So I’ve been wondering about “Jurassic World” and “Aliens”

I’ve been reading some angry fan comments about Bryce Howard’s character in “Jurassic World.” How incredibly sexist her portrayal is, mostly because she has a character arc rather than starting out as Ellen Ripley from the beginning. Fans seem outraged that she begins as a corporate shill but ends up so worried about her nephews and thus somehow has acquired maternal instincts. Even though Ripley effectively has something of that same arc, being willing to risk her life by the end for a little girl who ends up embracing her and calling her “mommy.”

And as I thought about Ripley, it made me wonder about “Aliens” and, more specifically, the character of Burke.

And I wondered, if Burke had been a female–with NO change in dialogue or characterization other than gender–would any fans have decried that as sexist? Would they have said that the only reason she was so nasty was because the writer felt the need to balance out the strong female character of Ripley with a total villain?

Thoughts?

PAD