadly, stories about "Diva behaviour" or "cat fights" still do.
It’s just all a bit vile and mean isn’t it? There is absolutely no way that a male director like Nolan would be questioned in the manner that Wilde has. Stuff like this is just so frustrating to say the least. I really enjoyed Booksmart and still excited to watch this though - I did love the trailer!
Brilliantly written, just to say, and thank you for that. Really looking forward to seeing the film. Booksmart was a great thing all the way round so more than anything I hope her future creative projects are unencumbered. Wilde I mean. Hollywood is just not very good right now, for me, my fave stuff is being done by Nadine Labaki and Ritesh Batra, out East, and gunless. I have less than zero interest in anything but the product, the work of art. That Hollywood more and more relies on the new Social Media to sell their mediocre work maybe needs resisting. I wish you, her, and all the genuine talent best luck.
I am a 77 year old retired technical writer and project manager. And this kind of crap is exactly what I dealt with in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, and 90’s. And well into the 21st century. Appalling. ‼️
YES ! SO MUCH THIS! been truly frustrated listening to fellow filmmakers slag the film before they've even seen it based on the publicity. You never saw this done to other filmmakers on this scale.
Just a quick note to say that it's been super interesting to hear what everyone thinks - there's lots to mull over - but while differing opinions are welcome, personal insults won't be tolerated. I will also remove comments that are defamatory/libellous or egregiously attack someone else's character or reputation. Thank you everyone for reading and sharing! Thanks, Terri
Thank you for articulating this, it's a misogynistic campaign, regardless of the film's quality. I'm looking forward to seeing the film, the trailer looks great!
There's all these things of course. Kubrick literally broke Shelly Duvall into pieces. Nobody cared at the time. When was the last time you saw a female Director described as an artist/Auteur? Emerald Fennell is by any metric an artist, and a brilliant one at that. Bigelow made one of the greatest horror thrillers ever. ( Near Dark, obvs). Penelope Spheeris made a couple of the best documentaries ever made about music and musicians.
There's another thing here too of course and it's both depressing and annoying. Wilde is a beautiful woman, currently in a relationship with her star, who happens to be the current most famous man on the planet. This helps the misogynists who don't believe average women to be their equal, let alone a beautiful woman. Note the bullshit around Emily Ratajkowski's excellent book about her abuse. Some things change but never quickly.
Responding to Tim’s Thoughts. The only people who are interested in this type gossip are the exact people she’s writing about, it’s esp prevalent with women who believe Harry is with ex band mate and spread and enjoyed the ugly gossip. The women who are not mean girls find it awful. And, there are a lot of men who enjoy this gossip bc reason above or they are not nice people. So…it’s not a “women” issue, esp on this. Stay off twitter if u don’t want to see how vile they are towards her, bc Harry. And the film critics, journalists shouldn’t encourage this behavior. Does that make sense? Anyway…fantastic article. Sad it even needs to be written!
Can I go back to just looking forward to this now then? It's a genre I like, love Florence, etc.
Sadly, this is nothing new. Barbra Streisand had to contend with exactly the same kind of toxic reporting when she made "Yentl" back in 1982. To counteract the malicious and unfounded gossip, the whole crew signed a letter praising the way she acted as both director and producer. However, practically no newspaper would print it. Women doing a brilliant job in a man's world doesn't attract (a certain kind of) readers, but, sadly, stories about "Diva behaviour" or "cat fights" still do.
Wonderfully written. Thanks for your article unfortunately the people who need to see it will skip it. Keep up the great work
Excellent analysis. There's something distastefully 00s about the gleeful attempts to goad Wilde and Pugh into a public catfight.
It’s just all a bit vile and mean isn’t it? There is absolutely no way that a male director like Nolan would be questioned in the manner that Wilde has. Stuff like this is just so frustrating to say the least. I really enjoyed Booksmart and still excited to watch this though - I did love the trailer!
Brilliantly written, just to say, and thank you for that. Really looking forward to seeing the film. Booksmart was a great thing all the way round so more than anything I hope her future creative projects are unencumbered. Wilde I mean. Hollywood is just not very good right now, for me, my fave stuff is being done by Nadine Labaki and Ritesh Batra, out East, and gunless. I have less than zero interest in anything but the product, the work of art. That Hollywood more and more relies on the new Social Media to sell their mediocre work maybe needs resisting. I wish you, her, and all the genuine talent best luck.
If only Harvey Weinstein had gotten such scrutiny… Men fail upward in our culture.
Fantastic article!! Wish you were not the only one saying this!! Retweeting ur article daily. Bc it’s important.
Amen, amen, amen ‼️‼️‼️
I am a 77 year old retired technical writer and project manager. And this kind of crap is exactly what I dealt with in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, and 90’s. And well into the 21st century. Appalling. ‼️
YES ! SO MUCH THIS! been truly frustrated listening to fellow filmmakers slag the film before they've even seen it based on the publicity. You never saw this done to other filmmakers on this scale.
Well bloody said - it’s has been driving me potty too - it’s definitely gendered. Such a shame
Excellent newsletter. I completely agree. I think the film looks very intriguing and the rest of it is just (very irritating) noise.