Search Results for: Buffy

‘The Avengers,’ Strong Female Characters and Failing the Bechdel Test

Natasha Romanoff  / Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in The Avengers Cross-posted at Fem2pt0. Smashing box office records, audiences have been swept up in The Avengers hullabaloo. Interesting and compelling, the epic superhero film based on the Marvel comics unites Black Widow, Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, the Hulk and Thor “to form a team that … Continue reading “‘The Avengers,’ Strong Female Characters and Failing the Bechdel Test”

Oscar Best Supporting Actress Nominee: Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids

Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids This is a guest post from Janyce Denise Glasper. “I swear to God, that dolphin looked not at me, but into my soul, into my goddamn soul, Annie, and said, ‘I’m saving you, Megan.’” Is that not charmingly poetic? Does that not make one want to jump into the … Continue reading “Oscar Best Supporting Actress Nominee: Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids”

Animated Children’s Films: The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog (2009) The Princess and the Frog is a Disney milestone for two reasons: it is the first hand-drawn animated motion picture from the company since 2004’s Home on The Range and features an African-American female heroine. Also keep in mind that the last film co-starring a human princess was 1992’s … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: The Princess and the Frog”

Some Scattered Thoughts on Detective Shows and Geniuses

I often joke here about my obsession with streaming Netflix television shows from 1992. Sometimes I find myself wondering what I actually did during the nineties that made me miss so much television, and then I remember I was hanging out with truancy officers, drinking Zima underage, angsting over my first boyfriend, and coming one … Continue reading “Some Scattered Thoughts on Detective Shows and Geniuses”

Ellen Ripley, a Feminist Film Icon, Battles Horrifying Aliens … and Patriarchy

  Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley   Written by Megan Kearns. When I was 10 years old, the scariest movie I ever saw was Aliens. I remember the first time I saw it like it was yesterday. Late one night, plagued with insomnia (perhaps a product of my tumultuous childhood), I heard the TV on … Continue reading “Ellen Ripley, a Feminist Film Icon, Battles Horrifying Aliens … and Patriarchy”

Tropes vs. Women Spotlight

Anita Sarkeesian of the Web site Feminist Frequency, a site that analyzes pop culture from a feminist perspective, recently completed her fabulous, six-part video series on Tropes vs. Women. She explains that, “A trope is a common pattern in a story or a recognizable attribute in a character that conveys information to the audience. A … Continue reading “Tropes vs. Women Spotlight”

Guest Writer Wednesday: Easy A: A Fauxminist Film

Emma Stone stars in Easy A This is a cross post from The Funny Feminist. It appears that star power is on the rise for the funny, luminous Emma Stone.  She first caught my attention as the snarky cool girl who was way too good for Jonah Hill’s character in Superbad(and not because she was … Continue reading “Guest Writer Wednesday: Easy A: A Fauxminist Film”

Quote of the Day: Susan J. Douglas

Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message that Feminism’s Work is Done by Susan J. Douglas Note: all boldface is my emphasis, not the author’s. Today, feminist gains, attitudes, and achievements are woven into our cultural fabric. So the female characters created by Shonda Rhimes for Grey’s Anatomy, to choose just one example, reflect a genuine desire … Continue reading “Quote of the Day: Susan J. Douglas”

Equality Now: Joss Whedon’s Acceptance Speech

In 2007, the Warner Brothers production president, Jeff Robinov, announced that Warner Brothers would no longer make films with female leads. A year before that announcement, Joss Whedon, the creator of such women-centric television shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and Dollhouse, accepted an award from Equality Now at the event, “On the Road … Continue reading “Equality Now: Joss Whedon’s Acceptance Speech”

Director Spotlight: Kathryn Bigelow

Welcome to our second installment of Director Spotlight, where we explore the biographies and filmographies of an often overlooked group: women film directors. (We’ve also spotlighted Allison Anders.) Kathryn Bigelow is all over the web right now for being the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Directing (not to mention … Continue reading “Director Spotlight: Kathryn Bigelow”