News Archive
Girls Can Be Anything, Just Not President
“The fact is, seeing women in power matters. According to a survey by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media even viewing a female president on screen — that is, in television dramas and comedies — made people 68 percent more likely to vote for a female president. In real life, Mrs. Clinton’s candidacy prompted a quarter of girls ages 14 to 17 to say they were more likely to seek positions of leadership, according to a national online Pollfish poll conducted by The New York Times. As President Obama put it, “Her candidacy and nomination was historic and sends a message to our daughters all across the country that they can achieve at the highest levels of politics.” Of course, on Wednesday after her defeat, Mrs. Clinton got up, put on her pantsuit, and kept on plugging. She didn’t sulk, or throw a fit, complain, or blame anybody else. She was gracious, humble, and professional. And no doubt she’ll keep fighting. Because that’s what women do.” Read More…
The Exorcist’s Geena Davis on the Show’s Game-Changing Reveal and What’s Next
Unholy mother of twists! In its October 21 episode, The Exorcist dropped two head-spinning shockers: Geena Davis’s Angela Rance is actually the grown Regan MacNeil, the possessed tween Linda Blair played in the 1973 horror classic, and at the final moment, Cagney & Lacey’s Sharon Gless arrived as Regan’s movie-star mother, Chris (played by Ellen Burstyn in the original film). Davis, in her first leading TV role since ABC’s Commander in Chief a decade ago, opens up about her character’s long-held secret and what fresh hell is about to be unleashed now that Angela/Regan’s demonically afflicted daughter, Casey (Hannah Kasulka), has escaped from her own exorcism. Read More…
Women’s portrayal in media could influence elections, women in government
In the 50 years leading up to 2014, 63 of 142 countries studied by the World Economic Forum have had a female head of government or state, according to the Pew Research Center. The U.S. is not one of those countries, and the media’s representation of women leaders could be to blame. An example of the media’s portrayal of women leadership takes form in ABC’s former television show, “Commander in Chief.” Actress Geena Davis, often equated with well-known movies such as “A League of Their Own” and “Beetlejuice,” also starred in the lesser-known, short-lived television show. Read More…
Geena Davis Partners with Teenage Tech Entrepreneur to Create Girl Empowerment Emoji’s with Sound
During the Global Symposium on Gender in Media at Google, teen entrepreneur Mercer Henderson, Founder of the popular sound based emoji keyboard Audiots and Geena Davis’ Institute at Mount Saint Mary’s University, announced a collaboration that would drive greater awareness to Generation Z by leveraging emojis to inspire girls to pursue their dreams. As a 13 year old teenager, Henderson sees everyday the impact that the media has on her friends and their self esteem. She recognizes that the number one issue amongst teen girls is body and self image. Read More…
The Geena Davis Institute is participating in the LA2050 Grants Challenge
With your vote, we could win $25,000 to help empower girls and create a more gender-balanced media landscape. Please VOTE today…
Why Media Representation Matters for Women in Banking
“If she can see it, she can be it.” Geena Davis announces a new effort to encourage women and girls to enter financial services while speaking at the Most Powerful Women in Banking gala in New York. Her institute on Gender in Media will conduct research in partnership with American Banker and sponsored by Zions Bank. Watch Video…
Selfies, Short Films, The Geena Davis Institute And The Media’s Effect On Self Esteem For Girls: Dr Barbara Becker Holstein, Psychologist, Filmmaker, Brings It All Together
“Geena Davis’s work is vitally important on many levels,” Dr. Holstein stated. “It isn’t enough to present programming to youngsters that is ‘safe’ and perhaps educational. Not if there are fewer characters who are female than male and not if the female characters have less important information to share or are stereotyped.” Read More…
Geena Davis: Women Face ‘Unconscious Bias’ in Banking, Media
What can bankers in formal wear learn from an actress who made her name in Hollywood playing a free-spirited, Thunderbird-driving outlaw? Quite a bit, it turns out. Speaking Thursday at American Banker’s annual Most Powerful Women in Banking dinner, Geena Davis — star of the 1991 film “Thelma & Louise” — said that the way women in banking are portrayed on film affects their career trajectory. It’s an issue of “unconscious bias.” Read More…
2017 Bentonville Film Festival Submissions Now Open
Submissions are now open and will close in late January 2017. Next year’s festival will be held May 2-7, 2017 and we could not be more excited! This year we are expanding faster than ever with a few new categories. In addition to narrative and documentary feature-length films, we are now accepting submissions for short films, commercials and episodic content. Read More…
‘The Exorcist’: Oscar winner Geena Davis could contend at Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards
Geena Davis returns to series television on Fox’s “The Exorcist.” This marks her first regular role since playing the eponymous character in ABC’s “Commander in Chief” from 2005 to 2006. Despite that drama’s troubled production — three show runners over 18 episodes — and swift cancellation, Davis was roundly acclaimed for her commanding performance, winning the Golden Globe for Best Drama Actress and earning nominations from the Emmys and Screen Actors Guild Awards. It was no breakout role for Davis though, as she was already an Academy Award winner for “The Accidental Tourist” (Best Supporting Actress, 1988) and nominee for “Thelma & Louise” (Best Actress, 1991). Read More…
