Diane Keaton to Star in Feminist Role on HBO

Diane Keaton's new HBO project brings feminism to the forefront.

We’re enjoying this month’s must-see TV (Mad Men, Project Runway), and now we’re intrigued by the latest news from HBO: The premium cable channel is developing a comedy starring Diane Keaton, 63, as a feminist icon who seeks to revitalize the women’s movement by starting a female-friendly sex magazine! Feminists, porn and comedy? In lesser hands the combination might be cringeworthy. But the trio of talented women behind this as-yet-untitled show makes us think it may well earn a spot on our TiVo.

The concept comes from Marti Noxon and Dawn Parouse Olmstead, who recently launched Grady Twins Productions. Whether limning male-female dynamics in Mad Men or upending horror conventions in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, their track record demonstrates an ability to both define and defy gender stereotypes. Oscar winner Keaton, who is producing as well as starring, was their first pick to play the lead character.

“There are a lot of similarities between Diane and Gloria Steinem,” Parouse Olmstead said. “They both grew up in the ’50s, a period marked by women finding their relevance sexually, and Diane has been attracted to roles about women exploring their sexuality in films like Something’s Gotta Give.”

Sitcoms have been surprisingly fertile territory for avowedly feminist characters over the years, from Maude to Miranda from Sex and the City. And while it may be premature to pin our hopes about a show that has yet to shoot an episode or secure a spot on HBO’s 2010 schedule, it’s never too soon to speculate. Michele Kort, a senior editor at Ms. Magazine, the feminist but nonpornographic publication founded by Steinem, told us she was cautious but curious about the show. “I’m always concerned about the tendency to want to put feminists into two supposedly oppositional camps: so-called sex-positive and sex-negative. Is this where the proposed series will take us?”

“I hope it’s much deeper writing than that, and that while it might find humor in some aspects of feminism, the show will also help fight the good fight of equal rights and respect for all people,” Kort added.

Now that would be comedy gold.

Photo credit: Jemal Countess/Getty

Tags: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cinema of the United States, Dawn Parouse Olmstead, Diane Keaton, Entertainment/Culture, Feminism, Gloria Steinem, HBO, HBO & Company, Human Interest, Keaton, Mad Men, Marti Noxon, Mass media, Michele Kort, Ms., Oscar, senior editor, Sex and the City, sex magazine, Social philosophy, Something's Gotta Give, TiVo Inc., Women's rights