Top 75 Heriones of SF, Fantasy and Horror
Top 75 Heriones of SF, Fantasy and Horror
This is two years old and therefore somewhat out of date, but I'd never seen it before and it's interesting.
Ripley? Really? I like her, but I don't think she has anywhere near the cultural impact of Princess Leia, let alone Scully or Buffy. I liked the first two Alien movies, but I hated the third one so much I would have walked out of the theatre had I not been with other people. (I also wanted to call it "Alien cubed" rather than "Alien III.") I've never heard of there being any sort of fandom for the Alien movies either: they're not a cultural phenomenon like Star Wars or Harry Potter. Moreover, tv characters in general are much more powerful as forces of social change than movie characters. A movie makes it's point and then it's over, but with tv, people are more likely to accept someting that is in their house and it has a significantly greater opportunity for character development and depth over time.
I'm also frustrated that female characters in almost all media are usually the "normal" ones: no matter how powerful or gifted they are they are the straight (wo)men who generally play by the book. Think Scully or Hermione or Leia--even though I love them to death, they're not outlaws or seekers or hierophants. There is no female equivalent of Mulder, brilliant and obsessive and unapologetic for it. We don't have enough shamelessly weird women who break rules.
This is two years old and therefore somewhat out of date, but I'd never seen it before and it's interesting.
Ripley? Really? I like her, but I don't think she has anywhere near the cultural impact of Princess Leia, let alone Scully or Buffy. I liked the first two Alien movies, but I hated the third one so much I would have walked out of the theatre had I not been with other people. (I also wanted to call it "Alien cubed" rather than "Alien III.") I've never heard of there being any sort of fandom for the Alien movies either: they're not a cultural phenomenon like Star Wars or Harry Potter. Moreover, tv characters in general are much more powerful as forces of social change than movie characters. A movie makes it's point and then it's over, but with tv, people are more likely to accept someting that is in their house and it has a significantly greater opportunity for character development and depth over time.
I'm also frustrated that female characters in almost all media are usually the "normal" ones: no matter how powerful or gifted they are they are the straight (wo)men who generally play by the book. Think Scully or Hermione or Leia--even though I love them to death, they're not outlaws or seekers or hierophants. There is no female equivalent of Mulder, brilliant and obsessive and unapologetic for it. We don't have enough shamelessly weird women who break rules.