The Entourage Movie Sums Up Everything That’s Wrong With Hollywood

Vinnie and his Entourage are back, you guys. They're doing the fuckin' movie — but they couldn't have picked a worse time. Most — if not all — people know what they're gonna get with a cinematic adaptation of the most bro show to ever hit television. It's going to be just like an episode of the HBO series, but with more cameos than a Taylor Swift music video. I know the show is about the male experience. Vinnie and Co. aren't exactly a vehicle for the feminist agenda. But, Entourage on the big screen feels much worse than Entourage on the small screen when it comes to women's place in Hollywood. Wanna know the craziest part? I'm not even referring to the female objectification that runs rampant from start to finish. Here's how the movie begins: Ari Gold gets on the phone with Vince, who's partying on a yacht in Ibiza with his BFFs from Queens and a plethora of half-naked women. That's fine. You're rich and famous. Do you. Gold asks Vince if he's gonna take this part in a huge movie. Vince will do it — if he's allowed to direct. Then, without discussion or question, he's allowed to do it. This might have been easier to shrug off a few years ago. In the grand scheme of the story arc, it's a small plot point. But, just six weeks ago, the Women in Film and Sundance Institute released findings from a three-year study that confirms women don't get big directing jobs in Hollywood. According to the study, out of the top 1,300 top-grossing films since 2002, there was one female-directed production for every 23 directed by a man. The gender gap in Hollywood is so bad that the American Civil Liberties Union officially asked "state and federal agencies to investigate hiring practices of Hollywood's major studios, networks, and talent agencies, and possibly bring charges against them, for what the organization described as rampant and intentional gender discrimination in recruiting and hiring female directors," says the New York Times. And, right smack in the middle of this massive discussion, right when it looks as though women are still years away from being taken seriously in the biz, Vince simply has to ask for a directing gig to get it. If that's not enough to stop you from seeing the film, fair enough. Perhaps it shouldn't. The movie was made for diehard fans of the series (you know who you are) and Jeremy Piven does his usual mad dog Ari performance. But, for me, the film was a reminder of how Hollywood remains a boy's club. And, that's not something you can just hug out, bitch.