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.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-03-31 11:44 pm (UTC)"The first scene opens in a war with Mal and Zoe. Zoe runs around calling Mal ‘sir’ and taking orders off him..."
Hmmm - so instead she should say 'military hierarchy be damned'?
"Wash, is a rapist and an abuser, particularly considering that he treats Zoe like an object and possession."
I won't dignify this stupid comment of hers with a rebuttal.
Wash is a generally weak and non-assertive character, which to me makes it even more visible that Zoe is definitely the stronger person in their relationship. Linking in to the above quote about taking orders - she definitely doesn't do so without question - if she has issues, she'll tell Mal, although generally out of earshot of the others, probably out of their long running experience of working together during the war and the military structures that formed the bond between them.
Inara indeed is controversial. As a guy, it is of course appealing to imagine someone as beautiful as her being prepared to sleep with you (keeping payment out of your mind) [note that my position on sex is that I would never pay anyone for it], but at the same time Mal's use of the term "whore" kind of reflects what what even the more gentlemanly characters seem to really be thinking, and certainly leaves me with confusing feelings, particularly in the way she seems to lie about her feelings to please her partner.
River, I could not see as a woman in the same way I did Zoe, Inara and Kaylee, rather more like I do my sister or a child - with feelings of caring affection and parental instincts. In this case I think this character had to be a woman to get this sort of response to what had happened to her, compare this to the response to the man who survived the Reavers by becoming one, even before we knew that.
As for the remaining characters, they each have different facets.
* Mal certainly isn't a charmer and comes right out with what he means, and damned how anyone takes it.
* Book is enigmatic, switching between being a man of the cloth, to something that hinted at a military/criminal background.
* Simon seems to be straight-forward, but struggles to express his feelings and cross the class divide.
* Jayne if anything is the most unflattering character, portraying a man who is greedy, unethical, and generally dim-witted - strangely though I haven't seen men jumping up and down over this character's portrayal, yet if this character had been a woman (e.g. a "dumb blonde"), then I suspect there would have been an outcry.
* Finally Kaylee seems to be the most pure and innocent of all of them, unabashed about her feelings and sexuality. When she's happy, she's like a ray of sunshine in the room...