Should DC Hire a Female Director for Wonder Woman?

Should DC Hire a Female Director for Wonder Woman?

If the rumor, which of late is looking pretty valid, is true that WB/DC is zeroing in on female director for Wonder Woman, I ask, is it a wise choice?

Editorial Opinion
By RextheKing - Nov 13, 2014 08:11 AM EST
Filed Under: DC Comics

Shouldn't have to do this, but I feel that it may be neccessary given a few experiences I've had on this site...  I AM NOT A SEXIST, MISOGYNIST, WOMAN HATER, ETC. AND ME CRITICIZING WB/DC'S CHOICE OF CHOOSING A FEMALE DIRECTOR FOR WONDER WOMAN DOES NOT MAKE ME ANY OF THOSE THINGS.

This will be a short article, for it does not take much to make my argument, so be happy that you won't be straining your eyes on this piece.


What is the logic behind choosing a female director for a Wonder Woman film or any other female lead CBM?  Does it take the direction of a female to make one successful?  If so, does it take the direction of a male to make a successful male lead CBM?  If I had to take a guess, neither of those are true.  

Now I have absolutely no problem with a female at the helm of a CBM and it would be nice to see more women working on CBMs, but why should WB/DC limit their scope to only female directors.  They should be looking for the best person to do the job, which very well could be a woman, but it could also be a man, or a transgender person.  WB/DC could be doing themselves an injustice with this scope on, and could be denying a great director the project of a lifetime.

I can assure you that back when WB/DC was choosing a director for Man of Steel, if a rumor was out that they were purposly trying to zero in on a male director, there would be outrage, and a lot of it not logical.  My argument though, isn't that I believe WB/DC is being sexist, but that their actions could end up not being in their's or the fan's best interest.  WB/DC's should be striving to make the best possible Wonder Woman film they can with the best possible director, not the best possible Wonder Woman film they can with the best possible female director.  Now if the female director is the best possible choice, then they did their job, but as I said, the best possible choice may not be a female.

My first question, I never answered, so what logic is WB/DC using?  "Let's show everyone we believe in equality by getting a female director for Wonder Woman... and It'll be a good way to grab extra media attention."  Only thing is, it's not equality when you take a job opprotunity away from some people in favor of another gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.

Let me know what you think below!

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Pedrito
Pedrito - 11/13/2014, 9:04 AM
The reason for picking a female director is mostly Marketing.

WB can market the movie as a strong female-led movie directed by a female, which will get extra attention from media outlets that think that kind of thing is noteworthy (which is most of them, for some reason).
Snotzo
Snotzo - 11/13/2014, 9:06 AM
All my favorite directors happen to be male, but that doesn't mean a female director would do a bad job or that I wouldn't like the film. But honestly I don't care that much about who does it as long as it's good. Same with Black Panther movie, the director can be male or female, white, black, Asian, or whatever.

Bottom line is give me a great movie, that's what I want from a director.
RextheKing
RextheKing - 11/13/2014, 9:07 AM
@Pedrito Yeah somewhat the same point I brought up towards the end.
FirstLady
FirstLady - 11/13/2014, 9:35 AM
Someone wrote an article like 2 days ago saying that marvel should hire a female director. Crazy that this info came out right after it was written.
MercwithMouth
MercwithMouth - 11/13/2014, 9:38 AM
I don't care either way. Just make it good.
MercwithMouth
MercwithMouth - 11/13/2014, 9:46 AM
Gusto is yucky
Also, he has crabs
and herpes
and AIDS
and HIV
and HPV
and syphilis
and ghonorea
and I'm certain he has shit that hasn't even been named yet
RextheKing
RextheKing - 11/13/2014, 9:50 AM
@MrNiklander I hardly would say my short article is making a fuzz. I'm just addressing the rumor(a rumor that I acknowledged), given that if it's true it would actually be a problem.
RextheKing
RextheKing - 11/13/2014, 9:52 AM
@sintzu My point in a nutshell.
@FirstLady I heard about this rumor since DC announced their film slate.
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 11/13/2014, 9:55 AM
Ugh. I get the sentiment behind this, but this is so ridiculously misguided. I've said this so much lately that I feel like a broken record, but here goes:

The problem with the "Just get the right person for the job, regardless of gender." mindset is that it assumes that Hollywood is a meritocracy. That the person who deserves it the most will get the gig. That's not even close to being true. Hollywood isn't and never has been a meritocracy.

The biggest evidence of this is how the "right person for the job" seems to almost ALWAYS be male. No matter what movie, no matter what studio, no matter what genre, it's almost always directed by a male. In the case of big-budget blockbusters, you can drop the "almost". It's simply ALWAYS male. Are we to believe that studios have been hiring the "right person for the job" and they just somehow happen to be male, every single time? Of course not. That's because Hollywood only ever focuses on hiring men. The system is catered towards the advancement and progression of men. That's where the awful inequality lies.

So now that there's going to be ONE female-led superhero movie (the very first of its kind), there's an outcry that WB/DC is making a mistake by only focusing on women? Seriously? Out of the countless number of movies that are directed, written, and produced by men, males (and it's pretty much only the males, mind you) are going to pull out the "controversy" and "inequality" card with this? As if it's the worst thing in the world for a woman (who has a lifetime of knowledge and firsthand experience of what it actually means to be a woman) to direct a movie about a woman?

We can piss and moan about this all we want, but it doesn't change the fact that getting upset about this is absolutely ridiculous. 90% of movies are directed by men, but God forbid ONE studio goes out of its way to get a woman to direct their first-ever female-led film.
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 11/13/2014, 10:02 AM
To be clear: do I think WB/DC is making this decision out of the kindness of their hearts, or because I think they are genuinely concerned about gender inequality and representation in the film industry? Of course not. They're doing this because it makes a stir in the media. They get free publicity out of this, AND they look great doing so.

That said...does anyone seriously think they WON'T go all-out in order to find a female director who will be the absolute best choice for this movie? As if WB/DC would purposefully sabotage their own movie in order to please feminists? Again, of course not.

The recent report of Michelle MacLaren being the frontrunner proves that they know what they're doing. They're interviewing and looking into top-notch talent of the absolute highest quality. So even if WB/DC isn't doing this for the right reasons, it will hopefully have the desired result: a successful female-led, female-directed blockbuster that proves, once and for all, that women have a place in Hollywood. It's way past time for this kind of thing to happen.
RextheKing
RextheKing - 11/13/2014, 10:07 AM
@Bane The question is though, do studios go out of their way to hire these men, or is it that it's a male dominant field? Is it that a lot of these big blockbuster films doesn't appeal as much to women as it do to men? Could men just put in better initiative in the film industry, which lead studios to maybe look over female directors?

Of course every movie isn't always going to have the best possible director attached to it, and maybe women here and there have got booted for a male director and the other way around, but if you account for all the variables, this patriarchal film industry you believe in would most likely fade away.
RextheKing
RextheKing - 11/13/2014, 10:13 AM
@Bane I do agree that they are looking for a great, possibly the best female director for the film, but as I said in the article, she could be the overall best choice, or their could be 1, 5, 10 male directors who would be more fitting, and would give WB/DC and us a better quality WW film.
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 11/13/2014, 10:22 AM
"Is it that a lot of these big blockbuster films doesn't appeal as much to women as it do to men? Could men just put in better initiative in the film industry, which lead studios to maybe look over female directors?"

@RextheKing That's where you lose me, and where you stray dangerously close to a sexist and misogynistic mindset (not saying YOU are sexist or misogynist, mind you). I understand that you are posing hypothetical questions, but it is definitely disturbing if I take the next step and assume that you yourself believe in those statements. So by all means, please correct me if I'm wrong with how I'm approaching your last comment.

Having said all that....why exactly wouldn't big blockbuster films appeal to women? What could it possibly be about a big budget blockbuster that appeals more to men than women? In reality, that's patently false. There's no conceivable reason for women to not be interested in directing big blockbusters, especially when you consider that female audiences make up a MASSIVE chunk of the viewership for these same movies.

And saying that "men put in better initiative" is ridiculously sexist, no matter how you slice it. That implies that men simply work harder than women, are more ambitious than women, and deserve to have a stranglehold on all movies as a result. Honestly, that's a horrible thing to insinuate, and hopefully I don't have to explain why.

Funny enough, you provided the answer to your own question. The truth is, it IS a male-dominated field. When the system in place is geared more towards the success and advancement of men, then OF COURSE there won't be as many women in the field. When there's far more men than women, OF COURSE studios don't need to go out of their way to hire them. It's the status quo. It's the way things are. And that's probably why WB/DC is dipping their toe into the television industry with their search, where there are FAR more female directors and writers than in film.

But that can't be used as an excuse to just keep things the same and continue to only hire male directors. That would be enabling a corrupt system. Honestly, what better opportunity is there to take a stand and make a statement about this topic than with doing their due diligence to specifically find the best female director for a Wonder Woman movie?
m0th3r
m0th3r - 11/13/2014, 10:25 AM
Just hire a great god damn director..who the [frick] cares if they have tits...


Seriously..wtf

@SauronsBANE "That said...does anyone seriously think they WON'T go all-out in order to find a female director who will be the absolute best choice for this movie?"

NO....When you limit to 50% of the population you reduce you chance by 50% of finding the best..thats why racism, sexism, and any exclusions are stupid scientifically since greatness and genius are a statistical anomaly..

By saying we are getting a female director they limited the pool in this case to not only under 50% but id say down to the single digits(women are under-represented). This is weak ass pandering..."Look, if we get a female director all the girls will go because that matters more then quality"...fairly insulting if you ask me...
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 11/13/2014, 10:25 AM
And the whole concern of WB/DC potentially not hiring the best possible person for the job because that person just might be male...that whole idea falls apart when you realize that Hollywood isn't a meritocracy, as I said before. Heck, you even just admitted it yourself: "Of course every movie isn't always going to have the best possible director attached to it..."

So what exactly is the issue here? The only thing holding us back is the mere concept of a male director out there who could be the right guy for the job. We don't know that for sure. There's no way of knowing that for sure. So again, what's the issue? Like any other movie, we'll just have to accept who gets hired for this.
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 11/13/2014, 10:28 AM
"NO....When you limit to 50% of the population you reduce you chance by 50% of finding the best.."

@m0th3r Only one problem: Hollywood has been limiting itself to 50% of the population (males) for practically it's ENTIRE history. So you have to ask yourself - why is there no outcry about that? Why is it only an outcry when the majority males are excluded in favor of sorely-underrepresented women?
m0th3r
m0th3r - 11/13/2014, 10:33 AM
There is no outcry..im pointing out that you have eliminated half the pool without regard and therefor wont get the "best" one probably....or you will never know. We are talking about the best director, you shifting to a social issue...100% different issue.

Just a simple fact of why you can legislate or socially pressure something to be the 'best'..the best is the best because it is..not because some social movement wants it to be. It diminishes the art, the value of WOMEN'S work, and quality of work all around...

With that all said, yea it would be great to find someone who would work AND maybe outside the box like a TV director to find some new blood like marvel did with the Russos. Like her:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_MacLaren

GoT, Walking Dead, and Best Director for Breaking Bad..

SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 11/13/2014, 10:37 AM
"There is no outcry..im pointing out that you have eliminated half the pool without regard and therefor wont get the "best" one probably....or you will never know."

100% correct. Hollywood has ALWAYS eliminated half the pool without regard. Again, they have only ever hired male directors in the past, with little to no regard for females. Once again, why has that been swept under the rug? Why have we gotten no editorials about the injustice of that?

The only difference in this specific case is that the MALES are been eliminated. Hence, we now get editorials like this, or toxic comment threads in every article about rumored frontrunners and all that. It's a double standard, no matter how you look at it.
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 11/13/2014, 10:42 AM
In other words, Hollywood has ALWAYS shot themselves in the foot. By excluding women from high-profile directing gigs, they have basically guaranteed that the majority of blockbusters were green-lit, produced, written, and filmed WITHOUT the best possible person for the job.

Yet, that never has received scrutiny until very recently, and only because there's a few vocal people who have stood up and called the system out for what it does: promoting inequality and under-representation.

It's extremely telling that in this ONE instance of a studio excluding the men, that there's been such controversy and vitriol. What do you think that says about us as a society, that we simply can't handle it when we're called out on our own sexist tendencies? It says a lot, IMO.

"We are talking about the best director, you shifting to a social issue...100% different issue."

The problem is, they are really not separate issues. When the Hollywood system itself is broken, how can that NOT be a social issue? Nothing occurs in a vacuum in life. It's ALL related. There's just no getting past that.
RextheKing
RextheKing - 11/13/2014, 10:44 AM
@Bane A lot, if not most big blockbuster films have sequels, spin-offs, etc. in which when sign on, a lot of the time the people attached are expected/contracted to be attached for the long haul. One of the big reasons why women aren't as well represented in government, stem jobs, or CEOs are because women may want to start a family, in which would conflict with the job. The situation is similar; a woman may want to be part in a big blockbuster film, but do not want to commit to the long haul of it. The thing is, with a man, we don't get pregnant, so even if we wish to start a family, the constrictions with the job isn't as pressing.

The initiative part, ties in with the above. A man is more willing to do more to be part of a big blockbuster because he doesn't have the same restrictions as a woman.

I'm willing to bet that film making is just more appealing to men, which is why the film industry is male dominated, not because the film industry caters to men.
RextheKing
RextheKing - 11/13/2014, 10:47 AM
@m0th3r If you feel like taking over, be my guest... It's usually the same back and fourth with me and Bane, and I'm quite tired of it... Plus Your and my view points seem to line up pretty well.
m0th3r
m0th3r - 11/13/2014, 10:47 AM
O its related..and ZERO doubt Hollywood was an old boys club at all..and i see what you saying as far historically that perspective has been excluded to the fault of the MEN in charge..


And then they piss on some when they do get a gig..ask Lexi Alexander...

And as far as this ONE instance..i cant remember a time when they just came out and said "hey, we are going to get a female director" in exclusion.. Just get the best one.Id argue Bilgalow IS....


Now as the father of TWO teenage girls one who produces videos...I will pay to see it no matter what for my money to make the same statement..this isn't anti-women, its pro-quality...

and on the flipside of that, like Lexi Alexander said..if it fails what does that do since they made of point of saying we will get a women to direct. I didnt know who directed the Hurt Locker before i saw it..the fact it was a women played ZERO into my opinion. IF this was their path i wish they had not been so public about it. We are not dumb and would have picked up they are using more women to direct and produce without parading it around and creating the exclusionary issue. This undermines the women working on it now because they have extra pressure (not that there isnt a ton already) to represent for Women...
m0th3r
m0th3r - 11/13/2014, 10:49 AM
@RextheKing Now worries man..i think all three people want an awesome point..and SauronsBANE isnt wrong about exclusion of women at all..it happened, is happening and probably will happen more.. I just want women to force their way in there via the quality of their work and not some edict from a PC Exec..because there work is WORTH it..
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 11/13/2014, 10:51 AM
@RextheKing I'm sorry, and I absolutely don't mean any disrespect whatsoever, but I 110% disagree with what you're trying to say here. To me, it looks like you're jumping through hoops and bending over backwards in order to justify something that is just so obviously, patently, and unquestionably wrong.

Hollywood, like so many other aspects of life, is completely broken and undeniably skewed to benefit males. And I say all this as a male. Rather than making excuses about how ALL under-representation results from women being pregnant and how they therefore ALL lack initiative because of that, or how the filmmaking industry simply appeals to men and not women, it's MUCH more realistic and rational to acknowledge that the system is broken.

Both genders are NOT on an equal playing field. Unless you can accept that, we'll simply be spinning around in circles if we continue this discussion any more. Again, with all due respect, there's just no way to continue this if we disagree on such a basic, fundamental level.
m0th3r
m0th3r - 11/13/2014, 10:52 AM
@RextheKing "caters more to men..."


Well i dunno..Look at MCU numbers..something like 47% of the asses in seats are female (w00T!).. I dont think its like that as much as we like to think. Marvel is able to pull these massive numbers at the box office BECAUSE of the additional female audience..Which according to some of the reading (not my research) i have done was not there in the past.

I can say pretty much as many young (under 25) women and girls in and around my life LOVE MCU, XMen and most of the 'boy poopy' stuff of old too..
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 11/13/2014, 10:55 AM
Seriously, this has easily been the most civil debate I've EVER had about this subject on this website. I certainly don't have anything personal against any of you guys, but this topic happens to be something I'm pretty passionate about. I totally get where you guys are coming from, and I hope I've acknowledged that...but I still stand by my comments. Cheers for making this as rational and pleasant as possible!
m0th3r
m0th3r - 11/13/2014, 10:57 AM
@SauronsBANE Till i had daughters dude i would have never believe the playing field was not level..its not. And im slightly right of Attila the Hun..

With that said, i find with that nothing is out of reach if you go for it..society tends to knock women down and make them think they can't..people can do anything most of the time. As the "old boy" network dissolves in hollywood this will change like everywhere else..Glass Ceilings break.. I think the active "she cant, she's a girl" is gone, but a more subtle disconnection between people causes discrimination to happen. No way a Female director could be the current Action King(err, Queen...see) is probably the mindset for some even if they wont say it...
RextheKing
RextheKing - 11/13/2014, 10:59 AM
@m0th3r Oh I don't deny that Bane is right about the under representation of women in particular fields of work, but like I've tried to say, it's not due to some evil patriarchal society. Women have virtually every opportunity a man has in the work force, so women being under represented is on women at this point.

Of course there will always be some sexism in the workplace and it goes both ways, but until we evolve as a species, I doubt that'll ever change.
Pasto
Pasto - 11/13/2014, 11:02 AM
Imagine what would happen if WB hires a female director just to hire one, and she completely [frick]s up the Wonder Woman film? It wouldn't hold the same weight as a dude [frick]ing up. People would look at it and say "See? Female directors suck!". I honestly feel like WB should play it safe. They should tone down the fan fair on picking a female director because on the off chance this blows up in their face, they'll be up a creek without a paddle.
RextheKing
RextheKing - 11/13/2014, 11:05 AM
@Bane I see your side as well, but like you I just don't agree... at least not fully. In the 70s, probably early 80s I would agree fully with you though.
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 11/13/2014, 11:06 AM
@m0th3r Absolutely. I honestly believe that the change is already happening, but it's still not nearly enough. Hopefully, this particular instance will lead to more and more opportunities (if it all goes right, that is. Like Pasto said, it could be a disaster if this whole project blows up in their face).

I do think you're right though: most of this discrimination is innate. It's not as blatantly obvious and open as it used to be...even if the results are. It just might be a subconscious mindset that only rears its ugly head when things such as a female Thor or a female Wonder Woman director are announced.
Pasto
Pasto - 11/13/2014, 11:07 AM
I just thought of a GREAT topic for debate. I'm even considering doing an article about it, but I don't know if it fits the criteria for this site.
Pasto
Pasto - 11/13/2014, 11:09 AM
Here was the main idea of the article:
Who has it worse: Black People or Women?

I can already imagine the thread that would go with that article....

*Has a vision of fire and chaos*
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 11/13/2014, 11:14 AM
Potential subtitle:

Whoever wins...we lose.
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