Original article by Hillary Chabot for Lowell Sun Online, 6 May 2006

May 4, Geena was the featured speaker at the Middlesex Community College’s Celebrity Forum. In the following two stories from Lowell Sun Online, one article and one editorial, we learn about her own role model, an aunt, and also how she hopes an email campaign will save CinC from being cancelled completely. One small error in the article, it says that she’s watching TV with her kids – from what I’ve learned, the twins haven’t been allowed to watch TV yet, though.

Geena Davis pushes for more positive female characters on TV in address at MCC forum

There are strong role models for women in the world, but Minnie Mouse isn’t one of them. Neither is Smurphette, or Judy Jetson. Geena Davis, Middlesex Community College’s Celebrity Forum speaker last night, believes the lack of women characters in children’s shows is part of the reason why there aren’t more women in positions of power in America.

“I care very much about the images kids are seeing,” Davis said. “The message this culture is sending kids is, ‘Girls are worth less and their worth is different than boys and men.’”

Davis, 50, plays the first woman president of the United States on her TV show Commander in Chief, on ABC. A Wareham native, the 6-foot Davis walked through a standing ovation down the center aisle of Lowell Memorial Auditorium.

“That was quite a reception. It’s not every day a fake sitting president comes around, I guess,” Davis said.

Her show was pulled from ABC on Wednesday, but she hopes an e-mail campaign might save it from cancellation. She said if nothing else, the show has sent a powerful visual image to Americans.

“Regardless of what happens, Americans got to see a woman sitting behind that desk,” Davis said. “There’s nothing more powerful than an image, and I think it’s an idea whose time has come.”

The role of the first female president was a perfect fit, said Davis, who began looking for strong roles after she co-starred in the 1991 hit movie Thelma & Louise. She followed up with A League of Their Own, which was about female baseball players during World War II.

“Women would come up to me and say, ‘I play sports because of that movie.’ From then on I tried to make choices about my roles based on their impact,” Davis said.

The Oscar-winning Davis, who won best supporting actress for The Accidental Tourist, noticed gender inequality when she began watching television with her 4-year-old daughter and her twin boys, when she noticed three times more male characters than female. She recently started the See Jane program with the Dads & Daughter organization to help parents and those in entertainment try to improve gender portrayals in the media.

“It’s just a no-brainer to think boys and girls from their earliest ages should be sharing the sandbox equally,” Davis said.

The point of focusing on children’s shows is to change gender perceptions early in life, she told an audience member during a brief post-speech question-and-answer session. Proceeds to the Celebrity Forum help fund scholarships for MCC graduates, including two $5,000 scholarships.

The following is part of today’s editorial in the same newspaper

Geena wins our vote

Even if Geena Davis weren’t a Hollywood star, we’d listen to her important message stressing gender equality for young girls and women. As Davis put it Thursday night, women make up half the planet so why can’t they be given half the chances for leadership jobs?

We agree.

Davis was the featured speaker at Middlesex Community College’s Celebrity Forum. She spoke with passion, power, intelligence, humility and humor – qualities that set Davis apart from most over-indulgent A-list actors.

Born in Wareham, Davis recounted the story of a career-minded aunt who served as a source of inspiration for exploration, discovery and ambition. Davis said all young women should grow up believing they can achieve the same success that boys and men do.

Davis, 50, is the mother of three children. She is best known for her pioneering screen roles that portray women as decisive. But it is her portrayal of Mackenzie Allen as the first woman U.S. president on ABC-TV’s Commander-in-Chief that has produced her biggest career buzz. “There’s nothing more powerful than an image, and I think it’s an idea whose time has come,” said Davis of the groundbreaking role.

Davis’ character has captured the imaginations of millions of boys and girls, men and women. This week the show was put on hiatus, meaning it likely will be canceled. That’s a shame, because for once ABC seemed to have gotten something right.

Geena Davis’ role model and message should be kept alive. We urge readers to go to abc.com and let them know that Davis’ Commander-in-Chief is one incumbency that should be protected.