"HOLLY" WOOD: A Woman's World?

For decades society has perpetuated the idea that women do not belong in the business world. Fancy suits and expensive clientele are exclusive only to men who make it in the business. However, society is changing and soon men will see that America is evolving into a woman’s world when it comes new ideas and success. Women have suffered greatly to make it in the film industry. Men in the field suggest that the business is too rough for the sensitive, loving nature of women. Lynda Obst, a successful and top notch Hollywood producer has another opinion. In fact more women than ever write, direct, and produce movies. Even Hilary Clinton feels that this era should be the reign of all women. However, Hollywood has other plans and Hilary's timing might just be a little off.

Lynda has produced such blockbusters as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Contact, The Siege, and Sleepless in Seattle. She takes her work very seriously and believes that women hold a very powerful position in Hollywood. So what is it going to take for society to agree? Women have been told throughout history that they are not good enough or they will never be able to make it. Women like Lynda Obst are walking contradictions of that old philosophy. In her article in New York Magazine, "Chicks with Flicks" Obst talks about the declining quality of films due to the decrease of women in the film industry. Nowadays, consumers are forced to watch movies geered towards young men such as 300 and Silver Surfer. Both are movies where men dominate society and ultimately save the day. What message does this send to society? Men are portrayed as the caretakers and heroes of the universe, bringing the food to the table. Well, women are just as capable of bringing a lot more to the table.

Women are never going to make a place for themselves in Hollywood if the men in the business refuse to see the problem and help do something about it. Movies like The Heartbreak Kid, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up degrade women, making them look foolish. The leading men of these films are unemployed, socially akward, nerds. Is that what women have to look forward to in a future mate? Are women supposed to feel content with the gorgeous leading lady ending up with a chubby, unemployed loser? Although there are very successful women at the heads of Hollywood's studios such as Amy Pascal and Stacy Snider, a mode of attrition continues to inhibit talented women from entering the industry. The industry requires sleepless nights, lies, difficulty in putting a film together, and the sacrifice of any sort of life. However, women in the business do it and they find time to have husbands and raise a family at the same time. Let's see a man in the film industry do all that and still come home to make dinner and get his children ready for practice, school, and help them with their homework. For a woman?- Piece of cake!

Hollywood is clearly a woman's world.