What is feminism? What's a "strong female character"?

[egeria61]

Apparently--{spoken in dry tones} thoughts on strong, scifi female characters have been on my mind, A LOT, so I'm posting my response to pellucid's recent entry.  (I won't torture her by linking to it.)

I think that our "love of literature," or fannish love of television, begins when we start having a relationship with these (strong, female)

Comments

[theastolat]

The idea of a 'strong female character' differs not only from person to person, but from day to day within the community. Any character will fall short of the unreasonable expectations associated with a SFC.

So I don't look for them. No one should look for them. What I want is a realistic female character. Strength and weakness doesn't concern me.

I like that Roslin suffers several severe morality glitches throughout the course of the series. It's interesting to see the context of the situation and the behaviour of others influencing her. Infuriating and heartbreaking, but still interesting.

When people try to write a SFC what they end up with is just a woman with exaggerated negative personality traits. To use your example, Buffy was a more realistic character when her flaws were contained within social awkwardness and emotional immaturity.

Somewhere down the line, in the effort to make her a "stronger" female character, you know, someone with soul crushing flaws who still fights to save the damn world, it got too ridiculous.

SFCs are annoying.
Make mine a RFC anyday. Weaknesses and strengths are inevitably subject to the values of the viewer anyway.

[egeria61]

Oh, that's interesting! I think realism is important, if you want the audience to identify with the FC. Realism within science fiction is a beautiful thing, because when it's well done, you can have realistic, everyday characters talking to demons and aliens. It makes the heroic something touchable, something present in the everyday. And, it makes us re-look at the everyday as if it were unfamiliar. *Hugs you*