With the focus this week on antiheroes, and specifically female antiheroes and the portrayal of women in fiction, it got me thinking about why it’s so important for us to have a range of female characters in books, television and movies. Even villains and antiheroes. Even female characters we really don’t want to be anything like, and certainly don’t want our daughters emulating or sons marrying. Why would we want to present the less than ideal version of women, for fear that future women will aspire to less with these role models in place?

Here’s why. Because if we don’t give fictional women the full range of human frailties and foibles, then we are setting women up to be pin-up objects, to be seen as a thing for sexual use or servitude. Villains, antiheroes, unconventional heroes that break the mold of what we’ve come to expect from females-these kinds of characters break open the glass box women have been in for far too long.

When we can climb out of the roles of mother/caretaker (Madonna), or seductress/sexual object (Whore), then we can finally be REAL. ALIVE. FULLY HUMAN.

And our children will grow up seeing this. Our girls will know that it’s okay to make mistakes. That they can be mothers who love sex. That they can race cars and jump out of airplanes or run a business or whatever. They’ll know that whatever is out there to be had, they can have! That their power comes from more than just their breasts and vagina.

And our boys will see that women are as varied and unique as men. That they can do and be anything. That they can be good and bad and likely a mix of both. That they are flawed and can be ugly or beautiful or both. And that it’s okay!

We kid ourselves if we think that we’ve come so far from our past that these aren’t issues anymore. In an effort to illustrate this, I want to show you some ads from the 40s to 60s. Keep in mind, these ads were totally okay back then, and that was only 50-60 years ago. That’s NOT THAT LONG AGO. This is how women were depicted in relation to men. And the irony is that men were declared as ‘better’, ‘smarter’ and ‘stronger’. But women are still held to a higher standard of perfection in morality, behavior and beauty. Go figure.

So check out these ads and let me know what you think.

Horrible, yes? But certainly that’s not how it is today. Except it is. Business Pundit points out that

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According to the Center for American Progress, 97 percent of working women employed full time in occupations logged by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are paid less than their male equivalents. Men receive higher salaries than women in all but seven of the professions listed, and male chief executives take home, on average, $658 more each week than females in similar positions. Many, often insufficient, theories have been put forward about the pay gap in the US and UK, but its existence seems to be an indication that gender discrimination is far from dead in the workplace.

As well, women report having been demeaned or harassed at work by their male colleagues – and of course they may also be subject to sexism outside of the work environment. The portrayal of women in advertising is frequently said to reduce them to sex objects and make individuals insecure about their bodies.

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And check out these modern ads. Some of which appeared on the linked article to Business Pundit.

Because nothing says equality like a man’s foot on your neck.

And nothing sells mens’ clothes like a naked woman doing their ironing.

Good thing we have the curves. How else could we get our way in life?

 

We can easily be bought by a rock, right? Good thing we have those curves with which to barter.

I don’t even know what to say about this Ford ad. Who is the target demographic for this, exactly?

The world would be a better place if every woman looked like this, had no face, and could be had by all.

Who needs a face when you can have the sex and the car AT THE SAME TIME!!??

Nothing says the holidays like a Victoria Secrets’ model cooking your turkey with her legs spread. Because this is what we should ALL aspire to, women!

We are furniture.

But it’s okay, because at least we have sports. As long as we don’t get dirty, are sexy, and dressed in our underwear while playing. You know, just like the menfolk. Right?

So, have we really come so far after all? It’s time to break the glass boxes, ALL OF THEM, and let our inner villains, our inner antiheroes, our inner HUMANS out! It’s time to stop conforming to this very narrow idea about what it means to be a woman, and start living our lives and showing the world what it means to be human, in real life and in fiction.

That’s what we’re aiming to do, the KK and ABC team. Will you HELP US? Will you celebrate the dark side of humanity with us?

Today in response, my partner in literary crime, ABC (Anne Chaconas), challenges us with this. WOMEN: Be the change you want to see. Because here’s the thing. Most of those ads wouldn’t be possible if women hadn’t participated. (Except for the nuts one, and honestly, nuts, I expect more from you than this sexist bullshit. We all do.) Go read her post, and let’s do SOMETHING about this! And don’t forget to enter our giveaway because on Friday we have a big reveal for a new project we think you’ll love.

Which ad did you find most shocking?

 

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