Day 24 - What Women Want
First Impressions:
Released in 2000, "What Women Want" pre-dates "Mad Men" by 7 years, yet the initial resemblances exist between Nick and Don Draper. Both are New York ad-men who grew up around the commodification of women: Don Draper in a 'whore house' and Nick in Vegas showgirl back-rooms. The result is that both are unable to empathize with women although their jobs demand they understand women to sell them products. I think Don Draper said it better: "What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons."
Personal Reflections:
"No games. Just sports."
"What Women Want" is a look at a self-professed bachelor (and misogynist) who through magical intervention is able to hear the thoughts of women. The transformation turns him into a woman in some ways, sympathetic to them, proffering advice as to how best to deal with the men in his co-workers' lives. Of course, he also uses his ability to read thoughts and steal an ad campaign from the newly hired Creative Director, Darcy, who also ends up Nick's paramour.
"What Women Want" is described as a fantasy rom-com, but is it so far from reality? What if instead of reading women's thoughts, Nick was able to tune into his own thoughts and hear the misogyny and disrespect? This is called the third path or meditation. In fact, I wonder if perhaps Nick attained a sort of temporary enlightenment that enabled him to 'hear' thoughts, which were in fact his own commentary. This Eastern philosophy theory would fit why it was a 'magical Chinese lady' who reversed the spell.
I thought it would have been interesting if Nick overheard a woman's thoughts and realized that they aren't a different species at all; they often have the same thoughts men do. Instead, poor Ana Gasteyer was put on the spot for thinking about the orgasm she was going to fake later in the evening.
"What Women Want" riffs on "Pretty Woman" with Darcy declaring that she is his knight in shining armour. She is saving Nick. For me, this fell flat. I preferred the equality in saving each other to the obnoxiously woman-powered saving here.
Cathy Yuspa and Diane Drake join Josh Goldsmith in writing "What Women Want". We can check off the female writer box (though not sole, 2/3 works) for a hat-trick! That's my sport reference in honour of the Nike campaign. I felt like this having women writers did not really lend any insight into this movie - it felt like the movie pandered to a demographic and genre norm, not taking enough risks to set it as a touchstone rom-com.
Rom-Com Tropes:
1. Opposites attract.
2. It's better to say you're gay than tell a woman that you're just not that into her.
3. Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus.
Soundtrack:
Old-timey rat-pack tracks to remind us of the old-fashioned 1950s attitude Nick has towards broads.
Released in 2000, "What Women Want" pre-dates "Mad Men" by 7 years, yet the initial resemblances exist between Nick and Don Draper. Both are New York ad-men who grew up around the commodification of women: Don Draper in a 'whore house' and Nick in Vegas showgirl back-rooms. The result is that both are unable to empathize with women although their jobs demand they understand women to sell them products. I think Don Draper said it better: "What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons."
Personal Reflections:
"No games. Just sports."
"What Women Want" is a look at a self-professed bachelor (and misogynist) who through magical intervention is able to hear the thoughts of women. The transformation turns him into a woman in some ways, sympathetic to them, proffering advice as to how best to deal with the men in his co-workers' lives. Of course, he also uses his ability to read thoughts and steal an ad campaign from the newly hired Creative Director, Darcy, who also ends up Nick's paramour.
"What Women Want" is described as a fantasy rom-com, but is it so far from reality? What if instead of reading women's thoughts, Nick was able to tune into his own thoughts and hear the misogyny and disrespect? This is called the third path or meditation. In fact, I wonder if perhaps Nick attained a sort of temporary enlightenment that enabled him to 'hear' thoughts, which were in fact his own commentary. This Eastern philosophy theory would fit why it was a 'magical Chinese lady' who reversed the spell.
I thought it would have been interesting if Nick overheard a woman's thoughts and realized that they aren't a different species at all; they often have the same thoughts men do. Instead, poor Ana Gasteyer was put on the spot for thinking about the orgasm she was going to fake later in the evening.
"What Women Want" riffs on "Pretty Woman" with Darcy declaring that she is his knight in shining armour. She is saving Nick. For me, this fell flat. I preferred the equality in saving each other to the obnoxiously woman-powered saving here.
Cathy Yuspa and Diane Drake join Josh Goldsmith in writing "What Women Want". We can check off the female writer box (though not sole, 2/3 works) for a hat-trick! That's my sport reference in honour of the Nike campaign. I felt like this having women writers did not really lend any insight into this movie - it felt like the movie pandered to a demographic and genre norm, not taking enough risks to set it as a touchstone rom-com.
Rom-Com Tropes:
1. Opposites attract.
2. It's better to say you're gay than tell a woman that you're just not that into her.
3. Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus.
Soundtrack:
Old-timey rat-pack tracks to remind us of the old-fashioned 1950s attitude Nick has towards broads.
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