Gender, Oscar, and the Bechdel Test

I've been experiencing a gradual shift in my thoughts on Hollywood lately. Four or five years ago, I was a starry eyed film geek newb who gobbled up Hollywood nostalgia, best films lists, and the Oscars like so many statuette cookies. Over time, my cinematic tastes became more developed and focused, as did my feminism. This year marks the first that I have decided not to watch the Academy Awards. More to come on the subject, but Feminist Frequency hits on many of the problems with Hollywood, all while addressing the nuances and complications of the handy dandy Bechdel test.

"Wow, You Feminists Need to Get a Life!"

Ironically, the above phrase, which I hear often, tends to be directed at my concern with gender inequality in the media, as opposed to, say, my ability to hum every Star Wars leitmotif on cue. The suggestion that because I am concerned about gender inequality must mean I have way too much time has been especially popular in the wake of this LEGO controversy. I have also been asked "What do you have against pink?" and been assured that LEGO does practice gender neutral marketing and has "plenty" of female minifigs in it's non-Friends lines. I suppose these people assume me and the other women concerned about gendered marketing are just crazy PMS harpies who jump into attacks on innocent little toys without any evidence or facts to back us up. Many also seem to assume we all suddenly jumped out of the woodwork to protest LEGO, when in fact, we've been here a while, and we are simply focusing on LEGO Friends as a perfect example of a much wider issue. I know that you, my fantastic feminist fangirls and fanboys, do not think this way, because you are awesome-o.  But in case you would like some more background on this whole LEGO hoopla, Feminist Frequency  breaks it down like a blizzard.

On top of this fantastic contribution, my SPARKteam partner in crime Bailey just wrote a blog so packed with facts that the mansplainers won't know what  to do with it! Only 4% non-Friends female minifigs? Really LEGO? Really?!