Through starring in one of the best sitcoms of all time, Parks and Recreation, as well as her directorial work and podcast, Amy Poehler has demonstrated the importance of leading women taking charge. However, she's also been given studio notes regarding whether men will care about the work she's doing. Now, she's shared her strong take on that note and creating work that's by and for women.
Oftentimes, men are treated like the default audience with the assumption that women’s stories do not have universal appeal. Amy Poehler made sure to illustrate that point to Viola Davis on an episode of Good Hang by recalling the studio note she once got about whether men would care about her work:
‘Will men care?’ ‘Will men care about this project?’ It's like, 'I don't know.'... I bet there was a lot of discussion about like 'We want to make sure men show up' and it's like, 'Do we? Do we want to make sure men show up?' Maybe they don't come to this one. How about we make one for us?'
The Baby Mama star couldn’t be more accurate. While it’s understandable to want to make a project that appeals to a broad audience, there are also plenty of movies that are clearly catered toward men. Seeing as women make up the other half of the population, projects should be made for them too. On top of that, movies and shows made by and for both men and women can appeal to anyone; it's not exclusive.
Article continues belowOn the podcast episode, Viola Davis also spoke about notes she's gotten. While making her 2022 movie The Woman King, she was told, “less dirt, more lipstick.” With the historical drama being the true story of the female Agojie warriors who stood together to fight oppression, we need more movies about women supporting women to show that female unity, courage, and leadership are important stories to tell.
Poehler's Parks and Rec character, Leslie Knope, was a kickass female lead, too. Her iconic TV quote of how “it’s time for more women to be in charge” certainly left a mark on me, and the show features tons of examples of her celebrating female friendships and dealing with misogyny and people underestimating her.
Not only did Amy Poehler make a splash starring in one of the best sitcoms in NBC history, but she also created the foundation Smart Girls, which helps young women approach their problems with humor. Its YouTube channel has over 136K subscribers.
The comedic actress also said that when it came to her directorial works, Wine Country and Moxie, she wanted to spend time telling stories that matter to her. Notably, both movies star an ensemble of female characters who navigate friendship and personal growth together.
Amy Poehler's work has proven that people (not just women) care about stories that are led by and made for women. Just look at the success of shows like Parks and Rec and movies like Mean Girls. Now, seeing as she is the co-creator of the upcoming Peacock series Dig, which is about four female archeologists, it looks like her days of creating ensemble female projects are far from over. If male audiences are willing to give the new comedy series a chance, it could once again prove that projects that are led by women are more than capable of generating universal appeal.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
