From DEBRA@oln.comlink.apc.orgSat Sep 2 11:05:43 1995 Date: Fri, 01 Sep 1995 20:10:00 +0100 From: Debra Guzman Reply to: beijing-conf@tristram.edc.org To: beijing95-l@netcom.com, beijing-conf@tristram.edc.org Subject: WCW: ACTRESS_SALLY_FIELD_ON_PORTRAYALS_OF_WOMEN_IN_MEDIA 29.8 [The following text is in the "ISO-8859-1" character set] [Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set] [Some characters may be displayed incorrectly] DATE=8/29/95 TITLE=ACTRESS SALLY FIELD ON PORTRAYALS OF WOMEN IN MEDIA [L] BYLINE=KEMING KUO TELEPHONE=619-3940 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=NANCY SMART INTRO: TWO-TIME ACADEMY AWARD WINNING ACTRESS SALLY FIELD IS JOINING THE THOUSANDS OF WOMEN ATTENDING THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN AND THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION [NGO] FORUM IN CHINA. MS. FIELD WILL SERVE AS THE HONORARY CHAIR OF "SAVE THE CHILDREN," A PRIVATE, AMERICAN RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION. THE ACTRESS, WHO STARRED IN SUCH POPULAR FILMS AS "FORREST GUMP," "MRS. DOUBTFIRE," AND "NORMA RAE," SAYS SHE WILL ALSO VISIT SEVERAL GROUPS IN NEPAL. BEFORE HER ASIAN JOURNEY, SALLY FIELD TALKED WITH REPORTERS IN WASHINGTON ABOUT HER INTEREST IN WOMEN'S EQUALITY ISSUES. AND IN THIS REPORT WRITTEN BY KEMING KUO, ______________ MS. FIELDS SAYS SHE WILL MAKE A SPECIAL EFFORT TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING THE PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN THE MEDIA. TEXT: JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, SALLY FIELD FINISHED A FILM ABOUT A MOTHER WHOSE LIFE IS TRANSFORMED BY THE BRUTAL MURDER OF HER DAUGHTER. THUS, SHE TOLD HER AUDIENCE, HER THOUGHTS ON HOW WOMEN ARE DEPICTED IN THE MOVIES WERE FRESH IN HER MIND. TAPE: CUT ONE -- FIELD :28 "I BELIEVE THAT OUR SOCIETY, ALL SOCIETIES, HAVE DONE A VERY POOR JOB OF PORTRAYING WOMEN AS THEY REALLY ARE. INSTEAD, THE IMAGES REINFORCED IN ALL THE MEDIA -- IN NEWS, IN THE ARTS, IN ENTERTAINMENT -- ARE MOSTLY THOSE OF WOMEN WHO MUST BE CARED FOR AND PROTECTED, DEPENDENT WOMEN OR WOMEN AS OBJECTS TO BE ADMIRED OR SCORNED OR ABUSED. WE DON'T SEE ENOUGH OF WOMEN WHO ARE TAKING CHARGE OF THEIR LIVES, LEADING OTHERS, AND CONTRIBUTING TO SOCIETY." TEXT: SALLY FIELD SUGGESTED THAT A MAJOR REASON WHY WOMEN ARE OFTEN PORTRAYED AS WEAK OR PASSIVE IN THE MEDIA IS BECAUSE MOST EXECUTIVES AT MOVIE STUDIOS, TELEVISION NETWORKS, AND PUBLICATIONS ARE MEN. TAPE: CUT TWO -- FIELD :19 "TODAY MORE WOMEN WORK IN THE MEDIA THAN AT ANY OTHER TIME. BUT FEW MAKE POLICY DECISIONS. UNESCO [A UNITED NATIONS GROUP] STUDIED 200 MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS IN 30 COUNTRIES AND FOUND THAT ONLY SEVEN ARE HEADED BY WOMEN. ONE OF THE GOALS OF U.S. ORGANIZATIONS IN BEIJING IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF WOMEN IN DECISION-MAKING POSITIONS." TEXT: MS. FIELD SAID THAT THE RESULT OF MALE DOMINANCE IN DECISION-MAKING POSITIONS WAS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE IN THE LACK OF ROLES FOR WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD FILMS -- ESPECIALLY FOR OLDER WOMEN. [OPT] TAPE: CUT THREE -- FIELD :44 "IN MY INDUSTRY ... I'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND MY OWN INDUSTRY AND HOW TO MOVE IT FORWARD. THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY MORE WOMEN WORKING BEHIND THE CAMERA THAN EVER BEFORE. BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT HAVE BEEN FELT IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA AS OF YET. THERE IS A STUDY THAT WAS DONE BY THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD, A REPORT HANDED OUT IN 1992, WHICH SAID THAT 43 PER CENT OF THEATRICAL FILM ROLES WENT TO MEN UNDER THE AGE OF 40. MEN 40 AND OVER GOT 25 PER CENT, WOMEN UNDER THE AGE OF 40 GOT 25 PER CENT. WOMEN 40 YEARS AND OVER WERE BARELY REPRESENTED ON THE MOVIE SCREEN, WITH EIGHT PER CENT. YIKES!" [END OPT] TEXT: AS VIOLENCE PORTRAYED IN THE MEDIA HAS BECOME A POPULAR TOPIC AMONG AMERICAN POLITICIANS, SALLY FIELD JOINED IN ITS CONDEMNATION -- ESPECIALLY DEPICTIONS OF BRUTALITY AGAINST WOMEN. SHE SUGGESTED THE ARTISTIC COMMUNITY SHOULD BECOME MORE ACTIVE IN STOPPING IT. TAPE: CUT FOUR -- FIELD :45 "ART SHOULD AND CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN COMBATTING IT, BY COMMUNICATING MESSAGES THAT SUPPORT STRONG VALUES AND CERTAINLY REVEALING THE RAMIFICATIONS OF WHAT VIOLENCE DOES TO HUMAN BEINGS. WE ALL MUST DO BETTER IN PROMOTING WOMEN PROFESSIONALS IN THE ARTS AND NEWS INDUSTRIES AND PORTRAYING WOMEN AND GIRLS IN POSITIVE TERMS. [OPT] IN MY CAREER, I MUST SAY I'VE BEEN VERY, VERY LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO PORTRAY AND WALK IN THE SHOES OF SOME REMARKABLE WOMEN -- SOME OF THEM HEROIC AND BRAVE, AND SOME OF THEM REALLY BRAVE IN THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO JUST GET ON WITH THEIR LIVES. I FIND THAT SOMETIMES TO BE THE MOST BRAVE THING PEOPLE DO." [END OPT] TEXT: ACTRESS SALLY FIELD TOLD THE WASHINGTON AUDIENCE THAT ONE WAY OF BRINGING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN THE MEDIA -- AND RAISING THEIR STATUS IN MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS -- IS THROUGH EDUCATION. TAPE: CUT FIVE -- FIELD :29 "THROUGHOUT MY LIFE, I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO LEARN AND GROW. I'VE TRIED TO APPLY THAT TO MY CRAFT, IN MY LIFE. AND EVERY ROLE I'VE PLAYED IS SHAPED A LITTLE BIT BY EVERYTHING I'VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY. I THINK FOR WOMEN -- NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICAN, AFRICAN, ASIAN, LATIN AMERICAN, MIDDLE EASTERN, RUSSIAN, ALL WOMEN IN FACT -- LEARNING IS A KIND OF MAGIC CARPET, TRANSPORTING US TO NEW LEVELS OF AWARENESS AND ENLIGHTENMENT." TEXT: MS. FIELD SAYS SHE HOPES THE ISSUE OF HOW WOMEN ARE SHOWN IN THE MEDIA WILL BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AT THE UNITED NATIONS WOMEN'S CONFERENCE AND THAT PARTICIPANTS WILL SPREAD THE WORD AFTER IT'S OVER. TAPE: CUT SIX -- FIELD :35 [OPT] "WE MUST PROTECT AGAINST THE GLORIFICATION AND THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF ABUSE AGAINST WOMEN IN ALL THE ARTS AND MEDIA. THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULD GO BACK TO THE VICTORIAN AGE; WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT WOMEN ON A PEDESTAL. GOD FORBID. WE JUST HAVE TO PRESENT THEM AS COMPLETE AND MULTIFACETED INDIVIDUALS. THEY ARE NOT ONE DIMENSIONAL. AND [END OPT] WE MUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED IN THIS NEW EMERGING ERA OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TO SUPPORT ALL EFFORTS TO DISSEMINATE TRUTHFUL, HOPEFUL MESSAGES ABOUT GIRLS AND WOMEN -- AND SPEAK OUT WHEN THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE." TEXT: ACTRESS SALLY FIELD WILL BE AMONG THOUSANDS OF WOMEN PARTICIPATING IN THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN AND THE N-G-O FORUM IN CHINA. MS. FIELD RECENTLY COMPLETED A FILM, "AN EYE FOR AN EYE," WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO BE RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR. (SIGNED) NEB/KK/NES 29-Aug-95 4:01 PM EDT (2001 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America