The Problems:
The vast majority of fiction published today has a larger number of male characters than female characters. This might not seem like that much of a problem to some people, but here's the thing: When female characters are almost always portrayed as being overall less important than male characters, real female people might see themselves as less important too.
"Strong" Female Characters:
"Wait," you might be saying. "I don't actually think that fiction is very sexist, nowadays. Maybe it's true that the vast majority of fiction has a larger number of male than female characters, but that's not what really matters. What matters is how those female characters are presented. And I don't know about you, but recently I've been seeing more and more strong female characters in fiction." You are right. The number of female characters does not matter as much as how they are presented. But I have a question. What do you mean by "strong female character"?
As far as I can tell, the main characteristics that most people think make a strong female character are:
- Can punch people
- Not girly
- Not over-emotional
- Not annoying
- Complex
- Dynamic
- Interesting
Let me ask you one more question before we move on to the next section: Have you ever in your life used the term "strong male character"? Most likely, the answer is no. That's not because all male characters are already strong characters. It's because people see male characters as characters and female characters as female characters.
Perceptions of Female Characters:
A thing that I've noticed is that people (both male and female) tend to hate female characters more than male characters. I have read many negative book reviews in which the reviewer says "the main character was annoying". This is a common complaint, and a valid one. But I have noticed that this complaint almost only arises when the main character is female. (Of course there are exceptions). Is this because female characters in fiction are generally portrayed as being annoying, or is this because people generally tend to see female characters as being annoying regardless of how they are presented?
I'll give a very specific example: Almost all fans of Harry Potter hate the character Dolores Umbridge, who is female. I am one of those people. Umbridge is one of my least favourite characters ever. However, those same Umbridge haters love this other character Snape, who is male. If you actually think about it, Snape and Umbridge aren't very different. They are both teachers who abuse their power. Many people would say that this is an unfair comparison, as Umbridge was always portrayed negatively in the books whereas Snape was supposedly "redeemed" at the end of the series. I agree. It's not a perfect example, but can you see how it's kind of odd that the same people who hate Umbridge completely adore Snape?
Another thing that I have noticed is that the desirable aspects in a female character have changed over the years. It used to be that female characters had to be stereotypically feminine. Now, it's a bit different. Of course I can't generalize about everyone, but most people today seem to only approve of stereotypically masculine female characters, or "strong female characters". These people hate female characters who are feminine or physically weak. In my opinion, this isn't much of an improvement from before.
I'll use another example from Harry Potter. Two characters in the series who everyone seems to hate are Lavender Brown and Fleur Delcour. These two characters are stereotypically feminine. I feel like people treat these characters unfairly, especially Fleur Delcour.
The Bechdel Test:
Okay, I'm going to talk about the Bechdel test. If you haven't heard of it, I would suggest searching on Google. I don't feel like explaining what it is. Anyway, I don't really like the Bechdel test. Or, more accurately, I don't like the way that people use it.
I've seen people who act as if a movie or TV show is sexist if it doesn't pass the test and not sexist if it does. I do not think that this is the way to use the test. First of all, there are many movies and TV shows that do not pass the Bechdel test, and yet they have "strong" female characters. Second (and more importantly), movies or tv shows that do pass the Bechdel test can be sexist.
I understand that the Bechdel test is not meant to be used as a tool to decide whether or not a movie or TV show is sexist, but people sure do seem to use it that way.
Female Characters and Diversity:
I want to see more strong female characters in fiction. And by that, I mean I want to see more well-developed and complex female characters in fiction. I want to see more female characters with questionable motives. I want to see more female characters with anxiety. I want to see more female characters who know that they're awesome. I want to see more female characters who are resourceful. I want to see more female characters of colour. I want to see more disabled female characters. I want to see more queer female characters. I want to see more female characters who are respected by their fandoms. I want to see more female characters.
Final Note:
Does any of this really matter? It's only fiction, after all.
Yes. Yes, it does matter, and here is why. Fiction is powerful. Fiction tells people what to think and who to be. I have heard many people on the internet talking about how much fiction has affected their lives. Fiction has also had a huge effect on my life. It has made me think differently about the world and it has given me new perspectives. Overall, fiction has had a positive impact on my life. But not everyone is that lucky. Fiction can send the wrong message.
Don't tell me that it's just a book or just a movie. If there are problems in today's fiction, we will see the same problems in society. What we read in books and what we see in movies has an affect on us, and there is no point denying it. That is why I believe that it is very important for fiction to send positive messages.
