Anglo-Filles Episode 20: Strong, feisty, and failing the sisterhood

Anglo-Filles

Welcome to episode 20, where Les Filles discuss “strong female characters” and the problems therein, with entertaining side jaunts down Comic Book Way, treatment of women in media including Hannibal, Game of Thrones, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a patented Kayleigh Rant on The Following.

(I looked long and hard for the right image, and Maria’s headshake of disappointment seemed to fit.)

(But this works too.)

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“Screw writing “strong” women. Write interesting women. Write well-rounded women. Write complicated women. Write a woman who kicks ass, write a woman who cowers in a corner. Write a woman who’s desperate for a husband. Write a woman who doesn’t need a man. Write women who cry, women who rant, women who are shy, women who don’t take no shit, women who need validation and women who don’t care what anybody thinks. THEY ARE ALL OKAY, and all those things could exist in THE SAME WOMAN. Women shouldn’t be valued because we are strong, or kick-ass, but because we are people. So don’t focus on writing characters who are strong. Write characters who are people.”

From Tumblr User Mad Lori (who we did not credit in the episode itself, and we apologize. That was shitty of us).

The essay in full.

BossLady Dayna’s really excellent editorial on DC’s offering during this year’s Free Comic Book Day and how they have completely and utterly failed their female audience.

DC women kicking ass

The Miss Piggy version of the “Screw writing strong women” quote.

Gina Torres on how to work race into a character.

Alisa Selezneva of the 21st Century.

Meta Mondays discussing the historical basis for Game of Thrones.

Join us next month, where we will be discussing Dracula, and why NBC should be ashamed of themselves.