In which I have a bit of a feminist moment, but don't want to call it that
I was reading in a blog the other day whilst at work about the absence of strong women characters in films and television. The over all conclusion was that whilst there were some strong women on television, but not as many as there should be to reflect todays world, it is nigh on impossible to find a strong, positive role model for women in todays film output. This follows on the revelation that Jeff Robinov, a studio head at Warner Brothers, apparently declared that his company would no longer green-light movies which were driven by a leading actress ( here)
Women in today's films are often regulated to the mother/wife/love interest roles. I cant think of a single current movie in which there is a female character in which she doesn't have one of these roles thrust on her, in which she is the leading character. A example of this bias towards women driven movies can be shown in Hollywood's recent obsession with Superhero movies. Now I love Superhero movies, I love Superheros, I love comic books, and I have seen a trend with the Superhero movie output. The Hulk, Iron Man, Daredevil , Hellboy, Superman Returns, Batman Begins.....were is the long promised Wonder Woman film? I can name a number of female superheroes who could carry off a film: Batgirl, Batwoman, Black Canary (Birds of Prey movie anyone?), Big Barda, Black Cat, Captain Marvel, Emma Frost, Huntress, Jessica Jones (not me silly, the comic book one...I would gladly pay to see this movie), Psylocke, Jenny Quantum/Sparks etc ect! Yeah I know we had Catwoman and Elektra films, but did you see them? Even Daredevil was better than those drivel. Even ensemble movies such as The Fantastic Four and X-men promote the male characters better than their female counterparts (I do admit that X-Men does gain some thumbs up in its first installment, but slides gradually downhill with films 2 and 3).
Anyway, my whole point in this post, which has actually gotten longer and more rantier than I intended, was to give a list of strong female characters which I adore on television and film. My criteria for my choices are that the character in question has to be liked my me (I have no idea why, but I rarely warm to female characters.....perhaps it is because they are often so badly written, and again I point to their roles as wives/lovers/mothers...I like my women to be bitches, frankly), be a strong character and have a purpose other than being a masturbatory pole.
So without further ado here is a list, which by all means is not extensive, of characters on TV and film that I give a big thumbs up to:
1. Olivia Benson (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
2. Lily Rush (Cold Case)
3. Zoe Washburne/River Tam (Firefly)
4. Faith (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
5. Joanie Stubbs/Calamity Jane/Trixie (Deadwood)
6. Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)
7. Stella Bonasara (CSI: NY)
8. Starbuck/Six/Laura Rosslin (Battlestar Galactica)
9. Dr Grace Foley/Eve Lockhart/Stella Goodman (Waking the Dead)
10. Geraldine Granger (The Vicar of Dibley)
11. Edina Monsoon/Patsy Stone/Saffron Monsoon (Ab Fab)
12. Fran Katzenjammer (Black Books)
Film is much harder, so I choose:
Ellen Ripley (The Alien movies), The Bride Kill Bill and Mulan Mulan.
I must point out I am no means a feminist and nor do I ever want to be identified as one, as to me the term has been completely bastardized....I am, though, pro-kick ass women.
Women in today's films are often regulated to the mother/wife/love interest roles. I cant think of a single current movie in which there is a female character in which she doesn't have one of these roles thrust on her, in which she is the leading character. A example of this bias towards women driven movies can be shown in Hollywood's recent obsession with Superhero movies. Now I love Superhero movies, I love Superheros, I love comic books, and I have seen a trend with the Superhero movie output. The Hulk, Iron Man, Daredevil , Hellboy, Superman Returns, Batman Begins.....were is the long promised Wonder Woman film? I can name a number of female superheroes who could carry off a film: Batgirl, Batwoman, Black Canary (Birds of Prey movie anyone?), Big Barda, Black Cat, Captain Marvel, Emma Frost, Huntress, Jessica Jones (not me silly, the comic book one...I would gladly pay to see this movie), Psylocke, Jenny Quantum/Sparks etc ect! Yeah I know we had Catwoman and Elektra films, but did you see them? Even Daredevil was better than those drivel. Even ensemble movies such as The Fantastic Four and X-men promote the male characters better than their female counterparts (I do admit that X-Men does gain some thumbs up in its first installment, but slides gradually downhill with films 2 and 3).
Anyway, my whole point in this post, which has actually gotten longer and more rantier than I intended, was to give a list of strong female characters which I adore on television and film. My criteria for my choices are that the character in question has to be liked my me (I have no idea why, but I rarely warm to female characters.....perhaps it is because they are often so badly written, and again I point to their roles as wives/lovers/mothers...I like my women to be bitches, frankly), be a strong character and have a purpose other than being a masturbatory pole.
So without further ado here is a list, which by all means is not extensive, of characters on TV and film that I give a big thumbs up to:
1. Olivia Benson (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
2. Lily Rush (Cold Case)
3. Zoe Washburne/River Tam (Firefly)
4. Faith (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
5. Joanie Stubbs/Calamity Jane/Trixie (Deadwood)
6. Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)
7. Stella Bonasara (CSI: NY)
8. Starbuck/Six/Laura Rosslin (Battlestar Galactica)
9. Dr Grace Foley/Eve Lockhart/Stella Goodman (Waking the Dead)
10. Geraldine Granger (The Vicar of Dibley)
11. Edina Monsoon/Patsy Stone/Saffron Monsoon (Ab Fab)
12. Fran Katzenjammer (Black Books)
Film is much harder, so I choose:
Ellen Ripley (The Alien movies), The Bride Kill Bill and Mulan Mulan.
I must point out I am no means a feminist and nor do I ever want to be identified as one, as to me the term has been completely bastardized....I am, though, pro-kick ass women.