On Girl Cooties in SF

[agilebrit]

You know, I'm terribly sorry for men who are threatened by the fact that the SF Clubhouse is getting bigger. I understand clinging to your guns and your religion (guilty! myownself), but to dismiss other voices out of hand simply because they're Other strikes me as being...

I dunno. Hidebound? Narrow-minded? Monumentally Stupid?

Now. It's one thing to actually examine those voices and find them lacking. The marketing idiots at SyFy are a case in point. Apparently they're attempting to appeal to EveryWoman. What they don't realize is that EveryWoman does not care for Our Chosen Genre and won't care for Our Chosen Genre no matter how much "moronic relationship crap" you put in it. And GeekWoman (which is the demographic they should be aiming for) watches SF because of the exploding spaceships, not in spite of them. So, SyFy is full of idiots, and you will get no argument from me on that.

That being said, why put all your entertainment eggs in one basket? I can think of six shows, right off the bat, that I currently watch (or will be watching when they start up again) on network TV with an SF element: Heroes, Dollhouse, Flash Forward, Fringe, Lost, and Chuck. Are these shows "chick-i-fied"? My gun-toting, plane-flying, jeeping, racecar-driving Hubby has something to say on that. For a genre that seems to get sneered at a lot, we seem to have numerous choices for entertainment.

And there's been plenty of other shows as well. Whine all you like about Starbuck being a woman (although she smokes cigars, drinks the guys under the table, plays poker, and punches superior officers in the face--I'm not sure how "feminine" that makes her; other than the fact that she has, you know, breasts, I don't know how different her character actually was from the original), but BSG was a damned fine show that took on deep issues like What Makes Us Human and How Do Wars Start, not to mention That Pesky Slavery Question. Firefly and Farscape were awesome too. Terminator! I'll even tip a hat to "My Own Worst Enemy" and "Life on Mars." How about "Pushing Daisies" (which was, yes, more fantasy than SF, but still absolutely brilliant).

Someone explain to me how these shows are "feminized." While you're at it, why don't you tell me what that even means. Where are the Girl Cooties?

I saw someone bitching that Starbuck tortured a male Cylon for information, he didn't give it to her, then Roslin got the information by asking politely and immediately shot him out the airlock. He seems to think that there was a "moral message" that there was nothing wrong with this--and if that's what he took from that scene, I think he's not even on the same planet as the actual point. He then said "OMG THEY WOULDN'T TORTURE A FEMALE PRISONER THAT WAY," pounding his fist all the while--and completely forgetting that, hey... they kind of did. I guess he forgot about the fact that Six got beaten up in prison, by her captors, on numerous occasions. And Boomer did too. Oops. Argument go Boom.

And movies. "Moon" and "District 9" come to mind, right off the bat. Star Trek. Terminator: Salvation (which was a bad movie, sorry, no cookie for those writers). "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." Wolverine (I loved it, sue me, I'm shallow). Transformers (okay, that was a really bad movie, but what did we expect?). SURROGATES OMG.

Seriously, there is not a dearth of entertainment out there for Manly Men. Also, Manly Men do not Whine. They Man Up and Do Something. Instead of crying in a blog, write the networks and advertisers. Buy the DVD sets of the shows you like. Write your own scripts and books and get them produced if you're such Hot Stuff.

And, if you think my ovaries are an impediment to writing blood, guts, and pain, Jake O'Dell would like a word with you. And I'm pretty sure Ben's* right in line behind him.

----
*Ben may be a bad example. This entire second novel is really about his relationships with the women in his life, isn't it? In between the blood, guts, and pain.

Comments

[expectare.livejournal.com]

Female characters means that THE WOMENS ARE TAKING OVER

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Female Characters That Actually Do Stuff, I guess. Instead of standing there and screaming uselessly and getting rescued, or waiting for Her Man to come back from the trenches so she can Have His Babiez and Cook Him Dinner, or whatever narrow role they're "supposed" to play.

Yeah, whatever.

[mela-lyn.livejournal.com]

Heehee... that reminds me of Jurassic Park.

"God creates dinosaur. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Women inherit the earth." Or something to that effect... :)

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

Every time I see SyFy, my minds says "si-phee" as in syphilis instead of Sci-Fi which made sense to my brain.

As a girl, I loved sci-fi because it featured strong, capable women. It also dealt with important issues: what is right and good, can diverse people live and work together in harmony, who are we, and how do we fit in creation.

I will agree that sometimes shows seem to want to pull in a certain demographic, and by doing so can alienate a large portion of the viewers they did have. Case in point: the Stargate series. Although much beloved by their faithful viewing audience, The Powers That Be wanted to appeal to a younger, darker, edgier crowd. In doing so, they've jettisoned the premise of decent people of character working together for the common good in exchange for gratuitous sex, cruelty, and ugliness. I don't think this venture was for the purpose of infecting Stargate with Girl Cooties; it's simply crawling with maggots at this point.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Really, the only decent show SyFy *barfs* had was BSG. I don't know if Caprica is any good and will wait to invest in it until my flist reacts to it first. Other than that... I'm not seeing what they have that will actually interest me. Their movies are horrible, and I don't even know what other series they're running right now. If any.

I've never seen any of the SG shows, so the SGU thing has passed me by. But, you know, I've got eight shows I watch right now. Half of them are SF. I don't need another one.

As a girl, I loved sci-fi because it featured strong, capable women. It also dealt with important issues: what is right and good, can diverse people live and work together in harmony, who are we, and how do we fit in creation.

THIS THIS SO MUCH THIS YES.

[lady-moriel.livejournal.com]

Warehouse 13 is an original SyFy show that finished just a few weeks ago, and that was quite good. Not sure what else they've got at the moment, though. Stuff like Doctor Who doesn't count, I guess.

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

I do like Warehouse 13, but I keep forgetting to watch it. I like the older character at the warehouse, but I'm not as enthralled with the leading characters, but they could grow on me.

[redeem147.livejournal.com]

I'm 53 years old. I'm sure I was loving SF long before these whiners came along.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

I know! I've been reading and enjoying SF for the last 33 years or so (I think I was 13 when I saw "The Star Beast" on a grocery store bookshelf and went WOW COOL at the cover and grabbed it with both hands), and I want to yell at these dumb boys to get off my lawn.

[mela-lyn.livejournal.com]

I like relationships in books... but not just romantic. Yes, I definitely sometimes like romance but it doesn't have to be the focus. And if I really want that, then I pull out one of my many romantic comedies. But as to scifi (this whole 'scyfy' thing is so stupid), I want to see them blow shit up, fight battles, and yeah, hey, if it calls for it and fits... get the girl. :) But it's not necessary.

And hubby and I have been watching Battlestar Gallactica. It's AWESOME... even he's totally addicted to it. And Starbuck is feminine. You don't have to be soft to be a girl. Same with the President. She's soft on the outside but hard inside.

Oh, and a friend of mine said that BSG isn't a remake of the original, it takes place 100 years AFTER it so different characters, stories, etc.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

The thing that makes us human is how we "relate" to other humans around us, how we deal with the crises our loved ones have, and hard choices we have to make. This can be "boy meets girl" or it can be Simon and River, or Wash and Zoe, or Buffy and Joyce, or Willow and Giles. Our lives are made up of relationship stuff, that's what makes them interesting. If your cardboard cut-outs are blowing shit up, I might like it in a mindless, popcorn-munching sort of way, but if your three-dimensional PEOPLE are blowing shit up, I'll love you forever and buy your DVDs.

[lady-moriel.livejournal.com]

It's a remake--a lot of the character names are the same, but they're different people. Starbuck and Apollo were actually character names in the original but now they're two pilots' call signs, and Count Baltar (no, really) is Dr. Gaius Baltar, etc. Plus it's not stupid.

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

You may have a point as regards video SF (though I can think of some major exceptions from as early as the 1980's). Written science fiction, however, has featured strong female characters since mid-century.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Well, sure it has, and this is a fine and shiny thing. I just don't get why it's a bad thing for video SF to follow suit. The Girl Cooties have been there since the beginning, after all...

[lady-moriel.livejournal.com]

No no no, women in SF/F are fine and dandy--as long as they have boobs the size of basketballs barely covered by metal bikinis, which in no way inhibits their ability to use a ginormo sword. Somehow. (Yes, this is one of my big pet peeves. The only explanation for going into battle dressed like this--and I use the word "dressed" only in its very loosest sense--is that said boobies are significantly bigger than the woman's brain, because come on, don't you want a little armor or skin protection at all?)

[baron-waste.livejournal.com]

Yee, thank you - I'd forgotten how Natalia Tena as Nymphadora Tonks carbonated my hormones. I had a lady friend tell me very seriously that Nymphadora would have been good for H Potter's first sexual experience. I know I'd sure have liked to spend a weekend with her in some out-of-the-way hotel...

[crayonbreakygal.livejournal.com]

When you do have the time (which will probably be never), you have to watch some SG-1. One of the kick-ass woman characters of all time, who is beautiful, smart, etc., etc. Sam Carter is the biggest geek in all the world.

SF has always been my favorite genre. Girl Cooties. *snort*

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

SAM CARTER IS PART OF THE PROBLEM DON'T YOU GET IT SHE IS SUPPOSED TO STAND THERE AND SCREAM AND GET RESCUED NOT KICK ASS WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU OMG.

...that was painful to type.

[crayonbreakygal.livejournal.com]

*giggle*

This!!!!

[neo-prodigy.livejournal.com]

How difficult it must be to be burdened with such a small penis.

[baron-waste.livejournal.com]

…No, I'll not comment, save for this: The original Starbuck was a laid-back, amiable antihero with an eye for a good card game and an aversion to risking his neck (though he would and did if his squadron mates were involved.) The aberrantly violent, hormonally deranged freemartin played by Katie Sackhoff is a complete departure - and the basis for some stinging criticism of R Moore, who, it has been said, seems to think that “permanent PMS” is the best way to depict strong women. (He's not unique; Seaquest DSV was nicknamed “Seaquest PMS” for the same reason - the chips on the shoulders of every female character were the size of 1980s shoulderpads. Bitchy & hostile = “empowered,” you see.)

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Okay, yes, the new Starbuck is kind of a raging bitch. A very competent raging bitch, but a raging bitch nevertheless. Personally, I didn't much care for her.

But if you gave her a penis instead of breasts, would you think that character was an asshole?

And is it easier for a male character to get away with being an asshole than it is for a female one to get away with being a bitch?

Which, I think, is an LJ entry all its own.

[baron-waste.livejournal.com]

By 'Hollywood logic,' yes. Ask my ROTC friend expectare what would happen to a flight officer who “punches superior officers in the face.” She'd tell you what is already obvious: That no amount of DACOWITS lobbying, affirmative action double standards or “feminist jurisprudence” would keep that officer from being court-martialled, cashiered, and never setting foot in a military cockpit again.

But in Hollywood, where “all the women are strong, and all the men are good-looking,” her sex is a built-in get-out-of-jail-free card for any insubordinate or irregular behavior she chooses, up to and including striking a superior officer. And knowing this, she behaves accordingly.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

And I would argue that that's a function of Hollywood Logic In General rather than Starbuck getting away with that shit because she's female. That happens all the time in movies, no matter the sex of the offender. How many times have we seen the competent but rebellious junior officer in the brig because of some offense or other, only to see him released because they need him? You'd think it'd be a TVTrope. Probably is.

What's interesting is that no one says "boo" about Boomer, even though the original Boomer was also male. But, then, she's more girly, isn't she?