Tag Archives: Women

Where are the Male Bottle Servers and Hosts? Speaking Out Against Vudu Lounge’s Hire Bias

Posted on by

The culture of nightlife has more than its share of skeletons. In what is supposed to be a progressive environment – a cosmopolitan environment – clubs and similar establishments cling to many outdated "status quo" practices. The club community takes these little scandals and hides them up on the top shelf in the collective closet of its culture, hoping no one will notice them. Race discrimination, sexual harassment, and prejudicial hiring practices are among these unspoken truths tucked away and rarely talked about. Yesterday, an old friend as well as a Facebook friend Henry Alexander Dumas re-posted a New York Post article about a gender hiring ruling issued by the Human Rights Commission. A lively Facebook conversation spurred me to write about this today. The brilliant title of the Post piece (and I wish I came up with it) is "You’ve Got Male- City Stings ‘Hire Bias’ Club"

Basically the Vudu Lounge on the Upper East Side placed an ad in Craigslist looking for a "door hostess." The Human Rights Commission regularly scans these ads looking for improprieties and sent a student undercover to see what would happen if "he" applied for the job. According to the complaint, he was told the gig was strictly for women and this triggered an action by the Commission. Vudu was fined $7,500. An unrepentent owner Michael Bergos was reported to say "It was the most absurd thing in the world…. They’re wasting resources on this nonsense". administrative-law Judge Kevin Casey disagreed with that assessment in doling out a stiff fine. I checked the Human Rights website and saw fines ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 for similar offenses. Usually, the judge attaches mandatory anti-discrimination training as well. The Post didn’t mention whether this training was required in this case, but I have a feeling it was. Maybe a double dose. According to the Post, Mr. Bergos defended his less than PC actions with a "We had more guy bartenders than female bartenders" statement. The male job seeker was, according to the story, offered a position as a promoter. For the record, club manager Michael Stein denied saying any sort of biased stuff and blamed the ad on an independent promoter who placed it without the club’s permission. I always love those "dog ate my homework" excuses.
 
From the Human Rights Commission website:
"The New York City Human Rights Law is one of the most comprehensive civil rights laws in the nation. The Law prohibits discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on race, color, creed, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, gender (including gender identity and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, disability, marital status, and partnership status. In addition, the Law affords protection against discrimination in employment based on arrest or conviction record and status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses. In housing, the Law affords additional protections based on lawful occupation, family status, and any lawful source of income. The City Human Rights Law also prohibits retaliation and bias-related harassment, (including cyberbullying)."
Some bright boy on Facebook pointed out that it is 2012 and it’s about time this sort of thing doesn’t happen. The "We have more male bartenders than female bartenders" line reeks. It could easily be followed with a statement like, "We have many black employees," when in reality this refers to the security team and none or few are in any position of authority. Most clubs are owned and operated by white males with few gender and race exceptions. With a rare exception, I see no males serving bottles, one of the highest paid or rewarded positions in the club world. Bottle wranglers or "hosts" who bring clients are often male but the waitrons (a word I always use in this column) are always hot girls. Some may scoff at the concept of a dude bringing the bottle, but I recall a time when there were only "stewardesses" and we as a society survived that change. At the Korean club Circle, the waitrons were all male. They were dressed in slick tailored suits and it was the accepted norm. I cannot imagine the female-only bottle server monopoly surviving much longer. I reviewed cases in the Human Resources website and saw fine after fine doled out. If I were an operator, I would check my ads for employment, get anti-discrimination training for my management, and I’d hire a few cute guys right away as bottle servers to even things up a little to cover my ass and because it is the right thing to do. Clubs/nightlife is supposed to be ahead of the curve. There is little doubt that this successful prosecution leading to a $7,500 fine and positive publicity will lead to more such events.

Twenty-Something Women’s Shortcut To Success: 40:20 Vision

Posted on by

At a crowded brunch at New York’s Pastis, Christina Vuleta (pictured) was serendipitously struck with an idea: a mentoring forum named 40:20 Vision, where women in their 40s can pass on their perspective and advice to women in their 20s. Two years later, and currently a blog and a frequent in-person meet-up, 40:20 has become responsible for bringing 20-somethings face-to-face and blog-to-blog with the very women that can help them. Covering such topics as friends and family, self and wellness, and finances, the blog is a multi-generational advisory panel where both parties can write in and ask questions, anonymously or not.

At a café, my 20-something self spoke with Christina’s 40-something self, which lead to the later opportunity of attending one of 40:20’s in-person meet-ups, known as 7×7 mentoring salons. At the salon—which was a unique 7×7 reunion event—I witnessed 40:20’s networking magic in action, as experienced 40-somethings and aspiring 20-somethings connected with each other on professional and personal levels, leaving with more than just a business card.

Here, founder and trend consultant Christina shares 40:20’s roadtrip-filled journey, 40-somethings’ thoughts on Girls, and the power of taking shortcuts.

Where were you in life when you came up with the idea for 40:20 Vision?
I was at a point where I loved my job, and things had finally really come together for me professionally. Personally, I had just been married for several years. It’s funny that I quit my job at a time when I actually was at the height of my career.

Tell me about that fateful brunch at Pastis.
I was with seven 40-something girlfriends at Pastis, and we were waiting in line for a table. We noticed these two 20-something women at the bar. They asked us for advice about living in NYC, our careers, how we navigated it all. When my friends and I finally got to our table, I said, “I wish we could just bottle this advice and give it to those girls, because they’re so amazing, but they don’t have any idea how amazing they are.” One of my friends said, “You have to live it to learn it, there’s no way around it.” And I responded, “Well, who says?” I looked around the table at the seven woman whom have all made such different decisions regarding dating, marriage, careers. We’re the first generation of women who have benefitted from making choices and actually doing the things we want to do. We have so many perspectives to share. And that’s when I realized I had hit upon something.

And did you run home and start brainstorming ideas?
Yes! That day I came up with the name “40:20 Vision” after we talked about 20:20 hindsight at the table, and I literally went home and began a business plan on making it into a book. I thought it would write itself, and that I could just email all my 40-something friends and compile the one advice they offer, but they didn’t answer my emails right away, and they didn’t think they had much to say. So I decided to research. I quit my job and roadtripped around the country for six months, interviewing a wide variety of women, building off of connections from friends and family and colleagues. 

What quality did you find universal among all of these women?
That we’re always comparing the worst of ourselves with the best of others. We compare our inner insecurities with the outside picture other people show to the world. But everybody’s got their shit, which is why you have to care less about what other people think.

What’s something someone said in an interview that’s resonated with you ever since?
One woman in California said, “I’m past the period of my life where I’m filling my life. Now I’m at the point where I am fulfilling my life.” I thought that was so insightful. You fill your life with things, and to-do things, and the fear of missing out, and then you come to a point where you finally allow yourself to become selfish. You focus inward, which actually leads you to give more to others.

It’s strange how your 20s is considered an era of selfishness and “living for you,” when really it’s a time when you’re faced with so many choices and so much paralyzing judgment surrounding those choices.
Exactly. Lena Dunham made a great point in an interview. She said "20-something women have self-confidence, but they don’t have self-worth.” The 20-somethings are so seemingly self-confident today, doing lots of diverse things and are so smart, but it’s hard for them to respect themselves because they still haven’t truly been tested yet. This shows up in the way they allow others to treat them.

What do 40-somethings think of the show Girls?
Some really love it, some hate it. Some find it too whiney and self-absorbed. I asked 20-somethings, and they said it felt realistic, but not aspirational. With Sex and the City, they aspired to have that lifestyle, even though it was not realistic. But with Girls, no one aspires to be them. The 20-somethings I spoke to definitely did not relate to the way the Girls are supported by their parents, since most 20-somethings take pride in their career and supporting themselves.

Perhaps because the Sex and the City characters were in their 30s, not their 20s, so they have their lives together a bit more. 
Perhaps. Which is why 20-somethings can relate to the Girls not knowing what they’re doing at all. 

Tell me about your in-person 7×7 mentoring salons.
7×7 is the off-line version of 40:20 Vision. It brings together seven experienced 40-somethings and seven aspiring 20-somethings to meet and discuss topics like entrepreneurship, career change, and personal finance. Networking is great, but these salons fast-track it a bit. In one night, you can find the person who relates to what you’re doing, and can affect your career. Some of these women who’ve met have become very close friends.

So what do the 40-somethings get from their mentorship of 20-somethings?
Besides just feeling good about helping them, the 20-somethings have showed them how to work the system and cut through lines. The younger group is pretty scrappy and unafraid of cutting through the system, while the 40-somethings are used to a more formal approach, so they’re learning this from them.

How do you see 40:20 expanding? Into 40:60, a book, TV show?
All of the above. It’s an idea that can become so many things. I feel like I’m creating a movement that gives people shortcuts in their lives, whether in relationships or their careers. The feedback I’m getting from the blog and 7x7s is that one connection can make a huge impact. If 20-somethings knew their power, this world would be a crazy place.

Follow 40:20 Vision and Bonnie on Twitter. 

Fujitsu Announces a Laptop Designed For Women and Their Lithe, Delicate Fingers

Posted on by

Apparently, those Bic “For Her” pens with the thin grips for elegant lady fingers and pretty pastel colors instead of the standard blue or black have given other retailers some ideas about making even more extra-special lady products for ladylike ladies in the workplace. This week, Japanese PC makers Fujitsu announced their new line of “Floral Kiss” laptop computers, designed specifically for women, so now, ladies, instead of your unsightly work PC, you can build your dream wedding Pinterest boards and shop for shoes on a pretty little computer designed with you in mind, in “Elegant White,” “Luxury Brown” (what?) or “Feminine Pink.”

It’s hard to even get through the press release for this thing without at least a cringe, or an eye-roll:

“The top casing has been constructed with an elegant and refined gradation with gold trim, and it features a flip latch that can easily open the display—even by users with long fingernails. The power button is adorned with a pearl-like accent, and the power status LED and Caps Lock key are decorated with diamond-cut stone for a sophisticated look.”

Ugh, women. Always wanting their technological accessories to come with gold and diamond embellishments or they’re never satisfied, amirite guys? As Jezebel’s Jenna Sauers helpfully pointed out, the release goes on to spend less than 20 words describing the actual technologically relevant information about the laptop and about 300 words talking about its womanly decoration and embellishments. I’ll let that disparity stand on its own—no one should even have to explain what is wrong with this picture.

On the bright side, if there is one, it’s only a matter of time before the deliciously snarky Amazon reviews start pouring in. Pay attention, product development and marketing professionals. Please? 

Women Directed Just 5% of the Top Grossing Movies of 2011

Posted on by

Want some un-fun news of the day? The Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film released its gender breakdown of celluloid work in 2011, and it isn’t pretty. Just 5% of the top 250 domestic grossing movies in 2011 had women in the director’s seat, about half of what it was in 1998. Overall, women comprised 18% of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers and editors working on those films.  In TV, women did best as producers (37%) and not so well as writers (15%) or directors of photography (4%).

Clearly, we know what this means: women don’t direct as much because they don’t want to, duh. No, obviously there’s something off-kilter: if you’ve ever been to a film school, you know that the male/female ratio is way more balanced than 4-to-1. More interesting would be a breakdown of what happens between school and the end game, and why so many women are discouraged from or fail to ascend to positions of power. (The answer is probably sexism, but confirmation rather than guesswork would be a start.) So what can the common person do to help? See Bridesmaids 2? Encourage your little cousin to go to the Tisch School of the Arts instead of somewhere practical? Become a studio executive and refuse to give directing jobs to men? Yeah, who knows. Here’s a video where James Cameron kind of fumbles over an question about female directors, from when Kathryn Bigelow was sweeping awards gold a few years ago.

Study: Men Don’t Think About Sex All the Time, Just Most of the Time

Posted on by

Remember all that hubbub about men thinking about sex every seven minutes? It turns out that myth has finally been debunked. According to a new study, men think about sex 19 times a day (about every 50 minutes), leaving far more time for them to ponder their biological needs, like food and sleep, than first imagined.

Researchers from Ohio State University found that the average man thinks about sex 19 times a day, food 18 times, and sleep 11 times a day. The study, which involved college-aged women and men, also found that men think about sex and their biological needs considerably more often than women, with the average young woman thinking about sex 10 times a day, food 15 times, and sleep nine times a day.  
 
The range of sexual thoughts also varied greatly as male participants recorded between one and 388 daily thoughts about sex, while women recorded between one and 140 times a day. As for the study itself, it’s important to remember who the participants are. “Average” men and women are not “college-aged” men and women. College students are 18-23 year olds with roving, insatiable appetites for ramen noodle soup, binge drinking, and a somewhat satisfying 3am hook up involving a twin bed and a roommate’s judgmental glare. Average men and women are just older. And sexually unsatisfied. They eat sushi.
 
And that college-aged woman who recorded just one sex thought a day: I expect more from you. Put down the book and get thee to a frat.

Study: Women Keep Secrets for 32 Minutes

Posted on by

Don’t tell anyone, but that secret you told barely a half hour ago to your mom, wife, or any other being with ovaries and a good dose of estrogen, is already out.

I know, I know, this certitude is almost sob-inducing depending upon your secret (what was it again? Comment below), but it is the untenable conclusion of a study of 3,000 British women by skincare company Simple.

No matter how embarrassing, confidential or personal the secret was, researchers found that 1 in 10 women just had to tell someone, most commonly their husband, relative, or best friend. Relationship problems, plastic surgery, and extramarital affairs made the top of the Gotta Squeal ASAP list. But once they squealed, they faced the consequences; 1 in 10 women lost a friend because of publicizing her private matters.

But the women studied do, in fact, have a conscience; well, at least ¼ of them. Twenty-five percent felt remorse after gossiping about others. Just when it’s too late.

With 80 percent of our conversation teeming with gossip about other peoples’ private lives, there’s only 20 percent left to discuss less meaningful matters, such as how to raise your children, if you should really marry him, and if that house is worth buying.

But what about men, huh? Those buggers talk just as much as women do (about 16,000 words a day), so some of that gibber has got to be filled with other peoples’ secrets. But with men’s propensity to talk more about sports and gadgets, and women’s to talk more about relationships, perhaps it’s best that they don’t share. 

How to Meet Women: Meet Wing Girl Marni Kinrys

Posted on by

Some poet once proclaimed “1” to be the loneliest number. 1,000 can be bad as well. Finding yourself alone in a club, especially as a holiday approaches, can feel like being on a desert island: water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Some scholars proclaim that you can never find your significant other in a club. On that I must disagree. If you are there, and you like it there, chances are good that that special someone you would like to be talking turkey with tomorrow, is nearby. I believe the same is true at the art opening, or the movie, or the museum. If you like it, I bet there’s someone there who might like you.

Despite my face made for radio, and the lint in my pockets, I have always managed to find companionship—if not for life, certainly for a night. It must be my charming personality. How to identify, communicate, and get to first, second, or third base with that person is the hard part for many. For those looking for that homerun long after the baseball season I can point you in the right direction. For those eating alone—or worse among friends tomorrow—I give you Marni Kinrys. Her expertise lies in helping men find women. Marni has a website which will tell you all about how to do it. Sorry ladies, she isn’t here for you, but you can always watch Sex And the City (again), for pointers. (Editor’s Note: Ew, Steven Lewis!)

I think it was Kurt Vonnegut once observed, “When you go anywhere in your life, you’re generally surrounded by people that are like yourself.” What he meant was that if you go to a movie with Matt Damon in it, chances are that there’s someone there in line who you might find a relationship with because they’re going to that Matt Damon movie too, or an art opening. The chances are at that opening your other is there, and it’s just a matter of being open, and being able to put out the right signals, and receive or read the right signals correctly. I’d like you to talk about that. Guys always ask about the signals a woman gives, but who gives a shit about what signals she’s giving that she’s interested? The only signal that you need is the one that says, “You’re interesting, I want to find out more about you.” It’s not the other person until it is about the other person. Until you get in a relationship and compromise becomes a huge factor in maintaining that relationship—that’s when it’s about both of you. In the very beginning, it’s about what you want.

So it is a little bit selfish in the beginning, you don’t have to be as polite. You see if you want it and there’s a time for politeness after the person is interested in you. Exactly, and I’m not trying to be a dick. I always say, you are allowed to ask for whatever you want, as long as you’re not a jerk, being manipulative, or being dishonest. You have free range to ask anybody for whatever you want, open your eyes and see that there is a plethora of options around you. The only difference between a successful guy with women and an unsuccessful guy is that slight confident mentality. It’s the difference between, “There’s so many women here I want to approach,” and the other guy who says, “Oh my god there’s so many women here, I can’t approach any of them and they don’t want to talk to me.”

I’m not an attractive guy by most standards, but I’ve always been surrounded by beautiful women. I’ve even married a couple, but I’ve never used a line. No matter if I walked up to a woman and startled mumbling, they would say, “Oh, that’s his opening pick up line, it’s kind of cute he’s mumbling to me.” Is every single first interaction a first line? Yes, of course. I always say to guys that there’s no right thing to say, there’s the right way to say it, but that’s exactly what you were saying. I come have guys come up to me and say, “Banana, banana, banana,” and it may make me want to jump on them because I’m totally attracted, or make me want to run in the opposite direction.

So one of the techniques, which has always worked for me by the way, is to be surrounded by women who are your friends, and therefore women feel a little bit more disarmed or friendlier or safer, around you because you have that woman as a friend. So having a wingwoman is an incredible way to meet people? Definitely. That’s how I initially started my business. No matter what, if you walk in with two women you will be seen as the guy who is not going to go home and rape you. They’re thinking: that guy hangs out with attractive girls so there must be something interesting about him. No matter what, people are superficial, and they believe that people who are more attractive have a higher value, even though that’s not true at all. So having wing girls with you, a female friend, does unbelievable things for a guy.

Tell me at what point do you approach sex? Does it matter? Does it vary from person to person? Let’s face it, when I’m with a girl I’m not talking about sports with her. I want to get into her pants, that’s the bottom line. Whether it’s a long term relationship or not, I’m trying to get laid. What is the best way to move from being a friend to I want to fuck you? It’s taking your intentions and taking the lead. Women are ridiculously sexual and sensual, and if sex if offered in the right way, most women will take that opportunity. It does depend on whether they consider you relationship material, so I always say, ask whatever you want. If you see someone at the club that you want to have sex with, you’re not even thinking longer term, your immediate intention is that you’re totally attracted to her, and would love to her sex with her in the bathroom. You’re allowed to go up to a woman and say it in a confident manner, and really ask that woman to go into the bathroom with you, and be a part of a humbling new experience. The only thing is that she will only respond favorably to that request if she feels safe and secure.

Alright. So in other words, the best approach is an honest and forward approach because women in this day in age still want you to be the aggressor? I don’t know about the word “aggressor” because that just sounds like a girl thing. The thing is, I admire men and I feel sexy around men, and feel attracted to men who hold onto their masculine side. And masculine doesn’t mean aggressive, strong, or abrasive. But I love when he makes the first move, when the man is in his most masculine state because that allows me to be in my most feminine state, and when I’m in my most feminine state, that’s when I feel the most turned on.

What are the best pick up lines you’ve heard? I hate pick up lines. I can have ten men in front of me and they can all say pick up lines but, and they know this too, they’re going to have a different response from each individual, there’s no magic sentence someone can say to make me want to instantly take off my underwear, and have sex with them on the floor. Give me a little advice. I’m a stranger in a strange city and I don’t want to raid the mini bar alone. First step, go to the lobby or hotel bar and scout for others flying solo, male or female, doesn’t matter. You are just looking for a partner to go out with at this point. Tell them you guys are going to go out for a fun night. Trust me, if a person is at a hotel by themselves, 8 out of 10 times they will be up for some sort of interaction and social outing. Second, go somewhere social that you know you will be comfortable. If you aren’t into clubs, don’t go to a club. But if you are, go. I usually suggest a local bar. They are typically busy and filled with people who are up for new experiences.Third, start interacting with others. If you have a hard time doing this you can introduce some sort of game between you and your new friend. For example: Guess her name. It’s a game where you both guess which half of the alphabet the first letter of her name falls into. If you are right, you get a beer, and vice versa. This game is meant to get you in a fun mood, and gives you a reason to approach. When you approach with a “reason” you will appear more confident and more attractive to women. Plus, it makes the approach a hell of a lot easier. Fourth, start pulling others into your game. You are up for a fun night, so make it memorable. Be a leader and gain the attraction of others in the bar. Whether or not you meet a woman, you will enjoy your night. Which are better pick up joints, clubs or lounges? Depends on what you want from the night and it depends who you are. The only thing about clubs, bars and lounges is that when people are out at those places they have a heightened level of superficiality. Why? Because, on a night out people are looking for experiences, fantasy, something exciting. I would say lounges are better for getting dates, and possible one-night stands. Just be cautious, that a woman you meet at a lounge may have higher expectations of what will happen next. Clubs are better for crazy make out sessions, and stupid mistakes that you may want to forget once morning comes. To prepare for both, pull together a good outfit and get ready for fun. Be open to experiences and taking risks. Continue to push yourself. Clubs, bars and lounges are a great place for practice. Try not take it all so seriously and just have fun. How do you spot a winner in a gal or guy? As a woman, I spot a winner by the way they feel to me. A winner is someone that is extremely comfortable with who they are and understands that everything is an option for them. It’s almost 2011 is the guy still doing the asking? Yes. Most women expect a man to ask them for a date, sex, drink etc. I wish it were not that way but there are still too many egos that fear being bruised. I’m a woman who likes to go after what she wants. I initiated with my husband by asking him for his phone number. Lucky for me, his ego was in tact and he was confident enough to be open to it. Check out the help me eyes.

Ladies, to Secure Valentine’s Day Date, Purge Closet, Eat Greens

Posted on by

Ladies, you might be earning higher degrees and more money than your gentlemen counterparts, but you’ve still got to play by men’s rules. Take for instance the Sunday Styles piece The New Math on Campus. The should order salads, and refrain from wearing fashionable clothes on their next date. Follow these man-friendly rules and maybe you wont be alone this Valentine’s Day.

Despite the fact that women now outnumber men in both attending college and earning degrees, the Times argues men still “have all the power” and are turning women into shameful slutbags who find themselves watching a “George Clooney movie with pizza boxes strewn about” on Valentine’s Day. The article says, “women do not want to get left out in the cold, so they are competing for men on men’s terms,” and the boys are making them “lose out” by pressuring them into “ceaseless bed-hoppin.” The Times paints a harrowing portrait of what a successful and studious college woman’s life looks like when they’re besting the male competition: loveless, obsessive and lonely.

Besides going to college, you can also make your life loveless, obsessive and lonely by wearing a YSL blazer, jumpsuit, skinny jeans with flats or anything incredibly fashionable on a date– or so says the investigations of one Liz Jones in the Daily Mail. She took it upon herself to find out what the men hate to see you in, if you happen to land a date with a straight member of the fashion-police. Her “research” suggests that perhaps our “addiction to fashion indicate we are not good girlfriend material.” This supposition came after a man at a business meeting saw her YSL label and rolled his eyes. She inquired what was wrong with her jacket and the gent didn’t hold back, “it’s French, it’s designer, it’s expensive and it means you’re probably going to be a complete pain in the arse.” Totally rip that YSL off right now if you want to date a dude like that.

“What else?” Jones inquired. “Your shoes are too high and clumpy, your bag too big and heavy – I just know that I will be asked to carry it at some stage; either that or it will bash me in the leg.” Though one might have felt compelled to leg bash and run, Jones took it as an opportunity to tell you what not to wear, if you want a fella. No skinny jeans and flats since one man suggested they were “just ghastly.” No jumpsuits because men might think it’d be too tough to get you out of. And no prints! Because “men hate prints – they see them as too girly if floral, too scary if graphic. Colour frightens them.”

Should you find yourself on a date, obviously not wearing a print top, The Daily Mail‘s Meredith Young would like to obsess over what you ordered, which she thinks is probably a salad. That’s because you’re using these leafy greens “to transmit a subliminal message to potential suitors.” That message is not that you try to stay healthy– or that you actually like salad– it’s that “the salad leaves are meant to say I’m pretty; I’m attractive; I take care of myself.” Very expressive leaves.

Self respecting women who’ve made it out of puberty alive know this: the cataloging of obsessive and submissive behavior only creates more of the same. Sure, Liz Jones does stop for a beat to weakly wonder if “men are intimidated by women who dress fashionably,” but that doesn’t stop her from hawking Man’s Ultimate Fashion Wish List. And while Meredith Young does admit that women are also doing a bit of their own judging in that “‘social status and wealth affect men’s romantic appeal to women more than physical attractiveness” she doesn’t spend the rest of the article wondering if men use subliminal messages of their own during the date-meal. Seriously, if women were investing all of this time into manipulating their date with subliminal lettuce leaf messages and purging their closets of skinny jeans and flats, they wouldn’t have the time to be breaking all of those collegiate glass ceilings in the first place.

Hollywood Women’s Fair Wage Problem

Posted on by

Previously: Hollywood had some major trust issues with female celebrities. Now, Vanity Fair‘s Peter Newcomb culls together a list that exposes another disturbing (albeit not surprising) disparity within Hollywood: Fair wage. In his list of Hollywood’s top 40 earners, not a woman ranks on the Top 10, and only two rank among the Top 20. And those anomalies? Emma Watson and Cameron Diaz. Oh, America: This is your Hollywood?

More frustrating is that in the entire Top 40, there are then only nine women. Most of them sadly bring up the rear. It’s really no secret that Hollywood is notoriously sexist. Salon ran this piece about how many female film execs–all who spoke anonymously–contend that “it’s no secret that Hollywood has always been a dicey industry for women, and that recent years have seen it grow increasingly inhospitable.”

The Hollywood Reporter ranked the Top 10 films of the aughts and in the list, not a single one was directed by a woman. Actors command high starring fees, but it’s usually the producers and directors who end up netting the prettiest paydays. In Vanity Fair‘s Top 40, the top ten are dominated by directors and producers:

1. Michael Bay 2. Steven Spielberg 3. Roland Emmerich 4. James Cameron 5. Todd Phillips 6. Daniel Radcliffe 7. Ben Stiller 8. Tom Hanks 9. J.J. Abrams 10. Jerry Bruckheimer

With the exception of Radcliffe and Hanks, every other man in the top ten netted some or all their fortunes producing and directing. Contrastingly, none of the nine women on the list have any major production credits to their name and similarly, there aren’t any female directors listed. Examples of women who have given the world some incredible films in the last decade: Twilight‘s Catherine Hardwicke, Kathryn Bigelow, Mira Nair and Karen Moncrieff.

While men are dominating Hollywood, women are thankfully finding a new outlet for the stories they want to tell: Television. And as Hollywood becomes more elusive and insular, TV continues to emerge as a viable alternative. It’s there that Hollywood’s spurned leading leadies–actresses like Julianna Margulies, Holly Hunter, and Glenn Close, along with triple threats like Tina Fey–are laying down the groundwork for their own empires.