I'm sincerely curious as to what the difference in between Channing Tatum and Megan Fox and Ryan Reynolds and ScarJo.

If the question at hand is "why can't women be sexy AND interesting, whole characters," the answer is because people will pay to see the movie either way and one is way easier to write.

If the statement is "this provides bad role models to young women," you're a dick, because you saw all this as a kid and still grew up to be a feminist, but you assume everyone else is way more gullible and will flock to the path of Paris Hilton and Bella Swan.

If the statement is "this is why women make less in the workplace," you got me, I have no idea why that happens and will accept any explanation as feasible.

I also like Studio 60 and The Newsroom

I'm an atheist who likes Jesus Christ Superstar.

Allison wrote:

I have become used to men in this industry saying disgusting things about women.

Sorry, but people seem to just want to be offended these days, and keen to want everyone to know that they're offended. I'd also be careful to actually read what people say and not just assume the attention-grabbing headline is right.

But as Stephen Fry likes to say....

"It's now very common to hear people say, "I'm rather offended by that", as if that gives them certain rights. It's no more than a whine. It has no meaning, it has no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. "I'm offended by that." Well, so fucking what?"

So yes, I do get offended occasionally (as stated on the commentary, Twilight's depiction of women offends me), but I also recognize that being offended is just a reaction of my ego when I am powerless to actively change something I have moral objection to.

I'm not sure how anyone who's read more of JG's stuff than that one post, or seen his films, could have taken that comic thing as anything other than a piss-take.

the sister-whore post guy

Yes, Joss's portrayal of women may be flawed.  But I'll put it to you, maybe it's us, as straight men, whose UNDERSTANDING of women is flawed, and constantly evolving.

Allison wrote:

And when you think about it, many of the roles in Nolan's movies could be gender bent without affecting the plot in the least.

Oh, absolutely, but that's true of MOST genre films. (Tysto has joked on some of his Schwarzenegger commentaries that Judi Dench could have played Arnie's role; he mostly just shoots people.)

I like Nolan's movies. He's just not helping genre cinema be very diverse. I think probably the same kind of list could be made of ethnic minority characters. Somehow, there are more Chinese and black people in Harry Potter's Scotland than there are in Nolan's Gotham City.

Jimmy B wrote:

Allison wrote:

That Chris Nolan comment is frighteningly on point. I've seen every one of his movies except Memento, and I can only think of 3 women that make it through a movie alive. I'm disturbed that I never noticed this before.

Does that make him sexist, though? Think about all the men that die in his films too. It's a hell of a lot more than the amount of women who die.

No, but the fact that he writes crap female characters kind of does.

Here are ALL the named female characters in Nolan films:

• In Memento, Sammy and Leonard's wives are dead (and actually don't have names). Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) betrays Leonard but also helps him in his investigation.

• In Batman Begins, Martha Wayne is dead. Rachel Dawes does nothing but talk to Bruce about his feelings and get kidnapped. "Jessica" is a model Bruce is screwing. Barbara Gordon does nothing.

• In The Prestige, Julia (Woverine's wife) dies tragically in act 1. Sarah (Batman's wife) kills herself in act 2. Olivia (ScarJo) is secretly working for the bad guy. Jess is just Batman's little daughter.

• In The Dark Knight, Rachel Dawes does nothing but talk to Bruce about his feelings and get kidnapped and killed. Officer Ramirez is secretly working for the bad guy. Barbara Gordon does nothing. "Natascha" is a ballerina Bruce is screwing. Judge Surrillo exists only to get murdered.

• In Inception, Ariadne BENDS A CITY and is told "Never do that!" and never does that or anything else but talk to Cobb about his feelings. Mal is dead and still manages to betray Cobb and generally fuck with all his plans. Phillipa is just Cobb's little daughter.

• In The Dark Knight Rises, Selina Kyle is secretly working for the bad guy but then helps the good guy kick some ass. Miranda is secretly working for the bad guy. "Jen" is Selina's friend (and apparently is only credited with a name to make it clear that she's not Holly "Catgirl" Robinson.)

In retrospect, I should give Nolan credit for THREE rather than two types of female characters: furniture, corpses, and betrayers. These account for all 22 of the females characters, 4 of whom kill themselves.

Meanwhile, there are a dozen or more named male characters in each film (except the low budget Memento), and they often get to have real impact on the plot even when they are minor. (Think of Postlethwaite, Berenger, and JGL in Inception; Caine and Bowie in The Prestige; and Caine, Freeman, and Oldman in the Batmovies.)

Only in Insomnia, the one film Nolan directed but didn't write, does the female lead get to be a good guy all the way thru and come out on top. Plus there are several other named female characters.

Allison wrote:

That Chris Nolan comment is frighteningly on point. I've seen every one of his movies except Memento, and I can only think of 3 women that make it through a movie alive. I'm disturbed that I never noticed this before.

Does that make him sexist, though? Think about all the men that die in his films too. It's a hell of a lot more than the amount of women who die.