August 10th 2024.
Tori, a film critic and journalist, recently wrote an article about The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. In the past week, she has received a barrage of insults and abuse for daring to criticize a male filmmaker's portrayal of a female character in his latest movie. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon experience for Tori as a female in the film industry.
She was called names like "intellectually challenged 'whinger'", "demanding nag", and even "uggo". Someone even went as far as to describe her as having hepatitis. And to top it off, she was subjected to a disturbing gang rape fantasy on social media. All of this simply because she voiced her disappointment in the handling of a female character in a film.
Tori stands by her criticism, but she did not intend for it to be a personal attack on the director or his entire body of work. However, many people seemed to have missed this point. She believes that the movie, which plays fast and loose with the facts, could have given the actress, Eiza González, more to do than just look pretty and need rescuing.
Unfortunately, voicing her opinion has resulted in angry emails and social media abuse. This is not the first time Tori has faced backlash for her opinions and articles. She has even received death threats and threats of sexual violence in the past. However, she has learned to brush it off and not let it affect her.
Ironically, many of the people who have been abusive towards Tori have not even seen the film. They are simply reacting to her reaction. Tori has no problem with respectful disagreement and has had some productive discussions with people who have actually read her entire piece.
Tori acknowledges that she speaks and writes from a place of privilege as a white female journalist. She is aware that she doesn't have to face the added challenges of racism and Islamophobia that women of color may encounter in the industry. However, a recent roundtable discussion with other women in the film industry opened her eyes to the impact of gender on their experiences.
One female film producer, Julia Stuart, shared her experiences of being the only woman in the room during her time in the independent film sector. She recalled how a room full of men would make decisions without giving a second thought to the female characters. This is exactly what Tori was pointing out with her criticism of Marjorie Stewart's character in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
Julia also shared a story about how a male-dominated team tried to change the profession of a female character in one of her films because they didn't like that she was a professional. It was frustrating for her to constantly have to "bang the feminist drum" just to ensure that female representation was even considered.
Reflecting on this discussion and her own experiences, Tori realizes that the film industry, and social media in general, still have a long way to go in creating a safe space for women. She has had to turn off the comments on her article due to the abusive comments she was receiving.
Although she is treated with respect in her professional interactions, the minute she voices an opinion online that criticizes a man in the film industry, everything changes. Tori believes that there is still progress to be made and she will not apologize for pointing it out.
The internet can be an exhausting and hostile place, especially for women who dare to have an opinion. Tori wishes that those who are quick to criticize and attack her would find more productive ways to spend their time. But unfortunately, that is not always the case.
To the person who told her to "shut up", Tori has a message: she will not be silenced. And she hopes that the film industry and social media can become a better and safer environment for all aspiring filmmakers and journalists. Despite the negativity, Tori believes that there is still so much positivity in the industry, and she will continue to speak out for progress.
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