Hollywood has been accused of profiting from the objectification of women ever since a flapper girl first showed a bit too much ankle, so it makes sense that this mantra is frequently thrown out during discussions of cinema.
What exactly does this mean, though? Do we just need more female action heroes saving the day? What about featuring some ‘normal’ women who are more than just someone’s eye candy? Bear with us a moment, but maybe, just maybe, strong female characters could be both… and perhaps even more. On second thought, let’s not use the term ‘strong female character’ at all and just start referring to them as women. A novel approach, I know.
After a century of demeaning the fairer sex, Hollywood is finally waking up to the idea that female characters deserve the same respect as men. Unfortunately, this trend is likely due to the realization that cinema audiences have women in them too, rather than any overwhelming social consciousness, but at least things are beginning to improve.
Hollywood still has a painfully long way to go, but 2015 has been one of the most progressive years yet for the representation of women in cinema. As we wind down towards the end of the blockbuster season, join us in counting down 10 kick ass women who owned cinemas this summer.
Cue jokes about the Fantastic Four’s Invisible Woman being nowhere to be seen.