Thelma & Louise

SUSAN SARANDON AND GEENA DAVIS LIVE UP TO THEIR THELMA & LOUISE CHARACTERS

We’re betting that Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis had no idea back in 1991 that their film Thelma & Louise would become a symbol of the women’s movement in the future. Their emancipated characters are beloved by women to this day. So it make sense that the Women in Motion organization, which aims to shine a light on women’s contributions to cinema, would screen that film for their event at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Both Susan and Geena are activists for women’s rights and in 2004 Geena founded the Institute on Gender In Media that researches gender representation in media.

Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA

TOO BAD GEENA DAVIS DIDN’T WEAR FLAT SHOES TO THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

Geena Davis looks happy as she leaves the Cannes Film Festival where she and her Thelma & Louise costar Susan Sarandon were honored for their contributions to the film industry. The movie was screened to celebrate its 25th anniversary. By the way, Geena is founder of an institute dedicated to studying gender in media and researching the imbalance of females in the film industry. We wonder if she was aware of the festival’s HIGH HEELS ONLY red carpet policy. Last year, women in flat shoes were turned away from the event. Another noteworthy and insulting IMBALANCE in the treatment of females.

Photo Credit: Pacific Coast News

GEENA DAVIS (“THELMA”) REMINDED US “YOU GET WHAT YOU SETTLE FOR!”

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Little did we realize that “Thelma & Louise” star Geena Davis has turned out to be an adamant feminist – and she’s DOING SOMETHING about the under-representation of women in movies. Geena established the Institute on Gender in Media to track the statistics of how women are portrayed in media. At a very early age we discovered that most comic books were about BOYS adventures and movies for kids were also boy driven. Geena realized this when she had a daughter of her own. She points out that the imbalance of men to women in entertainment has been the same since 1946! For example, in any crowd scene in a family movie, only 17 percent of the people are female! Naturally, the majority of speaking characters are also male. And it’s accepted as the norm. Geena’s institute gathers all the appalling statistics and we love her for it. How can little girls grow up feeling equal or superior to men if they aren’t exposed to good examples? Cheers for “Thelma!”

MICHAEL MADSEN: THIS IS WHAT SUBSTANCE ABUSE CAN DO TO YOU

We recall the first time we saw Michael Madsen in the early 90’s in “Thelma & Louise” – he was spectacular as an Elvis-lookalike tough guy with a heart of gold. He went on to do movies like “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill” plus the fabulous “Species” series. What happened? This week he was arrested after a confrontation with his teenage son where he took away the kid’s marijuana. He was described by police as “intoxicated.” Madson has had other embarrassing incidents involving substance abuse over the past few years. But this mug shot startled us – it rivals Nick Nolte’s. Michael Madsen is blonde? – apparently he’s Scandinavian and his sister Virginia Madsen is blonde too. Little did we know….

LOOKIN’ GOOD: THELMA AND LOUISE 20 YEARS LATER

What woman alive at the time, doesn’t fondly remember seeing and loving Thelma & Louise, about two women who escaped their male-dominated lives. Especially gratifying was the scene where Thelma blew away the would–be rapist in the roadhouse parking lot. It was a great movie about women, written BY a woman, Callie Khouri. Certainly that cross country spree in a 1966 Thunderbird convertible inspired many road trips to follow. The 1991 film just celebrated its 20 year anniversary with a screening in Toronto and stars Susan Sarandon, 64, and Geena Davis, 55, both showed up for the celebration.