Saturday, November 19, 2011

Taking Issue With Elle Magazine's Women In Hollywood Issue



The women's magazine, Elle, recently did a Women In Hollywood issue (October 2011) which in theory sounds fantastic. A women's magazine promoting women working in the film industry! Brilliant! Right? But in actuality who did they choose to feature on the cover? Jennifer Aniston. When was the last time that Jennifer Aniston made a film that truly deserves accolades? That did really well at the box office? When was the last time she chose a role that didn't write her as the girlfriend or wife? Not in a long time. So why did Elle magazine bill her as the top interview for their Women in Hollywood issue? Jennifer Aniston is well liked, I'll give her that, but I don't think she's the right person to highlight in this issue.

Elle had the chance to feature women who are really making a difference in the film industry. Which they did on the inside of the magazine. But not on the cover. They included short interviews with Viola Davis (The Help), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Evan Rachel Wood (The Ides of March), Barbra Streisand, etc. Yet, none of them were on the cover. And all four would have made great cover stars. Especially Viola Davis, 2011 has been considered her breakout year by many, because of her role in The Help. I would have liked them to feature women other then actresses (only one made the list, Stacey Snider, CEO of Dreamworks). Like Kathryn Bigelow, director of the Oscar winning The Hurt Locker, for starters. Or what about Jennifer Yuh Nelson? Who directed Kung Fu Panda 2 the highest grossing film ever by a women. Or The Future's Miranda July and Higher Ground's director Vera Farmiga. Hell, even Angelina Jolie for her upcoming film, In The Land of Blood and Honey, would have been great! Plus many other women behind the camera who made some pretty great films this year. But no, Elle instead went a pretty generic route and choose to focus on a women who is perhaps more known for her personal life then her movie roles.

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I would love to hear from you about your feelings on this article or just in general about women in hollywood.