(no subject)

[rynne]

I spent several hours last night and today being angry at Moffat for things he said at Comic Con (as described by heidi8 here). I also started mentally composing a post about why I don't like Moffat and think he's overrated, including talking about problems in all his episodes (yes, including TEC/TDD and Blink, which I actually like). Except I think it would end up a bloody huge post, and I don't feel like it. Negative analysis can be exhausting.

And this evening I was browsing my favorites list at ff.net (because there is the occasional diamond in the rough on that site, and I like finding them), and came across one of my favorites from Labyrinth. Rereading that reminded me of how much I love Labyrinth, especially after I spent hours being angry at Moffat's casual misogyny.

One of the things I love best about Labyrinth is the incredibly strong character of Sarah Williams. She's a selfish, naive teenager whose impulsiveness gets her into deep trouble, but through her determination, courage, friendliness, compassion, and wits, gets herself out of it as well. I adore the final confrontation betewen Jareth and Sarah, because there he is, offering her everything, and though the movie makes it pretty clear that she's a bit in love with him, she doesn't let that affect her; she proclaims herself his equal and says he has no power over her. Her will is as strong as his, and she wins.

I love Sarah Williams and all other fictional women like her. CJ Cregg, Leia Organa, Dana Scully, and so many others, including, yes, Rose Tyler--these are such awesome women, and there need to be more like them. Women who are competent and independent, who are not defined by the men in their lives, who learn and grow while still being wonderfully female. Women who are complete equals to men, who know it, and who aren't afraid to prove it. I want more female characters like this.

(Slight disclaimer, given that I'd mention Moffat's misogyny in this post as well--Moffat is capable of writing strong female characters. I don't deny that. But there are many facets to sexism, and where I tend to see Moffat's appear is in relations between the two genders, not in his ability to create strong women.)

So, flist! Tell me about your favorite women and why you love them. :)

Comments

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love that movie so much. And for the same reasons that you do, it sounds like. Sarah is such a great character who grows so much over the movie.

I'm going to be posting about Who tomorrow and my post will include a lot of Rose love.

There are tons of fictional women that I love -- Buffy, Brennen and Angela on Bones, Donna Noble, Elizabeth Swann, Elizabeth Bennet, Sarah Connor, Zoe, Kaylee, Inara, River, and my list could keep going. I love them for being people, fully realized people in a world where, too often, women get written one-dimensionally.

[rynne.livejournal.com]

I love them for being people, fully realized people in a world where, too often, women get written one-dimensionally.

Yes, definitely. I especially love that about Elizabeth Bennet, considering how old that book is--despite her society, she manages to be herself. That's so awesome.

[shinyopals.livejournal.com]

*Has not seen Labyrinth* Maybe I should! It's the sort of thing I wouldn't necessarily have thought to look twice at, but it sounds like it might be worth checking out.

As for my own favourites, obviously Rose (and all the New Who companions so far, actually: Martha and Donna both kick bum). And ♥ for Scully as well (*wants the movie to be out in this country NOW*).

As for others, I'm a fan of Hermione in Harry Potter. Because God knows Harry (and Ron) would have been so screwed without her. Even if she is a little neurotic! Am a big fan of all the Firefly women (although Inara makes me want to hit things sometimes) and, of course, Gwen and Tosh in Torchwood.

The female characters in Discworld are usually pretty kick bum: Susan is brilliantly capable and very sensible, despite being Death's granddaughter; Sybil Vimes BREEDS DRAGONS (and also kicks bum); Granny Weatherwax is scarily awesome; and Angua manages to get promoted in the Watch, despite being a werewolf. And there's a bunch of others, many of whom are one offs, like Conina, the daughter of Cohen the Barbarian, who wants to be a hairdresser despite being born with her father's heroic instincts.

Although this does make me think that I really need to find some more series with awesome female characters, since while I can name a lot, they've very restricted in which series they're actually from.

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Oh, Labyrinth is such a brilliant movie. The heroine is awesome, the antagonist is also awesome (and played by David Bowie, who also sings in the movie), and even the plot is pretty cool, if a bit simple. I ♥ Labyrinth.

Hee. I love the women in Discworld. Terry Pratchett is so full of awesome.

[shaela]

I spent several hours last night and today being angry at Moffat for things he said at Comic Con.

I think I’m more or less alone on this one, because I’m furious, but I blame RTD at least as much as I blame Moffat. (Moffat is a sexist ass, but he’s not the one who wrote “Journey’s End,” and he’s not the first person I’ve run into who had that take on the ending.)

So, flist! Tell me about your favorite women and why you love them. :)

*grins* All the ones on your list, except for CJ Cregg. (Do I know her? Which series is she in?) All the women in The Chronicles of Narnia, but especially Lucy Pevensie and Polly Plummer. Luthien Tinuviel and Galadriel in The Silmarillion. Eowyn of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings. Karrin Murphy, Charity Carpenter, and Molly Carpenter in The Dresden Files. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I can explain why I love them without spamming your journal with quotes from the books they’re in. There are a lot of reasons, because they’re all different. (Which might be one of the reasons, all by itself.)

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm still not precisely happy with the ending, or that it was open to that kind of remark, but people like Moffat will be able to skew anything.

CJ Cregg is from The West Wing. She is such a completely awesome character, in a show full of completely awesome characters. I love that show. :)

I've never read The Dresden Files, though I've heard of them. Good books, I take it?

[shaela]

I’ve never read The Dresden Files, though I’ve heard of them. Good books, I take it?

Well, it’s possible that I just have a weakness for wizards named Harry. :-)

Seriously, though, it’s probably my favorite ongoing series. And it gets better as it goes along. Which is something of a mixed blessing. You aren’t going to fall hopelessly in love with book one and then have to slog through the next nine books (there are ten at the moment) to find out what happens to the characters. But you probably won’t understand why it’s so popular till you hit the middle of the series.

Which is not to say that book one is boring. But don’t take my word for it—you can read the first couple of chapters for free, if you’re curious.

[leia131.livejournal.com]

Riza Hawkeye, and more or less every other girl in Fullmetal Alchemist. (The anime, not the manga, which I haven't read.)

They are good, bad, wise, young, old, manipulative, amazing, all of them. But Riza especially kicks ass, and even though she's of a lesser rank than Roy, she still knocks his feet out from under him when he's being an idiot. Literally and figuratively.

[rynne.livejournal.com]

I've seen a bunch of anime, but never got around to Fullmetal Alchemist. Riza sounds awesome! :D