Netflix shows Orange is the New Black and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt lead the charge in portraying women positively in TV.
When one thinks about women in films, thoughts often return to the classic portraits of damsels in distress from the 1930s. Long blonde hair, striking blue eyes, a nimble figure and gorgeous curves. Much to the delight of audiences asking for more independent characters, this Fay Wray-like archetype has undergone significant change. But how much about it is different?
In the last couple of decades, Hollywood did give American audiences admirable female characters like FBI agent Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs and Deb Bradshaw, the quirky entrepreneur in Napoleon Dynamite. Yet these characters feel far outweighed by the number one dimensional female love interests.
Recently Loran Marsan, a women’s, gender and sexuality studies professor at Ohio University, debated the evolution of females in mainstream movies.
“Strong characters, regardless of gender, can be seen across all genres. It is someone who is taking charge of their own destiny and fighting for it in any avenue that isn’t romance. Most female leads are based around romance. That isn’t always bad, but it is a tired idea,” Marsan said.
The Twilight Saga, a movie franchise that ended about three years ago, is a sobering example of how easily a female protagonist can be upstaged by the romance aspect of the book. Bella Swan, the leading protagonist, is often criticized for being too weak and dependent.
Yet, it is worth acknowledging that audiences never really saw Bella as the focus of Twilight. More focus is placed on the Team Edward and Team Jacob debate. Bella more or less became an accessory to the entire debate. Still, there is nothing inherently wrong about Twilight despite the halfhearted effort that was put on the lead character. But the debates about Bella’s empty character have left some wondering how long it has been since a story about a female protagonist has not been about romance.
“We are starting to see more strong female characters in large blockbuster films as opposed to (smaller budget) films and television where they have always been available. We have more space now for those characters to speak their minds,” Marsan said.
The Hunger Games trilogy, which features a female protagonist, has been a huge success on many levels. Not only is the main protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, making strides for women in the movie industry but the actress that plays her in the movie franchise, Jennifer Lawrence, is making waves too.
Producers of The Hunger Games advised Lawrence, who is already thin for normal standards, to lose weight. She openly protested the suggestion, claiming that she did not want her younger audience to feel like they have to starve themselves to look like someone they saw in a movie.
“The Hunger Games franchise is a good example of how far we (as a society) have come and how far we have not. We have a strong female character who, for once, has a story that extends beyond her love interests. (Yet, Lawrence) is also expected to fit into the ideal female image: young, white, skinny, long hair. Not that those are bad things by any means, it is just that that is an image we get shown repeatedly,” Marsan said.
“I think there is progress occurring but more so in television than film,” Marsan said.
Television shows have, actually, shown more diversity and strength with their characters. Shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Xena: Warrior Princess both were primetime television shows produced in the ‘90s that had female leads. To this day they both have a strong cult following.
Of course, there’s also plenty more progressive shows gaining popularity right now.
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“TV has transformed over the years and seen more variety. And now, companies like Netflix are stepping in. Orange is the New Black, for example, (is) not perfect but it has also introduced a great deal of variety. Yet, they are still in some ways, a lesbian fantasy built for males. They all look (like the traditional female archetype.) Then again, ‘Orange’ does make some differences in their representation. (The plot) is not always about sex. The story is still about a circle of women — detracting from the male gaze despite still kind of feeding into it,” Marsan said.
Basically, media is taking baby steps towards a more diverse future. Sometimes it seems as soon as media takes two steps forward it also takes two steps back.
If audiences give filmmakers a clear depiction of what they want to see in cinemas they will respond. In recent memory, female comic book readers expressed concern about Marvel’s lack of focus on superheroines on Internet forums.
“The Internet gives us an ability to converse with others. The vocal critique from female fans to Marvel has created an uproar. It sounds like people are starting to listen. If we utilize our abilities as individuals and groups, we will eventually get something that we want to see,” Marsan said.
Until the demands of the people become loud enough, there are great movies and TV shows on Netflix with female characters to keep us entertained. Shows like The Office, Dear White People and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt all offer their audiences great female characters as do movies like Odd Thomas, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Heathers.
Media feeds into stereotypes and stereotypes feed into media. That is just a paradox of culture. But those different aspects are really interesting and worth finding.
Kaitlyn McGarvey is a freshman studying journalism. What do you think of female representation in TV shows and movies? Email her at km451814@ohio.edu.
