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Overcoming Trauma of the Home: Women Gaining Strength in Light of Abuse
Originally posted at Women and Hollywood Much has been made by media critics of the propensity of horror movies to fetishize the murder of women – to make them victims, suffering at the hands of brutal forces for their sexual sins. The slasher films of the ’70s and ’80s as well as their ’90s sequels…
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Dispatches from LALA Land: California Women Got it On Lock
Originally posted at HowlRound In just one September weekend, Los Angeles theater patrons had at least three totally different productions of Shakespeare plays from which to choose. The Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company‘s all-female Hamlet was running at The Odyssey Theatre; a three-person adaptation of Richard II opened at The Theatre @ Boston Court; and…
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Attacking Rape Culture with Gallows Humor
Originally published by Ms. TRIGGER WARNING: Discussion of rape and rape culture … When Jessie Kahnweiler started talking about making a comedic short film called Meet My Rapist about her personal experience with rape, everyone from friends and family to Hollywood insiders to feminists wary of offending victims urged her to rethink the idea. A P.R.…
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Maria Kang Doesn’t Hate You. What’s Your Excuse For Hating Her?
The femisphere got busy this week putting yet another confident woman in her place: Humiliating her, belitting her, accusing her of being a bad mother–you name it, she’s guilty of it. You’d think this woman had the power and position of a pop star or political leader. You’d think that she’s using her power to…
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A Feminist Guide to Horror Movies, Part Four: New Beginnings
Cross Posted at Ms. When the film industry finds an idea that works, they tend to use it again and again. And again. And again and again. In the realm of horror, once a franchise has spawned seven or so sequels, filmmakers continue to capitalize on name recognition by simply going back to the beginning…
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The Pervading Influence of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Pop Culture
Originally published by The Atlantic Miley Cyrus probably hasn’t studied much theater history. She was most likely completely unaware of the legacy of minstrelsy that influenced her performance at MTV’s Video Music Awards. She has nevertheless been heavily criticized for appropriating black music and dance while demeaning her black backup dancers. A few people have…
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All-Woman Shakespeare: A Dying Tradition?
Originally posted at Ms. Sarah Siddons did it. Charlotte Cushman did it with pants on. Sarah Bernhardt did it in prose. Eva Le Gallienne did it with Uta Hagen. As long as it’s been legal for women to appear on stage, they’ve been playing Hamlet. Next week the Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company will become…
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In a World Where Everyone Has Vocal Training
Originally posted at HowlRound. Actor Lake Bell has been making the press rounds promoting her new indie movie, In a World …, about a female voice over actor whose gender (and father) have kept her from achieving the same level of success as her male peers. Bell plays Carol, a goodhearted vocal coach that finally…
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Gender Flipping in Hollywood
Originally posted at Ms. It’s no secret that this summer’s movies suck for women. It’s been mentioned on Vulture. NPR did a story about it. The New York Times covered it. Even Fox News ran a piece about it. Yet Jodie Foster has a leading role in the new action movie Elysium. How’d she score…
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Dispatches from LALA Land: The Evolution of Asian American Theater
Los Angeles is a very naturally post-modern city. There’s no center. There’s disparate elements jutting up against each other. It’s just so jagged and fragmented–even the start stop in the traffic. But I feel like it’s going to be the 21st-century American city because the internet makes it less important how the physical organization of…
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Holly L. Derr 