Author: Charles Phipps (---.zoomnet.net)
Date: 08-09-2001 11:34
One of the most interesting things I've noted is that there is two opposite extremes to every arguement.
For years there was nothing but the sultry vixen, let's use "Breathless Mahoney" for an example and the chaste girl next store as character's in fantasy "Tess Trueheart" for example.
However even before these examples there has always been an undercurrent crying for more. Growing up I've always had a secret fondness for Morgan Le Fey as a character....despite in typical Arthurian myth which I read...
She is nothing but a pure cold hearted villianess.
Gradually over time this role was expanded with Eowyn the Beautiful who was my favorite character from the Lord of the Rings, Galadriel from same, Red Sonja being added to Conan the Barbarian, and of course Wonder Woman.
Even in G.I. Joe I preferred Scarlett over the other fellows for reasons of attraction to her presence and personality...even if I wanted to be more like Duke and Hawk for equally obvious reasons.
In effect the submissive demure woman and the temptress were having the added role as the Adventuress (Scarlett and WW) and the Goddess (Galadriel)
Now presently a backlash is forming thanks to the Lara Croft phenemeonon which I take time to dub. Effectively where women were once depicted as helpless slaves to men's will or beguiling masters by passive force now confident strong willed women are the subject of sexual desire in vast numbers.
As a friend of mine put it about a charactr of mine in game "Charlie isn't mysnogistic...he loves beauty and sex but doesn't degrade or lower women by his pursuit of it."
Which I think is the problem we're currently facing with some characters such as Carmilla's descendant (another great strong woman of sexual desire to men by her undertones at being more proficent at every area including seduction) Lucita, Lara Croft, and even Xena isn't so much that their abilities is being questioned...
We're hell and Gone past Dumb Blonde elf.
But your offended that their very presentation is designed as a sexual appeal as opposed to a character appeal?
-Charlie
|
|
