day 30(b)
When I started my long massive 30 Days document, I was sure I wanted Day 30 to feature great female characters that I love having feminist moments (or, in the cases of Amy and CJ, FEMINIST LIVES), and I am so excited at how the discussion is turning out so far. Originally, I was also hoping to do a supplemental post on feminist quotes from male characters I love.
Except, I couldn't think of any.
I mean, not any. A long time ago I wrote a post about the male characters I could think of who openly displayed healthy, non-misogynist sexuality. ALL THREE OF THEM. And I couldn't think of any specifically feminist lines from any of those characters. I think Rick Castle said the word "feminist" once. That's all I got. And I haven't been able to come up with any more characters along those lines since, though there's a small handful of nominations in comments from shows I haven't seen.
I can think of a couple of male characters for whom feminism would be consistent with their characterizations, but ultimately they're still expressions of the political minds of their obstinately male-privileged creators and end up in Doucheville (Sam Seaborn being the clearest example, THO ALSO). Those characters are the ones who hurt me the most when they are awful. It's not solely my usual negative reaction to sexism, or disappointed expectations, but the implication that these are the good guys. This is the best we can hope for.
I don't accept that.
I expect more.
Basically, the most common not-totally negative things men on television do or say about women's rights are:
When those things happen in popular culture, though, they aren't feminist in the least. When this happens, the male character blatantly benefits from and upholds patriarchy and rape culture. You can't have a hero without a villain; a protagonist becoming a Good Guy still depends on the abuse of women.
Less frequently, there's the exceptionalism. What's the money quote from Narnia, that "Lucy is as good as a man, or a boy, at least"? Don promoting Peggy. HEY, I'M ENLIGHTENED! I DON'T HATE EVERYTHING WITH A VAGINA! It's just contempt for GIRL STUFF!
Every once in a long, long while (at least on US political dramas), you'll have a male politico grimly recognize pro-choice women as a demographic that votes and stuff and therefore killing us off by way of unconscionable restrictions on reproductive health care might not be an idea made completely of Fabulous Sauce. Better than nothing to be sure, but it's not exactly a ringing endorsement of the moral imperative of the right to bodily integrity.
That's it, and it's pretty much nothing; sometimes worse than nothing.
So I throw this to you, f-listers: what are some feminist quotes (as in, not from the list of Fake Feminist Crap above) from masculine-identified characters?
Except, I couldn't think of any.
I mean, not any. A long time ago I wrote a post about the male characters I could think of who openly displayed healthy, non-misogynist sexuality. ALL THREE OF THEM. And I couldn't think of any specifically feminist lines from any of those characters. I think Rick Castle said the word "feminist" once. That's all I got. And I haven't been able to come up with any more characters along those lines since, though there's a small handful of nominations in comments from shows I haven't seen.
I can think of a couple of male characters for whom feminism would be consistent with their characterizations, but ultimately they're still expressions of the political minds of their obstinately male-privileged creators and end up in Doucheville (Sam Seaborn being the clearest example, THO ALSO). Those characters are the ones who hurt me the most when they are awful. It's not solely my usual negative reaction to sexism, or disappointed expectations, but the implication that these are the good guys. This is the best we can hope for.
I don't accept that.
I expect more.
Basically, the most common not-totally negative things men on television do or say about women's rights are:
- beat the crap out of rapists and then chest-pound to each other about it
- get all Captain Save-A-Ho and fetishize women who have experienced gender-based violence
When those things happen in popular culture, though, they aren't feminist in the least. When this happens, the male character blatantly benefits from and upholds patriarchy and rape culture. You can't have a hero without a villain; a protagonist becoming a Good Guy still depends on the abuse of women.
Less frequently, there's the exceptionalism. What's the money quote from Narnia, that "Lucy is as good as a man, or a boy, at least"? Don promoting Peggy. HEY, I'M ENLIGHTENED! I DON'T HATE EVERYTHING WITH A VAGINA! It's just contempt for GIRL STUFF!
Every once in a long, long while (at least on US political dramas), you'll have a male politico grimly recognize pro-choice women as a demographic that votes and stuff and therefore killing us off by way of unconscionable restrictions on reproductive health care might not be an idea made completely of Fabulous Sauce. Better than nothing to be sure, but it's not exactly a ringing endorsement of the moral imperative of the right to bodily integrity.
That's it, and it's pretty much nothing; sometimes worse than nothing.
So I throw this to you, f-listers: what are some feminist quotes (as in, not from the list of Fake Feminist Crap above) from masculine-identified characters?