We know well the challenges of being in actress in Hollywood: the countless dull questions about diet and workout; the pay disparities between arguably less bankable male co-stars; being shuffled out of the limelight before hitting 40.
A new Tumblr wants you to know what it's like for women working behind the camera. Spoiler: It sounds pretty awful.
Shit People Say To Women Directors recently launched as an anonymous "collective diary" to document sexism, harassment and discrimination experienced by female film professionals in the entertainment business.
Women, according to these accounts, are regularly the subject of appalling commentary and behavior. From blunt sexual propositions to cavalier undermining and name-calling, it's no wonder there are fewer women in directorial, production and technical roles than men.
Among the 1,300 top-grossing films to show between 2002 and 2014, for example, only 4% of them were helmed by female directors, according to a recent analysis [PDF] commissioned by the Sundance Institute and Women in Film and conducted by University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism.
In a statement to Mashable, the blog's founders said they launched it as "kind of a crisis intervention."
"Our hope was for women to let off a little steam while shining a light on a pervasive problem," they said. "We figured at first we would just source stories from all of the women we are connected to in the business. What we did not anticipate, however, was the overwhelming amount of submissions we got from the public."
The creators are remaining anonymous because "the fear of retaliation is severe."
"Women have been cowed into silence over these issues for fear of being further shut out, marginalized and denied networking opportunities after being labeled 'whistleblowers' or 'difficult,'" they said.
One glimpse at the below examples of sexism, discrimination and harassment, and it's not hard to imagine why women insist on anonymity.
Warning: These posts contain graphic language.
1. How many stereotypes can you fit into one conversation?
2. Sexual harassment much?
3. The worst office politics.
4. Not funny.
5. Since when is it 1915?
6. Say my name.
7. Not safe for work.
Some men in the business couldn't stomach how terribly their female colleagues have been treated and voiced their support:
