Writer/director/producer Jill Soloway, best known for the show Transparent, starring Jeffrey Tambor and Gabby Hoffman, gave a rockin’ speech last night to the AFI Directing Workshop for Women. Her words could almost be a battle cry if they didn’t include so much humor. Here are our favorite quotes.
1. “Let’s sue Hollywood! Sue ’em all! Sue those motherf***ers!”
During her address to the packed audience at AFI in Hollywood, Soloway riled up the women in the audience. She mentioned that the ACLU is looking into hiring practices in Hollywood and rallied the women to get litigious.
2. “Rub your shame all over your script.”
By “shame,” we can only think Soloway meant pain or our darkest secrets. After all, how much more interesting would TV and movies be if writers and directors really did that?
More:7 Things in Mad Max: Fury Road make it way more feminist than the original
3. “Tear those motherf***ers down, like vile lady-dogs.”
If someone had used the term “vile lady-dogs” in any other context, we think we might be offended. But here, it sounds awesome.
4. “If you can’t cry, you’re a liability.”
She also said you must cry at work, and to think of it as “bring your tears to work day.”
More:Amy Schumer shreds the sexist double standard in one genius skit (VIDEO)
5. “Shoot from your p****.”
We do have to admit there’s a lot more power in that area than, say, shooting from our hip.
6. “Don’t be like anyone else. Find your voice, your script, your rhythms.”
This is tough given that Hollywood likes to rely on movie ideas that have been successful, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to be original.
7. “Guys are holding on so tightly to male protagonism because it perpetuates male privilege.”
Though we never thought about it like that before, we think she’s totally right.
More:Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s film Sisters looks hilarious
8. “The only way things will change will be when we’re all wilder, louder, riskier, sillier, unexpectedly overflowing with surprise.”
This could be our new motto.
9. “Instead of waiting for these guys to change, instead, storm the gates, grab hands with each other, run like red rovers at the lifeguard chairs, snarl at the bases like wild starving beast dogs, boost each other up those watchtowers and pull those motherf***ers down.”
Soloway compared women working in film to dating a man, and there are some rules. She even pulled out dating book The Rules to help her complete the metaphor. We think it’s genius.
Leave a Comment