DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
Hollywood’s Way
© NaimaLett.com/blog
Row I: Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington,
Row II: Elizabeth Taylor, Dorothy Dandridge, Marilyn Monroe, Pam Grier © NaimaLett.com
“Why aren’t women ticked at Hollywood’s way?,” a friend asked.
We were discussing my blog, The Sexy Conflict, which was Part II of To Be or Not to Be Sexy. That’s the Conflict! about our adventures in Hollywood navigating our faith and the industry.
It’s a great question, especially from one of our guys.
If Hollywood says that in order for its leading ladies to be bankable in both domestic and foreign markets [see previous blog], they have to be perceived as internationally sexy (as in men all over the world want to sleep with them), why aren’t women ticked at being reduced to body parts? Why are actresses and singers lining up to go along with the program instead of trying to change it?
I think there are several reasons. You can agree or disagree with me. I’d love to hear from you.
Why are we, as women, going along with Hollywood’s way?
1) Little Say
Women have little say in how things go down in Hollywood. A couple of days ago, I referenced the LA Times article “Unmasked the Academy” that confirms Oscar voters are nearly 94% Caucasian, 77% male and median age 62. I asked the question, “Do you think more females at the table could make a difference – especially in how women are portrayed in our media and film?”
We need more female involvement in producing, directing and writing our roles. Does anyone else find it remotely interesting that the ones setting the standard for leading ladies to be women they want to sleep with are a group of older men? Women and men need to be empowered to create art about our entire female experience, not just vamp, kitten and catlady.
2) Fear
Fear is one of the strongest motivators in existence, and the fear of not “making it” in Hollywood could be the most significant reason women exploit their inner-siren. If a female desires to be an international silver screen star and comedy isn’t her thing, what are her options? If she chooses to not go the route of the leading class pictured above, she may fear that there are thousands of girls waiting in line to take her place thinking, “I’ve got next.”
3) Drive
Many have the “whatever it takes” mentality, which says “If there’s no moral issue with disrobing, and if it will help us advance and get a LOT more attention, what’s the big deal?” Honestly, to survive in the LaLa , we have to be driven. But at what cost? Our industry uses up and discards talent so quickly, it’s a wonder anybody lasts longer than the decade it actually takes to make a star. The ones who hang in there are usually described as driven beyond normalcy. A casting director I know said he knew an A-Lister that would “eat her own children if she thought it would progress her career”. I would say that’s driven beyond normalcy.
My 2 Cents
I could keep going, but I’m reminded of your desire for shorter blogs. Thus, let me wrap up with my 2 cents.
I spend a lot of time counseling artists. I help them find their purpose and follow their dreams while deepening their faith. Ground Zero for us is trust in God. Everything else – family, career, team, etc. – is built on the foundation of trusting God.
That means that we don’t have to compromise, walk in fear or be driven beyond normalcy in order to “make it” in Hollywood. We entrust our entire career to God. We sing Psalm 37:23-24 that says “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”
We believe Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:25-27, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.”
We may have to make some sacrifices along the way, as we’re swimming upstream, but they’re worth it. I recently read Angela Bassett’s autobiography (I read autos all the time), and she talks about the moral decisions she made that no doubt impacted her career. She’s a leading lady, none-the-less, isn’t she?
I realize this is a family conversation. Others may not struggle with any of this. But it’s a discussion I feel like we need to have, especially in light of my recent conversation with the Hollywood casting director and my viewing of Sparkle.
So, what are your thoughts? Why are we going with the status quo? How can we make a difference?
Naima
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Great post! I believe we are going with the status quo because of all of the great points you’ve made! Fear is a driving factor as well as the desire to succeed by any means necessary. I, for one, got tired of the acting game because I felt that at my age, I don’t have the desire to compete with size 0, look perfect in a string bikini, 18 and 19 year olds that are willing to do whatever it takes to make it. Unless you know someone in the industry that can pull strings for you, making it on your own in a business that is far from God, is likely not going to happen, UNLESS it is truly God’s will for your life.
As a Christian, we have to truly have trust in God to provide if we are in any aspect of the entertainment industry, especially television and movies. That segment is extremely particular about your “look” as I know you’ve heard several times Naima… you have to have a “look” that is appealing depending on what you want to do. If you want to be the Pine Sol lady, your look doesn’t matter as much as just being relatable as if you want to be the next Halle Berry in terms of fame, recognition and the catchy roles you get.
So, how much will you give and how far will you go to obtain fame and success? To me, its not worth all of that, but to each her own!
Hi Candice!
Great to hear from you, Lady.
And I hear what you’re saying re: having a particular “look”. I’d go a step further and say even the Pine Sol Lady has a “look”, LOL, or at least the ad agency wrote out a detailed description when they went to cast the role, based on the demographic that they were trying to sell the product to. All of our “looks” are based on what people believe they can sell, whether that’s movie tickets to see Halle or anyone else for that matter.
I hope that we are just challenged not to put our stock in things so fleeting. We are so much more than just what we look like. That’s why I believe it’s imperative that each artist knows why they are on the earth. When we know that, we’re not discouraged by the industry, but understand how to operate in it freely.
I just read some of your story and it sounds like you’ve found your purpose and passion as a writer. KUDOS to you, Lady! And keep us in the loop, OK?!
Yes I have! As a writer and designer! (: Finding a way to incorporate both is my challenge but is something that God is opening my eyes to! So excited about how he is going to use me in this capacity! Thanks again and keep posting and inspiring.
Thank you Naima!! I love your posts and thank you for your reminders to be true to our faith and ourselves.
Thank you, Viv. Mad appreciation for the encouragement.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to share.
I love that you’ve brought about this discussion, Naima!!
Still mulling over it, but some of my thoughts:
We know the world is suffering the consequences of the Fall, therefore the Curse, therefore the endless battle of the sexes where men are predominantly in authority… We definitely see this reflected in Hollywood; on-screen/off-screen/in every aspect.
I read a book, co-authored by Staci and John Eldridge, called “Captivating”. They talked of woman being the last created work of the Lord, and as He kept perfecting His work throughout the seven days … the climax of the first week was woman. Therefore, Staci and John called woman “the crown of creation”. Men, in their hearts/souls, whether they know the Lord or not, are aware that women are the crown and desire us as such (although often, disrespectfully).
The book continues on to say that the three desires that fuel the heart of a woman are:
to be romanced,
to play an irreplaceable role in a/the great adventure,
and to unveil her beauty.
This statement seems generalized – but after reading the book and how these desires manifest and can be fulfilled in Christ, I am personal agreement with their thesis… and feel that it arguably may be so for most other women.
In adopting this viewpoint, then the issue is when we, as woman, try to obtain the desires of our heart outside of Christ. Hence, claiming our role as the “crown of creation”… but obtaining it by appealing to the world’s carnality.
The Lord has given us, as women, specific gifts. Difficult as it may be (as even the great apostle Paul struggled with “doing what he did not want to do”…) – if we surrender every step, every choice, and “go until we get a ‘no'” repeatedly to the Lord … we, too, could play our irreplaceable role in the Great Adventure.
We, too, can be a Deborah, Pricilla, Esther, Rahab, Ruth, Mary, Mary, Mary… Naima, Laurine…. 😀
Thanks so much, Laurine, for taking the time to share your thoughts.
I’ll have to check out Captivating. Sounds very interesting.
So true that all that’s gone awry can be traced back to the Fall. I wait with great anticipation for the great restoration of “Eden”, new heaven, new earth, etc… that time which Revelation describes when the Lord hits His cosmic reset button and His people are without sin and live in perfect harmony for eternity. Until then, some days, it does feel like a free for all, doesn’t it? :=)
Thank you for sharing the Eldridges’ thesis. If we, as women, are going to get close to obtaining our desires in Christ, I agree with you that we’ll have to surrender every step of the way.
Candidly speaking, I think my desire to fulfill purpose in the earth is 10x stronger than any of the desires the authors laid out, but maybe that’s what they meant by playing an irreplaceable role in God’s great adventure. I haven’t read the book yet, so, is that the correct interpretation? I had the desire to fulfill purpose, make a difference in people’s lives and find security long before being romanced and unveiling beauty, lol.
I love that quote you use, “go until we get a no”. Always relevant.
And I appreciate hearing from you on this topic affecting all of us, especially women in the industry.
So glad you’re playing an irreplaceable role in God’s great adventure in the entertainment world. Go forth, Lady!
Naima–
Great points here! The part about having little say goes a long way. I often wish that we as women would collectively say “No” to the constant objectification of the female body. We do need more female writers, directors and execs to tell good stories about women that highlight our value beyond the external. I recently saw a documentary called “Miss-Representation”, which talked about how women are exploited in television and film. One of the things that was interesting about the doc was when they interviewed young girls to talk about how these images impact them. There were girls literally in tears because they couldn’t measure up to these “sexable” women that they saw on TV. They were also crying because they wanted to see something different on the airwaves. Very sad. But I think you hit the nail on the head. So many artists are so hungry for success that I think often they become part of the machine before they even realize it.
Ultimately, I think your point about trusting in God is key. As artists, it’s very easy to get caught up in the industry’s ways of doing things and seeing things. But if we can understand our greater calling it begins to put things into perspective. I am a filmmaker who wants to make an impact and see my film on the big screen just like any other filmmaker. But film is not my life, it is not my source. God is. The nature of our business causes us to sometimes jump at anything that seems like an opportunity, forgetting that in the long run God has our backs when we do what is right in his eyes. That may not always look like we want it to, but as believers we have to remember to keep things first.
Thanks a million, Avril, for weighing in. Love your insight.
I’ve been trying to catch Miss Representation since last year, but I kept ‘just’ missing the screenings. I look forward to seeing it once they decide to make it available on DVD or online distribution.
I really appreciate your point re: being deeply passionate about filmmaking without it becoming your entire life. That’s so important for every artist of faith. We can love to create, but that too bows down to our Creator. I constantly remind myself to keep Him first, sometimes many times a day. :=)
On a different note, I just enjoyed catching up on your road trip through your blog, Convergence, and those gorgeous pictures of the Canyon and that hilarious pic of your sis at the food trucks. Made my day.