I wrote a few suggestions here:
http://colinstokes.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-more-nutritious-netflix-queue.html
These movies are some of my all-time favorites. The ones in the right-hand column are exceptionally original and avoid reinforcing the typical lone male hero formula. Let me know if you've seen any of them and what you think!
Jan 21 2013: That's true, Ximena--there is one exchange between two minor female characters that sets up a subplot. I realized this after I gave the talk, and cut it from the version that TEDxBeaconStreet posted.
Quickly in any discussion of the Bechdel Test, you reach a point where arguing about meeting the criteria is less interesting than arguing about whether women are seen by the filmmakers as real people.
Jan 18 2013: Yup. I don't like the idea of protecting my kids from images, per se. The greatest stories have always showed us extremes of behavior--that's part of why we love fiction; to live vicariously through experiences we would not want to have to live through in life. Sometimes we thrill to misfortune (horror movies, farces), and sometimes we feel catharsis and pity. Nobody should tell an artist not to dive whole-heartedly into the human epic, or tell an adult what they may consume.
As a parent of young children, though, I get to be a gatekeeper. With little kids, I do want to limit certain imagery, essentially to avoid causing nightmares. Then, once the witches and explosions aren't scary in themselves, I want to limit the complexity of the stories so that I can help them interpret them in a way compatible with their development. Or at least my best guess about what that is.
I'll be wrong, just like my parents were, and their parents. But I like to think as critically as I can about the stories around my children so I can at least model what I think is a moral and ethical lens, rather than leaving that up to peers and advertisers.
Jan 18 2013: Absolutely, Rebecca. This was particularly annoying for me in the mid-90s princess movies like Mulan and Pocahantas--Disney seems to have overcompensated for the domestication of their 50s heroines and focused on stories of rebellion that left little room for boys to see what sympathetic role they could play. Brave does critique the male world, it's true: holding up the suitors and clan leaders for total ridicule and setting Merida up as the inventor of diplomacy. I found Merida's father very winning, though; he is more able to respect Merida for who she is than her mother is.
Jan 18 2013: You're right--I pull a truthy move there. And I love Pinker and think everyone should read him. It is far, far better to be a woman in the West today than pretty much ever in history, and life for most humans is increasingly just and healthy over all. Nonetheless, I think it's worth actively seeking to improve it.
And I mean it when I say "This is not the fault of popular culture." There's no conspiracy to convey any messages beyond "watch me." That's why I focus on the media consumer--the dad and his Netflix queue, and the conversations he has with his kids about the movies. I think we are influenced by our media, often for the better, and parents can help create the society we hope for our kids by fostering critical thinking and actively seeking more diverse stories.
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A reply on Talk: Colin Stokes: How movies teach manhood
I wrote a few suggestions here:
http://colinstokes.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-more-nutritious-netflix-queue.html
These movies are some of my all-time favorites. The ones in the right-hand column are exceptionally original and avoid reinforcing the typical lone male hero formula. Let me know if you've seen any of them and what you think!
A reply on Talk: Colin Stokes: How movies teach manhood
A reply on Talk: Colin Stokes: How movies teach manhood
A reply on Talk: Colin Stokes: How movies teach manhood
Quickly in any discussion of the Bechdel Test, you reach a point where arguing about meeting the criteria is less interesting than arguing about whether women are seen by the filmmakers as real people.
A reply on Talk: Colin Stokes: How movies teach manhood
As a parent of young children, though, I get to be a gatekeeper. With little kids, I do want to limit certain imagery, essentially to avoid causing nightmares. Then, once the witches and explosions aren't scary in themselves, I want to limit the complexity of the stories so that I can help them interpret them in a way compatible with their development. Or at least my best guess about what that is.
I'll be wrong, just like my parents were, and their parents. But I like to think as critically as I can about the stories around my children so I can at least model what I think is a moral and ethical lens, rather than leaving that up to peers and advertisers.
A reply on Talk: Colin Stokes: How movies teach manhood
A reply on Talk: Colin Stokes: How movies teach manhood
And I mean it when I say "This is not the fault of popular culture." There's no conspiracy to convey any messages beyond "watch me." That's why I focus on the media consumer--the dad and his Netflix queue, and the conversations he has with his kids about the movies. I think we are influenced by our media, often for the better, and parents can help create the society we hope for our kids by fostering critical thinking and actively seeking more diverse stories.