Looking for the Feminine Genius in Pop Culture, Part IV: "Post-Credits Scenes"

         Certainly, this little series has hardly scratched the surface of what we mean when we speak of the feminine genius.  And perhaps many parts could have been much better expressed.  This often the case in these posts. The process of working together with Amanda, Regina, and Alison on this makes me think of the students who encouraged me to begin this blog back in the days of the old Heart Speaking to Heart Symposium and I think next of the words of Saint Teresa of Avila: "What disorder in the way I write!  Really, it's as though the work were done by one who doesn't know what (he's) talking about. The fault is yours, (friends), because you are the ones who (encouraged) me to write this.  Read it as best you can, for I am writing it as best I can.  And if you find that it is all wrong, burn it."  I encourage you to take up the writings of the likes of Edith Stein, and for some reason this process has made me really want to read Flannery O'Connor!  Also, many contemporary women have some great things out there worth consulting - Leah Darrow, Crystalina Evert, Colleen Carroll Campbell, Lisa Cotter, Abby Johnson and Jennifer Fulwiller are just a few who come to mind.  Nonetheless, I do hope you've enjoyed this little series (go back to the beginning here).  This final post in the series will be a little more of a free-flowing assortment of thoughts and observations from my communications with Amanda, Regina, and Alison, as well as some additional thoughts of my own.

       A number of other examples and recommendations came up in the process of putting this together.  Alison mentioned her appreciation of some of the Disney animated films. "Disney movies are sometimes used as easy fodder for examples of female characters only written to be saved by the male lead, but I would disagree with that. Not wanting to go into all of them, Cinderella and Rapunzel especially are two examples that I think encapsulate elements of the Feminine Genius or authentic femininity pretty well. In Cinderella, Cinderella is essentially enslaved by her stepsisters and stepmother, but she won’t let their taunting and degrading behavior towards her get to her spirit. She is determined to always “Have courage and be kind”, which I think is pretty exemplary of the female genius. I feel like women are pretty resilient and can put up with a lot while keeping a smile on their face and a gentle spirit in their heart, and Cinderella does that. Additionally, Rapunzel (at least the recent animated Disney adaptation) tells the story of a young woman rescuing herself, chasing after what she wants and stopping at nothing to get there despite having doubts and insecurities along the way. In the end she’s willing to sacrifice her livelihood and happiness for someone she loves, To sum up: endurance in the face of adversity and the goodness of heart to be kind to those who are not kind to you, in addition to going after what you want and being willing to give it all up for someone you love I think are examples of true femininity, as they show both resilience and compassion."

While on the topic of animation, Amanda mentioned another example of complementarity and diversity, as it is a story about a family... a family of superheroes. "I like the portrayal of Violet and Elastigirl in the Incredibles. They are ordinary women with superpowers and they don’t change who they are but transcend themselves when the situation calls for it (which we are all called to). There is an interesting tension between Elastigirl and Screenslaver in Incredibles 2 - they are both united at the beginning in talking about how men don’t always understand them and how women have to support each other but then they diverge when Screenslaver wants to destroy the superheroes. And at the same time, Mr. Incredible tries to engage in what his wife had done in taking care of the kids, without losing any of his masculinity and adding to that process something of his own, which shows a nice balance between men and women complementing each other but not replacing each other, and each bringing something good to the table."

Phenomenal real-life example of the Feminine Genius

However, Amanda also responded to a question regarding any attempts to portray strong female characters that might be especially worthy of comment, in light of how they fall short. "In the most recent Ghostbusters, I appreciate having an all-female cast and a satirical tone in the movie. I appreciated Kate McKinnon’s character for her wittiness and humor. However, one aspect of the movie that I did not appreciate is the “reversal of roles” - instead of having an all-male team with an attractive female secretary, they had an all-female team with an attractive male secretary (Chris Hemsworth) who was also an airhead. While taken in the spirit of a comedy, it also suggests that “equality” in men and women means women also ogle at attractive men and make jokes at their expense, which, to me, seems like degrading both men and women rather than raising them up to the place they deserve."

I was grateful for her pointing out another misguided trend, namely apparently attempting to show equality by showing that women can also do the awful things that (some) men do when they are not living out authentic masculinity. Ocean's 8 seemed to contain a humorous little jab it at this notion, as the women prepared for their heist by saying they are doing it for all the little girls who dream of being criminals one day. Unfortunately, as I previously commented upon, Debbie Ocean did seem to emulate only the worst in his brother and rather than his potential virtues. I found it interesting that, within a year of this movie, Netflix rebooted the classic female master-thief Carmen Sandiego by re-envisioning her as a sort of quasi-hero who 'only steals from other thieves' and wants to take down an evil organization. Interesting that they chose to go the route of letting her use her questionable talents for an apparent good.

Are these the guys she wants to be "equal" with? Hmmm....

       Meanwhile, Regina mentioned in passing her appreciation of the feminine portrayals in Hidden Figures and Black Panther (more on that one later).  But, most of her thoughts focused on her focal point of choice: Mad Max: Fury Road.  Here is an elaboration of her thoughts on that: "All of the women throughout the film demonstrate a sensitivity that allows them to respond to others. We see this when Capable comforts the ailing Nux, even though he was just trying to capture them moments before. We can also see it in the way Furiosa and Max communicate: she very quickly understands his intentions and motivations despite his sparse dialog. This same sensitivity is what allows the group of women-warriors from which Furiosa was taken as a child to recognize her in her return. The wives (and Furiosa to a lesser degree) demonstrate a receptivity in their ability to follow the orders of those in whom their trust is placed. They know who will get them out of their battles alive, and they follow the orders necessary to do so. This receptivity is tested when Splendid is on the line, but at the assurances of Max and Furiosa (who also needs Max’s assurances at first) they realize that pressing on, no matter how horrible, truly is what’s best. Furiosa demonstrates her generosity in rewarding Max with supplies and a free ticket out of their operations. Although she wants him to stay, she recognizes that he is not obliged to, and gives him supplies that could keep her and the women alive for much longer had she kept them. The most stark example of generosity though is Splendid giving her life for Furiosa. (Uh, spoiler alert). She shields Furiosa with her body and the body of her unborn child, with the hope that Immortan Joe won’t risk the life of a healthy heir. Even with this confidence, though, the situation is far from safe or stable, and in the tumult of the chase she does eventually fall, sacrificing herself for the other women, while fiercely clinging to a will to live. And at the very end of the film, the women don’t hoard the bounty they acquire back at the citadel, but they also share it with the downtrodden masses there. These are not perfect women, but they are truly women. They show that the universal feminine values do not make for a uniformity in women, but each woman is uniquely feminine and while being complementary to their male counterparts (as seen in some of the dynamics between Max and Furiosa), they are also complementary to each other."

Meanwhile, Alison shared a few more examples: "Hermione Granger comes to mind because she’s incredibly intelligent and will do what she has to do to make things right, but she has a soft side too. She is stubborn and imperfect but she is celebrated nonetheless, and though she puts on a front of only caring about her academics and not about anything anyone else thinks of her, we get let into her vulnerable side on occasion and see that she does get affected by it. Even though Harry Potter is her best friend, she isn’t riding his coattails--she stays true to herself and establishes herself as an intelligent student and brave fighter." And also, "the main character of the Netflix film To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Lara Jean Covey, is incredibly realistic. She is genuine, kind, loves spending time with her family, gets embarrassed, makes some mistakes because she’s a teenage girl and isn’t perfect, feels ashamed of her mistakes but finds healing, is vulnerable, and is ultimately able to speak her mind and say what she wants. (It is perhaps of note that this film was both written and directed by a woman.) I found this character to be really refreshing. I appreciated that she was allowed to make mistakes but then also was allowed to receive healing from those mistakes, and that her family meant so much to her. They were present throughout the whole story, which was nice to see as often times the family of a main character is mysteriously absent for the entirety of the story arc."

Meanwhile, as well as providing us with many examples in pop culture, Alison also had some very interesting thoughts to share, to which I could not quite do justice in my summarizing, regarding what might missing or distorted in many contemporary feminine portrayals. It seemed to her that "the problem stems from writers and directors trying too hard to write a “strong female lead”. It results in characters that are really two-dimensional, the kinds of women that don’t exist in real life: she’s tough, her car breaks down on the side of the road and a guy pulls over to help but she sarcastically tells him off because she’s down-to-earth and has been fixing cars her whole life turns out, so she jokingly says something like, “What, are you going to rescue me or something?”, and all throughout the film/book/etc. will make quick laughing remarks about misogyny...... you get the idea. While there was an attempt clearly made, it lacks depth. I think in an effort to make female characters strong they go to either one of two extremes: (1) making her so adorably awkward and clumsy that it sets her apart from the “other girls”, she’s “different”, she plays video games and drives a truck, or (2) they ignore the compassionate, vulnerable, empathetic side; they leave out the parts where they’re scared, or confused, or trying to make sense of a messy situation and doing the best with what they have, or the parts where they genuinely mess up and have to own up to it. They give all this up in favor of the female characters who jump into situations recklessly and somehow never mess up, because even though women are strong now they still have to perfect. They can’t make mistakes, they can’t cry because that’s “unattractive and weak”, and they certainly can’t ever want children or a proper family because that’s limiting and old-fashioned. Surely any woman who can change a tire must not want kids because she’s a liberated female--she can change a tire, after all."

Nancy Wheeler (Stranger Things) might be a good example.
Pretty tough girl, but still stumbles her way through, sometimes getting it wrong.

As a final topic, I want to consider further Alison's notion that some modern writers and directors seem to be trying too hard to portray women as "strong female leads." This seems similar to a thought Amanda expressed: "'Prominent' female characters do not have to be the ones in the spotlight. Just because a movie does not feature a female lead does not mean that female characters are not valued. One of the strengths of the feminine genius is the ability to serve with or without being noticed but especially, having a large impact even if I’m not the main person in the mission." ***May the reader not suspect that saving this topic for last is in anyway meant to imply that the supporting roles are "where the women belong" or any such non-sense (for the record, I'm quite intrigued by the prospect of a new generation of Avengers, led by Carol Danvers). However, I do think a lot of great supporting roles should not be overlooked, just because they are not leads.

In elaborating her point, Amanda saw fit to look to the women of Black Panther (who impressed Regina, as well). She saw a clear example of her point in "Shuri (and Nakia)... in Black Panther, he has a number of strong female characters who support him, but they don’t need to be the ones in the foreground (such as) the point in the movie where the suit is offered to Nakia and she refuses - strength comes from knowing who she is and the role she plays. She does not need to grasp for something that is not her part to play, she has her own mission and she embraces it." Additionally, she also looked to some of the same characters for examples of how "female characters tend to favor protecting the weak while male characters perhaps prefer actions that will serve the “broader picture” - e.g. tension in Black Panther between T’Challa and Nakia over the preservation of Wakanda vs helping the weak countries around them." And finally, in noting "Female characters portray moral strength - they may frequently be placed in a situation where they do not have a lot of power to change what is happening, but their strength lies in doing the right thing even if it’s tough or even if it entails self-sacrifice. e.g. Nakia and Shuri take on Killmonger together even though they may be overpowered and they don’t know where T’Challa is. Okoye challenges her husband and says she will not hesitate to kill him if he endangers the people."

       When we consider supporting characters, we do find some other strong female supporting characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, besides the women of Black Panther alone.  If Pepper Potts were more consistently written she would be a great example.  In her better moments, she is, as she certainly draws the best out of Tony and holds everything together in many ways.  Similarly, Agent Peggy Carter pulls Steve out of his comfort zone and brings a lot of her own strength and confidence to the table, as she is constantly demonstrated (especially when you consider the two seasons of her own show: Agent Carter).

       But, the first example most will think of is the first official female "Avenger" (or so we thought, in light of what is implied at the end of Captain Marvel): Natasha Romanoff A.K.A. Black Widow.  We see examples of beautiful complementarity between her and Clint in both Avengers movies, between her and Steve in Captain America: Winter Solder, as they seem to draw different strengths out of each other.  We see a similar dynamic, but in a decidedly different way, between her and Bruce in Avengers: Age of Ultron.  This second pairing contained, not only an element of romance and the prospect of family, but also an interesting little reflection on the importance of motherhood.  If you look to that which those who seek to dehumanize, turning women and men alike into mere weapons, consider to be their greatest threat, you have certainly a stumbled upon a mark of the glory of humanity, and in this case, her uniquely feminine humanity.  But, even before these clearer examples, we see how she is capable, not only of drawing the strength out of people, but of drawing whatever is there to be drawn out.  We see her doing it to Tony all through Iron Man 2, to the men who she is interrogating, although they believe they are interrogating her, and finally to Loki in Avengers.  She uses her beauty, but not so much in a way that she is hiding behind, but rather she uses it as a tool that enables her to hide her strength behind the vanity of men.  In these ways, it can be said that she abuses her gifts, perhaps in ways that some would consider unfeminine.  But, we see her consistently seeking redemption and striving for more, as she calls those around her to more as well.  Consider when she proposes to Steve that maybe the solution "isn't about guns."  She then fights her way to Erik Selvig to reclaim him and appeal to him to help them (again drawing out the strength and goodness buried beneath Loki's mind-control, not unlike she did for Clint).  We also learn from her interactions with Clint that the girl striving to "wipe out all the red in her ledger," prefers to be "a spy, not a soldier," although she is more than capable of holding her own in a fight.  While she still has some interesting layers, in the more recent movies she has appeared in, it does seem as if her role has been reduced.  Although in Captain America: Civil War, she does serve an interesting role, as one who has been a sister to both Steve and Tony and seems rather torn between them in the best way, because she sees the best in both of them and their intentions.

Many lies pass as intelligence in our world today. 
And the Liar generally doesn't like it when his lies are exposed.

       Meanwhile, Gamora almost seems like a cross between Natasha and Pepper.  Like Natasha, she is trying to leave behind and seek redemption from a past of misusing her gifts.  But, like Pepper, she is also the romantic counterpart who manages to draw the best of out of a man who would be a mess without her.  Interestingly, both of these women are not only the conscience, but also the stabilizing voice of reason to their respective men, who are overly controlled by their emotions.  How's that for shattering the caricature, which Carol Danvers had to overcome, of the woman as being controlled by her emotions!       

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