What does Mangy Rabble Mean?

So, I hear you, and the feminist in me wonders if this isn't reverse sexism but the same old sexism working. You don't have to justify a woman not being the center of attention, right? I mean, in most movies they are around, but they don't do anything. In fact, I just did three movies in a row- 12 Angry Men, Reservoir Dogs, and Glen Garry Glenross- that had no women and never even had to mention it.

On the other hand, if it is a girl's story, and especially if we are framing her as heroic, it seems like they have to justify why none of the guys could do it. I'm glad you came around on Mulan, and I genuinely liked Tangled, but I doubt Brave will be one I am in a rush to put in my kids film library. Because not only is everyone around her kind of dumb, but she isn't anything. It's really the Mom's movie.

So, in a weird way, the Disney movies about boys (Aladdin and Hercules come to mind) can afford to have one strong woman, because she is the ONLY woman and she never encroaches too far on the hero's role as hero. Whereas these girl movies are still about a few females in a world of men. She is supposed to be extraordinary in her ability to DO something, in a world where mostly only men are even visible. So I don't know that these movies are solely doing men wrong, but instead bring men down in the way that all sexism is really bad for everybody involved. It shows that they just haven't actually solved the problem yet. I don't think anyone needs another Brave. And I was surprised how much the set up for Brave was like Tangled, with less joy, even though the stories end in different directions. I think Mulan works because she is in a space that was historically appropriate for men, but its otherwise hard to justify why these lady heroes don't have any lady friends.

Ok, so I have re-engaged in the blog. My next assignment for you is to go watch some Katherine Hepburn- I suggest Philidelphia Story, Bringing Up Baby, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, because she is the best find I've really gotten into since our last round of blogging. She is a powerhouse, and can take seemingly sexist material and just own every man in the room. She is very literally transcendent, and how often can you say that about anybody?