In these supposedly progressive times, gender equality is one of those touchy issues relegated to the last paragraph of a trend piece nobody reads. When Katherine Heigl suggested to Vanity Fair that Judd Apatow's movies were sexist, the assertion came across like an after-the-fact shrug of acceptance. Ever the galvanizing provocateur, New York Times critic Manohla Dargis confronts the issue head-on with a thorough analysis of the gender bias in this year's summer blockbusters.

With "Iron Man, Batman, Big Angry Green Man" and other massive expressions of virility invading the box office, female roles appear to be relegated to the back of the multiplex. Dargis touches on the rumors that Warner Bros head Jeff Robinov believes no woman has been able to sell a movie since Julia Roberts (a point that Natalie Portman might contest, but not Paris Hilton) before sizing up numerous upcoming studio releases, with particular attention paid to Anna Faris, "who could be the next Judy Holliday but without the right material will, alas, probably end up the next Brittany Murphy." It's the kind of pronouncement that hits you in gut.

There are two main reasons that I love movies. One -- they offer creative, fluffy, informative, and/or intellectual enjoyment and stimulation. Two -- they offer a brief vacation from reality with a handy serving of inspiration. If I'm feeling sluggish, I'll pop in an energetic film. If my work lags, I'll pop in something with professional women. Or rather, I'll try. I came to realize over the years that to pick a film with any sort of female-centric inspiration usually meant that I'd have to forgive something else.

The female star may be professionally successful, but she's neurotic. Or she is obsessed with beauty and fashion. Or she wants to have a family. The lady butt-kicker might be tough, but she's also half-naked, or doomed, or... Each female protagonist might have modern aspects, but there's almost always a stereotypical aspect tacked along with it.

Over at Radar, they've compiled a list of what they call the most misogynistic movies since 2000. Some you might agree with, others you probably won't. But it's interesting once you start laying out the films that have popped up on the big screen over recent years. Do you agree with this list of alleged offenders? Which ones are they forgetting? What do you think of the state of women in film as a whole? What cinematic stereotypes are you sick to death of? Discuss!

[via IFC]