Comments on: Women viewers need not apply

By: The Mailbag 5/27/07 | the Hathor Legacy

The Mailbag 5/27/07 | the Hathor Legacy — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:26:09 +0000

[...] ratings, which told Fox the show was attracting too many women viewers, which inspired Fox to cancel Firefly (according to Chris Buchanan). And then the under-marketed movie didn’t earn enough for [...]

By: SpaceWesterns.com Sideshow › 22nd Carnival of Feminist Science Fiction – Part II

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:53:24 +0000

[...] Women viewers need not apply [...]

By: Joss Whedon and feminist cookies | the Hathor Legacy

Joss Whedon and feminist cookies | the Hathor Legacy — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:48:15 +0000

[...] producers deserve accolades for doing something that should be the norm? Sure, in the context of an absurdly anti-feminist industry in which it’s generally much more lucrative to toe the party line. They deserve some credit [...]

By: Nobody knows anything, but don’t tell the financiers | the Hathor Legacy

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:39:20 +0000

[...] Women will watch anything, so they don’t count. [...]

By: Jennifer Kesler

Jennifer Kesler — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 18:17:17 +0000

Yeah, the blind assumption that men have families to support (and women don’t) still permeates the workforce. It was pointed out in the movie “9 to 5″ twnty-six years ago, but I still occasionally hear bosses say things like that. It’s pure ignorance, or else misogyny hiding behind a facade of ignorance.

Conversely, I’ve known some bosses who are fairly aware of their employees’ family situations, and are as likely to be sympathetic to a maternal breadwinner as a paternal one.

Which of course does nothing for women who need to support themselves and barely make enough because they have a “woman’s job”, nor people who are taking care of elderly relatives – a situation that doesn’t elicit the sympathy it should.

I wish employers would just stick to your work performance, and leave their PERCEPTIONS of your household expenses outside the door.

By: Eva

Eva — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 17:25:28 +0000

Before anyone says, â€œThatâ€™s not true, my girlfriend has the same job as I do and earns moreâ€ – the 22% gap is overall. In some industries (engineering) women do generally earn the same as men. But overall, in the US, there is a 22% gap for jobs ranging from cashier to CEO.

I have a friend who was told that the young man in our work group was getting a higher % raise because he had a family to support. Ironically, she has been either the primary breadwinner or sole supporter of her family during most of her marriage.

In terms of dollars she earned more than the co-employee because she’d been with the company 15 years longer, but that argument was b.s.

I suspect the men in my office get larger % raises; it wouldn’t surprise me at all.

By: Jennifer Kesler

Jennifer Kesler — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 16:12:09 +0000

That’s how I grew up. The wage gap hasn’t shrunk in 20 years, BTW: women have consistently earned 22% less than men since the 80’s, for the same work.

Before anyone says, “That’s not true, my girlfriend has the same job as I do and earns more” – the 22% gap is overall. In some industries (engineering) women do generally earn the same as men. But overall, in the US, there is a 22% gap for jobs ranging from cashier to CEO.

By: Jennifer Kesler

Jennifer Kesler — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 16:09:14 +0000

I also know a lot of women who earn the same as or more than their husbands or live-in boyfriends. And a whole lot of those earning less only earn maybe 10% less.

I’ve entirely stopped going to movies. Haven’t been to a theater since maybe 2003, and rarely rent movies. It’s just the same crap, different packaging – particularly in terms of the women.

By: Eva

Eva — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 06:42:48 +0000

Most of the women I know earn the same or more than their husbands and also control the check book, and also have the major say in household purchases. I’m not sure why shows continue to cater to men.

I will say, however, that television is much more balanced towards women than movies are. At least there are shows that feature women in adult relationships on many levels, and in various roles, as opposed to movies that feature 20-30 something women, all very attractive, playing the girlfriend/wife of either an old man or a loser.

By: sbg

sbg — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 06:32:52 +0000

I was going to ask if maybe it was all in my head that women in households are the ones more likely to have control of the money. I mean, my father was the only one earning a wage, and yet it was my mother who balanced the checkbook, shopped and paid the bills. She decided what to buy, and if it were a big ticket item, that decision was made jointly. I just remember that on occasions my father needed to spend money, he’d have to get the check from my mom.

I’m sure that’s not always the case, of course. It just seems more likely to me based on my own experience.

And I don’t even want to talk about how women are still considered less valuable than men all across the board. The wage gap might be shrinking, as another example, but it’s still there.