TV SERIES: Makers-features women's strides across American industries

[Frank W. Baker]

A six-part documentary called "MAKERS: Women Who Make America" premiered Tuesday on PBS, highlighting women in comedy, including Joy Behar.

The next episode will take a sobering look at women in Hollywood, with insight from Geena Davis and Laura Linney on how gender disparities still exist on screen and behind the scenes.

[Jeana Rock]

I watched the last episode about women in comedy. It was very disturbing to hear how women were referred to at this time. Even though I grew up in this era, the sexism escaped me. Watching it now in contrast was very revealing. It's no wonder that as a high school girl, I became a feminist!

[Frank W. Baker]

MAKERS: Women In Hollywood showcases the women of showbiz, from the earliest pioneers to present-day power players, as they influence the creation of one of the country’s biggest commodities: entertainment. In the silent movie era of Hollywood, women wrote, directed and produced, plus there were over twenty independent film companies run by women. That changed when Hollywood became a profitable industry. The absence of women behind the camera affected the women who appeared in front of the lens. Because men controlled the content, they created female characters based on classic archetypes: the good girl and the fallen woman, the virgin and the whore. The women’s movement helped loosen some barriers in Hollywood.

Also, the discussion guide for educators might be useful and handy.