Are there strong women on television?
Okay, here's the deal. My friend Kelley and I were having a conversation (we were bitching) last week about the way women are portrayed on television, and in particular, in crime dramas and science fiction shows. We're both frustrated with what we see as a lack of strong, capable female characters in such shows.
Part of what irks us is the fact that so many lead female characters in these shows are often linked romantically with the lead male character and more often than not, the lead male character is unavailable (emotionally or physically). The female character then spends x amount of time yearning for a relationship with the man, and the pursuit of this relationship sometimes overshadows any other facets of the female character.
The other thing that bugs us is when the female characters become overly emotional or dramatic in the face of danger/trauma, etc. Sometimes even characters who started out strong and capable seem to lose some of that strength.
So we concluded that there just aren’t enough strong female characters. There are exceptions, but speaking in general, so many of the lead females become nothing more than a romantic entanglement for the lead male (or worse yet, one third of a triangle).
We did decide, btw, that the two women who have totally managed to escape the above fate are Stella Bonasera (CSI: NY) and Teyla Emmagen (SGA). I would also add Zoë Washburn (Firefly) to the list.
Question
What are everyone else’s thoughts on this? In your opinion, what makes a female character a strong, positive role model? Who are some strong females on television? How do onscreen romances with other major characters affect the portrayal of females? Can a female character be emotional without being melodramatic or appearing weak? Or does everyone think that women are portrayed just fine?
Part of what irks us is the fact that so many lead female characters in these shows are often linked romantically with the lead male character and more often than not, the lead male character is unavailable (emotionally or physically). The female character then spends x amount of time yearning for a relationship with the man, and the pursuit of this relationship sometimes overshadows any other facets of the female character.
The other thing that bugs us is when the female characters become overly emotional or dramatic in the face of danger/trauma, etc. Sometimes even characters who started out strong and capable seem to lose some of that strength.
So we concluded that there just aren’t enough strong female characters. There are exceptions, but speaking in general, so many of the lead females become nothing more than a romantic entanglement for the lead male (or worse yet, one third of a triangle).
We did decide, btw, that the two women who have totally managed to escape the above fate are Stella Bonasera (CSI: NY) and Teyla Emmagen (SGA). I would also add Zoë Washburn (Firefly) to the list.
Question
What are everyone else’s thoughts on this? In your opinion, what makes a female character a strong, positive role model? Who are some strong females on television? How do onscreen romances with other major characters affect the portrayal of females? Can a female character be emotional without being melodramatic or appearing weak? Or does everyone think that women are portrayed just fine?