Peter Sagal took on Hollywood in one of the most articulate teardowns of a movie I've seen recently. He's angry that girls in movies don't save the world. Go read the whole thing -- it's amazing.
Having read this, I'm trying to remember the media I consumed as a little girl, and how girl-centric it was... I think I picked well, looking back. Crappy anime about girl heroes and biographies about dead queens. Alice in Wonderland. At least it had females doing things.
Disney gave me Ariel the Mermaid and... The Lion King, Bambi, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lady and the Tramp, Snow White, Cinderella, Lilo and Mulan.
I think I was naturally drawn to girl-focused things. Though I always loved Treasure Island and Tom Sawyer and all those, too.
I do not think that the offers are too unbalanced, actually. Heaven bless Buffy and her whiny little heart.
But this article touches on one of those things you just accept as normal, that men are the center of a movie. You almost have to apologize to male friends for watching something like "Marie Antoinete" or "Elizabeth" on movie night, as if there's something wrong with representing 50% of the population. Unless they show skin. If all movies this year were focused on women, with maybe a few male supporting roles, people would complain. Why aren't they complaining now, when the odds are more skewed to the opposite?
I'm glad for the reminder to stop apologizing. Being a girl = okay.
Which is important. I read a lot of stories about princesses, but they were princesses who went around having their own adventures. Patricia C. Wrede's Dealing With Dragons series was one of my favorites. That carried over to Disney, as well -- I liked Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty, and even Cinderella's stepmother because they were strong women. Even if they were evil. (And I had my own little fannish theories of how misunderstood they were and how King Triton was really a jerk who didn't want to listen to the point of view of women.)
But this article touches on one of those things you just accept as normal, that men are the center of a movie.
There's a movie test someone came up with: see if any two female characters have a conversation that isn't about men. And yeah, I know part of the reason that movies with male heroes get made is because Marketing Research says that girls will watch movies about male characters but boys won't watch movies about female characters. (To which I say: have they tried marketing a movie about a female character not-Lara-Croft to boys?)
It relates to an argument I got into with two of my friends a couple weeks ago -- one is a film minor and will have movie nights that show good movies, but ones that invariably are male-centric. It's not that I mind that these movies are made, and I can enjoy them. But sometimes I'd like to watch movies that come from my worldview, and to show those movies to other people.
Forgot another: Little House on the Prairie. Charlie's Angels, the series. Remington Steele. (Those were on in afternoons over here when I was little.) Had women doing things. Random: The movie "My Girl" is one of my favorites because of the funeral scene. Kills me. It's one of my instant movie cry triggers. Even when I just stumble over it zapping through channels, I will start crying. With dignity.
(And I had my own little fannish theories of how misunderstood they were and how King Triton was really a jerk who didn't want to listen to the point of view of women.)
Miles ahead of me. Female villains didn't get my attention until my early teens. Or male villains, that is. Also: You are so right about King Triton!! *g*
There's a movie test someone came up with: see if any two female characters have a conversation that isn't about men.
Oh, I know that one, and the results are often paining. Even Firefly... Inara's lines do tend to be about Mal. I tend to focus on the bits about her that unrelated to Mal, but when I thought about it, I did a little wince. Kaylee and Inara: Simon. Zoe and Inara: Mal. Inara and EVERY DAMN CLINET: Mal. Kaylee and River: yay, sex with boys in general. Kaylee and Zoe: saving Jayne from dying on Bellerophon. I'll grant that Firefly is one of Joss' more male-centric shows, and that on Buffy, Angel probably didn't spend the first 14 episodes talking about much else than her (Did he? I'l ask Goldy.) but it's still noticable.
(To which I say: have they tried marketing a movie about a female character not-Lara-Croft to boys?)
Pipi Longstocking should be appealing to a little boy crowd, right? They have these really crappy movies about her, As Seen On Gilmore Girls. *G*
It relates to an argument I got into with two of my friends a couple weeks ago -- one is a film minor and will have movie nights that show good movies, but ones that invariably are male-centric. It's not that I mind that these movies are made, and I can enjoy them. But sometimes I'd like to watch movies that come from my worldview, and to show those movies to other people.
Oh, I loved Little House On The Prairie! And totally went through my phase of "being rustic would be cool!" And then I remembered that we have winter, and curled up under my flannel sheets, and was happy.
Also: You are so right about King Triton!! *g*
Well, Ursula had the benefit of being Infamous. So I had this whole idea that she was powerful, and Triton was getting threatened, so he either started spreading rumors or forced her to show her hand of magical powers and generally being a badass. (Also, Cinderella's stepmother just wanted to get out of the terrible poverty in which they lived. You know how it is when you're a woman alone.)
Oh, I know that one, and the results are often paining.
I know! Even the cool feminist characters do it! (See: Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You -- shut up; Lyra in Golden Compass talks a lot about the boy she rescues, which, okay, but still; every episode of Sports Night ever.)
Pipi Longstocking should be appealing to a little boy crowd, right?
I've totally seen one of those movies! And I loved those books, and totally credit her with my love of pirates.
So, how did the argument go?
It went okay. Film Minor got what I was saying eventually, after much discussion of types of film and the use of visual shorthand; the other person didn't, so much, but he's very silly about such things and thought I was overreacting.
Having read this, I'm trying to remember the media I consumed as a little girl, and how girl-centric it was... I think I picked well, looking back. Crappy anime about girl heroes and biographies about dead queens. Alice in Wonderland. At least it had females doing things.
Disney gave me Ariel the Mermaid and... The Lion King, Bambi, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lady and the Tramp, Snow White, Cinderella, Lilo and Mulan.
I think I was naturally drawn to girl-focused things. Though I always loved Treasure Island and Tom Sawyer and all those, too.
I do not think that the offers are too unbalanced, actually. Heaven bless Buffy and her whiny little heart.
But this article touches on one of those things you just accept as normal, that men are the center of a movie. You almost have to apologize to male friends for watching something like "Marie Antoinete" or "Elizabeth" on movie night, as if there's something wrong with representing 50% of the population. Unless they show skin. If all movies this year were focused on women, with maybe a few male supporting roles, people would complain. Why aren't they complaining now, when the odds are more skewed to the opposite?
I'm glad for the reminder to stop apologizing. Being a girl = okay.
Reply
Which is important. I read a lot of stories about princesses, but they were princesses who went around having their own adventures. Patricia C. Wrede's Dealing With Dragons series was one of my favorites. That carried over to Disney, as well -- I liked Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty, and even Cinderella's stepmother because they were strong women. Even if they were evil. (And I had my own little fannish theories of how misunderstood they were and how King Triton was really a jerk who didn't want to listen to the point of view of women.)
But this article touches on one of those things you just accept as normal, that men are the center of a movie.
There's a movie test someone came up with: see if any two female characters have a conversation that isn't about men. And yeah, I know part of the reason that movies with male heroes get made is because Marketing Research says that girls will watch movies about male characters but boys won't watch movies about female characters. (To which I say: have they tried marketing a movie about a female character not-Lara-Croft to boys?)
It relates to an argument I got into with two of my friends a couple weeks ago -- one is a film minor and will have movie nights that show good movies, but ones that invariably are male-centric. It's not that I mind that these movies are made, and I can enjoy them. But sometimes I'd like to watch movies that come from my worldview, and to show those movies to other people.
In short: yay, respecting women!
Reply
Random: The movie "My Girl" is one of my favorites because of the funeral scene. Kills me. It's one of my instant movie cry triggers. Even when I just stumble over it zapping through channels, I will start crying. With dignity.
(And I had my own little fannish theories of how misunderstood they were and how King Triton was really a jerk who didn't want to listen to the point of view of women.)
Miles ahead of me. Female villains didn't get my attention until my early teens. Or male villains, that is. Also: You are so right about King Triton!! *g*
There's a movie test someone came up with: see if any two female characters have a conversation that isn't about men.
Oh, I know that one, and the results are often paining. Even Firefly... Inara's lines do tend to be about Mal. I tend to focus on the bits about her that unrelated to Mal, but when I thought about it, I did a little wince. Kaylee and Inara: Simon. Zoe and Inara: Mal. Inara and EVERY DAMN CLINET: Mal. Kaylee and River: yay, sex with boys in general. Kaylee and Zoe: saving Jayne from dying on Bellerophon. I'll grant that Firefly is one of Joss' more male-centric shows, and that on Buffy, Angel probably didn't spend the first 14 episodes talking about much else than her (Did he? I'l ask Goldy.) but it's still noticable.
(To which I say: have they tried marketing a movie about a female character not-Lara-Croft to boys?)
Pipi Longstocking should be appealing to a little boy crowd, right? They have these really crappy movies about her, As Seen On Gilmore Girls. *G*
It relates to an argument I got into with two of my friends a couple weeks ago -- one is a film minor and will have movie nights that show good movies, but ones that invariably are male-centric. It's not that I mind that these movies are made, and I can enjoy them. But sometimes I'd like to watch movies that come from my worldview, and to show those movies to other people.
So, how did the argument go?
Reply
Also: You are so right about King Triton!! *g*
Well, Ursula had the benefit of being Infamous. So I had this whole idea that she was powerful, and Triton was getting threatened, so he either started spreading rumors or forced her to show her hand of magical powers and generally being a badass. (Also, Cinderella's stepmother just wanted to get out of the terrible poverty in which they lived. You know how it is when you're a woman alone.)
Oh, I know that one, and the results are often paining.
I know! Even the cool feminist characters do it! (See: Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You -- shut up; Lyra in Golden Compass talks a lot about the boy she rescues, which, okay, but still; every episode of Sports Night ever.)
Pipi Longstocking should be appealing to a little boy crowd, right?
I've totally seen one of those movies! And I loved those books, and totally credit her with my love of pirates.
So, how did the argument go?
It went okay. Film Minor got what I was saying eventually, after much discussion of types of film and the use of visual shorthand; the other person didn't, so much, but he's very silly about such things and thought I was overreacting.
Reply
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