riding that lady horse again

[annwyd]

So, this post about female characters is being linked around, and while it's interesting and informative and clever, it leaves me somewhat dissatisfied

Comments

[a_white_rain]

Male characters are not judged as representatives of their entire gender--although of course this is in part because they're almost never intended as representatives of their entire gender.
Agreed!

[selphish]

iawtc

[annwyd]

Yup, and both sides of that are pretty much the problem with female characters in fandom!

[meganbmoore]

EXACTLY!

I felt like the post was dancing around that, but didn't quite want to commit to going there.

[annwyd]

I feel like a lot of people want to absolve someone of the "blame" for The Female Character Problem. Which, honestly, doesn't work.

[silvernaofficer]

Sadly on the Fables Forum, few people can be arsed to criticize Bill Willingham's portrayal of women in Fables >| Because he's Bill he must be sacred, or some such.

[annwyd]

I get this in Gurren Lagann fandom constantly. IT'S NOT SEXIST EVER YOU'RE JUST READING TOO MUCH INTO IT.

[oneironaut]

Authorial intent! Authorial intent!

[7thisgod]

Reading the first few lines there, I find it kinda funny. I suppose it's I don't involve myself too much with Western-styled fandom; but I find it very common, in AnimeSuki or 4chan or the like, to see more favorite female characters than favorite male characters.

[annwyd]

I've noticed some of that, and I suspect it has something to do with male anime fans frequently adoring female anime characters as sources of "moe appeal," but often not so much as characters. :/

[sapphire_hime]

A fantasy writer that's doing fairly well once asked her readers why they wouldn't (or at least be reluctant to) pick up a fantasy/sci fi book with a female protagonists. The answers were eye opening, and also dismaying.

Female readers treat these protagonists harshly while at the same time, there are represented with less care by some authors. It's like a vicious circle.