If we got angry about this kind of thing we'd be angry all the time

Top 100 Female Characters Includes a Carnivorous Plant, Is Clearly Written by Fanboys

by Jamie Frevele | 11:44 am, April 8th, 2011

When you woke up and came to our site today, I’ll bet you had no idea you’d be told that Audrey 2, the plant from Little Shop of Horrors that eats human flesh, was among one of the top 100 female characters of all time! (Fact: Many plants are actually hermaphrodites, so maybe there’s nothing wrong here.) But according to a list published last month by British film geek site Total Film, Audrey 2 is a lady.

The list was broken down on The Double R Diner, where it’s pointed out that most of the women are not listed with their full names, half of them are victims of some kind, a third have been sexually victimized, and only four of them are not white. (As far as “Miss” Audrey 2 goes, six of the characters listed are not human, and three are not even “humanoid.”) The analysis goes further, and the site proclaims Total Film to be totally sexist. Ehhhh, I’m not quite ready to go there.

While there are certainly some questionable choices for this list (like a freaking plant, for example), consider this: The film industry has only existed for about 100 years. That might seem like a long time, but think of how it’s taken centuries of progress for people to change their opinions about gender roles. This list goes back to the Golden Age of Hollywood and yes, roles for women often entailed them being objectified, victimized, etc. I’m not saying that’s a good thing, but I am saying that for the most part, we have learned from this. There are still damsels in distress, but there are also strong heroines who can stand up for themselves.

But this is a whole other discussion. This is about calling Total Film sexist. I wouldn’t call it sexist. I would call it evident that the list was written by a bunch of fanboys. Many of the characters seem to have been chosen for their “hotness,” “sexiness,” “f*cked up sexiness,” etc. I mean, when you name Stifler’s mom from American Pie as one of the Top 100 Greatest Female Characters, it’s pretty obvious why. There are some characters on this list that were 100% absolutely some of the best female characters of all time, such as Marge Gunderson in Fargo, Shoshanna Dreyfus in Inglorious Basterds, and Margot Tannebnaum in The Royal Tannenbaums. And then there are entries that most likely came about after versions of the following conversation:

“Soooo … We should put [fill in the blank popular female movie star] on this list.”

“Oh, I loved her in [fill in the blank third-most-popular movie role]! She was so hot/cute in that!”

Either that, or:

“Man, remember that hot girl who was in that one movie …? What was her name? She should totally be on this list!”

If there were women working on this list, they probably weren’t involved in entries like those. It doesn’t mean that Total Film is sexist, it just means they are geeky fanboys who lust over girls. That doesn’t even make those guys sexist — it makes them heterosexual.

There are more enlightened men out there who would not put Catwoman/Selina Kyle on their list of female characters for the catsuit alone. (Total Film’s text: “…for the sake of this article, it’s all about the catsuit.” Yeah, thanks guys.) While Total Film’s list may not appeal to half of its audience and is clearly short-sighted in some cases (Jessica Rabbit? Pssshht, how obvious of them …), there is no reason to consider it definitive. This is a list by a bunch of nerds.

And yes, there is an issue concerning the roles written for women (or lack thereof), but at least now, we’re talking about them. It’s happening slowly, but it is happening.

Personally, we should all be offended by a 100-page slideshow more than anything.

Oh, and if anyone knows if Audrey 2 was indeed intended to be a lady, I will stand corrected.

(The Double R Diner)

TAGS: Fargo | Little Shop of Horrors

http://www.facebook.com/people/Wesley-Smith/725105211 Wesley Smith

Glancing quickly over the list, it’s apparent that it’s meant to not be taken seriously. But it’s the sort of thing that requires a response by a more accurate, authoritative list by the writers and readers of The Mary Sue and AMN in general.
Anonymous

There was a song cut from the musical film that had Audrey II referring to itself as male, and likewise, in all the productions, its been played by a male actor.

I guess they just thought “Audrey” = female.
Anonymous

There was a song cut from the musical film that had Audrey II referring to itself as male, and likewise, in all the productions, its been played by a male actor.

I guess they just thought “Audrey” = female.
http://fanniesroom.blogspot.com fannie

I wonder what definition of sexism is at issue here.

Given that the list seems to have been created by and for the heterosexual male gaze, it does seem to be sexist, at least when sexism is defined as “attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of sexual roles.”

A list that lauds many “top” female characters solely for their hotness to men, as opposed to their actions, sends a message that women are valuable insofar as they comply with their traditional role as members of the sex class.
http://twitter.com/JBod Justin

“The film industry has only existed for about 100 years. That might seem like a long time, but think of how it’s taken centuries of progress for people to change their opinions about gender roles.” <– right on. Think about the strong female characters that endured through out years in 2 categories. Before 1970 and After 1970 (give or take). You'll find one list WAY bigger than the other.
http://blog.holleymclellan.com Conehat

I thought that Eli in Let the Right One In was a boy.

IMDB agrees: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139797/faq

“Does the book give more information on Eli’s backstory?

Yes. In the book, Eli, originally from a village near Norrköping, was about 220 years old at the time of the story. She was born male but was castrated and turned at the age of 12 by another vampire for a seemingly sadistic ritualistic reason. This is only hinted at in the film, without any elaboration, however, she does mention to Oscar twice that she “is not a girl” and asks him if he would like her anyway if this were the case. Also, in a brief scene in which Eli is changing into a dress, there is a shot of her pubic area, revealing that she has neither a penis nor a vaginal slit, rather a large, ugly scar. Eli’s “real” (original) name is revealed in the novel as being Elias.”
http://www.whatifbooksetc.com Sylvia Sybil

Oh, so the list wasn’t sexist, the authors just cared more about what the women looked like than what they did. And heterosexual people always demean and objectify the opposite sex.

Wait, what?
http://amidstdancers.blogspot.com/ Shard Aerliss

Where’s the list of The 100 Greatest Male Characters written by female nerds? I want to perv, damnit.
Anonymous

My first thought is: The bloggers of the Mary Sue should create their own top 100 list.

Second thought: I like that you called out double R. Sometimes blog sites cry “sexist” just to receive attention. It could become like crying wolf.

Third thought: Men are visually stimulated, and film is a visual medium. This top 100 was clearly written by men, so they must have easily fell in to the trap of focusing on looks, and not substance.
db

Which song are you referring to? Off the top of my head I can’t think of any songs from the 1982 Broadway recording or the newer stage recording that mention anything, but the movie soundtrack does include “Mean Green Mother From Outer Space,” (which I would say means it is both not a plant, but an alien, and also an alien which sees itself as female?).

I’m trying to remember if there’s anything in the original black-and-white film either, but I have only seen it once so I don’t really recall. (Although it successfully creeped me out more than the 1986 film.)
db

Whoops, the 1982 original cast recording is off-Broadway, the 2003 recording is on-Broadway. My bad!
http://openid.anonymity.com/51ob0c repented misogynist

Is there some sort of feminist-but-not-radical approved version of such a list?
http://twitter.com/Mia_says_what Mia R.

Chris Hemsworth should be included on that list on principal alone. B)