Betty Dodson with Carlin Ross

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I grew up with images of women that were strong, sexual, and independent. First of all, my mother adored Mae West and my nickname was "Betty Boop".

The modern Hollywood portrayal of women is increasingly a heroine who is hysterical, weight-obsessed and only thinks of men, an Oxford academic claims.

Dr Diane Purkiss, a feminist historian and fellow of Oxford University , has argued that over the past five decades the movie industry has made its female leads 'dumber and dumber'.

She suggests that these cartoon protagonists are merely reflecting a decline in our own culture into one that, for women, is image-obsessed.

Dr Purkiss referred to latest chick flicks such as He's Just NOt That Into You and Confessions of a Shopaholic.

They fell into the 'worst king of regressive, pre-feminist stereotype of misogynistic cliche'.

'It's a sad day when you look back at Bridget Jones with some affection.

'But although Bridget Jones was far less emancipated and intelligent than, say, Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, she was a great deal better than the inane women we are getting nowadays.

'We really have reached a nadir in the way women are portrayed on screen. That is, I hope it is a nadir and doesn't sink further,' Dr Purkiss said in The Observer.

She added that women's lives today felt more oppressive than they did ten years ago.

'And the more oppressive they feel, the dumber these portrayals of women become.'

In support of her argument, Dr Purkiss reflected on the leading actress nominations at the Bafta awards, which will be announced tonight.

Angelina Jolie has been nominated for her leading role in Changeling, Kristin Scott Thomas for I've Loved You So Long, Meryl Streep for Doubt and Kate Winslet for both The Reader and Revolutionary Road.

Dr Purkiss said that during Hollywood's golden age, Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn and Bette Davis played fully formed characters, as well as being funny and entertaining.

'Now, the only way for a woman to have a complex character on screen is to be depressing, tormented and self-sacrificing.'

One example of a strong woman in the golden age, was Rosalind Russell's role as a feisty journalist in Howard Hawks's 1940 hit His Girl Friday.

But why does Hollywood believe that all women care about is weddings and shopping?

According to Melissa Silverstein, founder of Women & Hollywood, a company that markets films featuring women, the portrayal of 'dumb' women comes down to the men.

'One-dimensional female characters are created because the men making and directing the films are only interested in one thing: that these women titillate male audiences on the least challenging, most obvious of levels,' she told The Observer.

She said fewer than 10 per cent of Hollywood films were written by women, with less than 6 per cent directed by women.