Sexism on the Screen: The Injustice in Hollywood

Hollywood. The Los Angeles movie industry has dazzled billions across the globe, captivating audiences with larger-than-life films and stars. Yet, so much behind the scenes is rarely revealed to the general public. From the surface, the lives of actors and actresses seem like bliss; however, the inner workings of how the industry treats these beloved stars are nothing like the happy endings we all watch on the big screen. Ever since the early 1900s, Hollywood has been built on a system of sexism and the exploitation of women. The studio bosses of the industry hold the power, and time and time again they have abused it. Countless women over the years have come forward to confess the mental and physical manipulation they have suffered at the hands of male directors, producers and agents. For some reason though, most of these scandals are associated with the past, when punishments were less severe for men who assaulted women. But sexism has not gone away; Hollywood has just gotten better at hiding it.

The power imbalance between female stars and older male executives has become a causal and normalized concept within the industry. Hearing stories about producers pressuring aspiring actresses to sleep with them in order to get a role has been around since the beginning of the film industry. It was, and continues to be, a toxic culture among the powerful players in Hollywood. More recently, allegations of assault about Harvey Weinstein have echoed the many horror stories that have been exposed in Hollywood’s history. Yet, why hasn’t anyone done anything about it? If women are being forced into sex for a role, how come efforts aren’t being drastically done to combat the discrimination? The answer, sadly, is simple: women just aren’t taken as seriously as men.

Women being undervalued and underestimated in their careers has never been rare in American society. Hollywood and all of its magic is no different. Actresses are too commonly taken advantage of, threatened for not being more provocative, and reduced to their looks. Actress Rose McGowan has admitted, “I was literally told I had to have long hair otherwise the men doing the hiring in Hollywood wouldn't want to f--- me and if they didn't want to f--- me, they wouldn't hire me.” It does not matter how talented or charismatic a woman may be on screen; for many actresses, looks can make or break a career. They are ridiculed for not having the perfect body or saying the perfect thing in an interview, while men are consistently hyped up for their performance. Rooney Mara has come forward to say, "I've been called horrible things. If a man was acting in the same way that I was acting, it would just be considered normal.”

The injustice of sexism in the movie industry is nothing new, and Hollywood has consistently failed to directly address the outright discrimination so many talented women face. In a place that is so idealized and romanticized by the public, not enough work is being done to combat the abuse and mistreatment. However, the women in Hollywood have finally begun to realize that their voices do not have to be silenced. So many women, like McGowan and Mara, have come forward to expose the agents, casting directors, news outlets and producers that have been outright sexist to them and so many others. While it may be small, getting the stories out to the public is a first step in making sure sexism in Hollywood is challenged and abolished.