I’m rather excited about the ‘The Force Awakens’ blu-ray release next month!
Much has been made of Rey, the female protagonist (two excellent pieces on the subject include this piece by Laurie Penny for the New Statesmen and this one by Sean Captain for Fast Company).
Here’s what I think:
I want more starring heroines, because a better balance of characters makes for better stories. Being male doesn’t mean I only want to see male protagonists – I mean, I love R2-D2 and BB-8, but I’m not a robot. I just want to see interesting characters who are thrown into danger and then forced to use their wit to escape annihilation. Flimsy female characters don’t help stories at all; I want the range of flawed, lovable, evil, comforting and terrifying characters regardless of gender, race, age or any other way of grouping people, because it’s just better. There, I’ve said it.
You should watch JJ Abrams’s TED talk ‘The Mystery Box’; it’s funny and a great piece on storytelling.
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