[ad_1]
For the second year in a row, the percentage of women in TV creative and lead camera roles has fallen, according to the latest Boxed In survey. study Released Thursday.
The report tracks more than 3,200 characters and more than 4,400 behind-the-scenes moments between 2023 and 2024 television In the study, authored by Dr. Marsha Lawson, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, she found that women make up just 23% of broadcast and streaming creators, down from 26% in 2022-23 and down from 30% the year before. On screen, women hold just 43% of speaking roles (main and minor), down from 44% the year before. As for major roles, women hold just 45% this year, down from 48% in 2022-23.
“The percentage of women as creators on TV series is now significantly lower than the all-time highs seen between 2019 and 2022. Their numbers have dropped dramatically, especially on broadcast network shows. In 2023-24, the percentage of women as creators on broadcast network dramas was only 2 percentage points higher than it was in 1997-1998, the first year of the study,” said Lawson, who has been researching female representation in television for more than 20 years. “The number of female characters on screen is closely tied to the gender ratio behind the scenes. When the percentage of female creators drops, the number of female characters drops.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, TV shows created by women also have significantly higher representation of women in other key behind-the-scenes roles. For example, among TV shows with at least one female creator, 30% of directors and 60% of writers were women. Among TV shows with only male creators, only 15% of directors and 17% of writers were women.
What viewers end up seeing on screen is equally depressing. According to the study, women make up half of the lead characters in shows with at least one female creator, compared to just 26% of shows with male creators. Additionally, female characters are significantly younger than their male counterparts. In fact, 51% of male characters in broadcast and streaming are 40 and older, compared to just 29% of female characters.
“Women start to disappear from television around age 40. A decade later, as men move from their 40s into their 50s, their numbers also decline. As a result, male characters are more likely to gain professional and personal power as they age,” Lawson added. “Viewers don’t necessarily realise this, but these patterns have prevailed since the project began collecting data in the late 1990s. It reinforces the idea that men remain compelling and vibrant after 40, while women do not.”
For 27 years, the Boxed In report has been analyzing on-screen portrayals and behind-the-scenes footage. The study provides one of the most comprehensive historical accounts of women’s representation and employment in television, monitoring more than 59,700 roles and more than 74,000 behind-the-scenes footage during that time.
[ad_2]
Source link
