A feminist analysis of Firefly
Mar. 31st, 2008 05:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dennyReposting this link from a friends-only post elsewhere: I have to say that now that I have subjected myself to the horror that is Firefly, I really am beyond worried about how much men hate us, given that this was written by a man who calls himself a feminist.
Highlights:
* The first scene opens in a war with Mal and Zoe. Zoe runs around calling Mal ‘sir’ and taking orders off him. I roll my eyes. Not a good start.
* Zoe is not shown to have a personality of her own. (we interrupt your edited highlights for a hysterical giggling fit)
* Given the fact that women are largely absent from the action and the dialogue of the majority of scenes it is unsurprising that the action onscreen is highly homoerotic. [...] This intense homoeroticism is present from the outset as Mal asserts his rights as alpha male on the ship. [...] Violence is a part of the landscape throughout the whole series and Mal is often the instigator. He is constantly rubbing himself up against other men ...
* The women who ‘choose’ to be ‘Companions’ are shown as being intelligent, accomplished, educated, well-respected and presumably from good families. If a woman had all of these qualities and opportunities then why the fuck would she ‘choose’ to be a man’s fuck toy? Would being a fuck toy for hundreds of men give a woman like Inara personal fulfillment? Job satisfaction? A sense of purpose? Fulfill her dreams? Ambitions? Money doesn’t seem to be the motivation behind Inara’s ‘choice’ to be a ‘Companion’, presumably she just ‘enjoys’ swanning around in ridiculous outfits. And being used as a fuck toy by men is seemingly a small price to pay for the pleasure.
* Let me just say now that I have never personally known of a healthy relationship between a white man and a woman of colour. [...] So you will forgive me for believing that the character, Wash, is a rapist and an abuser, particularly considering that he treats Zoe like an object and possession.
And from the comments:
* I think you've missed a massive bit of misogynistic symbolism. The ship itself. The ship is characterised as female throughout the series [...] The name of the ship by itself "Serenity" suggests a demure, submissive role. But, more than that, they all live off her, they all live *in* her, symbolically raping her, while staying safe and cosy inside her womb.
* I cannot think of even 1 person I know in real life who would be happy to take on the job of "Companion". [...] The argument in "Firefly" is that she wants to share her love with everyone... this is a very MALE point of view of sexuality. Not female. Women are not like that.
Highlights:
* The first scene opens in a war with Mal and Zoe. Zoe runs around calling Mal ‘sir’ and taking orders off him. I roll my eyes. Not a good start.
* Zoe is not shown to have a personality of her own. (we interrupt your edited highlights for a hysterical giggling fit)
* Given the fact that women are largely absent from the action and the dialogue of the majority of scenes it is unsurprising that the action onscreen is highly homoerotic. [...] This intense homoeroticism is present from the outset as Mal asserts his rights as alpha male on the ship. [...] Violence is a part of the landscape throughout the whole series and Mal is often the instigator. He is constantly rubbing himself up against other men ...
* The women who ‘choose’ to be ‘Companions’ are shown as being intelligent, accomplished, educated, well-respected and presumably from good families. If a woman had all of these qualities and opportunities then why the fuck would she ‘choose’ to be a man’s fuck toy? Would being a fuck toy for hundreds of men give a woman like Inara personal fulfillment? Job satisfaction? A sense of purpose? Fulfill her dreams? Ambitions? Money doesn’t seem to be the motivation behind Inara’s ‘choice’ to be a ‘Companion’, presumably she just ‘enjoys’ swanning around in ridiculous outfits. And being used as a fuck toy by men is seemingly a small price to pay for the pleasure.
* Let me just say now that I have never personally known of a healthy relationship between a white man and a woman of colour. [...] So you will forgive me for believing that the character, Wash, is a rapist and an abuser, particularly considering that he treats Zoe like an object and possession.
And from the comments:
* I think you've missed a massive bit of misogynistic symbolism. The ship itself. The ship is characterised as female throughout the series [...] The name of the ship by itself "Serenity" suggests a demure, submissive role. But, more than that, they all live off her, they all live *in* her, symbolically raping her, while staying safe and cosy inside her womb.
* I cannot think of even 1 person I know in real life who would be happy to take on the job of "Companion". [...] The argument in "Firefly" is that she wants to share her love with everyone... this is a very MALE point of view of sexuality. Not female. Women are not like that.
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-03-31 05:43 pm (UTC)Oh, snap! She got told!
Seriously, how do people get like that? If I ever even acted a tenth that retarded I'm certain I'd have a dozen friends lining up to slap some sense back into me. Surely she didn't start spouting that feminazi crap overnight. She must have been relatively normal at one time, so when her views started to become more extreme and ridiculous, how did she escape her own peers firmly but kindly pointing out that she was talking complete bollocks? How did the voice of reason get shouted down so completely by the voice of blithering idiot? I suspect she has gradually shut out any real-life friends of intelligence and moderation and replaced them with an insular social circle of online yes-wymmyn whose zealous backslapping is the perfect antidote to all those real-life people that knew better than to take her seriously. I really wanted to believe that she was just an internet troll, or satirizing the archetypal "man-hating-bull-dyke", but I sadly suspect that here is a person who seriously believes not only that penis = evil, but who was looking so hard to find bigotry that she managed to read a rape/slave subtext into Zoe and Wash's relationship. Seriously, what the fuck?
(no subject)
Date: 2008-03-31 05:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-01 03:13 am (UTC)Hmmm, Zoe and Wash roleplaying.... I'll be in my bunk.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-03-31 06:16 pm (UTC)I like this term :)
I may steal it
how did she escape her own peers firmly but kindly pointing out that she was talking complete bollocks?
I always try to point it out when my friends are talking complete bollocks.
Sadley I think that on the Feminism Vs. Gender Equality issue I may have become a little over sensitive.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-01 03:19 am (UTC)