The ugly truth about The Ugly Truth

by generaldecay | August 3, 2009 at 09:01 am

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Anyone who goes to the movies looking for sexism has her work cut out for her. Most movies are directed by men. The vast majority of top studio executives are men. Male demographics are prized.

I, for one, am absolutely sick to the back teeth of films which are 'made for women'. I mean, I don't even understand the point of making a 'film for women' - what exactly differentiates women's films from men's films? Are the former full of babies, shoes and nail polish and the latter about guns, cars and spitting? I do not understand the division.

Further, I agree with this author's point that 'films for women' are tediously patronising and more often than not very sexist. I think that although I say it tongue in cheek, much of the content of these films is centered around babies, shoes and nail polish (and other Very Women-y Things).

And, maybe because of the above-mentioned facts about who is producing and creating movies, most movies tend to focus on male experiences and male heroes, while movies made "for women" tend to be tossed-off, patronising and terrible. It's more challenging, actually, to look for movies that aren't sexist.

The ugly truth is a particular example, however. Not only does it tick the patronising box but it is also, sadly, full of misogyny (replete apparently, with rape jokes if they're your thing).

Nevertheless, when every single review of a movie mentions its misogyny, I pay attention. Particularly when it comes from a screenplay written by three ladies, and when one of those very few female studio executives – Amy Pascal, of Sony Pictures Entertainment – was responsible for green-lighting it.

The guardian piece illustrates this perspective in great detail but I for my part ask if we really need these sorts of films doing the rounds in 2009. Do they really do anything at all for women or, for that matter, men?

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