Feminist SF Wiki - User contributions [en]

Black warrior woman stereotype

2006-07-05T02:33:43Z

162.83.135.148: /* Relevant Works & Characters */

A number of notable SF works have portrayed strong, warrior-like women of African heritage. While we can celebrate the growth in images of strong, active, women of color, it is not an unproblematic. We can interrogate how much the characters generally, and whether some characters in particular, rely on racial stereotypes or race-based ideologies in drawing the character.

For instance, a female warrior character may be described as Black or African in order to make her appear even ''more'' extreme than a female warrior, relying on stereotyped views of Africans and Black people as primitive, violent, highly athleticized, and so on.

Likewise, an African or Black character may be turned into more of a warrior woman figure, again out of (or playing on) the sense that Black people are inherently violent or physically strong.

Questions of exoticism, eroticism, the male gaze, and the "white gaze" may also be raised. Are white male authors particularly prone to making Black women characters also warriors, or female warriors also Black? If so, what does that mean-- are they doing it because they have more privilege to stretch readers' and publishers' boundaries, or are they doing it out of their own racism or as a form of cultural appropriation? When does it matter what the author's motivations are?

And are these characters disproportionately lesbian? (not that there's anything wrong with that.) Writer choices to make a Black woman warrior also a lesbian may be a means of exoticizing them, making them seem ''more'' "other", more fearsome, or even more readily identifiable-with by the male reader/viewer.

Comparing the images of warrior women across ethnicity, culture, and race could lead to some fruitful insights.

On the other hand, a kick-ass woman of color is to be welcomed in a very friendly fashion.

==Relevant Works & Characters==
* "[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]] (created by [[Joss Whedon]]) - [[Kendra]]
* "[[Firefly]]" (created by [[Joss Whedon]]) - Zoe
* Steve Perry's ''[[Matadora]]'' (lesbian/bisexual) - [[Dirisha Zuri]]
* S. M. Stirling's Nantucket series (lesbian)
* "[[Strange Days]]" (dir. [[Kathryn Bigelow]]) - Mace played by [[Angela Bassett]]
* ''[[Tales of Nevèrÿon]]'', by [[Samuel R. Delany]] - Raven
* [[John Varley]]'s Gaia trilogy, [[Titan]], [[Demon]], [[Wizard]] - [[Cirocco Jones]] (bisexual)
* [[Veronna]] (DC Comics) (created by [[Beau Smith]])
* Gail in "Sin City" played by Rosario Dawson
* [[The X-Men]] -- ([[Ororo Munro]], a.k.a. [[Storm (X-Men Character)|Storm]])

[[category:Reading & Media Lists]] [[category:Types of Female Characters]]

List of stereotypes of female characters

2006-07-05T02:32:12Z

162.83.135.148: added example miho / sin city

Common portrayals of women in SF/fantasy that rely on stereotypes of gender, ethnicity, age, sexuality.

* woman as nurturing partner / sex object ([[Deanna Troi]] in [[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]; Josella in John Wyndham's ''The Day of The Triffids'')
* woman as nurturing mother ([[Dr. Beverly Crusher]] in [[Star Trek: The Next Generation]])
* woman as encapsulating Otherness; often monstrous evil, but also sometimes just the feared or inferior Other ([[Borg Queen]] in [[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]; hive-like matriarchies a la [[Frank Herbert]]'s [[Hellstrom's Hive]]) <i>see also [[Matriarchal Hives]]</i>
* woman as cold, powerful, threatening, dangerous (the [[Ice Queen]] myth, [[C.S. Lewis]]' [[Queen of Narnia]])
* woman as pandora: curious, lacking self-control, leading to trouble ([[Eve]] in [[Genesis]], [[Pandora]] in [[:category:Greek mythology|Greek mythology]])
* woman as victim, needing rescue (the princess St. George rescues from the dragon)
* woman as controlling bitch
* woman as sex fantasy object
* woman as sex fantasy made real - [[Pygmalion]], My Fair Lady, and a hundred other similar adaptations
* wicked stepmother (stepmother in [[Snow White]] and [[Cinderella]])
* hapless ingenue, innocent but sexually available to the Right Man
* the [[Black Warrior Woman]] - too powerful to touch; must be feared; may be sexually unattainable
* the [[Asian Warrior Woman]] - "exotic", alluring, and dangerous Asian woman with martial arts skills, undercover jobs, and frequent large dragon tattoos on their bodies: deadly but beautiful, with mad sex skills, but not attainable; may be good or evil. (Miho in "Sin City")
* the fat, mothering cook - she's never a major character but is often a foil to the young protagonists, who are wealthy, in the military, or somehow in a castle or wealthy establishment. She might load you down with food or smack your hand if you get into the lord's banquet.
* professional old maid scientist (e.g., Asimov's [[Susan Calvin]])
* spunky teenage girl ([[Podkayne]])
* the mother of the Chosen Boy ([[Jessica Atreides]] from [[Dune]]; the [[Virgin Mary]]; [[Sarah Connor]] in [[The Terminator]])
* loyal female subordinate, such as a secretary (Duffy in [[Alfred Bester]]'s The Demolished Man; Tildy in Pohl and Kornbluth's The Space Merchants; Eunice Branca in [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s [[I Will Fear No Evil]])
* bitter and/or suffocatingly small-minded, petty wife (see most wives as portrayed by [[Philip K. Dick]])
* wise grandmother or nanny; especially in people of color, see the Magical Negro (http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/20041025/kinga.shtml)

''See also [[Annoying Plot Conventions, Devices, Contrivances]]''

[[category:Analysis of Works|Characters, Archetypal & Stereotypical Female Characters]]

Girl Canon

2006-07-04T21:52:39Z

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* ''Little Women'' by [[Louisa May Alcott]]
* ''Little House on the Prairie'' and sequels by [[Laura Ingalls Wilder]]
* ''The Little Princess'' and ''The Secret Garden'' by [[Frances Hodgson Burnett]]
* ''Jane Eyre'' by [[Charlotte Brontë]]
* ''Pride and Prejudice'' by [[Jane Austen]]
* ''Heidi'' by [[Joanna Spyri]]
* ''Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' by [[Kate Douglas Wiggin]]
* ''Anne of Green Gables'' by [[L. M. Montgomery]]
* ''Nancy Drew''

==References==

* http://badgerbag.livejournal.com/23518.html

[[category:Canons]]

Girl Canon

2006-07-04T21:46:11Z

162.83.135.148: added some initial titles from badgerbag posting

Canons

2006-07-04T21:42:57Z

162.83.135.148: added link to girl canon

This idea of a feminist SF canon would be to take a subset of the most outstanding and representative works to suggest to those unfamiliar with it. The [http://www.tiptree.org/ Tiptree Awards] give a top choice and a short list for each year. However, a canon for reading in general would include works from before the award began. It might also make different choices to be more representative. By agreeing on a central set of works to suggest to those new to the category, then readers will eventually have a set of stories that they know in common which they can use as material for comparison and to discuss new works.

There are at least several ways to organize such as canon...

* [[Historical Canon]] - by [[Liz Henry]]
* [[Canon by Format and Title]] - by [[Cynthia Ward]]. This was a list assembled by Cynthia Ward for The Internet Review of Science Fiction. (cf. [http://www.irosf.com/zine/article/10054 "Feminist SF: Futures for Humankind"]). It is organized by format (novel, short form, anthology) and title. Authors marked with an asterick are essential feminist SF authors, and most or all their SF is relevant.
* [[Girl Canon]] - A canon of girls' lit. While the Girl Canon is only partly SF, understanding and familiarity with the Girl Canon is probably essential to understanding the background of many feminist analyses, references, and responses to literature.

[[category:Reading & Media Lists]] [[category:Scholarship]]
[[category:Canons]]

Jane Espenson

2006-07-04T02:51:00Z

162.83.135.148:

'''Jane Espenson''' is an American television writer and producer. She scripted and co-executively produced several episodes of [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]], and wrote for many other series, including [[Firefly]], [[Angel (TV series)|Angel]], [[Tru Calling]], [[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]], [[Gilmore Girls]], and more.

She co-wrote the 2003 [[Hugo Award]]-winning (for Best Short Dramatic Presentation) episode "Conversations with Dead People".

She is currently writing for the series ''Jake in Progress'', and for the forthcoming third season of [[Battlestar Galactica (2004 television series)|Battlestar Galactica]].

== External Links ==
* [http://www.janeespenson.com/ Jane Espenson's official website and blog]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Espenson Wikipedia entry]

[[category:Writers|Espenson, Jane]] [[category:Female Writers|Espenson, Jane]] [[category:Hugo Award winning authors|Espenson, Jane]]
[[category:Buffy]]

Marti Noxon

2006-07-04T02:49:46Z

162.83.135.148:

'''Marti Noxon''' is an American writer, television producer and director, and the creator of the TV series [[Point Pleasant]].

She worked extensively on the television series [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]], taking the job of showrunner over from [[Joss Whedon]] at the beginning of the show's sixth season.

{{stub}}

==External Links==
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0637497/ IMDb listing]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marti_Noxon Wikipedia entry]

[[category:Writers|Noxon, Marti]] [[category:Directors|Marti Noxon]]
[[category:Buffy]]

Oath of the Free Amazon

2006-06-28T23:48:54Z

162.83.135.148:

Men dia pre'z'biuro...
From this day forth, I renounce the right to marry save as a freemate. No man shall bind me di catenas and I will dwell in no man's household as a baragana.
I swear that I am prepared to defend myself by force if I am attacked by force, and that I shall turn to no man for protection.
From this day forth I swear I shall never again be known by the name of any man, be he father, guardian, lover or husband, but simply and solely as the daughter of my mother.

From this day forth I swear I will bear no child to any man save for my own pleasure and at my own time and choice; I will bear no child to any man for house or heritage, clan or inheritance, pride or prosperity; I swear that I alone will determine the rearing and fosterage of any child I bear, without regard to any man's place, position or pride.

From this day forth I renounce allegiance to any family, clan, household, warden or liege lord, and take oath that I owe allegiance only to the laws of the land as a free citizen must; to the kingdom, the crown and the Gods.
I shall appeal to no man as of right, for protection, support or succor: but shall owe allegiance only to my oath-mother, to my sisters in the Guild and to my employer for the season of my employment.

And I further swear that the members of the Guild of Free Amazons shall be to me, each and every one, as my mother, my sister or my daughter, born of one blood with me, and that no woman sealed by oath to the Guild shall appeal to me in vain.

From this moment, I swear to obey all the laws of the Guild of Free Amazons and any lawful command of my oath-mother, the Guild members or my elected leader for the season of my employment. And if I betray any secret of the Guild, or prove false to my oath, then I shall submit myself to the Guild-mothers for discipline as they shall choose; and if I fail, then may every woman's hand turn against me, let them slay me like an animal and consign my body unburied to corruption and my soul to the mercy of the Goddess.

[[category:Darkover]] [[category:Fictional Texts|Oath of the Free Amazon, The]]

Darkover (planet)

2006-06-28T23:47:55Z

162.83.135.148: first page

Created by [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]]. Home to the "[[Free Amazons]]".

[[category:Fictional Places]]

Joss Whedon

2006-06-28T23:40:10Z

162.83.135.148: added link to equality now speech

Creator of [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]], [[Angel (TV series)|Angel]], [[Firefly]], and [[Serenity]]. Formerly a writer for [[Roseanne]]. Currently a writer for [[The X-Men (comic book series)|The X-Men]].

==Whedon, Women, Feminism==

==Whedon, Race & Ethnicity==

==External Links==

* Joss Whedon, speech at Equality Now, transcript + link to video at YouTube http://cindywrites.livejournal.com/144435.html

[[category:Writers|Whedon, Joss]]
[[category:Directors|Whedon, Joss]]