Post 5: An Artist for the Ages

Women in the Media
Professor: Doris Cacoilo
5/6/17
Hussein Farraj

Here before us is a woman that isn't appreciated enough throughout the film world, who challenges controversial views and is a natural feminist. Born in Canada, educated in the UK, and spent most of her life in America. She is a writer, director, and an outstanding producer who works hands on with her actors. The only reason why I would know is because I grew up with her oldest daughter Ruby. Her name is Marry Harron and she started out in the seventies for Punk Magazine and then soon crushed it at an interview for the Late Night Show. Once she gained experience and made a few connections she started to make her own films. Here work tackles issues on violence towards women, men, and even lifestyles that are mostly pornographic to the public. Three works that she is really known for are American Pyscho, I Shot Andy Warhol, and The Notorious Bettie Page. Throughout her career Ms. Harron has been discriminated against in the film industry because of the white male domination it has on Hollywood.A great question by Linda Nochlin that says "Why have there been  

no great women artists?" Ms. Harron could answered this question through this article here by the Guardian Post. She states that women aren't given the same opportunities as men are and that it is sad that there are only 6% of women who are producers and 12% who are writers. Within American Pyshco Ms. Harron shows to the screen  a taste of male gaze and how men treated women during the eighties. Actor Christina Bale plays a Wall Street broker who treats women terribly, steals, commits many murders and does't get punished. American Pyscho gives out multiple meanings that people interpret positively or negatively. Personally, I thought one of the biggest messages Harron showed within American Pyshco is the typical  case that Christina Bale's (Patrick B.) skin color and status has made him untouchable to being prosecuted. "I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege". (Peggy McIntosh-Invisable) This holds true in many cases today from white male shooters like New Town and The Dark Night Shooters who have caused destruction but instead were found mentally insane. While if it was any other race they would be sent to prison or worse. Another issue shown was how in a scene Harron showed how Christina used women even if they were prostitutes. Within a scene Christina takes out a coat hanger and tells the two women that he isn't done yet. The camera then cuts to a scene of Christina giving money two the prostitutes as they are running out of his room. Online articles talk about this scene and many more of haw Christina Bale interpreting the  male gaze. Ms. Harrison has had criticism for her works and even had threats from people who find her work offensive. "In the cause of silence, each of us draws the face of her own fear-fear of contempt, of censure, or some judgement, or recognition, of challenge, of annihilation". (AudreLorde) Mary Harron takes these fears and throws them back at those who want her to fail(haters). Here is an article of how she dealt with criticism on American Pyshco, the meaning judgement is not an exist really works in her case. She knows in order to succeed in her industry she has to keep doing what she has started from the beginning and that is to keep exploring ideas of conflict and finding ways how the public will voluntarily see it.

Work Cited:

Websites:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/06/mary-harron-film
http://www.villagevoice.com/film/the-female-gaze-of-american-psycho-how-mary-harron-made-fantasy-into-timeless-satire-8707185
http://www.avclub.com/article/read-how-mary-harron-made-feminist-film-out-americ-237876
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09697250120087996?journalCode=cang20
Readings:
McIntosh, Peggy. "Unpacking the Knapsack of White Privilege."
Lorde, Audre. The Transformation of silence into language and Action