Much controversy occurred with the airing of Joss Whedon’s latest show, Dollhouse. Definitely take a look at Sady’s full analysis of the feminist elements of the show over at Tigerbeatdown. Here’s an excerpt containing the basic plot summary:
“Dollhouse is, pretty much specifically and entirely, a show about consent. It’s built around an organization—the titular Dollhouse—which erases volunteers’ personalities and memories and renders them childlike and passive, in order to implant them with new, built-to-order personalities custom made for wealthy clients who wish to order the ‘perfect’ person for a specific job. The purpose for which these mind-wiped folks (called ‘dolls,’ and I do not think that we are for a second supposed to miss how creepy that term is) are rented out is, primarily, sex. Also, they have no knowledge of or ability to consent to the ‘engagements’ for which they are rented out. Also, they seem, in large part, to not really be volunteers at all—most of the ones we know about, including the central character, Echo, have become dolls in order to get out of jail time or worse, and one woman in particular was literally sold into the organization. Also, several Dolls have been used for sex by Dollhouse employees, sometimes with the illusion of consent in place and sometimes not.”
Trailer
The release of the Battlestar box-set might just be the ass-kicking I need to finally watch this show. Everyone I know who’s seen it claims it’s the best sci-fi show to ever exist, and many people love it specifically for its feminist elements. However, Juliet Lapidos wrote an article for Slate called, “Chauvinist Pigs in Space: Why Battlestar Galactica is not so frakking feminist afterall,” which challenges the show’s supposed feminism. But before all you feminist Battlestar fanatics freak out, definitely read Annalee Newitz’s rebuttal to the Lapidos article, “The Men Who Make Battlestar Galactica Feminist.” Be aware of spoilers.