Brenda Song, acclaimed actress and advocate for gender equality in Hollywood, has publicly condemned the industry’s entrenched “Only One Woman” mentality, a practice she argues was established by male decision-makers and perpetuates systemic gender inequality. Known for her roles in The Social Network, Dollface, and as a Disney Channel star, Song’s critique sheds light on a pervasive issue where films and TV shows relegate women to token roles, limiting their narratives and opportunities. Her candid remarks ignite a crucial conversation about representation, power dynamics, and the urgent need for systemic change in storytelling.
The “Only One Woman” Trope: A Historical Framework
The “Only One Woman” trope refers to a longstanding Hollywood practice where a single female character is included in predominantly male ensembles, often reducing her role to a stereotype—the love interest, the nurturer, or the “exceptional” woman in a man’s world. This trope, rooted in patriarchal storytelling, reinforces the idea that women’s stories are secondary and that their presence must be rationed to avoid overshadowing male protagonists.
Historically, this trend can be traced to classic films like The Godfather (1972), where Diane Keaton’s Kay Adams exists primarily to humanize Michael Corleone, or Ocean’s Eleven (2001), which featured Julia Roberts as the sole woman among eleven male leads. Even in genres dominated by female audiences, such as romantic comedies, women are often pitted against each other for screen time, perpetuating the myth that audiences can’t connect with multiple complex female characters.
Brenda Song’s Career: Navigating Limited Roles
Song’s career offers a microcosm of Hollywood’s gendered constraints. Rising to fame as London Tipton in Disney’s The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, she transitioned to adult roles with projects like The Social Network (2010), where she played Eduardo Saverin’s girlfriend, Christy Lee. Reflecting on her early career, Song noted, “I’d often walk onto sets where I was the only woman in the room, both on and off camera. It sends a message that our voices are expendable.”
In Dollface (2019–2022), a Hulu series exploring female friendships, Song’s character, Stella, became a fan favorite for her wit and vulnerability. Yet the show itself was a rarity—a female-driven narrative with multiple layered roles. “Dollface was transformative,” Song shared. “But it shouldn’t be an anomaly. Women exist in communities, not isolation.”
Industry Backing: Data and Voices Amplify the Issue
Song’s critique is supported by damning statistics. A 2023 USC Annenberg study found that in the top 100 grossing films of 2022, only 34% of speaking roles went to women, with women of color accounting for just 16%. Additionally, the Bechdel Test—a measure evaluating whether a work features two women talking about something other than a man—remains failed by nearly 40% of mainstream films.
Actresses like Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron, and Sandra Oh have echoed Song’s concerns. Chastain, who produced The 355 (2022) to showcase female-led espionage, stated, “When you have one woman on set, she becomes representative of all women. That’s an impossible burden.”
The Ripple Effect: How Tokenism Harms Storytelling
The “Only One Woman” mentality doesn’t just limit opportunities for actresses; it impoverishes narratives. When female characters aren’t allowed to interact meaningfully, stories lose depth and authenticity. Consider Avengers: Endgame (2019), where Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow was the sole female Avenger for years, her arc revolving around sacrifice rather than camaraderie. Contrast this with Captain Marvel (2019) and WandaVision (2021), which introduced dynamic female relationships, proving audiences crave multifaceted portrayals.
Song emphasized, “When you have multiple women, you get conflict, alliance, growth—the stuff of real life. Reducing us to tokens robs everyone of that truth.”
Behind the Camera: The Power Imbalance
The root of the issue lies in Hollywood’s power structures. As of 2023, women constitute just 24% of directors, 17% of writers, and 3% of cinematographers across top films. Male-dominated writers’ rooms and boardrooms often default to familiar tropes, sidelining women’s narratives.
Director Ava DuVernay highlighted this in a 2021 interview: “When men write women, they write them in relation to themselves. Until we have more women shaping stories, we’ll keep seeing the same limitations.”
Song, who has ventured into producing, stressed the importance of women in creative control: “We need seats at the table where decisions are made. Otherwise, we’re just decoration on a set someone else built.”
Progress and Pushback: Signs of Change
Recent years have seen strides toward inclusivity. Films like Little Women (2019), Barbie (2023), and Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) center women’s stories without apology. TV shows such as Killing Eve and The Morning Show feature ensembles where women drive the plot.
However, backlash persists. Films with female leads are still labeled “niche,” and female-led projects often face budget disparities. Song acknowledged the progress but warned against complacency: “We’re having more conversations, but real change requires dismantling systems, not just checking boxes.”
The Path Forward: Advocacy and Accountability
Song advocates for systemic solutions:
- Diverse Hiring Practices: Mandate gender parity in writers’ rooms, director chairs, and executive roles.
- Mentorship Programs: Establish pipelines for emerging female talent, particularly women of color.
- Audience Advocacy: Support films and shows that prioritize female narratives, signaling demand to studios.
Organizations like Time’s Up and ReFrame work to institutionalize these changes, but Song emphasizes individual responsibility: “Everyone in this industry—men included—needs to question why a room, a cast, or a story lacks women. Silence perpetuates the status quo.”
Conclusion: Rewriting the Script
Brenda Song’s critique of Hollywood’s “Only One Woman” trope is a rallying cry for equity. By exposing how patriarchal norms constrain storytelling, she challenges the industry to envision a future where women’s narratives are as abundant and varied as their lived experiences.
As audiences increasingly demand richer representation, the pressure mounts on Hollywood to evolve. Song’s message is clear: Women are not monoliths, and their stories deserve space to breathe, clash, and thrive. In her words, “We’re not asking for a seat at the table—we’re rebuilding the table itself.”