Chantal Boudreau's Blog - Posts Tagged "perfection"
Breaking the Double Standard
Some friends and I were discussing the concept of writers writing characters of the opposite gender and how effective and realistic these attempts can be. I honestly think gender has nothing to do with your ability to create a believable character. I mentioned in our conversation that I thought a poor portrayal of characters of the opposite sex did not reflect on the writer’s abilities based on gender, but just on their skills as a writer in general. Part of being a good writer is observing other people and trying to look at things from their perspective as you develop your characters – otherwise every character you create would just be another version of you, or a very one-dimensional arch-type, and that doesn’t make for good story-telling. The best writers can move seamlessly from complex character to complex character, no matter what their differences.
Admittedly, some writers do present the other gender in their stories without trying to gain some understanding of what it means to be a man if you are a woman, or to be a woman if you are man. That’s why you’ll come across carbon copy heroes who are physically strong, dashing, stoic, and confident, and carbon copy female characters who are loving and sweet but always in need of a rescue. Either these writers don’t attempt to do the story justice and offer an original character with a complex personality, perhaps out of fear of getting it wrong and being critiqued for it, or they are too lazy to try. I personally feel that the books with these types of characters come across as trite and formulaic.
I’m a strong believer that the hero or heroine of a tale should demonstrate some form of flaw, not super-human perfection, and more complexity than the arch-type norm, or they just aren’t being portrayed realistically. When it comes to the development of male and female characters, I have noticed that there is one “flaw” that is usually deemed acceptable in a hero, but often shunned in a heroine, and that “flaw” is promiscuity (not everyone considers it a bad thing, but it is frowned upon socially). The double standard in life carries over into literature, and while a male character who is promiscuous will be viewed in a mostly positive light, despite the fact that the character is a “player”, a “womanizer” or a “horndog” – lightly negative terms - a female character with the same trait is rarely cast as a heroine. The “slut”, “temptress” or “man-eater”, much more negative connotations here, more often is positioned as a villain in the tale.
I’ve tried to break the double standard, by presenting a couple of different heroines in my stories who are promiscuous, but I do find I meet with critique from those who support the notion that a promiscuous heroine is not a real heroine. Nia, from Magic University, has met with a lot of adversity in her life, including what many would consider an unfair exile from her people, loss of family, struggles with poverty and choosing a suitable career in an alien culture, and finding love in a world where she is very different from the people around her. She doesn’t always cope with her troubles in the most appropriate way, choosing brief affairs with men to make her feel better about herself and to fill some of those gaps in her life temporarily, but that shouldn’t make her any less of a heroine. She has moments in the story where she takes a stand and shows her integrity, and in later books in the series, she goes on to place herself at risk and make sacrifices for the sake of others, the mark of a real hero.
I refuse to tone down her impulsive nature for the sake of appeasing some people’s sensibilities. I have heroines who are alcoholics, who are outlaws and who have fractured psyches, as well. It’s their flaws and how they manage despite them that make them interesting.
A second heroine, in my yet to be published Elements of Genocide, Andreyelle, is also promiscuous, but she comes from a culture where promiscuity is acceptable, if not encouraged. She does not, however, derive much satisfaction from her brief and shallow interactions, and is searching for something more fulfilling. That doesn’t change the fact that she doesn’t see that kind of behaviour as harmful in anyway, and one of the other characters who scorns her for her liberal ways eventually learns something from her that helps him to grow.
I even have examples where I’ve challenged the double standard in some of my shorter works, like my female pirate, Adrianna Perla, from “Cat and Mouse,” who has no qualms about following her libido.
I guess my point is that while you will find a variety of Don Juans and Casanovas in fiction, I think writers have been neglectful of the female equivalent, most likely because of the social double standard. But that doesn’t mean that can’t be changed. I encourage other writers, male and female alike, to break that double standard. It can make for a very interesting read.
Admittedly, some writers do present the other gender in their stories without trying to gain some understanding of what it means to be a man if you are a woman, or to be a woman if you are man. That’s why you’ll come across carbon copy heroes who are physically strong, dashing, stoic, and confident, and carbon copy female characters who are loving and sweet but always in need of a rescue. Either these writers don’t attempt to do the story justice and offer an original character with a complex personality, perhaps out of fear of getting it wrong and being critiqued for it, or they are too lazy to try. I personally feel that the books with these types of characters come across as trite and formulaic.
I’m a strong believer that the hero or heroine of a tale should demonstrate some form of flaw, not super-human perfection, and more complexity than the arch-type norm, or they just aren’t being portrayed realistically. When it comes to the development of male and female characters, I have noticed that there is one “flaw” that is usually deemed acceptable in a hero, but often shunned in a heroine, and that “flaw” is promiscuity (not everyone considers it a bad thing, but it is frowned upon socially). The double standard in life carries over into literature, and while a male character who is promiscuous will be viewed in a mostly positive light, despite the fact that the character is a “player”, a “womanizer” or a “horndog” – lightly negative terms - a female character with the same trait is rarely cast as a heroine. The “slut”, “temptress” or “man-eater”, much more negative connotations here, more often is positioned as a villain in the tale.
I’ve tried to break the double standard, by presenting a couple of different heroines in my stories who are promiscuous, but I do find I meet with critique from those who support the notion that a promiscuous heroine is not a real heroine. Nia, from Magic University, has met with a lot of adversity in her life, including what many would consider an unfair exile from her people, loss of family, struggles with poverty and choosing a suitable career in an alien culture, and finding love in a world where she is very different from the people around her. She doesn’t always cope with her troubles in the most appropriate way, choosing brief affairs with men to make her feel better about herself and to fill some of those gaps in her life temporarily, but that shouldn’t make her any less of a heroine. She has moments in the story where she takes a stand and shows her integrity, and in later books in the series, she goes on to place herself at risk and make sacrifices for the sake of others, the mark of a real hero.
I refuse to tone down her impulsive nature for the sake of appeasing some people’s sensibilities. I have heroines who are alcoholics, who are outlaws and who have fractured psyches, as well. It’s their flaws and how they manage despite them that make them interesting.
A second heroine, in my yet to be published Elements of Genocide, Andreyelle, is also promiscuous, but she comes from a culture where promiscuity is acceptable, if not encouraged. She does not, however, derive much satisfaction from her brief and shallow interactions, and is searching for something more fulfilling. That doesn’t change the fact that she doesn’t see that kind of behaviour as harmful in anyway, and one of the other characters who scorns her for her liberal ways eventually learns something from her that helps him to grow.
I even have examples where I’ve challenged the double standard in some of my shorter works, like my female pirate, Adrianna Perla, from “Cat and Mouse,” who has no qualms about following her libido.
I guess my point is that while you will find a variety of Don Juans and Casanovas in fiction, I think writers have been neglectful of the female equivalent, most likely because of the social double standard. But that doesn’t mean that can’t be changed. I encourage other writers, male and female alike, to break that double standard. It can make for a very interesting read.
A Weighty Issue
After reading the response an aspiring comic book artist was given during a critique of her artwork, I honestly took offense to some of what the critic had to say (you can find the response at this link: http://kxhara.deviantart.com/journal/... ).
Truth is, our society has a warped idea of what is acceptable in the way of female body image. It’s unrealistic and most often unhealthy. Genre fiction, sadly, has tended to support these unrealistic ideals in the past. “It’s necessary for the fantasy,” you’ll hear. “It’s what they fans want,” you’ll also hear. “Heroes are supposed to be more than human – they’re supposed to be perfect,” is a common quote.
That might be your perspective, but it definitely isn’t mine, and I know for a fact I’m not the only one who feels that way. There is a sizable market of people looking for diversity in genre heroes and those who insist on supporting the supermodel/playboy bunny stereotype for heroines are definitely losing out on that market.
I understand that there is a visual element to comic books, but not every man finds a beach-ball bosomed, wasp-waisted woman attractive, and many women find those unnatural forms and silly comic book poses somewhat repulsive. I think there should be more effort to counter these market standards and demand something truer to life. I have found that with written genre fiction, the more mature fiction and not the trendy paranormal romance that holds to societal ideals, there has been an increase in character realism and presentation of varying body images. Not, however, without a fight.
At Hal-Con 2011, I had a discussion with Kelley Armstrong where she described how she had to stand her ground to keep one of her lead male characters described the way he was, rather than converting him to the industry expected teenage-heart throb. He turned out to be one of her most beloved characters with her readers, but only because she trusted her gut instead of towing the industry line. Realism is endearing. It is actually difficult to properly connect with a character who doesn’t have flaws, because the rest of us have them. Imperfection allows for empathy, or sympathy – depending on the circumstances.
Kelley’s not alone in fighting to present realistic characters. According to my husband, the book "The Moon Maze Game" by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes (2011) features some very strong female characters, at least one of which is a "heavy" woman. And I have certainly read other well-written genre books with similar protagonists or supporting characters.
So changes are happening, at least on the written front, and I’m hoping to be part of that change. I have multiple characters who are described as overweight, several in my Masters & Renegades series, including Reeree, Burrell and at one point, Dee, and Mallory, a Fixer in my Fervor series, who makes her first appearance in Elevation.
In my yet to be published works, there is Kerza, my heroic witch from Sleep Escapes Us: “While Alina would not have necessarily described the girl as plain, she certainly wouldn’t have declared her beautiful either. She was fleshy in an unpleasant way, not voluptuous or zaftig. Her skin was so pale it almost glowed in the shadowy tunnels, her shaggy dark hair was a tangled mess that hung over her face, and she moved as lifelessly as one of the undead on the surface.” Far from the societal ideal, and while she cleans up a little as the story goes, she remains overweight for the duration of the tale.
There’s also my female protagonist in Intangible: “Silvana had tried. She had searched diligently for a job that would cover all of her expenses, but she was an unschooled teenager who looked strange, her auburn hair streaked with oranges and greens, her nose and brow pierced, overweight and wearing clothing that certainly didn’t match the latest trends.”
And don’t assume that because they are fat and not the “standard beauty” that these ladies exist simply as comic relief – “fat foils.” They are prominent active characters who are heroic and self-sacrificing. They also have romantic liaisons with men who are sincere, appreciative and respectful.
My point is, it is up to future writers and artists to demand such changes, by pushing boundaries and voicing our objections to ridiculous unrealistic standards. Wake up world. It’s time that genre fiction, comic books and graphic novels included, got real.
Truth is, our society has a warped idea of what is acceptable in the way of female body image. It’s unrealistic and most often unhealthy. Genre fiction, sadly, has tended to support these unrealistic ideals in the past. “It’s necessary for the fantasy,” you’ll hear. “It’s what they fans want,” you’ll also hear. “Heroes are supposed to be more than human – they’re supposed to be perfect,” is a common quote.
That might be your perspective, but it definitely isn’t mine, and I know for a fact I’m not the only one who feels that way. There is a sizable market of people looking for diversity in genre heroes and those who insist on supporting the supermodel/playboy bunny stereotype for heroines are definitely losing out on that market.
I understand that there is a visual element to comic books, but not every man finds a beach-ball bosomed, wasp-waisted woman attractive, and many women find those unnatural forms and silly comic book poses somewhat repulsive. I think there should be more effort to counter these market standards and demand something truer to life. I have found that with written genre fiction, the more mature fiction and not the trendy paranormal romance that holds to societal ideals, there has been an increase in character realism and presentation of varying body images. Not, however, without a fight.
At Hal-Con 2011, I had a discussion with Kelley Armstrong where she described how she had to stand her ground to keep one of her lead male characters described the way he was, rather than converting him to the industry expected teenage-heart throb. He turned out to be one of her most beloved characters with her readers, but only because she trusted her gut instead of towing the industry line. Realism is endearing. It is actually difficult to properly connect with a character who doesn’t have flaws, because the rest of us have them. Imperfection allows for empathy, or sympathy – depending on the circumstances.
Kelley’s not alone in fighting to present realistic characters. According to my husband, the book "The Moon Maze Game" by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes (2011) features some very strong female characters, at least one of which is a "heavy" woman. And I have certainly read other well-written genre books with similar protagonists or supporting characters.
So changes are happening, at least on the written front, and I’m hoping to be part of that change. I have multiple characters who are described as overweight, several in my Masters & Renegades series, including Reeree, Burrell and at one point, Dee, and Mallory, a Fixer in my Fervor series, who makes her first appearance in Elevation.
In my yet to be published works, there is Kerza, my heroic witch from Sleep Escapes Us: “While Alina would not have necessarily described the girl as plain, she certainly wouldn’t have declared her beautiful either. She was fleshy in an unpleasant way, not voluptuous or zaftig. Her skin was so pale it almost glowed in the shadowy tunnels, her shaggy dark hair was a tangled mess that hung over her face, and she moved as lifelessly as one of the undead on the surface.” Far from the societal ideal, and while she cleans up a little as the story goes, she remains overweight for the duration of the tale.
There’s also my female protagonist in Intangible: “Silvana had tried. She had searched diligently for a job that would cover all of her expenses, but she was an unschooled teenager who looked strange, her auburn hair streaked with oranges and greens, her nose and brow pierced, overweight and wearing clothing that certainly didn’t match the latest trends.”
And don’t assume that because they are fat and not the “standard beauty” that these ladies exist simply as comic relief – “fat foils.” They are prominent active characters who are heroic and self-sacrificing. They also have romantic liaisons with men who are sincere, appreciative and respectful.
My point is, it is up to future writers and artists to demand such changes, by pushing boundaries and voicing our objections to ridiculous unrealistic standards. Wake up world. It’s time that genre fiction, comic books and graphic novels included, got real.
