tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post7888898433672330082..comments2023-10-17T04:36:14.596-07:00Comments on Read is the New Black: Audience Expectations of Leading LadiesCynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-43881653425034250812013-11-06T01:51:45.752-08:002013-11-06T01:51:45.752-08:00I don't mind unlikable characters. In fact, th...I don't mind unlikable characters. In fact, they're realistic and interesting. <br /><br />Female characters are judged more harshly. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-22337259429981875552013-11-01T08:48:28.135-07:002013-11-01T08:48:28.135-07:00i adore female characters who misbehave. have you...i adore female characters who misbehave. have you ever read BAD MARIE? so good.possehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04147097673732572305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-29513546097905380222013-10-28T20:13:59.363-07:002013-10-28T20:13:59.363-07:00Fascinating and thought-provoking post. There is a...Fascinating and thought-provoking post. There is a double standard in life and in literature. It's so frustrating and yet so hard to change, given that we've been immersed in that culture forever. I can't even get rid of my own issues with the gender stereotypes, much as I try.Lydia Kanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00484415427764822386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-57213279547167931682013-10-22T01:56:46.864-07:002013-10-22T01:56:46.864-07:00such is the bane of being female. No matter in rea...such is the bane of being female. No matter in real life, books or movies, we are judged more harshly, especially by ourselves, than men.Lynda R Young as Elle Cardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09975442291393246148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-46207691316952122052013-10-20T16:39:32.448-07:002013-10-20T16:39:32.448-07:00This is such a great post!!! I truly appreciate co...This is such a great post!!! I truly appreciate complex female characters on the screen and in print. Sometimes it feels like we haven't progressed in who/what we allow gals to be (especially in media), but then truly interesting, multi-dimensional characters pop up, and I regain faith.<br /><br />One of my favorite characters is the mother in the middle grade book "Waiting for Normal." Such a true to life character, yet completely unique to literature.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-86881646537984204402013-10-18T13:10:08.648-07:002013-10-18T13:10:08.648-07:00Well said Cynthia. As far as an unlikeable protag...Well said Cynthia. As far as an unlikeable protagonist? Why, Scarlett O'Hara of course. She was so unyielding, a plotter and a back-stabber and always came late to the plate to dish an apology, yet we always rooted for her to grow and succeed. Well, at least I did. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14264782489713599426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-30324030187464423322013-10-18T07:29:45.161-07:002013-10-18T07:29:45.161-07:00I think you make a valid point. You pictured the ...I think you make a valid point. You pictured the perfect character. People rooted for Walter yet had a harder time forgiving Skyler. Is it because she's a mom?Elsie Amatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14531633490964827363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-58500920671903915952013-10-17T10:26:29.171-07:002013-10-17T10:26:29.171-07:00You make a good point here. It's that stereot...You make a good point here. It's that stereotypical view of how men and women should behave. If they don't fall into the mold, they're viewed as unlikeable - even in fiction. Sherry Ellishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07844837212122243321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-72650380761546207062013-10-17T08:01:41.180-07:002013-10-17T08:01:41.180-07:00This is an excellent post... SO much food for thou...This is an excellent post... SO much food for thought here. There is definitely a double standard when it comes to female protagonists. I've been reading a lot of old fairy tales for research for one of my books, and the evil people (stepparent, queen, etc.) are almost always women. When the evil person is a man, he gets off scot-free... the heroine ends up marrying him, because he's a king, or he lives happily ever after. I guess things haven't changed much!Julie Daohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13814052162359300933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-83933564057613226112013-10-16T22:25:43.879-07:002013-10-16T22:25:43.879-07:00I agree with Jennifer about Scarlett O'Hara. I...I agree with Jennifer about Scarlett O'Hara. I agree that the expectations are higher for female characters. Thanks for the link with Anna Gunn!<br /><br />JulieEmpty Nest Insiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10074223969046687064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-66382715243032179262013-10-16T18:45:27.317-07:002013-10-16T18:45:27.317-07:00Great point Cynthia! It does disturb me a bit that...Great point Cynthia! It does disturb me a bit that female characters with dimension and flaws do seem less likeable. I've always been fascinated with historical female leaders because they always had dimension and I often empathized with the choices they had to make. This book, about the last empress of China, was a great read and provided a lot of character depth: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Empress_(novel)Charlotte Chenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15937259522097708596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-37058042245778230532013-10-16T15:43:47.434-07:002013-10-16T15:43:47.434-07:00Scarlett O'Hara is probably the best-known ant...Scarlett O'Hara is probably the best-known anti-heroine.<br /><br />Courtney Summers writes good female MCs who have an edge to them.Jennifer R. Hubbardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03408588432492354248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-44844616671544806062013-10-16T15:29:39.172-07:002013-10-16T15:29:39.172-07:00But I think you're right. If we switched the ...But I think you're right. If we switched the genders in some of those books they wouldn't have had the same success. S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-19269358329884926452013-10-16T15:28:27.212-07:002013-10-16T15:28:27.212-07:00I've seen a few discussions lately about wheth...I've seen a few discussions lately about whether or not characters have to be "nice". Personally I don't think so. Some of my favorite characters can kind of irritate me, but I can identify with them, I see their motivation, their ideals, their journey and I can't help but admire them, even if I don't "like" them. S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-41661731927542315292013-10-16T14:16:38.730-07:002013-10-16T14:16:38.730-07:00All I will say is Skyler isn't quite as deplor...All I will say is Skyler isn't quite as deplorable as her husband. Close - but not quite.<br />You might have a point about people feeling different if the roles were reversed.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-28747300452367857332013-10-16T09:31:44.774-07:002013-10-16T09:31:44.774-07:00I loved Anna Karenina. I'm not sure Tess in Th...I loved Anna Karenina. I'm not sure Tess in Thomas Hardy's book of the same name is likeable, but I enjoyed her. I like to see women breaking the stereotypes. Makes me like them better. You can give even unlikeable characters a Save the Cat moment.M Paxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14096697282530998519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-34172303239155290772013-10-16T05:32:07.800-07:002013-10-16T05:32:07.800-07:00Yeah they seem to have less of a tolerance for wom...Yeah they seem to have less of a tolerance for women than mean when it comes to writing them that way. Kind of pathetic, I agree with her, it's because many don't want women getting the idea it is alright to be independent, still in this day in age.Pat Hatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07745293224202430152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-80895036673964834512013-10-16T02:09:55.280-07:002013-10-16T02:09:55.280-07:00That's an interesting observation.
I really w...That's an interesting observation.<br /><br />I really want to read the article linked but I'm also on Season 2 and frightened to find the hint of a spoiler!Ghadeerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04811397676327530873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-30734721669391516192013-10-16T00:57:03.263-07:002013-10-16T00:57:03.263-07:00One of my favorites, Anna Karenina, sort of went i...One of my favorites, Anna Karenina, sort of went in this direction. I remember reading that Tolstoy wanted to make the readers like her, although her behavior for that time period was considered unforgiveable. If I remember right, it cost him a lot of time and headaches before he felt he got it right. <br />Tonja Dreckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07683717853264134466noreply@blogger.com