Oy, it's been many moons since last I posted here. Not that I was ever very good about frequently updating this blog, but it's been over six months since I put down any new words here. My thoughts have turned to the blog many times, and I've thought of a lot of different topics I could go on about, but somehow I failed to ever actually post. I got married May 7th (so far, still no regrets; I am very, very happy with that aspect of my life) and this past summer also started a one-year grad program to get an Masters in Education. My duties in that program included taking several education classes and interning as a student teacher in the morning. On top of that I still work part-time at the trophy shop. So I have do have quite a bit on my plate.
On the other hand, though...I do still have quite a bit of free time. I still manage somehow to spend hours upon hours of time on the internet (and, of course, blogging here would fall in that category), so obviously I do have time to work on ambitions of mine (another category which this blog would also fall under), but I keep on failing to do so. I want to actually write short stories and novels and get them published (especially now that my brother has self-published his own novel) and I want to do more free-time reading and expanding of my knowledge. And yet I keep on wasting time on this blasted internet thingie.
Well, I guess this post has been kind of aimless, but I wanted to tip my toe back in blogging waters again and hopefully reestablish the habit. I think part of the reason it's been so hard for me to get back to blogging is that I feel compelled to write long posts and any time I had an idea for a post I got intimidated about writing about it from all the angles I envisioned. I'm hoping I can learn to do shorter posts, but more frequently. So, here's a little morsel to chew on for today:
Devin's List of Movie Cliches that Need to Stop Now- Item 1: Anorexic Wisp of a Woman > Man Roughly the Size of a Tank
Alright, I get that, post-feminist revolution, a goal for movie makers and writers is to create empowered female role models who are actively controlling their own fate and not simply damsels in distress waiting for Prince Charming or Mario to come save them. But, I'm sorry, I just can't quite get rid of that itch of disbelief in my head when I watch a girl who looks like she maybe weighs 100 pounds wet holding her own with a 6 foot plus muscleman. Often in movies such female characters are supposed to have had special martial-arts/sword-fighting/assassin training before, but then they end up facing guys who also have had fight training and weigh twice as much as them, which would seem to neutralize any advantage the girl may have had against a regular Joe Schmoe.
It just ends up feeling like lazy feminist pandering to me and destroys my suspension of disbelief. It's not that I don't believe that there are women that could beat up men, particularly if the opponent were to be someone like wimpy me. In fact, I absolutely believe there are tough women out there that could hold their own in a fight; I just don't think they look like Angelina Jolie (see picture above). Seriously! Look at that bone of an arm there! And I'm supposed to believe she's capable of beating up trained CIA operatives (I don't know if she does any hand-to-hand combat in the movie Wanted but I know she does it in the movie Salt).
I do make exceptions if we're dealing with females who are supposed to be superhuman or have magical abilities (like Buffy the Vampire Slayer), but outside of that it really bothers me, especially now that it's been done over and over and over.
I'm all for strong female characters who are not constantly needing a man to save them, but I have two requests:
(1) Make them capable and active through their cleverness and courage (ala Elizabeth Swan in the first Pirates movie, not the sword fighting Elizabeth Swan of the sequels).
(2) Cast women who actually look like they could throw a punch and make you feel it.
One objection to my objections, though: I have a problem with the unrealistic portrayal of high school cheerleader-petite women tossing around barrel-chested thugs, but I don't have problems enjoying movies where the male hero is able to take on and defeat scores of bad guys in close combat (Bourne Identity) or guys twice as big as himself. These male heroes at least have visible biceps and muscle-definition, but is the latter scenario any more realistic than the first? Am I being consistent?
Food for thought.
PS: Oh, and my idea of doing a shorter post here: fail.
1 comment:
I must admit, I did not read the full post word for word. I would like to petition that if you want to publish your works, you must also include your poetry. 'Nough said!
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