So did you see this image yesterday? I am very, very tired, so don’t quote me, but I count 59 women in this picture, not counting the bewildered 4 year old who will someday go ‘oh my god, I was IN that picture’.
What’s great about it isn’t just that there are so many women in it, or that the stars and executive producers pulled their weight to make sure all the women on the crew were in it. Believe me, someone could have found something they wanted that Basecamp PA to do, even if it was taken on crew lunch.
But in the upheaval and nonsense about the Ghostbusters movie and the ‘don’t-worry-girls-can’t-play’ other Ghostbusters movie, what I like most isn’t that this is a good portion of the crew. What I like most are the signs. “Here’s what my job is!” For two reasons. It shows that there are women all across the spectrum and strata of this movie – from PAs to EPs. That’s a little crew nerdism for you right there. (And they included a background performer!)
But the other reason I like it is that there are women in all kinds of roles, including those that aren’t always traditional for women. Set grip, 2nd Assistant Director, VFX producer. They have to work their way to get there, and to stay there. That’s why Melissa McCarthy tagged Ellen Degeneres – the lightning bolt is part of Ellen’s campaign with The Gap for a line that encourages girls to speak up and be themselves.
And if someone asks you, at work or at dinner or whatnot, ‘what’s the point? Why do they need to all take a picture?’ Why do people (but usually dudes, let’s be real here) take pictures when the boss invites them golfing? Why do you take pictures on vacation?
We were here. We did this. We do this.
When you think about it like that, it’s something I might be able to stand seeing more of. You? Also, more of Kate McKinnon’s hair like that, please.
