esmenet: Two of the Shadow Girls (aka the Greek Chorus) from Shoujo Kakumei Utena (shadowgirls)
History is very interesting! Especially American history. It makes me want to go up to people and say "Your ancestors were all total jerks! Did you know?" Why yes, I am reading A People's History of the United States.


In today's Things That Really Bug Me:

Star Wars is kind of really, really sexist? Somehow I did not notice this! But today I was reading a fanfic, and it was kind of annoying me that it didn't pass the Bechdel test, and then I thought Wait a sec. Did canon even pass the Bechdel Test? Did it even have enough women to pass the Bechdel Test with? And really, thinking back, it sort of didn't. In the original movies, the dynamics are dude-dude-dude-dude-Leia-dude-(bunch of droids that are apparently assumed to be male)-dude-(aliens of unspecified gender, possibly referred to as "guy")-Aunt Beru-dude-dude-dude-dude-dude-Mon Mothma. And also Jabba's dancers + one of the musicians, I think. We don't really see a lot of women(at least, who are obviously female -- note that we do see a lot of obviously male characters everywhere) in the background -- no female soldiers, no women having a drink in Mos Eisley, no female pilots, no female technicians. You only really see women in Star Wars if they're there to a) look sexy, or b) be someone's relative or love interest. Mon Mothma is possibly the only exception to this, and we don't see much of her.

It's really disturbing, to not even see women in the background of a canon unless they're doing something sexy.

(Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go watch some Seirei no Moribito to get my head on straight again.)
esmenet: Little!Anthy with swords (Default)
A lot of the 'heroes' -- the ones who truly are heroes, and not anti-heroes or just characters I like -- that I love are the ones who will not give up, no matter what. Zuko in Vathara's Embers is a good example, as is Battler from Umineko no Naku Koro Ni. They will do anything to save their people. Anything, from breaking their strong, unbending pride to denying the truth of the world itself.

It's a little unsettling that I can't think of a female character like that.

Oh, I sort of can -- heroines who will do anything -- but the choices they are forced to make are generally more . . . passive ones. More of the lying and hiding and staying safe themselves (which is not a bad thing, of course) and less of the confronting a great figure and saying to their face I will not back down. Less . . . determination. Or at least positions in which that determination can be tested.

The only real exception I can think of to this is (of course) Major General Olivia Armstrong. She doesn't say so in as many words, but she is the Northern Wall of Briggs, and no matter what you will not get past her.


I'm not sure I worded this post quite right, but I think you get the point anyway.

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