Melissa Rosenberg gave an interview to the Jewish Journal talking about her religious background and Twilight. It’s really interesting to note that everyone consistently refers to Stephenie Meyer as a “Mormon writer”, yet as Melissa points out vampires don’t really fit in when it comes to traditional Judaism either, and no one typically calls her a Jewish writer. All and all it’s a really all encompassing interview that covers everything from her early roots to her current career.
“On the gender divide in Hollywood, Rosenberg is adamantly outspoken.
“I don’t like being powerless,” she says. “I do not accept powerlessness.”
When she began working in television, show runners employed few women — typically one per show — to capture the requisite “female voice.” The lack of opportunities created severe competition among women writers. And for feature films, women were hired for “chick flicks” and not much else. On the rare occasion when a woman was hired, she first had to combat stereotypes to prove her talent.
“Apparently women are not funny,” Rosenberg says facetiously of the prevailing belief in the industry. “And we don’t know how to write action, and we don’t know how to write men. Whereas men can write everybody.”
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