Strong Female Charecters and How not to screw them up
Mar 11, 2024 18:43:18 GMT -6
Post by saintofm on Mar 11, 2024 18:43:18 GMT -6
This is inspired by the umpteenth YouTube video on this topic, and how that video was pretentious and condescending as you can get without actually helping. Grrr
I will probably be speaking as a minority, but I didn't have a Problem with Captain Marvel, nor with Ray from Star Wars and my only problem with Rose was how she got screwed over by Disney trying to placate the toxic portion of the Star Wars Fanbase.
Now that my credentials will surly be thrown down the toilet faster than you can say Use the Force Luke, here we go.
We want strong female characters in the same way we want weak ones, in the same way we can have strong or weak male ones. However, ignoring the loud and obnoxious people that have put their voice to this, my issues with this concept is three fold:
1. We have had tones of female characters in history and fiction that have been strong in both skill, physical prowess, intelligence, wisdom, social skills, humor, and many other facets, so its not like we shouldn't have icons to pull from.
2 It feels like its been pandering at best, and half hazard at worse. Its a surface level of strength, or its been allow of tell and not show, or they don't use their strength at the fullest. I look at the Live Action Dumbo Film, and one of the criticisms Lindsi Ellise did on her Woke Disney Youtube/Nebula video was the fact the main girl character is studying biology, so therefore should be very smart or at the very least super knowledgeable about animals. Yet, they don't use any of it. When it comes to stuff like this this feels more insulting than admirable. Or my problem with say Sakura in pre time skip Naruto and most of it during Shipoden is she has the practical knowledge, the genius, and the chakra control to be the most powerful one of the team. But for whatever reason she lacks Sauske's grand amount talent, or Naruto's perseverance to be more than the token chick (especially insulting when nearly every female character in the series between then and the time skip are nothing short of badass). So instead of Fighting Prowess of Chun Lee, mental prowess of Jean Grey, we have this. Outside of a handful of moments in Shipoden, or some of the fillers/movies, this does not improve much.
3. Most of the time its they focus on strength usualy associated with manly men, forgetting that traditional femininity has its strength a woman had to have, or other areas as well that have their strengths but are looked down upon.
Hay, give my half orc muscle mommy a battle ax and I will be happy with the rest of them, but there is more to a person's strength, male, female, everything in-between, or evolved beyond that dynamic, than I get +5 to hit and damage with my great ax.
Sooo how can we do this and make this good, and areas that have usually failed at.
I also want to do a video on this so would like some good examples of ones that did well. I would like some good examples. To keep things from being just batman and a the same three or four fighting games taking half of the list, 1 per franchise with some wiggle room here and there (Predator, Alien, and Alien vs Predator get their own examples). Also some historical ones. Want to get a hundred different ones to be in its background to prove a point.
Honorable Mentions because I prefer someone that identifies as female: Testament from Guilty Gear. They are Agender, so despite having an out of my league body, list of hobbies, and personality, is an honorable mention. Bonus Points for being a sucker for B movie Shark films
James Stephani Sterling: Because we thank God For them.
The lead trio from Too Wong Foo: Mostly because I can't tell if people didn't have the words for Transgender yet, or if they are just cist guys in drag. Still a fun movie.
My list so far, and I will come up with reasons for them later or if asked.
1. Xena: Warrior Princess (namessake of the show)
2. Carry Nation: Historic Figure, was part of the Temperance movement in the late 1800's and early 1900's int he USA. Famus for being a little old lady that would go to places that served alcohol and start taking a hatchet to the interior of them.
3. Princess Leia (star Wars Franchise)
4. Machinko Noguchi: Aliens Vs Predator Comics and Novels (namely Prey and Hunter's Planet).
5. Ellen Rippley: Aliens Franchise
6. Naruo: Predator Franchise, namely Prey
7. Rexy: THe T Rex from Jurasic Park (Please just give me this one!)
8. Little Foot's Mother: The Land Before Time
9. Harly Quinn: DC Comics Charecter, largly been a rouge in Batman's comics but latter ones also have her as a new member of the bat family.
10. Lois Lane: DC Character Superman's main romance option. Depends on the material, but she is brave and determined and half the reason's she needs rescued is the pursuit of a good story and her own sense of justice.
11. Rosa Park: The WOman that refuse to give up her seat on a bus, and can be credited for getting the Civil Rights Movement in the 60's going.
12.Lady Jane: G.I. JOE Franchise
13. Demona: Gargoyals (so hard to limit it to just one here)
14. Cheetarah: Thunder Cats
15 Lina Inverse: Slayers
16 Amia: Arknights
17Black Arachnia: Various Transformers shows, but most famous for Beast Wars.
18 Bridget: Guilty Gear
19 Urhura: Star Treck
20 Chun Li: Street Fighter
21 Kitana: Mortal Kombat
22 Aerith: Final Fantasy 7 (Also another hard one to just limit to just one)
23 Rouge: X-Men
24 Dian Fossy: Primatologist that fought hard to protect the Mountain Gorillas, to the point she was assassinated for it. Sigourny Weaver played her in Gorillas in the Mist.
25 Ursala: Animated Disney Movie (Havn't seen live action yet)
26Fa Mulon: Animated Mulon. Disney did not do a live action one. It does not exist.
27Komi: Komi Can't Communicate
28 Grann: Loony Toons
29 Alita: Alita Battle Angel
30Tina Turner: Musician, singer, icon and survivor
31Tsunande: Naruto
32 Penny: The Rescuers
33. Perdita: 101 Dalmations
34. Shera: Princess of power (namesake of the show)
35. Wonder Woman (DC CHarecter)
36 Jesica Jones: Various Marvel Comics
37. Maple: Bofuri: I don't want to Get Hurt, So I Maxed Out my Defense stat
Will think of more but need a nap first.
I will probably be speaking as a minority, but I didn't have a Problem with Captain Marvel, nor with Ray from Star Wars and my only problem with Rose was how she got screwed over by Disney trying to placate the toxic portion of the Star Wars Fanbase.
Now that my credentials will surly be thrown down the toilet faster than you can say Use the Force Luke, here we go.
We want strong female characters in the same way we want weak ones, in the same way we can have strong or weak male ones. However, ignoring the loud and obnoxious people that have put their voice to this, my issues with this concept is three fold:
1. We have had tones of female characters in history and fiction that have been strong in both skill, physical prowess, intelligence, wisdom, social skills, humor, and many other facets, so its not like we shouldn't have icons to pull from.
2 It feels like its been pandering at best, and half hazard at worse. Its a surface level of strength, or its been allow of tell and not show, or they don't use their strength at the fullest. I look at the Live Action Dumbo Film, and one of the criticisms Lindsi Ellise did on her Woke Disney Youtube/Nebula video was the fact the main girl character is studying biology, so therefore should be very smart or at the very least super knowledgeable about animals. Yet, they don't use any of it. When it comes to stuff like this this feels more insulting than admirable. Or my problem with say Sakura in pre time skip Naruto and most of it during Shipoden is she has the practical knowledge, the genius, and the chakra control to be the most powerful one of the team. But for whatever reason she lacks Sauske's grand amount talent, or Naruto's perseverance to be more than the token chick (especially insulting when nearly every female character in the series between then and the time skip are nothing short of badass). So instead of Fighting Prowess of Chun Lee, mental prowess of Jean Grey, we have this. Outside of a handful of moments in Shipoden, or some of the fillers/movies, this does not improve much.
3. Most of the time its they focus on strength usualy associated with manly men, forgetting that traditional femininity has its strength a woman had to have, or other areas as well that have their strengths but are looked down upon.
Hay, give my half orc muscle mommy a battle ax and I will be happy with the rest of them, but there is more to a person's strength, male, female, everything in-between, or evolved beyond that dynamic, than I get +5 to hit and damage with my great ax.
Sooo how can we do this and make this good, and areas that have usually failed at.
I also want to do a video on this so would like some good examples of ones that did well. I would like some good examples. To keep things from being just batman and a the same three or four fighting games taking half of the list, 1 per franchise with some wiggle room here and there (Predator, Alien, and Alien vs Predator get their own examples). Also some historical ones. Want to get a hundred different ones to be in its background to prove a point.
Honorable Mentions because I prefer someone that identifies as female: Testament from Guilty Gear. They are Agender, so despite having an out of my league body, list of hobbies, and personality, is an honorable mention. Bonus Points for being a sucker for B movie Shark films
James Stephani Sterling: Because we thank God For them.
The lead trio from Too Wong Foo: Mostly because I can't tell if people didn't have the words for Transgender yet, or if they are just cist guys in drag. Still a fun movie.
My list so far, and I will come up with reasons for them later or if asked.
1. Xena: Warrior Princess (namessake of the show)
2. Carry Nation: Historic Figure, was part of the Temperance movement in the late 1800's and early 1900's int he USA. Famus for being a little old lady that would go to places that served alcohol and start taking a hatchet to the interior of them.
3. Princess Leia (star Wars Franchise)
4. Machinko Noguchi: Aliens Vs Predator Comics and Novels (namely Prey and Hunter's Planet).
5. Ellen Rippley: Aliens Franchise
6. Naruo: Predator Franchise, namely Prey
7. Rexy: THe T Rex from Jurasic Park (Please just give me this one!)
8. Little Foot's Mother: The Land Before Time
9. Harly Quinn: DC Comics Charecter, largly been a rouge in Batman's comics but latter ones also have her as a new member of the bat family.
10. Lois Lane: DC Character Superman's main romance option. Depends on the material, but she is brave and determined and half the reason's she needs rescued is the pursuit of a good story and her own sense of justice.
11. Rosa Park: The WOman that refuse to give up her seat on a bus, and can be credited for getting the Civil Rights Movement in the 60's going.
12.Lady Jane: G.I. JOE Franchise
13. Demona: Gargoyals (so hard to limit it to just one here)
14. Cheetarah: Thunder Cats
15 Lina Inverse: Slayers
16 Amia: Arknights
17Black Arachnia: Various Transformers shows, but most famous for Beast Wars.
18 Bridget: Guilty Gear
19 Urhura: Star Treck
20 Chun Li: Street Fighter
21 Kitana: Mortal Kombat
22 Aerith: Final Fantasy 7 (Also another hard one to just limit to just one)
23 Rouge: X-Men
24 Dian Fossy: Primatologist that fought hard to protect the Mountain Gorillas, to the point she was assassinated for it. Sigourny Weaver played her in Gorillas in the Mist.
25 Ursala: Animated Disney Movie (Havn't seen live action yet)
26Fa Mulon: Animated Mulon. Disney did not do a live action one. It does not exist.
27Komi: Komi Can't Communicate
28 Grann: Loony Toons
29 Alita: Alita Battle Angel
30Tina Turner: Musician, singer, icon and survivor
31Tsunande: Naruto
32 Penny: The Rescuers
33. Perdita: 101 Dalmations
34. Shera: Princess of power (namesake of the show)
35. Wonder Woman (DC CHarecter)
36 Jesica Jones: Various Marvel Comics
37. Maple: Bofuri: I don't want to Get Hurt, So I Maxed Out my Defense stat
Will think of more but need a nap first.
