In Defense of the Chick Flick

I really do loathe the term“chick flick.” That said, I will not let that prevent me from my post today, which is a brief defense of said genre. In the last few days there has been a spate of criticism (including today’s column from Kevin Maher in today's Times Online) regarding romantic comedies and chick flicks, led by the recent releases of Bride Wars, and the forthcoming Confessions of a Shopaholic and He’s Just Not That Into You. Before the Hollywood clitterati go on a rampage whereby we are ready to burn at the stake the writers and execs churning out this so-called this drivel - let me make an impassioned plea for some perspective.

Let’s put these comedies into context, shall we? While Maher claims that “for every smart-thinking Bridget Jones, Legally Blonde or Devil Wears Prada there appeared a slew of movies that appealed to the genre's baser instincts… 27 Dresses, Made of Honor, License to Wed and What Happens in Vegas.” Let’s compare this to a comprehensive selection of male driven comedies released last year: Tropic Thunder, Yes Man, Step Brothers, You Don’t Mess With The Zohan, Pineapple Express, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Harold and Kumar. Hancock, The Love Guru, Witless Protection – in terms of offering flattering representations of men, this pretty much spans the gamut. You may look at the success of Bride Wars or Paul Blart and make a good argument about the dumbing down of American comedic tastes, but I’m not convinced there’s a gender gap here.

Let’s face it, the real problem isn’t these movies – rather it’s the dearth of female leads and storylines in genres OTHER than chick flicks and romantic comedies. I think this IS a problem – a huge one. There’s a real lack of movies featuring female stars that don’t happen to be have storylines driven exclusively by female interests (i.e. men, shopping, and getting married). Women do not occupy the lead role in films across genres (actions, thrillers, dramas, superhero movies) with any regularity (as Jezebel's post on the Bechdel Rule reminded us) This is a tragedy.

I do worry that when we call for an end to chick flicks, we risk that chick flicks (be they good, bad, or ugly) will get a shrinking piece of the studio’s financial pie, and that I don’t want to see fewing women on screen, even if it means eduring the bad along with the good. The good ones are worth it!! So let’s not galvanize the Industry to kill the genre entirely just because of a one (or two, or three) movies that spoil the bunch.