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Dec. 14th, 2007 11:56 pmSo, while realizing I should stop looking at the BFC thread in Lit because it makes me want to throw a wizard in a snowbank. (Background for those of you I haven't been ranting at: People are praising BFC for being some amazing piece of work. Largely based on Leia's plot. I chimed in that Leia's plot COULD have been interesting if she weren't so OOC it HURT. This led to a long argument with them calling it character development and me calling it writing a strong female character as a simpering idiot. The difference is, one of us is right. :p)
This has, however, led to two interesting linked realizations. The first is the latest reason that Del Rey's run has sat so badly with me. The other is a theory on why it mostly seems to be male fans who DO respond well to Del Rey's run. Not that all male fans do, as some are obviously just as annoyed and bitter as I am.
What it basically comes down to is that Star Wars isn't a universe for gritty reality. Star Wars is a universe for childhood hero. Who do female Star Wars fans frequently point to as their childhood hero? Not the helpless Princess Aurora. :p Princess Leia, kicker of asses. :p
Which leads to part two. Little girls of our generation didn't exactly have a lot of options for FEMALE heroes. Male characters were a dime a dozen, but female characters who were actually childhood hero material were a rare breed. So that reinforces Star Wars as a universe for childhood heroes. And the fact that the female characters have been written so consistently lousily? Well that's just a kick in the teeth.
At least Robert Munsch has never betrayed me by deciding to write "The Paperbag Princess Made a Lousy Queen". :p
And even if he did, my final childhood hero is my Great-Great Aunt Kate and no publishing company can spoil THAT. And she was so completely and utterly awesome. :p
This has, however, led to two interesting linked realizations. The first is the latest reason that Del Rey's run has sat so badly with me. The other is a theory on why it mostly seems to be male fans who DO respond well to Del Rey's run. Not that all male fans do, as some are obviously just as annoyed and bitter as I am.
What it basically comes down to is that Star Wars isn't a universe for gritty reality. Star Wars is a universe for childhood hero. Who do female Star Wars fans frequently point to as their childhood hero? Not the helpless Princess Aurora. :p Princess Leia, kicker of asses. :p
Which leads to part two. Little girls of our generation didn't exactly have a lot of options for FEMALE heroes. Male characters were a dime a dozen, but female characters who were actually childhood hero material were a rare breed. So that reinforces Star Wars as a universe for childhood heroes. And the fact that the female characters have been written so consistently lousily? Well that's just a kick in the teeth.
At least Robert Munsch has never betrayed me by deciding to write "The Paperbag Princess Made a Lousy Queen". :p
And even if he did, my final childhood hero is my Great-Great Aunt Kate and no publishing company can spoil THAT. And she was so completely and utterly awesome. :p
