What is your opinion of female action heroes?

[skygazer]

I'm doing a research paper on the subject because I think there are a couple of ways you can view these characters - I'm thinking Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, Ripley in Aliens, Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider, etc.

Do you see them as empowered, strong female characters?

Do you see them as sexy male fantasies of strong, female characters?

Or do you see them as something else?

I'd be interested to hear opinions on this - sort of a man-on-the-street perspective.

Your gender and relative age would be helpful in sorting out data but not necessary. I'm just curious about how people see these characters.

[bigwillq]

1. Empowered and strong

It shows that women can kick ass to.



As far as sex fantasies are concerned, I don't see either the male or female action heroes as any fantasy of mine, although I am sure others would feel differently.

I feel both the male and female version get equal treatment as far as sex symbolism is concerned. It's not as if just the women are perceived as "sexy", the men are too, imo.

It would be nice to see some average, ordinary people be portrayed as action heroes, but that probably won't sell as well.

I am male, 30 years.

[skygazer]

2. Thank you!

I appreciate the input. :hi:

[bigwillq]

3. Hope that was what you were looking for.

I do find all three women you mentioned to be very sexy, beautiful human beings (and this is coming from a gay male) but I do not fantasize about them in their action hero regalia.

Nor do I fantasize about Christian Bale (Batman) or the new Superman, although I find both men sexy as well.

[flvegan]

4. Empowered, strong and sex-ay!!

[InvisibleTouch]

5. Great role models.

Now, as a woman I never felt it necessary to limit my role models to only females - I've been just as inspired by male action heroes, public figures, etc. But it is inspiring to see a Ripley or a Lara Croft every now and again, and I wish there were more of them. Definitely a great message for younger girls who may identify more with a female hero. As to whether such characters are subjects of male sex fantasies, I can't speak to that. ;)

It's said that authors of children's books are advised to write about male protagonists, because girls will identify with either a male or female protagonist, whereas boys will identify only with a male, and not read books with female heroes. Maybe that's just a matter of what they've been used to seeing all these years. Evening the odds makes a lot of sense, and female action heroes are a chance for male viewers to identify with a female protagonist.

[skygazer]

6. Cool, thanks for that viewpoint

I hadn't heard that about children's authors - I think you're probably right though. That it has more to do with what kids are used to.

[Xipe Totec]

7. Princess Mononoke

Number Six (Battlestar Galactica)

Kara Thrace (Battlestar Galactica)

Laura Roslin (Battlestar Galactica)

Chihiro Ogino (Spirited Away)

Sarah Connor (Terminator)

Trinity (The Matrix)

I see them as Hero Characters; Symbols; Objects of admiration, not desire, beautiful though they are.

I also like Ripley in Aliens.



I'm male, past the half-century mark.

[skygazer]

8. Great examples, thanks

:hi:

[Xipe Totec]

9. And let's not forget the Real Action Heroes...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=228x27323

[skygazer]

11. No kidding!

:patriot:

[keroro gunsou]

16. thing thing is...

miyazaki-sensei almost ALWAYS has a strong female character in all his films, be they the lead (mononoke, chihiro, kiki), or a supporting character (like clarice in castle of cagliosotro)

[Xipe Totec]

17. And that is a good thing.

I love his films.

[elshiva]

10. They are awesome, powerful, and sexy.

[DarkTirade]

12. Depends on the character... and the particular series.

In the case of Wonder Woman, she vacillates between a strong female role model to an obvious attempt to appeal to a particular fetish, mostly aimed towards men. Of course, the character has been around for a few decades, so there's bound to be some evolution there. :)

[elshiva]

14. Didn't Bat Woman come out recently as a lesbian?

:)

[DarkTirade]

22. Yeah, I think the most recent one is a lesbian.

Despite the fact that comics were originally, and still are mostly geared towards adolescent boys/young men, they tend to be rather progressive on the GLBT front. And they tend to do a lot of fanservice. So combine the two and: presto! Lesbians in skin-tight costumes. :P

[elshiva]

23. Have you seen Buffy Season 8?

Buffy makes love to another woman. :)

[DarkTirade]

24. Yep, and then much awkwardness afterwards.

:P

[elshiva]

26. Yes, but it's great.

:)

[sniffa]

13. Completely incompatible with their roles as ordered by Yahweh

[skygazer]

15. Thank you for your perspective

I'm sure Bi Baby would agree if she were not busy attending to your manly needs. :rofl:

[JeffR]

18. Male and old here. They totally kick ass.

Except Uma Thurman, who bugs the crap out of me, as does Tarantino.

[NewJeffCT]

19. Usually, empowered & strong female characters

though, sometimes as male fantasies of strong female characters... and, in the opposite way, Ripley in Aliens was a great action hero who happened to be female.

How about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or are you sticking to movies?

42 male, straight.

[nytemare]

20. Crouching Tiger was a great one.

It really addresses female stereotypes, and the characters having to overcome them.

[Fire Walk With Me]

21. Delenn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delenn

[elshiva]

25. Dorothy "Ace" McShane

http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Ace

[DarkTirade]

27. Ah, yes, Ace.

A walking 'American Girl from the 80s' cliche. :P

[elshiva]

28. Now, now! She was great and one of my favorite companions.

[Phillycat]

29. I loved Geena Davis in The Long Kiss Goodnight, because she had a dark side. Also Phoenix

from X-Men. Female action/superheros who have the complexity and subtlety/layering of character of male heroes are few and far between. Ripley in Aliens kicks ass only because of Sigourney Weaver's performance - the character herself is a bit of a Mary Sue, especially in the first movie. Only Sigourney could take that scene where she's trying to avoid the alien while wearing underwear and make it KICK ASS and not cheesecake.

In general, the characters (especially Lara Croft) seem to be male fantasies. I love the ones who aren't.

I am female, 36 years old.

[NJmaverick]

30. I have seen female action heroes as just that heroes

I always considered their sexuality and attractiveness seperate from their action roles.


40 something male