So Lets Talk About Feminism and Misogyny
We'll let me start by saying I don't completely understand feminism. It is a very touchy subject and it is probably a subject that I will always manage to put my foot in my mouth.
Let's start with the story that started this thought process. I have a friend (Carli) who is going to a school to learn how to be a comic illustrator. She is very into the nerd/geek culture and goes to conventions and events. Female characters in the comic world are almost always portrayed as sex objects or at least heros who also happen to be super sexy. I assumed she would like the movie Sucker Punch (watch the [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dzikBZTUy8"]trailer[/URL] if you haven't seen it yet) because it is basically an excuse to show off pretty girls and cool cgi effects.
It turns out that she thinks that it is demeaning to women and I found that very confusing because the stuff she draws for her comics can be very sexy. She draws women just like all of the professional comic illustrators draw women. And when she goes to conventions she dresses up in the costumes of very sexy comic book characters. So I don't understand why she would be against sucker punch.
So the thing I don't get about feminism and misogyny is that if a guy watches a movie like Sin City, Kick Ass, Sucker Punch, or any other movie lacking in plot but contains sexy female characters it is a misygynist film and since we enjoy films like that we are misogynists. But I know women that have gone to a movie because a particular male actor is in it (Lord of the Rings - the elf guy, Alice and Wonderland - Johnny Depp). How is that any different?
Along a similar vane (vain?) it seems like women want to be hot and lusted for. If they get a new dress, haircut, or tan and you don't compliment them they get angry. If you say "I think that dress makes you look very attractive" to a girlfriend, friend, or acquaintance they will pretty darn happy. But if you make that same comment to a random lady walking down the street you are a misogynist. How does that work?
Here is the facebook conversation about Sucker Punch. I don't see how McKenna's reasoning works. Just because there are pretty CGI effects and hot women doesn't mean it is a misogynist film.
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The same director created the movie 300. It could be argued that in terms of the hotness of the characters that both 300 and Sucker Punch show off the male/female gender in very sexy ways that are unrealistic and degrading. But no guy would complain about going to see 300 because it is degrading for men.
I am not saying Sucker Punch and 300 are the same movie because there are a lot of other things in Sucker Punch that make is misogynist. For example in 300 the men are manly, powerful, and heroic in every sense. In Sucker Punch the women were basically prostitutes and captive to the male pimps. Not to mention the only way women get their way is to dance for the male characters so Sucker Punch is a misogynist film. In Sucker Punch women are clearly less powerful than men. I'm not arguing that.
But I guess sometimes I don't understand what makes a film a misogynist film and when I'm being a misogynist. When is it ok to be a misogynist? Because clearly when I have a girl friend at times she wants to be viewed as a sex object. It seems like men can be misogynists just by going to a movie about hot girls, but if a girl watches 300 to see guys in tiny red speedos with CGI abs she is just being a girl. And my friend Carli can draw sexy women in her comics and dress up as a sexy character for conventions but if I recommend that a girl sees Sucker Punch I'm the douche bag. How come she can enjoy female sexuality and I can't?
It seems like a double standard. (I'm as ready as I'll ever be for the scathing remarks)