MovieChat Forums > In a World... (2013) Discussion > Feminism

Feminism

posted 10 years ago by emilynteresting
22 replies | jump to latest

I like this honest modern take on the plight of women in (virtually all) career paths. Specifically, that she wasn't chosen because she was necessarily the best for the job, but because of the movement to gain equal respect for women should they be the best in the future. Super cool and real.

But, on that feminism-is-confusing note, I'm not sure how I feel about her wanting to change those baby stripper voices. Shouldn't women just be themselves? Isn't there something to be said about diversity? If you force all women to be a certain way, even if it is less annoying, isn't that by definition oppressively anti-feminist? See the 30 Rock episode "TGS Hates Women" for more on this topic.

This seems like a topic not conducive to IMDB, what am I even doing here.

[–] yellowgum900 10 years ago

But as she said, who wants a sexy baby defending them in court? It's about professionalism, you have to be a certain way in the work place. You can wear nothing but booty shorts and stripper heels on your down time but in the work place you need to look like a professional. Look like a professional, act like a professional and sound like a professional.

[–] motherofboys247-448-265139 10 years ago

Agreed. In the same way you wouldn't want "surfer dude" to defend you in court.

[–] LordLustworthy 10 years ago

Even Margaret Thatcher went to vocal coaches before seeking to head her party and becoming prime minister.
One of the few interesting parts of the bore that was The Iron Lady.

Plus, the making-statements-sound-like-questions thing has got to stop.

Arab-American Heroes: Suq Madiq Munchma Quchi - The Colbert Report

[–] naletof 10 years ago

I think you definitely have a point.
The baby-voice and making statements sound like questions may be an extreme example, but I think we also need to examine what 'professionalism' entails. Many traits people think of when it comes to professionalism fit in well with gender norms for men, so naturally, more men will be perceived as professional as long as that is how we view it. It's about culture.

Not so long ago a voice wasn't deemed professional just by the fact that it belonged to a woman. When Sweden had its first female newsreader in the radio in the 1920's, people phoned the station and complained that a woman was wrong for the job, since her voice reminded them of their female teachers in grade school...

"Do you like me more than you don't like me or do you not like me more than you do?"

[–] fourthwall1-2 10 years ago

It's to galvanize women to hate hate women. Shaming them to be more like a specific woman.

[–] rollerskater61 10 years ago

Please. Your comment doesn't ring true. She's not shaming these women, she's offering them a chance to better themselves, to sound like grown women instead of, like, you know, thirteen year olds? Carol is all about decency and not about shaming.

Darling, nothing is final 'til you're dead, and even then, I'm sure God negotiates.

[–] chicago85 10 years ago

Its not just women/ Remember "My Fair Lady"? Well there is a demand for voice coaches in England. They still have class bias. I remember someone saying when an Englishman opens his mouth, another Englishman hates him/or her. That's because they can detect your region and class background. Its okay for Michael Caine to have a cockney accent but they don't want it in a CEO.

I don't know everything. Neither do you.

[–] rollerskater61 9 years ago

Oh please.

[–] bootblack987 10 years ago

I'm not sure how I feel about her wanting to change those baby stripper voices.

Sexy baby voices are not real. The are affectations. On the DVD of this movie is a deleted scene where Lake Bell's character does a vocal exercise with a "sexy baby-voiced" woman and the end result is that this woman discovers her true voice and realizes she has been using a fake voice all along thinking it would make her more desirable. So Lake Bell's character is wanting women to be their true selves. She is not trying to change them into something that they are not.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] JayCeezy 10 years ago

"A voice is an instrument, but it is also a choice."

The whole movie, btw, smacked of 1982 and "FEMINISM!" Right down to the recording studios, with the sound engineers and directors and technicians (they don't exist anymore, voice professionals can do it all themselves with Guitar Hero and an ISDN line in their spare bedroom). My guess is the script had been an idea for a very long time, and it took awhile for Lake Bell to get the skills, and financial backing, to make this very nice story. I did like it quite a bit.

[–] willard86 9 years ago

There is a recording studio in the city where I live, and I have a friend who works there. Artists still use studios.

[–] JayCeezy 9 years ago

Completely missed the point, you are not pointing out anything fresh, and this is a movie about VOICE ARTISTS (not music artists which might need a place to create). Check out voice artists on YouTube, you will see them working from home on a kitchen table or in spare bedroom. There are whole websites dedicated to Voice Artists and their community, there are classes and workshops to learn and improve the trade for those who aspire, and 99% of those who do aspire never make a full-time living. There are five people tops, at any one time, who do voice work.

And ask your "friend" about voice artists and how often they use his studio.

[–] CoyDog 10 years ago

High pitched voices are often an affectation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world... but for Wales?

[–] Bruno-Diaz 10 years ago

I don't really like the way you started your post if I'm perfectly honest, this idea of women's plight in virtually all career paths. Mainly because this is about a very specific career path. Men dominate the trailer voice-over role because the deep powerful commanding voice works best for what they try to do. This is why this "Shouldn't women just be themselves?" question feels a little out of place in a way, because the men in this film - and industry - aren't being themselves either
You say "If you force all women to be a certain way, even if it is less annoying, isn't that by definition oppressively anti-feminist?" It isn't anti-feminist to say that women should do something in a particular way if men are having to do the exact same thing. Some things just have to be done in a certain way. As someone else has said, you have to be professional.
For an example that has nothing to do with anything, I've never flown and if I did I would want a strong commanding voice to be telling me what was happening because it would install confidence in me. If the 'baby stripper' voice was talking to me from the cockpit, I wouldn't have that same confidence. But if the voice that Carol used for her final trailer work was what I heard, that would be alright. It isn't anti-feminist to think that the way some women do something isn't as good as how others do it.
Sorry if any of that sounds jumbled up, it's hard to explain properly.
If any of that felt like I was being harsh, I'll even it out by saying that I just looked properly at your username, and it is brilliant.

On the note of feminism in this film though, Lake Bell writes, directs and stars in this film in which a women beats two more experienced men to get a job... But at no point did I feel like this film was trying to throw a 'feminist' story at me. THAT is a major success in my book.
A problem that a lot of feminist things - films, books, articles, websites - have is that feminism is being forced upon me which takes away from the message they're trying to say because it is being overshadowed.
So I just say bravo to Lake Bell for that.

"God, when I meet you, I'm gonna be pretty. If it's the last thing I do. I'll be a beautiful angel."

[–] nilsimsek 10 years ago

But at no point did I feel like this film was trying to throw a 'feminist' story at me. THAT is a major success in my book.

oh wow no, that would be disgusting... ew f*minism