Why do the “Happy Endings” for Disney princesses always involve ending up with a handsome prince?
Why do Thai heroines frequently rely on a knight on a white horse for help?
Why are there far fewer solo woman superheroes than men?
Many questions often go unnoticed as we become engrossed in movies, series, and dramas.
There are many instances where the fun and excitement might overshadow the notice about the portrayal of women in media and entertainment. These portrayals often perpetuate stereotypes that don’t accurately reflect the reality of women’s roles. For example, Disney’s princess characters, which we have been familiar with since childhood, contribute to these misconceptions.
The creators often portray princess characters as solely focused on finding or waiting for a handsome prince. However, in reality, true love should not be the only measure of a woman’s worth.
Why are women often portrayed within a limited frame and space in media and entertainment? Finding the answer requires us to delve into the origins of various forms of entertainment and how they are created. The stories that reach screens worldwide, including series and movies, are shaped by the production teams, including producers, directors, and screenwriters. Their influence is undeniable.
The Visual collected information from producers, directors, and screenwriters involved in over 1,000 movies, series, and dramas in Thailand and overseas between 2000 and 2019. The study concluded that one reason for women’s limited presence in the entertainment industry is the predominant influence of the “men’s voice.” Of the 5,200 participants in The Visual’s survey, 81.09% were men, and 18.91% were women.
The survey of mainstream films, mainly from Hollywood, found that successful box office earnings are primarily from production teams consisting of men, especially directors. The percentage of women directors was only 3.97%. Out of the 400 movies surveyed, only 10 had a solo woman director. These movies were: What Women Want (2000), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), Something’s Gotta Give (2003), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), The Holiday (2006), Twilight (2008), Mamma Mia! (2008), Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), and Wonder Woman (2017).
In addition to mainstream films, the award-winning films had significantly different percentages of men and women in their production teams. A survey of 36 movies that received awards from the Oscars, Cannes Film Festival, and Busan International Film Festival showed that only 14.43% of the production teams comprised women. Currently, only two movies directed by women have won the Oscar for Best Picture: The Hurt Locker (2008) by Kathryn Bigelow and Nomadland (2020) by Chloé Zhao.
We will discuss the children’s sweetheart animations created and released by Disney. Fans know that many of the main characters are women. However, over 81.09% of Disney’s production teams are male, so the main female characters are often portrayed from a male perspective.
However, even though the change in quantity has yet to be apparent, over the past ten years, Disney has produced new works that portray women’s roles in new ways. These works have garnered much attention and compliments, such as “Brave” (2012). This animation broke the old image of Disney princesses by presenting the leading female character, Princess Merida, who questioned and challenged the old practices of being a princess. “Incredibles 2” (2018) is another example, as it swapped the roles by letting Elastigirl be a working woman who takes care of the family, and Mr. Incredible had to stay home and raise the children.
Regarding TV series, Netflix is currently one of the most popular platforms. Compared to other Western media entertainment, Netflix provides more prominence to women. The platform has production teams with 27.53% women. For example, there are series like Glow (2017), Girlboss (2017), Free Rein (2017) and so on produced by all-women teams. This level of female representation is rare in other parts of the entertainment industry.
In the Thai entertainment industry, women still have limited representation compared to men. A survey of 86 Thai movies nominated for the Suphannahong National Film Awards or Thailand National Film Association Awards, which included mainstream and independent films, revealed that only 19.10% of production teams were composed of women, with a particular shortage of female directors. Currently, there are only a few Thai films directed by women, including Karma (2015) by Kanittha Kwanyu, The Island Funeral (2016) by Pimpaka Towira, and By the Time It Gets Dark (2016) by Anocha Suwichakornpong.
In contrast, in Thai dramas, women play an increasingly significant role compared to the film industry. They are part of the production teams of major TV stations and streaming platform dramas. While there aren’t as many women working as directors, many women working as screenwriters are almost equal to men. In a survey of 260 dramas from 6 major TV stations, 45.10% of the screenwriters were women. In another study of nearly 40 dramas aired via the LINE TV application, the percentage of female screenwriters was the same as that of male screenwriters, at 50%.
The entertainment industry has made significant progress in gender equality over the past 20 years. Women have more opportunities in films, series, and dramas compared to previous decades. We now see blockbuster films directed by women, series produced by all-female teams, and dramas written from a 100% female perspective. Female directors have also been recognized with awards on the world stage. However, The Visual’s research indicates that there are still areas and roles women cannot fully access in the industry. It is crucial for the entertainment industry to address this issue and create more opportunities for women’s voices to be heard in future films and series.
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