Older women want more sex on screen

By: Akshata Rao

Picture Courtesy: Xavier Buaillon

According to results of a poll conducted by the UK Film Council 61% of women of 4,315 surveyed, aging between 50-75 want more focus on the portrayal of their sexual desire in films. The survey states that older women want to see more of their sexual desire depicted in films, while black and gay people would like to see less of a focus on theirs.

Most women said they were comfortable with older women being seen as attractive to younger men. Seven in 10 also felt that their group was generally under-represented in films. They also said that younger women are being glamorised.

The survey highlighted a series of stereotypes and imbalances in films, with 80% of black respondents also believing films contained too many black drug dealers, and 74% calling for more superheroes who are not white males. Almost three-quarters of eastern Europeans who participated pointed to a tendency to portray them as poor, while 74% of Asian respondents said films failed to represent their culture authentically.

The release of the survey’s findings is expected to be one of the last acts of the UK Film Council, which is on the verge of closure. Its funding responsibilities will be transferred to other bodies on April 1, 2011, following the abolition decision announced by the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt last July.

Mary FitzPatrick, head of diversity at the UK Film Council said, “Film has the ability to change behaviour and shift opinion. The figures speak for themselves in demonstrating there is a real opportunity for the industry to more accurately portray these groups in film. This research will form an important part of the UK Film Council’s legacy and will help make a powerful and dynamic change to the way in which diverse groups are portrayed in film going forward.”

Posted in: Film