Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Why the Starfire Reboot Is a Fizzle

Previously we discussed "The Comics Women Don't Buy."  There's another aspect to this debate, concerning DC's reboot.  The first couple of essays I read about the reboot of the Starfire character were ... accurate, but not fun to read, and couched in whiny feminist terms.  (I'm a feminist, but I'm not keen on all flavors of feminist writing.)  I prefer to point to things that people may actually read all the way through. 

Here, in much clearer and more charming terms, are the same arguments made by a seven-year-old girl who loves comics.  She explains that being a hero means fighting things, being strong, and helping people -- not wearing a tiny bikini to get attention.  This spans a thoughtful comparison of the Starfire character across several incarnations.

Now, if a little girl can figure that out, you'd think grown men would be able to, but they seem to have confused "hero" with another word that's missing the "er" in the middle.  That's not the kind of thing likely to attract more female readers to comics, and the men who like it are probably buying a different kind of periodical that's mostly pictures.

If you're a writer or an artist, I highly recommend reading this perspective on plot and characterization.  It really cuts to the heart of storytelling.
Tags: activism, art, entertainment, gender studies, news, writing
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  • 5 comments
judifilksign

judifilksign

September 28 2011, 19:56:30 UTC 9 years ago

From the mouths of babes...absolute truth.