Links; women on and offscreen
Apr. 10th, 2012 01:23 pmSome links to articles dealing with female representation and sexism within the media and in real life.
What does science fiction tell us about the future of reproductive rights? (originally linked by![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ysabetwordsmith) One of the things it tells us is that in the non-mainstream world where women's voices are more likely to be heard, far different ideas about gender and reproduction can be heard than those that bombard us via mainstream, male-dominated, media.
Speaking of the more mainstream media - Where Have All The Good Women Gone ; this article posits that, even in a post-Buffy era, shows like Glee, Bones, and Once Upon a Time increasingly sideline women into romantic storylines or portray them as mostly evil and/or manipulative. It highlights The Good Wife which ironically, given its title, is a show that passes the Bechdel test constantly, and shows a woman rediscovering herself after a political scandal lands her husband in jail and forces her to find a job as a lawyer.
Comments left at the article also mention shows including Fringe and Lost Girl as having competent females in lead roles.
Interestingly this article compares Buffy and Lost Girl and explains that ‘Lost Girl’ Isn’t ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’—And That’s Okay
After the disgusting show of racism from supposed book fans who didn't realise that 'dark skinned' as written in the actual book meant a black female would be cast as Rue (Racist Hunger Games Fans Are Very Disappointed ; Why wasn't The Hunger Games cast as I imagined in my racist reading?!) one reviewer moved to attack another female, Jennifer Lawrence, for her weight ( Jennifer Lawrence Isn’t Thin Enough To Play Katniss?); commentators point out that in the book Katniss hunts for extra food for her family, that a malnourished girl would be a less likely competitor to survive the Games in the first place, and of course the fact that the reviewer singled the female hero out while ignoring the healthy looking male actors playing Gale and Peeta.
In the real world, women in the USA in particular, are seeing their rights eroded piece by piece in all areas of their lives (e.g. Topeka Repeals Law Against Domestic Violence ; New Bill Would Require Police to Witness Domestic Violence Firsthand Before Making Arrest ; Wisconsin Equal Pay Law Repealed Because “Money Is More Important For Men”)
This article looks at the worst offenders: Dispatches From The War On Women: The 5 Worst States - Mississippi fares worst:
What does science fiction tell us about the future of reproductive rights? (originally linked by
ysabetwordsmith) One of the things it tells us is that in the non-mainstream world where women's voices are more likely to be heard, far different ideas about gender and reproduction can be heard than those that bombard us via mainstream, male-dominated, media.Speaking of the more mainstream media - Where Have All The Good Women Gone ; this article posits that, even in a post-Buffy era, shows like Glee, Bones, and Once Upon a Time increasingly sideline women into romantic storylines or portray them as mostly evil and/or manipulative. It highlights The Good Wife which ironically, given its title, is a show that passes the Bechdel test constantly, and shows a woman rediscovering herself after a political scandal lands her husband in jail and forces her to find a job as a lawyer.
Comments left at the article also mention shows including Fringe and Lost Girl as having competent females in lead roles.
Interestingly this article compares Buffy and Lost Girl and explains that ‘Lost Girl’ Isn’t ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’—And That’s Okay
After the disgusting show of racism from supposed book fans who didn't realise that 'dark skinned' as written in the actual book meant a black female would be cast as Rue (Racist Hunger Games Fans Are Very Disappointed ; Why wasn't The Hunger Games cast as I imagined in my racist reading?!) one reviewer moved to attack another female, Jennifer Lawrence, for her weight ( Jennifer Lawrence Isn’t Thin Enough To Play Katniss?); commentators point out that in the book Katniss hunts for extra food for her family, that a malnourished girl would be a less likely competitor to survive the Games in the first place, and of course the fact that the reviewer singled the female hero out while ignoring the healthy looking male actors playing Gale and Peeta.
In the real world, women in the USA in particular, are seeing their rights eroded piece by piece in all areas of their lives (e.g. Topeka Repeals Law Against Domestic Violence ; New Bill Would Require Police to Witness Domestic Violence Firsthand Before Making Arrest ; Wisconsin Equal Pay Law Repealed Because “Money Is More Important For Men”)
This article looks at the worst offenders: Dispatches From The War On Women: The 5 Worst States - Mississippi fares worst:
Mississippi women earn the lowest average wages in the country and [the state] has never elected a woman to Congress or as governor. 22% of the women of the state live in povertyThe article draws the unsurprising conclusion that
Those states where women do not have access to affordable higher education, reproductive health care and representation in Congress pursue the most regressive, anti-women policies in the country. It’s an important reminder that the war on women is not simply a war on abortion. It’s a war on the ability of women to control their own destinies.
