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Welcome to my world, my mind and my own Wonderland. Writer, Analyst, Critic, Movie Buff, Gamer, Researcher, that's who I am.

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Sep
27th
2019

The Quickening: Female role models · 1:41am Sep 27th, 2019

Whenever an action film or some genre comes out that traditionally doesn't appeal to the female sex (at least according to Hollywood) with a woman as the main protagonist or at least as equal to her male counterparts, it's not strange to hear about how this character in question is "a role model" since is "strong, intelligent and can do anything".

Is she a good role model without a doubt but is she a good character?

An excessively perfect and capable character is not necessarily a better character, nor does it necessarily add or contribute something good to the story itself, and seems to respond more to political and public relations issues than to what is best for the movie / book / series /videogame.

Hollywood especially seems to believe that female characters should be some kind of mold that serves as a role model for viewers, especially younger ones, which in some ways conceals certain unfortunate implications that they tend to be more damaging to feminism in general than something beneficial.

Here I ask why no one talks about "good male roles" for boys? Am I the only one who sees the double standard?

It's assumed that it's not necessary to create these characters because in reality, the question is to show progress, and are the girls who really need examples to follow to excel (I suppose the women of their families, as well as historical characters that go from queens, writers, scientists and athletes are painted)

But ultimately, the one who loses the most is the woman in fiction; in comedy, for example, it's common to see that women are morally and intellectually superior to men all the time, that they are always right, but in favor of an empowerment, I sacrifice... well, you know, "comedy ", is that the expectations of what we expect from a female or male character are different without realizing what would happen if there were a female character like Homer Simpson? Fat, lazy, drunk, selfish and silly? It would be seen as a bad example for the public, but wouldn't that make a character more... real?

Those female "model" characters create a false expectation of perfection that they honestly leave Barbie as a realistic character, and when writers worry more about creating a model for the public before a real character, is backfires and totally loses the story.

Interesting is also like any sample of stereotypical feminity (say, a sweet character or pink dress) is seen as a synonym for "weakness"; it's a common criticism, for example, of Disney princesses, which in a way is true: they, being honest, are flat and unreal characters, but I feel that this attitude gives a wrong lesson too; it gives the idea that a woman, if she wants to excel, must discard those "weak" attitudes and adopt more masculine ones, seen stereotypically as more "strong" (which is, quite macho in itself)

Much has been said that, continuing with the case of Disney princesses, which are bad examples to follow, but again, we miss the point: it's a child-like fantasy, which will be discarded when the girl discovers other interests.

As a child, I wanted to be a Star Wars pilot: that was unreal and fanciful, but being something masculine, nobody said anything, shouldn't my parents have worried about wanting something impossible? No, because, well... it's a child-like fantasy, a matter of dreams and nothing more; I don't understand how that's different from when a girl plays tea dressed as Cinderella, and in any case, there seems to be a very cynical vision that sees in these games a humiliation for the female gender... a little exaggerated, right?

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