Here’s a screenshot from Entertainment Weekly’s piece on Pixels, a movie that blends 1980s videogame nostalgia with the “men who failed to launch tap into their thwarted potential and become heroes” trope. Note the difference between the headline and the picture:
Three names in the headline, four people in the picture, and whaddaya know — they skipped the chick’s name. It’s not that she’s an unknown — she’s Michelle Monaghan, who’s been in Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Gone Baby Gone, Made of Honor, The Heartbreak Kid, Eagle Eye, Source Code, and True Detective.
She’s probably more recognizable than Josh Gad, who’s better known for his stage work (he was Elder Arnold in The Book of Mormon) and best known for his voice work — as Olaf the snowman in Frozen. Adam Sandler’s career of late has seen him in more turkeys than Stove-Top stuffing. Michelle Monaghan rates a mention in the headline, but doesn’t get one because an editor at EW is subconsciously following Peter Griffin’s maxim: “Women are not people. They are devices built by our Lord Jesus Christ for our entertainment.”
3 replies on “Entertainment Weekly shows a picture with four stars, skips the woman’s name in the headline because women are irrelevant”
Actually, the more likely answer is that Michelle’s character doesn’t actually “battle” anyone in the movie. She’s assisting them in the fight as a weapons expert (as mentioned in the article), while the three “nerds” are the ones doing battle.
I don’t disagree that women often get overlooked by Hollywood, but I think the text of this headline is more about accuracy than sexism.
You one up Entertainment Weekly by referring to her as a “chick”. Congrats.
Dave: And you failed to detect the sarcasm. Congrats!
I shall now change into my superhero costume: