women get vocal about men’s Hollywood power...

I want to give Manohla Dargis a high five after reading that interview. I often wonder why more prominent male critics aren't getting just as pissed off by the whole situation. Don't they want to see more women behind the camera and on the screen too?

"Feminism didn't admit the longing for romance."

Jesus Hortensia Christ.

Well, it's not the most enlightened article I've ever read, but it has real stuff about Meyers in it as well. It's also more biographical and less professional than I would find interesting.

On the other hand, have you seen pictures of male directors, on set or off? They dress like overgrown frat boys. Does anyone believe they’re worried about “making a grand impression”?

They didn't always used to dress that way but then I can talk all day about the differences between today's directors and the ones of yesteryear--and anyway, things weren't all that perfect for women in those days either. (And yet I'd rather see the average Ginger Rogers or Claudette Colbert flick from that era than many a recent chick flick. Pretentious, moi? A bit, but with good reason.)

And I was wondering whether someone was going to make a Jewish-American Princess joke in regard to The Princess and the Pea. Granted, I always thought it would come from Jill Cozzi due to the Jill Cozzi Law but still...

I've never had much use for Manohla Dargis' reviews, but I have a new appreciation for her after reading the last paragraph that you quoted from her. Absolutely dead on target on every single point.

Re: James Cameron - I'd never want to downplay his contribution, but doesn't it say a lot about where Hollywood is(n't) that for someone to be considered a "feminist," all s/he has to do is make a film in which female characters are fully realized human beings (or, well, alien beings in the case of Avatar)?

Hey MAJ - why are the comments closed over at AWFJ?

Regarding the Goddamn Fucking Princess Bike.... aaaAAAAH! I have a 6 year old daughter who, when she sees that ad (and I'm sure at some point she will) is going to want that Stupid Frakking Pink Thing.

It's a constant battle for me: She loves pink, princesses, play makeup, ponies and unicorns Barbie and AAAAAAH! Thankfully she's also into books and baseball and her scooter and drawing, but the level of Disneyprincessifying is really hard for me to deal with.

Thank goodness she also likes Doctor Who...

She loves pink

I just found out that lego makes a special PINK lego house set with a pony and a curry brush. It doesn't say GIRL on it anywhere but it is so totally about all that marketing. The pink and violet bricks are cool as is the pony, etc., but I think I'm going to have to buy them from lego's pick-a-brick option to incorporate into my son's pile of bricks. I know he'd love the colors and addl. figs but would totally be put off by the label on the box!

Grrrrr. Fucking gender i.d. shit!

James Cameron is definitely a feminist.

I mean, come on, who can you argue that the guy who gave us two of si-fi's most badass women ever, Sarah Conner and Ellen Ripley (he improved on her character so much on Aliens), is not a feminist?

Every single movie of his has at least one intelligent, smart, brave and fully capable woman who not only knows who to kickass when needed, but also figures prominently into his film's plot.