Discussion Star Wars and Feminism

Okay, let me explain exactly what I mean. Don't be getting me wrong, (with watto voice) I like stories with female characters and I even like stories with female lead characters. But it just seems like after the Force Awakens, Rogue One, Battlefront II story campaign, and then if that did't help, Forces Of Destiny, which is ONLY interested in female characters, it seems like their is some kind of hostile, retaliatory agenda? If it wasn't that this was happening in succession, I probably wouldn't have said anything. It's starting to feel less like gender equality and more like revenge. I personally didn't feel like Star Wars was ever discriminatory toward women, its a universe for girls and boys. Of course it could be that I am reading into this way too much, and they are just trying really hard to get young girls interested in Star Wars. If that be the case, then I wish them all the success, but why does it feel like that is not the motivation? Is anyone else sensing this or has a better insight? In case you think I'm being sexist (I'm not) my favorite all time character has and always will be Mara Jade.

 

Just because the lead characters are all female doesn't make it propaganda.

By your argument, all previous Star Wars media (besides maybe TCW with Ahsoka and Rebels' focus on a bigger cast) is a tool for male propaganda.

 

I simply wouldn't define something that I claim to find legitimate in principle as being propaganda, of any kind simply because I'm seeing it more frequently than it had occurred before.

 

I totally agree with your assessment, it just feels like instead of balance it has gone to the opposite extreme.

 

I get what QuiWanKenJin is say. First, there's TFA and the main character is Rey. Then Rogue One & Felicity Jones' character. I think I heard Battlefront II also has a female main character. I'm not sure on that, since I'm not interested in Battlefront at all. And then Forces of Destiny, with its focus on only the female characters. Personally, I thought TFA balanced male & female characters well. I hated Rogue One for many reasons (99% story/cinematography), so I can't comment on that. I've seen 2 episodes of Forces of Destiny and don't like it, but the 2 episodes I saw are just about female characters.

Part of what I loved about the OT & Bantam era novels was the balance between male & female characters, in terms of how they're written. Yes, Leia & Mon Mothma are the only women seen (as far as I remember)...but they're both very strong, independent women. Leia is a princess, senator, and leader, and Mon Mothma is the leader of the entire Rebel Alliance. Then they both go on to become President of the New Republic. And the men are equally strong & interesting characters. I really hope they stay true to the OT in the ST, with an equal balance of strong men & women (and male & females of every species in the GFFA).

I think you have to look into the history of the feminist movement to get an idea of what we're seeing in Star Wars today. First wave feminists sought the right to vote, and second wave feminists (1960's) worked for equality. And they've achieved those goals. Women are the majority of college graduates & voters. Women who do the same job and don't have kids make as much (or more) money than men. So, yay men & women are now equal! But how does a movement respond when they've reached their goal? Third wave feminists seem to take things way too far. It was about equality, now its a female supremacist movement. Intersectional feminism is also a problem. Basically, there's a hierarchy of victimhood, and how much of a victim you are gives you more credibility. That's not at all healthy, psychologically. Basically, there's an attempt to create a feeling like nothing at all has changed since the 1950's & 1960's, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Then again, Luke Skywalker was my favorite character when I was a little girls, so what do I know?

 

^^This, you get me, it feels like the third wave has taken over to some degree. Ignoring that, as long as it isn't extreme, I think Star Wars needs some feminism, I'm actually quite happy with the success with Her Universe. Very creative, taste.

 

I just want to add that I think the concept of "LFL making up for before" is overstated a bit. I love all the strong female roles in the new SW content like Rey and Jyn, and if that brings in more girl fans then that's great. But the part that seems to be a little bit revisionist is the idea that SW used to just be for boys. Leia was far ahead of her time as a strong female character, and many girls watching SW identified with her and wanted to be like her. Growing up with the OT films as they were released, most of my friends of both genders loved SW, wanted to play SW, etc... not just the boys.

 

They don't... and even better, they like the female leads too. I've never heard or seen a boy SW fan say anything about not liking Rey or Jyn for any reason.

 

Word is, the whole "Feminist Propoganda" has been around for quite a while. I think I saw a documentary of other females speaking on the matter but I can't remember what it was called. Was pretty short.

To the thread, I wouldn't think so. Lucas's outline for ANH was 2 female leads, and that started in the 70's. And I think it's high time for some female main leads. I quite love females myself and they are human beings..Its only natural of a progression.

I think the real judge of all this can be based of the characters themselves, not some feminist propaganda.

 

See when people claim "But I just feel it's going to the other extreme?", it indicates that they were comfortable with previously unchallenged "extreme". And the "but" indicates they are not comfortable with the "other". Extreme being the common factor, it's clear that extremism is not the issue if only one extreme prompts a "but".

I sense .......




.. coming soon.

 

Honestly, I don't care. Gender is only one facet of a complex character. Good characters integrate it as one piece of a whole, while the bad wallow in it without developing something around it. In general, I like the character's we're getting. Male or female, I think most of them are good, with interesting motivations, identifiable character arcs, and satisfying depth. And if I like the character's i'm given, why should I care about some kind of imaginary 'Balance' not being achieved?

 

Maybe for some, but not me. I was getting not offended, but annoyed by the opposite extreme. When the canon Jedi Exile for Kotor 2 was announced as a woman named, Meetra Surik I was overjoyed, as I was getting tired of male only lead characters, as I felt there were too many male characters in succession and that was getting repetitive.

 

Johnny 5 was ok. But he did three stooges routines and John Wayne impressions. That was fine. But now. the modern robots are all gangster. Are they supposed to be role models?