A brutally honest look at the systemic exclusion of women in film—an industry with massive cultural influence—and how, in response, women are making space in cinema for their voices to be heard.
Generation after generation, women have faced the devastating reality that Hollywood is a system built to keep them out. The films created by that system influence everything from our worldviews to our brain chemistry. When women’s voices are excluded from the medium, the impact on society is immense. Actor, screenwriter, and award-winning independent filmmaker Naomi McDougall Jones takes us inside the cutthroat, scandal-laden film industry, where only 5% of top studio films are directed by women and less than 20% of leading characters in mainstream films are female. Jones calls on all of us to act radically to build a different kind of future for cinema—not only for the women being actively hurt inside the industry but for those outside it, whose lives, purchasing decisions, and sense of selves are shaped by the stories told.
Informed by the journey of her own career; by interviews with others throughout the film industry; and by cold, hard data, Jones deconstructs the casual, commonplace sexism rampant in Hollywood that has kept women out of key roles for decades. Next, she shows us the growing women-driven revolution in filmmaking—sparked by streaming services, crumbling distribution models, direct-to-audience access via innovative online platforms, and outside advocacy groups—which has enabled women to build careers outside the traditional studio system. Finally, she makes a business case for financing and producing films by female filmmakers.
“Drawing on more than 100 hours of interviews and abundant studies and news articles, actress, writer, and producer Jones makes her book debut with a spirited critique of the film industry’s treatment of women at all levels . . . . Jones offers concrete suggestions for change within and outside of the industry, including by filmgoers who should ‘vote with your dollars.’ A bold, convincing call for new voices and perspectives in cinema.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Debuts with a timely look at how women are undervalued in Hollywood, on and off the screen. . . . Film viewing will never be the same after reading Jones’s insightful look at the reality of being female in Tinseltown.”
—Publishers Weekly
“An intriguing read about how influence works in the film industry, for people in it; also relevant for the way it spun conversations around #MeToo.”
—Library Journal
“Writer and producer Jones draws on data, personal experience, and interviews with industry professionals to reveal the systemic sexism that continues to shut women out of film. . . . But while Jones is clear-eyed about the problems women face in film, she is also optimistic about the future, identifying strategies to create more inclusive movies and highlighting the work of those endeavoring to change the industry. Well written, passionate, and occasionally shocking, this urgent and necessary book will appeal to film buffs and feminists alike.”
—Booklist
“We need truth. The curtain must be pulled back, and Naomi McDougall Jones has done just that.”
—Rose McGowan, director and author of Brave
“Over the last several years, the true nature of Hollywood has been revealed. Naomi McDougall Jones adds to the discourse and shines a stark and brutal light on the patriarchal and racist systems that women experience in all facets of the Hollywood system. The Wrong Kind of Women is a call to arms for both men and women who desire the industry to be more equitable and inclusive.”
—Melissa Silverstein, founder and publisher, Women and Hollywood
“A stunning eye-opener . . . . Naomi’s extensive research is extraordinary, and her charming, sly, and witty voice invites us to understand the problem while still enjoying the process and imagining solutions. The Wrong Kind of Women is a must-read textbook for every introductory film class. Moreover, it’s a superb resource for anyone interested in issues of gender equality in American media.”
—Jan Eliasberg, veteran film and television director and writer
“The Wrong Kind of Women is a unique and refreshing combination of honest memoir, incisive journalism, and farsighted prescription for the sexist practices that have hurt not only Hollywood but society in general.”
—Jack Lechner, former studio executive, producer of Blue Valentine and The Fog of War
Author’s Note
INTRODUCTION
Beyond the Lights
CHAPTER 1
It Felt Like Love
CHAPTER 2
Dance, Girl, Dance
CHAPTER 3
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
CHAPTER 4
Brick Lane
CHAPTER 5
Mudbound
CHAPTER 6
Songs My Brothers Taught Me
CHAPTER 7
One Way or Another
CHAPTER 8
Daughters of the Dust
CHAPTER 9
Wonder Wom(e)n
CHAPTER 10
Me and You and Everyone We Know
CONCLUSION
Enough Said
Acknowledgments
List of Interviews
Resource List of Organizations Working Toward Intersectional Parity in US Entertainment Media
Notes
Image Credits
- “Women Filmmakers vs. the War of Attrition in Hollywood,” Beacon Broadside, excerpt
- “9 Dream Reads Bookworm Barbie Needs in Her Library,” Beacon Broadside, listed in reading roundup
- “Why Does Hollywood Make It So Hard for Women Directors to Make It in Film?” Beacon Broadside, excerpt
- “8 Nonfiction Books About Women Trailblazers in Male-Dominated Fields,” Electric Literature, book included in roundup on women trailblazers
- “The Wrong Kind of Women,” Actin’ Up, podcast interview
- “Interview with Naomi McDougall Jones, Author of The Wrong Kind of Women: Inside Our Revolution to Dismantle the Gods of Hollywood,” Film Inquiry, Q&A
- “Culture Clash: Naomi McDougall-Jones,” Culture Clash, podcast interview
- “Advocating for Women in Film: Naomi McDougall Jones,” Next Act for Women, Q&A
- “Spotlight Interview: Naomi McDougall Jones, Author The Wrong Kind of Women,” Ms in the Biz, Q&A
- “Naomi McDougall Jones,” FilmWax Radio, podcast interview
- “Hollywood’s ‘Golden Age’ Saw Massive Dip in Female Film Representation,” Smithsonian Magazine, author quoted and book mentioned
- “Episode 222: Interview with Naomi McDougall Jones,” GSMC Book Review Podcast, podcast interview
- “Women’s History Month March 2020,” Women Crush Wednesdays, podcast interview
- “Silenced by Hollywood,” Playboy, book mentioned and author quoted
- “Naomi McDougall Jones Guests on The Film Scene w/ Illeana Douglas,” The Film Scene with Illeana Douglas, interview
- “International Women’s Day LIVE | Naomi McDougall Jones,” Okay Back to One, podcast interview
- “Women in Entertainment,” Resisters Journal (blog), write-up of American Academy of Dramatic Arts event
- “5 Must Read Books About Female Filmmakers,” In Their Own League, included in 5 Books on Female Filmmakers reading roundup
- “LIVE!: The Wrong Kind of Women with Naomi McDougall Jones,” Pink Among Men, podcast interview
- “Actress, writer, and producer Naomi McDougall Jones - women in Hollywood,” Brave Space with Cecile Lipworth (Santa Fe, NM), live interview
- “Naomi McDougall Jones and the exclusion of women in Hollywood,” Conversations with Jeff Schectman, interview
- “With The Wrong Kind of Women, Naomi McDougall Jones Makes the Case for Gender Parity in the Film Industry,” Third Coast Creatives, blog write-up
- “The Wrong Kind of Women and Why I Never Knew I Was One Until Now,” Screenwriting Ain’t For Sissies, blog write-up
- “Naomi McDougall Jones,” The WROTE Podcast, podcast interview
- “The Wrong Kind Of Women: Inside Our Revolution To Dismantle The Gods Of Hollywood,” Rising Up with Sonali/KPFK, interview
- “February 2020 Reads for the Rest of Us,” Ms. Magazine, listed in February 2020 reading roundup
- “The Revolution to Dismantle the Gods of Hollywood,” Shondaland, Q&A
- “‘The Wrong Kind of Women:’ The Barriers Facing Women Trying to Create in Hollywood,” All of It/WNYC (NPR NYC), live interview
- “Oscars So Male: Actor And Activist Naomi McDougall Jones On The Challenges Women In Hollywood Face,” Georgia Public Broadcasting/On Second Thought, interview
- “Naomi McDougall Jones, Proudly the Wrong Kind of Woman,” Aspen Magazine, feature
- “Actress, activist and author Naomi McDougall Jones discusses her ‘revolution to dismantle the gods of Hollywood,’” The Aspen Times, Q&A
- “When Hollywood’s Power Players Were Women,” The Atlantic, adapted excerpt
- “The 2020 Oscar Nominations Prove That Hollywood Still Hasn’t Seen Through the Smoke,” Literary Hub, op-ed
- “The ‘Confidence Gap’ Isn’t Holding Back Women in Film—the Industry Is,” Ms. Magazine, excerpt
- “There’s a reason why stars call out Hollywood in Oscars speeches — and why others stay silent,” Salon, excerpt
- “Returning Our Heads: Inside the Fight to Dismantle the (White) Gods of Hollywood,” Bitch Magazine, excerpt
- “It’s Time to Stop Watching the Oscars,” Ms. Magazine, op-ed
- “Women Used To Run Hollywood. Why Are They Still Fighting For The Spotlight?” CultureShift/WDET Radio (Detroit NPR), interview