Why Do We Support the Myth That Women Can’t Get Along?

Brava, Jessica Chastain! Apparently, some media outlets are attempting to manufacture a feud between Chastain and her fellow Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence. Catfight! Chastain responded to the rumors on her Facebook fan page, which I’m going to quote at length via The Hollywood Reporter:

I find it very sad that the media makes up bogus stories about women fighting in this industry. Filming The Help was the most amazing experience and yet, that is the film I’m most asked about in regards to ‘fighting on set.’ Why do we support the myth that women are competitive and cannot get along?

 

I think all of the actresses recognized this year have given incredible performances. But more important, they’ve all shown themselves to be filled with generosity and kindness. I’ve done two photo shoots with Jennifer Lawrence over the years and have found her to be utterly charming and a great talent. I’ve told her how beautiful her film work is.

 

Please don’t allow the media to perpetuate the myth that women aren’t supportive of each other. Every time an actress is celebrated for her great work, I cheer. For the more brilliant their performance, the more the audience demands stories about women. With support and encouragement, we help to inspire this industry to create opportunities for women. And as we all know: a great year for women in film, is just a great year for film.

Combined with Anne Hathaway’s fantastic response to Matt Lauer’s “creepshot” question, this is shaping up to be a good year for female celebrities calling out stupid media narratives.

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Hi, I'm Rachel Marcy. I grew up in rural Massachusetts and received a degree in International Relations from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. I love studying history and writing about feminism, politics, and culture. I currently live in Los Angeles. I named my blog Ripening Reason because it keeps me thinking and learning--ripening, you could say. You can contact me at bix [at] ripeningreason [dot] com. Please comment! And please keep it civil and refrain from the use of language that insults or degrades.