Why are old people afraid of strong female characters?

[CmdrShep2154]

The LT Col's new book!


From LT Col Dave Grossman's book!



Huh?


Video games are destroying what the ideal of the American family?

I bet the LT Col Dave Grossman's head would spin at the thought of a popular preppy girl whose favorite character is someone like her!


Have you ever met people with views like this? What do you think of them? How would you debate them?

[Pawstruck]

1. You can't really expect people to read that. It's formatted terribly.
2. It is simultaneously prudish ("look at me, I'm reading!") and infantile (quote mining) to take a single page out of a book and post it onto the internet asking for responses.
3. The ideal of the family is not being destroyed, it is destroyed already. Most - especially the radical liberals here - would deny that there even is such a thing.

Most importantly,

4. Strong female characters strain credulity. You can write a woman to be emotionless, bloodthirsty, physically strong, and etc. if you want. The problem is that we've actually been outside and have met some women. And yes, surprise, women have a nature. Women are a certain kind of way, and that's not the result of sheer social conditioning/"gender roles."

Since your worldview is probably firmly based in nihilistic nominalism, I don't expect you to agree. In fact, it's relatively pointless to try and untangle the philosophical mess that is the modern cultural ideology. (Better to just abandon you to it and watch as the serpent eats its own tail). Still, the position of people who disagree with you here should be clear: We're not "afraid" of women. We don't dislike women. In fact, I would argue that the patriarchy treated women better than the (now-)matriarchy. The position is this: Strong female leads aren't believable.

Actually, it's foolish (and a little sexist, ironically) to assume that a woman is "strong" in the same way a man is strong. I happen to be Catholic (come at me) and we have plenty of "strong" women - most notably Mary, Mother of God, who we venerate above all other humans - but not because she "took charge" and "manned up" and rawrawrawr... but because she, through her very femininity, became the receptacle of Divine Grace.

[Nefarious Tea]

And yes, surprise, women have a nature. Women are a certain kind of way, and that's not the result of sheer social conditioning/"gender roles."

Prove this.

I do however agree with you that a strong female character doesn't have to be "strong" in the same way that a male character typically is. There is more than one kind of strength after all - and physical strength is often the least useful form.

[lawow74]

*popcorn* This can only get better.

Personally IDGAF what your plumbing is. Interesting is interesting, boring is boring.

[Video Games]

That is one awful Celica picture

[Moralgy]

"Why are old people afraid of strong female characters?"

Because they were raised to not see women having the possibility to be "strong". Pawstruck is a perfect example of someone that finds the idea of a strong female character to be unrealistic unless their strength is being a mom, basically. It isn't just old people, it all depends on how you were socialized.

[Super Kami Dende]

Only a very few number of idiot incels I've seen legitimately hate Female characters just because they are Female.

Most just dislike the fact people that recently seem to consistently write them to be all "WOO YEA GURL POWER I AM WOMYN HEAR ME RAWR" kind of sloppy boring characters.
If your characters defining trait is simply "She's a Woman" you are a boring Author.

My second favourite Marvel character is a Woman, who happens to be a lesbian as well. Though that is just background information. She as a Character is well written and a straight up fucking badass, not simply because she has 2 X chromosomes but because she just does Badass things without the need to constantly remind the Reader she's only able to do such bad ass things because shes a Woman.

To paraphrase Darkk Mane -
Author: Hey, check it out, I made a new character. She's a Woman.
Me: Oh cool, what's her personality like?
Author: I just told you.

Hell I love a lot of Female characters across lots of Media. The one thing they all have in common. They are Well written and not Feminist Power fantasies.

[Stormspellz]

What a freaking joke, I'm guessing the rest of the book is similar, a lot of hyperbole and little facts. You can't debate such people, facts mean nothing and their "feelings" out rule everything else.

[callipygoustp]

Old people don't matter. The more interesting conversation is why YOUNG people are afraid of strong female characters.

[CmdrShep2154]

Behold! The great LT Col Dave "Sheepdog" Grossman!

[RobertoCarlos]

thread should be closed seems "ageist and sexist"

If you cant have a thread for remembering charlie hebdo because "Religious opinions/debates are not allowed on the forums." then this shit should be shut down too

[vindicatorx]

Don't care what their gender is most women led stories are boring to me. I can't relate.

[Video Games]

Don't care what their gender is most women led stories are boring to me. I can't relate.

That's a bit silly. All of my favorite games star boys.

[Usagi Senshi]

I'm 38 (not old I know but still :P ) and I love heroic and strong female characters! Its also one of the reason I only like using female characters in MMOs/actions games and the like.

That is one awful Celica picture

LOL, I was thinking the same thing. Weaksauce!

Gotta go with Pajama Cecilia!

[judgementofantonidas]

The LT Col's new book!


From LT Col Dave Grossman's book!



Huh?


Video games are destroying what the ideal of the American family?

I bet the LT Col Dave Grossman's head would spin at the thought of a popular preppy girl whose favorite character is someone like her!


Have you ever met people with views like this? What do you think of them? How would you debate them?

answer is, they are not afraid of what rarely exists in real life.

[Moralgy]

Old people don't matter. The more interesting conversation is why YOUNG people are afraid of strong female characters.

Socialization by the older generations being carried over into newer ones.

[Cyanu]

because typically the 'anti-video game flock' if such a thing even exists embrace a wider 'ideological package' that views anything new that's not about job or family as a waste of time, something immature and irresponsible people would do, manchilds

those folks are highly conservative and typically embrace more 'traditional views' on what's the 'role of women' which can mostly be summed to mother and wife aka caring and supporting the 'protagonists of our world' the 'proper men' aka themselves

violence is an excuse for forms of expression they don't like, usually the same people who teach 12 years olds how to use rifles are those who also think that certain movies and video games are too violent for children

[callipygoustp]

Socialization by the older generations being carried over into newer ones.

Dammit! Every generation is doomed to be afraid of strong female characters

[Moralgy]

Dammit! Every generation is doomed to be afraid of strong female characters

Mostly the feeling will just get weaker and weaker over time as the damn liburals slowly get all the kids, lol. Only thing that will really stem the tide is a huge cultural shift where society ends up taking a hard turn back into conservatism.

[Stardrift]

The problem isn't "strong female leads". The problem is the story being focused around the lead being a "strong female". So the whole movie or book or whatever is constantly saying "Hey look at her! Feminism is awesome! She's so strong and independant!" rather than telling an actual story with a character worth following.