Where the Women Have Agency

[barbarienne]

Several posts in the SF/F corner of the internet this morning on the topic of Women in Refrigerators.

Marie Brennan talks about it here, discussing the concept of women having agency, that is, taking action as independent people.

kateelliott has a related post here, wherein she discusses one of the most notable movies in SF wherein a woman is an action hero

Comments

[shadefell]

"Alien Vs Predator" features an African American woman who is the actual leader of the expedition (as opposed to the rich white guy giving jerky rich white guy orders and ignoring her experience) and the only one of the humans to survive the encounter based on her intelligence and quickness. She also defeats the Aliens (including a Brood Queen), which the Predator is unable to do.

This is not an overwhelmingly good movie, and when I first saw it, I pegged Sanaa Lathan's character as being the first to die. I mean, she's Black AND she's female? Why even include her in the movie? She's obviously going to die messily, possibly to Spur A White Hero To Great Heights. Instead she kicked ass pretty soundly.

Camille Montes, in Quantum of Solace, is also pretty kick ass. She doesn't fall for 007's psychopathic, rakish charm. She has her own agenda throughout the movie, is physically disfigured (albeit in a way that can be hidden), mostly rescues herself (including from an attempted rape), and her Big Phobia is not gender-specific... there is a scene where Bond rescues her, but the rescue scene felt like her character could have been male and nothing would really have had to be changed, if that makes sense.

[kateelliott]

[shadefell]

It's a good movie for when you have friends over, or you don't want to pay close attention. It's a popcorn movie. It's not super smart, but it doesn't leave me yelling at the plot holes too badly.

I haven't read the AVP comic, but apparently it features a super kick-ass African American woman who... travels with the Predators? Something? She Proved Herself Worthy.