Three rules

[longleggedgit]

I was reading a little old-school Dykes to Watch Out For the other day, which is one of my favorite comic strips, and one of the comics really got to me. One character suggested they take in a movie, and the other enlightened her to the three rules she applies to movies she wants to see. They have to

Comments

[longleggedgit]

HAHAHA, also most hilarious example ever, though. And, well, it technically counts! xD

I know, I'm like, picking apart every movie I've ever seen/liked now, haha. It's just so interesting!

[longleggedgit]

I know, I continue to be shocked as I go down my list of favorites and keep turning up empty-handed. Hollywood totally needs to step up to the plate and make some changes, man. It's a new decade!

[longleggedgit]

Isn't Bechdel like. A god among swine? Hahaha. But oh, yes, I like the way you think. (Not to mention where you do your thinking.) They are great characters, and I really enjoy that both of them are interesting and strong and not just pretty, dull little accessories. But they still never interact, and, yeah, I'm willing to bet if they did, the conversation would go something like "OH BOYS."

That was a fun one! (Although, oh my god, all the ridiculous hipster romance stuff was SO SILLY.) But yeah, definitely the exception. I can find at least a few more exceptions on TV shows as opposed to film, but still not a ton.

[longleggedgit]

Oh, no, I know who she is!! I just meant kajfe isn't she awesome! I've actually met her and had my copy of Fun Home signed. :D

Wow, internet, you prove yourself to be awesome again and again! Thanks for that link. :)

Yeah, TV definitely seems to be better than film about it, although I'm still disappointed about the lack of awesome female protagonists (usually they just have a good supporting cast). And I was trying to think if PoT EVER works for this or not--sometimes the women are talking about tennis, but since they're basically talking specifically about the boys playing tennis, I'm thinking not. No huge surprise there, though, as it's like, the LotR equivalent in boy-to-girl ratio, lol.

[thistlerose]

Well, Kirk's in his underwear too. *g* But yeah, it's really depressing, and I find myself failing the Bechdel test when I write fan fiction, which ... Gah. Though I suppose it depends on the fandom. Most television series that I follow pass. Most movies don't. There tend to be better roles for women in television anyway.

I'm trying to remember what I've seen lately.

*draws a blank*

Oh, well, "Waitress," which I saw the other week, passes. So does the 2009 "Wonder Woman," which isn't so surprising - though the women talk about men (mostly about how much better off they are without them) an awful lot. the 1994 "Little Women" passes unsurprisingly. I watched "The Wizard of Oz" last night, and that passes. Most Disney films don't, though most films by Hiyao Miyazaki do. At least, the ones I've seen.

"Just My Luck," which I watched because of the aforementioned Captain Fine, actually passes now that I think about it. Huh.

[longleggedgit]

Haha, true. I still just roll my eyes when I think about how they automatically made Uhura take off her shirt in that scene, though. Gaila it at least made sense, but I thought Uhura's nakedness was COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY.

Oh, I don't pass it in most of my fic, either. I mean, most of my fandoms are centered around lots of boys, and most of my ships are male/male, so I'm guilty as well.

I was just thinking that about Miyazaki, though! One of the many things I love about the man--he has just as many amazing female protagonists under his belt as male (in fact, now that I'm thinking about it, maybe more?), and they have all sorts of motivations and dreams and concerns. I love his films. :) I'd also agree that most of the TV shows I watch tend to do at least a little better, although still, a lot of them just have a good female SUPPORTING cast. There are very few shows out there with several awesome female protagonists.

Ahhh, Wizard of Oz, that's an awesome one. :)

Your icon is hilarious, btw. xD

[reallyreally]

Hm, I think the last film I saw was He's just not that into you which was horrible in a hundred little ways. It's basically all about hetero relationships, so no, it doesn't pass the test. And I just recently watched Hair again, and the only scene I can remember where two female characters talk to each other is the one with Jeannie and Hud's fiancée (who's name is never mentioned, I think) where they talk about... Hud. Yeah.

I am pretty sure there were a few scenes with women who talk to each other about other things than men in The Devil Wears Prada, though, which is another film I saw recently. They talk about fashion and work and ambitions.

(I LOVE Alison Bechdel! I hope you have read Fun Home, as well? )

[longleggedgit]

Eurgh, that one looked horrid. :( And man, I love Hair, but you are so right--the ladies in it pretty much only talk about the boys and maybe being pregnant, which is kind of depressing.

You know, I haven't seen that one! I want to, it's on my list.

I KNOW, SHE'S AMAZING. And yes, I actually got to meet her in Minneapolis and have my copy signed once! It was amazing ♥___♥ She's such a genius, agh.

[reallyreally]

It WAS horrid. TBH, some parts of it were sweet, like they are wont to be in romantic comedies, but most of it was just cliché upon cliché. And gay characters who only had the function of giving advice on hetero relationships (and joking about how that wouldn't work in the gay world, where men [yeah, men] just look at each other and go of to fuck). Bah. But yeah, if I went on on that subject this comment would just turn into "How is this film wrong? Let me count the ways!" so let's leave it at that.

And yeah, I love Hair too, but it IS centred around the male characters. And anyway, isn't the real (b)romance in that film the one between Claude and Berger?

It wasn't super great, but enjoyable, and anyway it's worth watching if only for the clothes, hee.

Oh wow!!! She really is a genious :) I actually gave a translated copy of Fun Home to my mother for Christmas (when I saw that she'd put it on her wish list I just had too) :D

[longleggedgit]

Ugh, I hate the obnoxious gay side-characters who only exist to make funny little jokes about how DIFFERENT and WEIRD they are!!! (And it's always gay boys--not saying I want a ton of stereotypical lesbian sidekicks, mind you, but I think it's telling that they tend toward the gay boys because their stereotype is more cute and inoffensive than a lesbian).

Oh yeah, totally. I'm thinking about the actual play, too, which is super different from the film, and I think it's the same thing. Mayyyybe a couple of the girls talk about drugs once? But I'm not sure.

Good call! My mom read it a couple years back and now she's giving it to other people as Christmas presents, so I feel very proud. :)

[soixantequatre]

Ah, that comic really shocked me when I saw it too! It also made me realise how rare it is even to have a central female character... I can't even think of a film I've watched recently that meets this criteria.

Another thing that really opened my eyes was when I started listening to In our time I found it so weird to be listening to a show where there seemed to be a majority or at least equality of female guests.

[soixantequatre]

Also as far as Disney goes - 101 Dalmatians? Cruella and Perditta talk about the dogs!

[longleggedgit]

Ah, I think you're right! I was trying to think if Little Mermaid does, and I don't think so, really, because Ariel and Ursula are only talking about the becoming human stuff so Ariel can get her man.

Hmm. In Lion King Nala and her mom talk about the water hole? Hahaha.