Buzzfeed Tweet Celebrates Paul Giamatti in Gunpowder Milkshake Trailer Instead of Literally Any Woman

This week the first trailer dropped for Gunpowder Milkshake, a John Wick-style action film about women assassins that features a cast of truly kickass women: Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett, and Carla Gugino. A stylish action film filled with iconic actresses whose headquarters are a library? Inject it straight into my veins, please. Obviously we’re all in on what looks to be a blast of a movie. After all, the appearance of any one of these talented women is worth the price of admission, let alone all five.

But some folks are more interested in the film’s only male co-star of name, veteran character actor Paul Giamatti. And look, I love Mr. Giamatti. He’s always excellent. But come on with this tweet:

Whoever tweeted this for Buzzfeed apparently watched this entire trailer and their takeaway was Paul Giamatti? I am truly flummoxed. It’s like watching Ocean’s 8 and saying “I have two words for you: James. Corden.” Or watching Bridesmaids and saying, “I have two words for you: Chris O’Dowd.”

I’m sure Giamatti is great in the film (he always is), but can we celebrate the women in the women-driven movie just one goddamn time? I realize that misogyny is deeply ingrained in our culture, and its hideous effects are far more drastic than this silly tweet, but it bothers me nonetheless. And Buzzfeed isn’t the only outlet praising Giamatti’s brief appearance over the women:

Clearly I’m not alone. Many took to social media to call out the tweets:

Again, none of this would matter if women in Hollywood were given the same opportunities as men. But the deck is stacked against female-driven projects every step of the way: from development to financing to advertising to criticism, female-led projects consistently face an uphill battle. I can’t think of a better metaphor than the trailer itself: women leaping, fighting, and dodging bullets, while Giamatti gets props for sitting in a chair. The patriarchy continues to patriarchy, I guess.

(image: Netflix)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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