Friday, November 25, 2011

Looking at Female Characters

Maybe it's because I've been thinking about female characters and writers lately that a few lines I've heard this past week stood out like a bunch of sore thumbs for me.

From "As Good As it Gets" When the Jack Nicholson character is asked how he writes women so well he says, "I think of a man and take away reason and accountability."

From the Bio channel's biography of Jodi Foster. "She's too intelligent. Hollywood doesn't know what to do with her."

And from another movie, "State of Play". A newspaper editor to a reporter, both intelligent women, "Find out who she knows, who she blows, and the color of her underwear."

I know that there are intelligent female protags, both in movies and books, but why do writers go out of their way to make every other female character appear to be either stupid or a sex machine? Does making that female lead appear more masculine than the other female characters make her character more palatable?

4 comments:

Katherine Tomlinson said...

Do you watch CASTLE? They added a new female police captain this year and (along with other changes they've made), it's nearly ruined the show. She is such an annoying cliche of a "tough woman" (she even insists the detectives call her "sir" which is just stupid) that every time she shows up on screen, I want to change the channel.
"Sir?" WTF?
That line from STATE OF PLAY is horrifying. If I'd been in the theater I'd have thrown popcorn.

sandra seamans said...

I agree about Castle and I've only caught a few episodes this year. You can be tough without being called sir.

I caught State of Play on TV and couldn't believe that came out of Helen Mirren's mouth.

Ron Scheer said...

Popular entertainment has been in love with intimidation in all its forms since Bush-Cheney got elected. It's not just the portrayal of women characters or the callous treatment of them by writers.

sandra seamans said...

You're right, Ron. It seems like every show or movie has to have their formula characters and they want anyone straying.

I was thinking about that in relation to YA fiction. You need a smart kid, a girl, a fat boy, and at least one person of color to round out the cast of characters.