Movies
I am not going to be seeing the new Wizard of Oz prequel.
Because it's very existence stomps all over my fond childhood memories.
I was very limited in access to books when I was very little - it wasn't until I hit about third grade and had access to the 5th grade library that I got to read more than classics when it came to books anywhere near my reading level (and I was reading at a college reading level by the start of 3rd grade).
But I did get to read the Oz books. They were "classics" and deemed fit reading for a child.
And oh, how subversive they were compared to anything else I could read. It was fantasy, with female protoganists who went out and did things. Had grand adventures. Could be wrong, and recover and learn from their mistakes. It wasn't until I could spend my own money (saved by skipping lunch or earned by shoveling snow, raking leaves, and running errands for neighbors) that I got to read books with interesting female characters ( and sadly there weren't that many for me to buy until I hit middle school and had more access to bookstores) except for these books.
There are so many Oz books. There is Dorothy and there is Ozma and there is Betsy and there is Glinda and there is Jinjur.
But as they relaunch the movie? Who do they pick out to be the main character?
The wizard.
This is a series where they can't complain that there weren't female characters. There was no reason to do this.
So no, I won't be seeing the movie. I didn't see Avatar because they white-washed the cast. I won't see this one because they instead of picking from the wealth of canonical strong female characters they decide to start with a man.
Because it's very existence stomps all over my fond childhood memories.
I was very limited in access to books when I was very little - it wasn't until I hit about third grade and had access to the 5th grade library that I got to read more than classics when it came to books anywhere near my reading level (and I was reading at a college reading level by the start of 3rd grade).
But I did get to read the Oz books. They were "classics" and deemed fit reading for a child.
And oh, how subversive they were compared to anything else I could read. It was fantasy, with female protoganists who went out and did things. Had grand adventures. Could be wrong, and recover and learn from their mistakes. It wasn't until I could spend my own money (saved by skipping lunch or earned by shoveling snow, raking leaves, and running errands for neighbors) that I got to read books with interesting female characters ( and sadly there weren't that many for me to buy until I hit middle school and had more access to bookstores) except for these books.
There are so many Oz books. There is Dorothy and there is Ozma and there is Betsy and there is Glinda and there is Jinjur.
But as they relaunch the movie? Who do they pick out to be the main character?
The wizard.
This is a series where they can't complain that there weren't female characters. There was no reason to do this.
So no, I won't be seeing the movie. I didn't see Avatar because they white-washed the cast. I won't see this one because they instead of picking from the wealth of canonical strong female characters they decide to start with a man.