Hollywood’s Brand of Feminism
Hollywood’s idea of feminism is a woman behaving like a man. The approach leaves the stereotypical gender roles unchallenged and then simply gives a female character the chance to play out the tropes associated with leading men. The majority of leading men in Hollywood films are hardly laudable characters. Usually they are emotionally aloof, quick to anger and tend to solve problems with violence. The lonely gunslinger, the musclebound superhero, the cunning secret agent, the hard nosed cop, the intrepid explorer, all play out this role. It is a role that is as fraught as it is tired. Over and over we watch men compete for dominance through brutality and conflict. Placing women in this role does them no favors.
