Movies and Gender Bias: What's in the Reviews?

GLOBALThu Jan 30 2025
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The movie industry has long been a boys' club. It's no surprise that this affects how films are reviewed. A recent study found that reviews of movies with female leads or directors often have more sexist language than reviews of male-led films. This can hurt actresses' and female directors' careers and health. The study looked at 17, 165 reviews, finding that movies with mostly female casts get more hostile and benevolent sexist comments. For example, Family and Music films had the most benevolent sexism, while Romance had the most hostile. Women in top roles got more sexist criticism than men. This might make it harder for them to get future jobs or earn as much. The study used a special system to spot these biases in reviews. It's important to understand how language in reviews can affect careers and representation in movies.