7th October 2015

Why You Need to Sign Up for Amazon Prime Streaming Right Now

You guys. I get to tell you about Good. Freaking. News. Things that are good. Things that are positive. This feels amazing. Amazon’s new lineup of shows coming out this fall have achieved something that Hollywood and the media machine have failed to do… ever. They have announced their new programming and an incredible 50% of it is lead by female creators.

I am going to repeat that again because it makes me want to cry. That’s how grateful I am. 50% of the shows in the upcoming class on Amazon Prime are being created by WOMEN.

My jaw is sort of on the floor about all this, so here’s more detail while I get myself together and put together articulate thoughts again. From Indiewire:

“Happily, half of Amazon’s next batch of pilots are created by women writers, and half directed or co-directed by women helmers. The female-created series with arguably the highest profile is “One Mississippi,” a serial vehicle for comedienne Tig Notaro, who wrote the pilot and will executive produce with Diablo Cody. Loosely based on Notaro’s life, the show will deal with Tig’s return – with her girlfriend Brooke – to her Southern hometown after the death of her mother. The first episode will be directed by Nicole Holofcener.”

I don’t need to tell you why this is important. It’s a huge milestone for the media. Clearly, the traditional models have failed to create equity, so seeing some kind of parity emerging in the non-traditional content distribution worlds generated by the web feels not only like the future, but a necessary force for change an industry that needs to evolve. Just changing the delivery method and tools isn’t enough. Streaming forced traditional media to change. Brands like Netflix forced the old guard to catch up. YouTube completely shattered the concept of what content was worthy of being consumed. But, here’s the deal: Changing HOW the content comes about is even more critical. Amazon is proving that. And we have to support it.

My efforts to encourage people to go see women helmed movies on their opening weekend has its ethos in this idea: if we show up and pay and support this media, it will continue to be created because it creates a sense of demand. Demand proves there are customers. Customers attract more business to cater to us. Now, imagine if everyone who doesn’t have Prime signs up right now in a major wave of support for their move to create equality in media? Yeah, it would send the right kind of message.

So, do it. Go! Sign up. And then watch Transparent. And Catastrophe. Both are so good. Both are Amazon originals. And both have women at the fore.