From the movies on the big screen to the songs in our earbuds, representation is imperative to the pop culture landscape. Representation creates space for dialogue and understanding, which has become increasingly important in today’s world as various identities find their voices.

As Artsweek’s all-female editor team, we wanted to take a moment to recognize and acknowledge our favorite female and LGBTQIA+ creators in media.

An Ode to Greta Gerwig

Nathan Villasenor / Daily Nexus

As a four-time Academy Award nominee (and one of only eight women nominated for Best Director), first female American director to serve as the jury president of the Cannes Film Festival and voice behind some of the most influential feminist movies of this generation, Greta Gerwig is a testament to how talent is talent, regardless of gender.

“Lady Bird” (2017)
Gerwig’s semi-autobiographical debut film, “Lady Bird,” follows the story of a Sacramento teenage girl coming into her own. Self-dubbed as “Lady Bird,” Christine McPherson (played by Saoirse Ronan) is everything that her mother wishes against and yet, “Lady Bird” does it anyway. She changes her name, dyes her hair pink, speaks out about what she believes in and goes head to head with the expectations of her Catholic school. She not only ignores her mother’s judgements but also rejects societal conformity and dances to music only she can hear.

“Little Women” (2019)
With a cast consisting of Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen, Meryl Streep and Laura Dern, “Little Women” had no option except to become a cult favorite amongst both literary junkies and the public. While each character exemplifies feminist ideals, Jo March and Amy March go beyond, and can be used in juxtaposition. Amy dreams of love and marriage, while Jo dreams of a career. Jo is nothing short of a sure-of-herself feminist. She puts her writing and career as an author above everything, even marriage, and despite Laurie telling her he loves her and begging for marriage, Jo resists. Women’s lives matter and women’s stories are important, something Jo consistently carries with her throughout the film.

Meanwhile, Amy, who wants nothing more than to find her other half, becomes more and more aware of her place in the world as a woman. Without any means to make her own money and the knowledge that any money she does make would belong to her husband, Amy tells Laurie (played by Timotheé Chalamet) that, for a woman, marriage equals social mobility: “So don’t sit there and tell me that marriage isn’t an economic proposition because it is. It may not be for you, but it most certainly is for me.”

The two of these characters side by side let the film’s message shine through. Yes, women can want things like marriage and a family, but that does not mean that they have to give up any sort of control over their own fates. Women should be the centers of their own stories, and are far more than capable of doing so.

“Barbie” (2023)
The highest-grossing movie by a female director, “Barbie” came into the world seeping with feminism. America Ferrera’s monologue in the film, which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, sums up the film’s theme: “It is literally impossible to be a woman.” Coupled with Billie Eilish’s Oscar award-winning track “What Was I Made For?” the film perfectly encapsulates what it means and how it feels to be a woman in the 21st century, all through something as seemingly superficial as a Barbie doll.

Stella Mullin, Artsweek Editor

“Preacher’s Daughter”: How Ethel Cain has revolutionized rock music

Jessie Zhu / Daily Nexus

Hayden Silas Anhedönia, better known by her stage name Ethel Cain, is one of the most unique artists in today’s music industry, from her immersive lyricism to her signature Gothic style. Born in Tallahassee, Florida to a Southern Baptist family, Anhedönia incorporates her background into her music, often exploring themes of Christianity and Southern Gothic.
Anhedönia came out as a transgender woman at the age of 20, something that her persona Ethel Cain represents. In an interview with Them magazine, the singer discusses how the character serves as a “subconscious manifestation of what I wanted out of my femininity,” and that Cain allowed her to feel more confident in her gender identity.
Anhedönia’s 2022 concept album “Preacher’s Daughter” tells the fictional story of Cain running away from her Christian family and community. Through Cain and “Preacher’s Daughter,” Anhedönia is able to depict religion and transgenerational trauma, along with exploring the concept of the American Dream. The album encapsulates a variety of dark and Gothic sounds, simultaneously ethereal and folksy with Americana undertones.
The artist’s distinct musical style and perspectives set her apart from other musicians. Anhedönia describes the Cain sound as one that represents female sexuality and rage, also saying to Them, “I want it to be the entire scope of what it’s like to be a woman scorned, especially as a trans woman.”

Lauren Chiou, Artsweek Editor

“Bottoms”: The Generation Z cult classic that offers a different kind of queer representation in film

Courtesy of Orion Pictures

“I’d rather just see gay characters being gay or queer, and not having that be the plot,” Emma Seligman said in an interview with Deadline. “I think they’re, like, as gay as possible, that’s their identity. You get that out of the way, and then you can just have a regular movie.”
Seligman’s film “Bottoms” does exactly that. From tall tales of juvie to bloody faces, “Bottoms” fully leans into the insanity of its characters’ personalities and portrays an accurate depiction of what it means to be a horny high school teenager trying to navigate romantic relationships, regardless of sexuality.
The film follows queer best friends PJ (played by Rachel Sennott) and Josie (played by Ayo Edebiri) as they organize a fight club at their high school as part of an elaborate plan to lose their virginity to the popular cheerleaders, Isabel (played by Havana Rose Liu) and Brittany (played by Kaia Gerber). With help from their friend Hazel (played by Ruby Cruz), PJ and Josie spin a web of lies that eventually lands them in a position to save their school’s football team from the rival team that is trying to literally kill them.
“Bottoms” derives its unique humor from the absurd decisions each character makes that land them in various unlikely scenarios, where they continue their pattern of insane choices — it just happens to be that all the main characters are queer. With the help of a talented female lead cast who really committed to portraying their insane roles, Seligman’s vision came to life. The absurdity of “Bottoms” is what truly makes it a cult classic comedy that has led many to rewatch again and again.

Kendra Martinez, Assistant Artsweek Editor

This appeared in the Nov. 14 print edition of the Daily Nexus.