Nicole Kidman: Hollywood Contributes To Violence Against Women

WASHINGTON — Nicole Kidman conceded Wednesday that Hollywood has probably contributed to violence against women by portraying them as weak sex objects.

The Oscar-winning actress said she is not interested in those kinds of demeaning roles, adding that the movie industry also has made an effort to contribute to solutions for ending the violence.

Kidman testified before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee that is considering legislation to address violence against women overseas through humanitarian relief efforts and grants to local organizations working on the problem.

Asked by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., if the movie industry has "played a bad role," Kidman said "probably," but quickly added that she herself doesn't.

"I can't be responsible for all of Hollywood but I can certainly be responsible for my own career," she said.

Kidman appeared before the committee in her role as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. Development Fund for Women, known as UNIFEM, to promote the International Violence Against Women Act.

"In the real world, the laws go unenforced and impunity is the norm," she said.

The legislation has stalled in the past, but a sponsor, Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., said he and others plan to reintroduce it soon.

The Australian star told Congress that the U.N. women's fund needs more resources. "We need the money," she said.

Before the hearing began, a crowd of people lined the hall and around the corner to hear her speak.

Comments

[pollon]

09:28 PM on 10/23/2009

She is gorgeous: http://www.actressscene.com/2009/10/nicole-kidman-video-from-fur-imaginary.html

[marijam]

12:13 PM on 10/23/2009

Slasher movies should be outlawed. They are obscene.

[superlive]

05:18 AM on 10/23/2009

I think Nicole was merely explaining the philosophical underpinnings of DOGVILLE (2003) to Congress.

[LovingHope]

02:22 AM on 10/23/2009

She is an awesome actor. I've always loved her performance. I'm proud of her for doing this.

[Ohsherri]

01:31 AM on 10/23/2009

How many times do we need to see a screaming woman...
running in the dark..wearing lingerie
and then being slaughtered?

[ChelseaC]

02:14 AM on 10/23/2009

I agree. Too much violence.

[popart]

01:08 AM on 10/23/2009

just about everything we hear and see contributes to the violence against women and that has existed since time began....women are the favorite victims of the male of the species....bring smaller weaker easy to dominate pysically...basically men are cowards and women are easy prey.

[olivesforbreakfast]

09:16 AM on 11/04/2009

agreed.

[klbrz]

09:12 PM on 10/22/2009

Yes, movies are just movies, and they can't make a person commit a violent act against another. However, people can become inured to seeing violence and its effects. And this is what Hollywood contributes to: the seeming commonplace, and eventually therefore, acceptable, daily occurrence of violence of all forms, in particular against women.

[seattle music]

09:12 PM on 10/22/2009

There is a world of difference between an accurately portrayed rape scene that is vital to moving forward the story line vs. a gratuitous bit of "rape porn".

The problem is, too few people in the film industry can tell the difference.

[noweknow]

10:16 PM on 10/22/2009

All directors know they have to show the money shot.

[jalowe1957]

05:54 PM on 10/22/2009

Want to know firsthand how Hollywood contributes to violence against women? Ask a domestic violence victim like Rhianna. Or watch a Eli Roth torture porn flick, if you want further proof.

[brady61995]

07:15 PM on 10/22/2009

everytime there is a prostitute in a movie or a stripper or a r.ape scene they are showing violence against women, there was a post earlier that says people need to realize that are just movies. I agree that people need to be responsible for their actions and they cant blame a movie for what they do. movies dont kill people do. when people act out scenes in movies and harm themselves or others its obvoius they have some sort of mental disorder and need help.

[AZIndependant]

07:53 PM on 10/22/2009

"movies dont kill people do"

Where have I heard that before...oh yea. Guns don't kill, people do.

[Scribe57]

10:56 PM on 10/22/2009

What does Rhianna have to do with this? If an employee of Burger King hits his girlfriend, do we now argue that Burger King contributes to violence against women? That's a pretty tenuous link.

Do you really think Chris Brown hit Rhianna because he saw it in a movie?

[brady61995]

09:23 AM on 10/23/2009

the point you are missing from the beginning of time men have controlled and beaten woman. in the united states a civilized country(haha) it still goes on, in other countries the its worse. What Nicole is saying is the media entertainment by showing this over and over in these movies mostly written by men makes it seem like its accepted and normal behavior which its not. The Chris Brown deal and all men that hit women need understand that its not ok to beat your woman for any reason ever, do you get it?

[CaWa]

04:23 PM on 10/22/2009

Classic republican bait and switch. The subcommittee is trying to have a serious discussion on violence against women and he uses it to score points against Hollywood.

There's not enough here to know, but it looks like she didn't fall for it and stayed on point!

[LMPE]

04:21 PM on 10/22/2009

I'd blame Rush Limbaugh more, given what he says about women.

[PWM]

06:16 PM on 10/22/2009

"Women were doing quite well in this country before feminism came along” - Rush

[rzan1]

12:03 AM on 10/23/2009

As if Rush knows or cares about how women are doing.

[jj]

04:13 PM on 10/22/2009

And THIS is the problem with having an actress talk about violence against women. It ends up as a sound bite about hollywood in the 'entertainment' section.

[LiberalBuzz]

03:42 PM on 10/22/2009

In a way she's right, but underneath it all, people HAVE to realize it's just a movie.

[brooklyncitizen]

10:41 PM on 10/22/2009

You're missing the point.
It creates and becomes part of our culture. Violent images and ideas are normalized and we become desensitized to them.

Similarly when we view something positive it can have a positive impact.

[Scribe57]

10:58 PM on 10/22/2009

So there was no violence before movies?

[brady61995]

03:11 PM on 10/22/2009

The Oscar-winning actress said she is not interested in those kinds of demeaning roles

eyes wide shut, billy bathgate and especially deal calm, i dont think you have helped much with these sorry. I had to turn off the r.ap.e scene in dead calm it was so violent.

[viewfromuphere]

11:20 PM on 10/22/2009

maybe that was the point.....rape is violent...

[rzan1]

12:09 AM on 10/23/2009

She made Dead Clam (intentional misspelling because I hated the movie) when she was 19 years old. She is now 40. I am sure she has evolved in 21 years.

[brady61995]

09:27 AM on 10/23/2009

i am sure she has and i have no problem with her. I am just saying its like a retired
p o r n star coming out against p o r n, the message is watered down when you have contributed to the cause,. Having Nicole speak out is a positive thing

[FCBarca]

02:22 PM on 10/22/2009

Great read and kudos to Kidman for leading the way