“The study looked at the 100 highest-grossing 2012 movies, and then considered the percentage of female speaking roles in those films. Last year, that number was an embarrassing 28.4% — down from 32.8% three years ago, and, as the Los Angeles Times notes, ‘a number that has stayed relatively stagnant despite increased research attention to the topic and several high-profile box-office successes starring women.’”

“So, why is Hollywood continuing to fail at representing women, despite recent high-profile examples that female-driven movies can be blockbusters? First and foremost, it’s impossible to overstate the extent to which men dominate movies, not only in front of the camera, but behind it. (…) The stats are about as bleak for female screenwriters, so there’s your first problem — there aren’t enough women given opportunities to create complex roles for women, and most male screenwriters and directors are either afraid to write good roles for women or bad at it.”

“And the other excuse that you’ll often hear is the old ‘hey, we’re just giving people what they want’ standby — that the reason we see so many movies aimed squarely at teenage boys and thus unconcerned with girls (EW GROSS COOTIES) is that they’re the audience that’s going to the movies, so Hollywood is merely making the comic book flicks and gross-out comedies that they demand. Trouble is, that notion is bullshit. Earlier this year, the MPAA released their annual statistical rundown of who goes to the movies — and guess what, women go. More than men.”

“More women go to movies than men — men (fanboys, particularly) are just louder about what they want to see. And that’s what has to change. Hollywood is constantly worrying about falling ticket revenues, but the fact of the matter is, they’re failing to serve what is plainly, clearly the statistical majority of their audience.”