Female Creativity Is Being Thwarted By Men To Claim As Their Own

The developing trope in pop culture that has led to numerous women’s potential being stunted. By Magdalen Manning

A festering atmosphere of exploitation has been brewing since the dawn of Hollywood, it is only highlighted in a post-pandemic world, due to the discourse created via social media, that the realities of the industry are being exposed on a mass platform. Especially due to the current Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Earlier this year the release of HBO’s highly anticipated new show The Idol, starring a blockbuster cast including Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye, Lily Rose Depp and Blackpink’s Jennie, raised a few concerned eyebrows. Originally due to release in 2021, the apparent absence of the show was what first peaked interests. Then came the announcement that original director, Amy Seimetz, had exited the show after 80% of filming had been completed, according to cast and crew.

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The reasoning behind Seimetz’s exit? Tesfaye’s distaste in her ‘feminist lens’ and his desire to instead steer the script in a different direction, allegedly centring more around his character. According to the Rolling Stone, what was an eye-opening story into the exploitation of women in the music industry quickly developed into a “twisted torture porn”. Brought more predominantly onto the scene was Euphoria’s director Sam Levinson, exaggerating what was already a chaotic set, heightening the nudity and adding rape fantasies.

But the story doesn’t stop there. Levinson’s use of female nudity has been questioned before, particularly in his breakthrough hit Euphoria. In a show depicting the troubles of teenagers Levinson often favoured topless scenes leading to one cast member Sydney Sweeney, who depicts Cassie, questioning whether it was really necessary.

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Queries into Levinson’s genius have also been asked. In an interview with Punkt in early 2023, Canadian photographer Petra Collins exclaimed that the Euphoria director had stolen her entire aesthetic and artistic vision. Collins described how she had moved to LA for 5 months after Levinson invited her on set to work alongside him. During this time, she was heavily involved in the show before ultimately being told by HBO executives that she was too young, and they would not hire her. Following on, she was shocked when she discovered the network had continued to use her visuals after finding a Euphoria billboard outside of her apartment.

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The people who know of the situations between Levinson, Seimetz and Collins are left wondering what could have been. A climate that desperately needs a fresh, authentic female perspective in the industry could have greatly benefitted from Seimetz and Collins versions of The Idol and Euphoria, instead we were left with one show cancelled after one season, and another that has a lost plot leaving many disinterested.

With two recounts of Levinson stealing women’s ideas and art alone it begs the question, how many other creative females have their ideas, projects and more taken away from them? And what can we do to change this?