A film producer in Los Angeles has started tweeting the one-note introductions to female characters in order to show how sexist and cliché the industry really is.
Despite having posted less than 50 tweets, Ross Putman already has just under 60,000 followers on his Twitter account @femscriptintros and the account, which is dedicated to exposing the ridiculous descriptions of female characters in movie scripts, is rapidly gaining in popularity.
Putman’s Twitter biography reads:
“Producer. These are intros for female leads in actual scripts I read. Names changed to JANE, otherwise verbatim. Update as I go. Apologies if I quote your work.”
Putnam posts the lines one by one and changes every single character’s name to Jane. Recent examples of his tweets include:
“JANE stands next to it (30s) dressed in a paramedic’s uniform — blonde, fit, smokin’ hot.”
“JANE (late 20s) sits hunched over a microscope. She’s attractive, but too much of a professional to care about her appearance.”
Although the description of each female character differs from another, each description lays blatant emphasis on the character’s physical beauty.
The film producer has spoken out about his decision to begin tweeting the character notes, stating:
“Over time, I started to just notice that there were so many scripts engaging in this casual misogyny. It was a pattern.”
Putnam lays bare the blatant sexism and stereotyping that occurs within the film industry and demonstrates the sleazy way in which female characters are portrayed.
Putnam says in reference to the character notes:
“She’s attractive first, intelligent second. Second of all, why do we need to say that? It doesn’t help you describe a character. It’s just vague, bad writing. But it’s also subtly sexist.”
JANE, 17–ripe with young womanhood, lustrous dark skin and flashing eyes–hurries through the crowd.
— Ross Putman (@femscriptintros) February 17, 2016
JANE. Mid-twenties, of indeterminate ethnicity, an ice-cold beauty.
— Ross Putman (@femscriptintros) February 15, 2016
JANE (20’s), a neighborhood girl with fuck me eyes for him.
— Ross Putman (@femscriptintros) February 13, 2016
JANE – his wife, 30’s, beautiful, wearing lingerie – applies lipstick in front of a mirror, making it into an erotic show.
— Ross Putman (@femscriptintros) February 12, 2016
As we get closer we see that JANE is an attractive girl, but a little worn out looking at the moment.
— Ross Putman (@femscriptintros) February 12, 2016
JANE pours her gorgeous figure into a tight dress, slips into her stiletto-heeled fuck-me shoes, and checks herself in the dresser mirror.
— Ross Putman (@femscriptintros) February 10, 2016
His wife JANE is making dinner and watching CNN on a small TV. She was model pretty once, but living an actual life has taken its toll.
— Ross Putman (@femscriptintros) February 10, 2016
A gorgeous woman, JANE, 23, is a little tipsy, dancing naked on her big bed, as adorable as she is sexy. *BONUS PTS FOR BEING THE 1ST LINE
— Ross Putman (@femscriptintros) February 10, 2016
JANE, 28, athletic but sexy. A natural beauty. Most days she wears jeans, and she makes them look good.
— Ross Putman (@femscriptintros) February 10, 2016
Image by Old Hollywood Daily.
