Hollywood less gender-friendly than the US Senate AND the Afghanistan government?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: rick tait <rickt () rickt org>
Date: December 20, 2005 10:30:27 PM EST
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: IP Submission: Hollywood less gender-friendly than the US  
Senate AND the Afghanistan government?

Dave,

I'm not sure if this is *entirely* appropriate for IP, but such a  
good cause along with a very definite political and technical aspect  
surely deserves a wider audience! If you deem appropriate, the  
exposure to your subscribers would help *enormously*!

BACKGROUND/DISCLAIMER:
My fiancé (Tara Veneruso) is a director, and she also founded and  
runs a grass-roots organization called MOVIES BY WOMEN, whose purpose  
is to increase the number of women directors working in film,  
television and other media. In order to highlight the STARTLING  
statistics of gender and racial inequality in Hollywood, MOVIES BY  
WOMEN is partnering with the Guerrilla Girls to put up a very large  
billboard smack in the middle of Hollywood, right in the middle of  
Oscar season. Unfortunately, the cost of the billboard is quite  
enormous and we are seeking small (tax-deductible!!!) donations to  
help defray the costs!

Thank you SO much. Please note that I myself am not officially  
affiliated with the campaign. I am merely a very happy long-time IP  
subscriber/old-school UNIX cowboy who feels that this issue needs the  
exposure that your list may garner!

Very sincerely yours,
Rick Tait.
rickt () rickt org
323.829.5703

--- snip here --- --- snip here --- --- snip here --- --- snip here  
--- --- snip here ---

Dave: I wonder if you might consider this plea for help as a  
submission to IP? Such a good cause, along with a very definite  
political and technical aspect surely deserves a wider audience!!!

Very sincerely yours,
Rick Tait.


/========BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN ALERT========\

++ Do Your Part To Shake Up Hollywood During The 2006 Oscar Season!

MOVIES BY WOMEN is partnering with the Guerrilla Girls and sponsors  
such as New York Women in Film & Television to create a billboard  
highlighting the gender and racial inequality in the  entertainment  
industry.

During the 2006 Oscar® season, this billboard will call much-needed  
attention to the "startling statistics" that only 7% of all directors  
working on the highest grossing films of 2005 were women -- down from  
11% in 2000! Everyone who passes on Sunset Boulevard, in the heart of  
Hollywood and near the home of the Academy Awards©, will be exposed  
to the truth that women all too rarely fill the most esteemed role in  
filmmaking.

There are in fact, three times more female US Senators than there are  
female directors. In recognizing that NO female director has ever won  
an Oscar® for Feature Film Direction, Cinematography, or Sound, we  
must also conclude that Hollywood does not promote women as leaders  
in such technical fields.

By donating to the MOVIES BY WOMEN billboard campaign, you will help  
us raise the $6,000 necessary to present the world with the following  
facts:

- 6% of the recently-elected Afghanistan government is comprised of  
women, a better statistic than Hollywood.

- 94% of all Writing awards have gone to men.

- Only 3% of all Acting awards (Leading & Supporting) have gone to  
persons of color (African-American, Latino, and Asian-American  
combined).

Hollywood likes to say that they are cutting-edge, but in reality the  
entertainment industry is  lagging behind EVERY other industry in  
terms of equality for women and people of color. Don't miss out on  
this opportunity to make a *global impact* -- the images we create go  
out to the entire world!

Time is of essence. This is the last crucial 15 days for us to raise  
the money. By getting the billboard up, we create a media buzz, that  
buzz gets the conversation going, those conversations spark change.  
We can do this if we do it together. Even $10 can help us reach our  
goal!

YOU have helped us raise an amazing amount in the past few weeks --  
but we still need more donations in order to pay for the billboard  
materials. To help us get the $3,400 still needed, please send $10,  
$25, $50 or even $100 today and *encourage others to donate*. Thank  
you for helping to make a difference!

++ HOW YOU CAN HELP +++

To read more about the startling statistics and to make a (tax- 
deductible) donation to our billboard campaign, please go to http:// 
moviesbywomen.com/oscar2006pr.html

See previous billboards here: http://moviesbywomen.com/ 
billboard_1.jpg and here: http://moviesbywomen.com/billboard_2.jpg

++ MOVIES BY WOMEN (http://moviesbywomen.com) highlights feature  
films directed by women, supporting them the first weekend they are  
theatrically distributed through the infamous weekly email known as  
THE FIRST WEEKENDERS GROUP.

++ THE GUERRILLA GIRLS (http://guerrillagirls.com) is a rogue group  
of anonymous females who build awareness for inequalities in the art  
and entertainment industries. They launched the first "Anatomically  
Correct Oscar" billboard campaign in 2002 and a second campaign in  
2003. The location of the billboard during the height of awards  
season in Los Angeles created a furor in the domestic and  
international communities with articles in such diverse media outlets  
as Access Hollywood, the UK's BBC, the LA Times, NBC-TV, CBS-TV.

--- snip here --- --- snip here --- --- snip here --- --- snip here  
--- --- snip here ---





-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/