Write The Change You Want To See In The World

[sarahtales]

There is a picture I look at when I am feeling generally useless, or terrible, or unmotivated, or despairing, wishing that I had depth perception so I could be a truck driver or you know, any sort of mathematical ability so I could be an accountant.

I find anger very motivating - look at that!Ms. Magazine did a piece on young adult literature and

Comments

[lizzylafosse]

I cannot tell you how much I loved this! Like you, I found that ad to be appalling. I watch most of those shows, and this is how BBC wants to represent to their audience? REALLY? 'Lady' was the best they could do? The 'vampire' is from being human, and one of the other main characters, a ghost, is female--they couldn't use her?

Sorry for the mini-rant but this piece really hit home with me. Adore your writing; always fantastically done and really makes you think. Keep on doin' what you do :)

[sarahtales]

Thank you! Yes, Annie is my favourite character in Being Human (I think she and Mitchell the Vampire should have a great love) so I was like 'Whoa, at least one of those shows has a lady protagonist who gets to be supernatural and active too.'

[evewithanapple]

And she would have been a character of colour, which- as of now- the poster is completely devoid of. I understand why they picked the Doctor, Merlin, and Sherlock- they're all the main characters of their respective shows- but Annie is just as much a main character as Mitchell (and actually, I think Nina's been upgraded to main cast now, so that's two leading ladies) and aren't there awesome archaeologist ladies on Primeval? Surely they must have SOME shows with female main characters. I think part of the problem is that ad relies on characters who literally headline their shows (Doctor Who, Merlin, Sherlock) and while they have plenty of shows with female mains, none of them are the "official" main character- hence the person who made the ad disqualified them. It's a sad statement on the way the industry works, really- you can have ladies, just don't put them front and center. Or if you do, make sure they're sharing the spotlight with a dude

[be_themoon]

Merlin has two leading ladies as well (although one is getting downgraded to recurring next season, I believe) and also a recurring female antagonist (again, Merlin, what is up with that), and one of them is not only a character of color but also the future Queen of Camelot! Guinevere is simply the best, though then again, she hasn't really been given her own story yet. :( And Primeval has - two leading ladies this season, and last season there were four (if you count antagonists, though one left halfway through the season). Being Human, of course, has Annie, who headlines her show just as much as Mitchell does. And now Nina too, I believe! Doctor Who has Amy (awesome) and River Song (though she's recurring and not a regular). Sherlock, of course... has none. Which sucks. There's also all the BBC Austen adaptations going on, there's Downton Abbey which has more important women than men, I'm pretty sure, and I believe I'm missing a show or two with awesome ladies in it

[evewithanapple]

I'm familiar with Merlin- I watched the first two seasons, but the second was such a disappointment that I couldn't get past the first few episodes of the third season. (I believe Morgana is the second female character/recurring character as well as the antagonist?) Primeval I don't watch, so I can't comment on, Doctor Who has the various companions- though they always take second place in promotional material after the doctor- and Sherlock . . . ehhhhh. I enjoy the show a lot- I've been a Sherlock Holmes fan since I was old enough to read, and I identify with Sherlock a lot- especially since they seem to be portraying him as someone with ASD. But the show does need a lot of help with balancing the cast, as well as treating the female characters they do have better. Molly's repeated humiliation is really uncomfortable to watch, and while the show itself doesn't do much with Sally, the way fandom degrades and slut-shames her makes me angry. I have heard we're getting Irene Adler next season, so there is that