I agree with everything you've said here. I get the feeling that Joss doesn't really sit in much on casting sessions (not that I really think he's as big a feminist as people say he is, but still) -
Yeah, that's the thing - I'm not sure he's really as progressive as he likes to think, though I do still think he genuienly wants these strong women as opposed to damsels in distress and I appreciate him for that - but he's also got to work with studios and executives who might not just beg to differ, but differ very loudly. That Angel episode where Angel's a puppet certainly implies that's how he felt.
I think the main problem here is that... a lot of women want to be Sarah Michelle Gellar, or Charisma Carpenter, or Eliza Dushku, or even Kristen Bell, because they kick ass and take names and get their man, and subconsciously a lot of times that image comes with a "hot chick" picture.
True. I'd just like something to make the point that being hot /=/ being kickass and vice versa.
And the other, although this is probably an unpopular opinion, is Katniss Everdeen, who will likely get torn apart in the movies but who, as a female character, was strong, independent, and rounded out as a person. I don't necessarily like Katniss, but I don't actually like a lot of real people either, and I enjoy that I dislike her not because of Mary Sue-ness but because I actually DO NOT like her as a person.
I've never read those books so I have no idea how valid or not valid this is, but maybe that adds to the appeal. She's a real person who isn't likable but still serves as the heroine, in much the same way male heroes can be near impossible to like but you still want them to win when push comes to shove. /Uninformed opinion.
Re: Long Rant is long....
I agree with everything you've said here. I get the feeling that Joss doesn't really sit in much on casting sessions (not that I really think he's as big a feminist as people say he is, but still) -
Yeah, that's the thing - I'm not sure he's really as progressive as he likes to think, though I do still think he genuienly wants these strong women as opposed to damsels in distress and I appreciate him for that - but he's also got to work with studios and executives who might not just beg to differ, but differ very loudly. That Angel episode where Angel's a puppet certainly implies that's how he felt.
I think the main problem here is that... a lot of women want to be Sarah Michelle Gellar, or Charisma Carpenter, or Eliza Dushku, or even Kristen Bell, because they kick ass and take names and get their man, and subconsciously a lot of times that image comes with a "hot chick" picture.
True. I'd just like something to make the point that being hot /=/ being kickass and vice versa.
And the other, although this is probably an unpopular opinion, is Katniss Everdeen, who will likely get torn apart in the movies but who, as a female character, was strong, independent, and rounded out as a person. I don't necessarily like Katniss, but I don't actually like a lot of real people either, and I enjoy that I dislike her not because of Mary Sue-ness but because I actually DO NOT like her as a person.
I've never read those books so I have no idea how valid or not valid this is, but maybe that adds to the appeal. She's a real person who isn't likable but still serves as the heroine, in much the same way male heroes can be near impossible to like but you still want them to win when push comes to shove. /Uninformed opinion.