Why Aren't Women Getting More Directing Jobs?

In today's news that should surprise absolutely nobody, white men still get the majority of entry-level TV directing jobs, because despite its reputation for being full of bleeding heart liberals, Hollywood is notorious for being spectacularly sexist. This information comes from a survey conducted by the Director's Guild of America, which analyzed the demographics of the first-time TV directors from 2009 to 2014, Jezebel reports. Of everyone who got their first TV directing job during that time, a staggering 87 percent were white, and 82 percent were men. Women make up a little over 50 percent of the population in America, yet somehow only five percent of total directors in the film industry.It's not like it would be easy to completely dismantle Hollywood's long-standing tradition of gender inequality, as shown by the fact that only one female director was nominated for a Golden Globe this year, but the DGA's survey looked at first-time directors. All kinds of people attend film school, especially now that some schools have started taking measures to increase diversity, but these demographics are clearly not reflected in who gets hired. According to the AP, Betty Thomas, vice president of the DGA and director of John Tucker Must Die and 28 Days, puts it best:

"First-time TV directors are new to the game and come from all areas of the industry, including film school. So why is a woman or minority any less qualified than anybody else?"

DGA President Paris Barclay, who has directed episodes of Glee and The Good Wife, pointed out the implications this information has for the future, stating that unless women and minorities start getting hired at the entry level, "it'll be status quo from here to eternity." Depressing, but true. It may have been a good year for women indie films, but there's still a tragic lack of female representation in mainstream TV and movies. Until women and minorities start getting hired for jobs out of film school, it doesn't look like there's going to be meaningful change anytime soon.

Image: Fotolia; feministfilm/Tumblr