It is no secret that I love stories and characters. My first love will always be in literary form, but right now there is a lot of exciting things happening on television. I wish I could say the same for film, but this has been kind of a lackluster year in comparison to last year. I just think that the opportunities for women, in particular, have grown in leaps and bounds over the last couple of years. Just look at what Tina Fey has done with 30 Rock, Lena Dunham with Girls, Liz Meriwether with New Girl, Mindy Kaling with The Mindy Project, and the list goes on and on.* Women are not only writing great shows, but they are more importantly, creating great, interesting characters for women that the mainstream media rarely gets to see. This doesn’t just benefit women, it benefits EVERYONE. For example, my brother loves watching female-character driven shows such as New Girl and Parks and Recreation as much as I do. I hope Hollywood is taking note of this.
What happened to the Fempire in regards to film? I’m not quite sure. Films are much harder to make and finance, but I wonder if it’s the studio system that’s more to blame than simply lack of financing. In any case, you’ll find that most of them have gone to television for work.
Also, I recently read an article about Kerry Washington’s role on Scandal being historic on several fronts. According to Glamour magazine, she is the first African American female lead in a network drama in almost 40 years (isn’t that insane?). Her role on Scandal has led to her Emmy nomination this year, which she unfortunately lost to Claire Danes for Homeland. If Kerry had won an Emmy, she would have been the first African-American actress ever to receive an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. On top of that, Kerry Washington is the first black actress since Cicely Tyson in 1995 to earn an Emmy nomination in that category. You guys, that was 18 years ago! I only hope that Kerry Washington’s work on Scandal will continue to inspire others and continue to break down racial barriers in the entertainment industry. Despite her loss at the Emmys, it doesn’t look like Kerry Washington is slowing down anytime soon. So, expect great things to come from her in the near future.
*Just for future reference, I would LOVE to someday join this list of smart, funny, & creative women. Ah, a girl can dream, can’t she?
Source:
http://jessmeandering.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/thoughts-on-the-fempire-of-tv/