Mary Sue: because women aren’t supposed to be heroes

[leavethesky]

Originally posted by feministsf at Mary Sue: because women aren’t supposed to be heroes

http://blogs.feministsf.net/mary-sue-because-women-arent-supposed-to-be-heroes

http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1686

I was reading this fabulous essay by Comic Book Girl, Mary Sue, what are you? or why the concept of Sue is sexist:
So, there’s this girl. She’s tragically

Comments

[trancer21]

It sounds bad to say “I don’t like this female character. I don’t like that this woman is powerful. I don’t like it when the plot focuses on her. I don’t like that a character I like has affections for her.”

I'd also add 'I don't like this female character because she is neither apologetic nor punished for *being* female'. Which is my interpretation whenever the Mary Sue label gets thrown at a character.

Is there any useful way to use the trope “Mary Sue”?

Yes, but I have no other way to explain than to say I think we already do. Like, I'd consider Xena a Mary Sue. It's just that the term Mary Sue is thrown around so casually these days, I think it should be changed to 'female character', you know. Because that's what it boils down to, a deeply ingrained misogyny in which any female character is defined as 'bad'.. until they prove themselves worthy, typically through a male character (see every female character on Glee).

Anyway, back to your point, I think making Mary Sue useful would be about reclaiming the word and saying, yes, this female character is my wish fulfillment fantasy and I *like* her like that. Which makes these female characters NO DIFFERENT than pretty much every fictional male character on the planet.