"Thelma and Louise" Star Advocates Gender Equality In The Media

Geena Davis visits American University, Oct. 18, 2014. The Academy Award winner speaks to students, parents and faculty about her illustrious career. (Photo credit American University Student Government)

“I had this unshakable, idiotic faith that I was going to be in the movies,” Geena Davis recalled of the time her three-year-old self told her parents she wanted to be an actor. The academy award winner visited American University Friday, Oct. 18. In an event presented by the American University Student Government, Davis spoke to students, parents and faculty about how her diverse career in the entertainment industry has led her to advocate for women in the media.

“I’m still really the same dorky kid that I was when I was growing up,” Davis assured the audience as she took to the podium. It seems hard to believe considering this woman has played the first female president in “Commander in Chief,” one of the world’s best female baseball players in “A League of Their Own” and most recently a fetal surgeon on “Grey’s Anatomy.” Perhaps the role Davis is most famously known for is Thelma, in “Thelma and Louise” which Davis says was a pivotal experience for her. Playing Thelma, Davis realized her passion for advocating for women and girls in the media.

So much so that Davis founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media. As an actor she is acutely aware of how few great roles there are for women. Davis especially noticed that there seemed to be fewer female characters than male characters in movies and television created for children. “We should be showing kids that girls and boys share the sandbox equally,” Davis said. In the fictitious worlds that are created for children there is only about a 17 percent female presence. “I had no idea it was that low,” said Rachel Scalzo, a sophomore at American University, “It’s not an issue I think about a lot.”

In a world that is half female, Davis presents a frightening statistic. Davis’ institute is producing the most research ever done on the topic of female underrepresentation in content created for children. “We need to dramatically improve how women and girls are portrayed to children 11 and under,” said Davis of her mission. Her crusade does seem to be working. Davis and her institute have been taking their findings directly to the creators of content for children. Once they hear what a negative message they are putting out, Davis has found that they are eager to make a change. “It’s an offbeat niche,” said another American University sophomore, Ji Won Shin, “But it’s nice to hear the higher-ups are actually listening!”