The radical notion that women like good movies
Movie poster for The Hours Written by Amanda Rodriguez Disclaimer: I must admit to being somewhat at a disadvantage because I haven’t read Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, which The Hours plays heavily upon, or Michael Cunningham’s novel The Hours upon which the film is based. In a way, however, my lack of exposure to these … Continue reading “The Hours: Worth the Feminist Hype?”
Written by Amanda Rodriguez I unabashedly adore Guillermo del Torro’s Pan’s Labyrinth. It’s beautifully rendered between two dark, cruel worlds. Our heroine, Ofelia, wants to escape the foreignness and brutality of her new life as the stepdaughter of “The Captain,” a cold and violent military officer hunting down rebels as part of Franco’s fascist regime … Continue reading “"You won’t be the first pig I’ve gutted!": The Women of ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’”
Written by Amanda Rodriguez Gigli, the abomination masquerading as a film, is generally regarded as a pretty dang terrible movie. Plot? Action? Character development? Pathos? Entertainment? Nah, Gigli does away with those archaic devices and goes straight for the…boredom, offensiveness, unlikeable characters, and bad, bad, badness. How Christopher Walken and Al Pacino were coerced into … Continue reading “‘Gigli’ and the Male Fantasy of the Lesbian Turned Straight”
Written by Amanda Rodriguez Gigli, the abomination masquerading as a film, is generally regarded as a pretty dang terrible movie. Plot? Action? Character development? Pathos? Entertainment? Nah, Gigli does away with those archaic devices and goes straight for the…boredom, offensiveness, unlikeable characters, and bad, bad, badness. How Christopher Walken and Al Pacino were coerced into … Continue reading “Gigli and the Male Fantasy of the Lesbian Turned Straight”
Written by Amanda Rodriguez Today I’m highlighting my favorite feminist blogger, Twisty Faster, and her smart, hilarious, scathing, and sometimes depressingly insightful blog I Blame the Patriarchy. Twisty is in the business of “advanced patriarchy blaming” and also runs a ranch in Texas. Her blog has been around since 2004. I don’t want to say … Continue reading “Feminist Blogger Twisty Faster and Advanced Patriarchy Blaming”
Written by Amanda Rodriguez. I liked Disney Pixar’s Brave well enough. It’s pretty enough. It’s a story about a mother and daughter, and there was no romance, both of which are nice; though, as I’ll show, neither are as uncommon as they might initially appear. I didn’t find the feminist qualities of this movie to … Continue reading “2013 Oscar Week: ‘Brave’ and the Legacy of Female Prepubescent Power Fantasies”
Written by Amanda Rodriguez *Spoiler Alert* If you’re at all like me, you’re constantly frustrated by the characterizations of the women of The Walking Dead AMC series, their choices, and their actions. The show has received significant criticism for its paternalistic attitude, its throwback gender roles, and its lack of strong, capable female characters. Though … Continue reading “The Women of The Walking Dead: A Comparative Analysis of the Comic vs. TV”
Written by Amanda Rodriguez In many ways, science fiction is the perfect medium for the exploration of social, cultural, political, gender, racial, class, etc. issues. Because it takes place in the distant future and/or because all the commentary is veiled in metaphor through the use of aliens or monsters, the often questioning and even progressive … Continue reading “Trill Gender and Sexuality Metaphors in ‘Star Trek’”
Written by Amanda Rodriguez True confession: 1985’s Red Sonja was my first lesbionic crush as a small child of four. I was in love with this strong Amazonian woman with her long red hair and big ol’ sword. It may be her fault that I wanted my dark brown hair to turn red and … Continue reading “"No man may have me": ‘Red Sonja’ a Feminist Film in Disguise?”
Written by Amanda Rodriguez Trigger warning: frank discussion of rape & PTSD Julie Taymor’s Titus (based on Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus) is a highly stylized production, involving elaborate costumes, body markings, choreography, era prop mash-ups, and extravagant violence. I tip my hat to Taymor for the scope and splendor of her vision, and I also applaud … Continue reading “Classic Literature Film Adaptations Week: Titus the Tight-Ass: Julie Taymor’s Depictions of the Virgin and Whore”
Written by Amanda Rodriguez Spoilers ahead Benedict Cumberbatch is up for another Golden Globe for his leading role on the BBC’s hit show Sherlock. Season Two Episode One “A Scandal in Belgravia” is adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes story “A Scandal in Bohemia.” The storyline focuses on Irene Adler, portrayed brilliantly by the … Continue reading “2013 Golden Globes Week: "I Misbehave": A Character Analysis of Irene Adler from BBC’s Sherlock”
Pop-Tarts and Pizza: Food, Gender, and Class in Gilmore Girls by Brianna Low While it could be argued that it is somewhat progressive of the Gilmore Girls series to portray two women who have no hang-ups about publicly consuming large amounts of food, it is important to remember that despite their voracious appetites, Rory and … Continue reading “Gender and Food Week: The Roundup”
