Sexism ruining tv shows

The violence doesn't reflect reality - way more men than women are murdered (according to ONS - nearly 400 men/year vs. under 200 women) - the difference is that women are much, much more likely to be killed by a partner/family member.

if it was realistic, then sadly, there would be a lot more kids. I think I'm happy they're not being realistic actually.

On the whole i agree with you Flora. Ripper Street has been discussed on this board before for their storylines involving violence towards women. Ive been watching the latest series on BBC1 and for the past several weeks something had been bothering me that i couldnt put my finger on. Tonight i realized what it was.

There isnt a single female character and/or actress in it who is over the age of 40. And i mean main female characters not guest appearances. Yet the male actors in it go up to their 50s 60s and the one playing Abbeline is pushing 70. Its quite stark.

It was wasn't it Vashta. It was the least gender stereotypical show I've ever seen, Starbuck particularly but also the other female characters.

Not seen Supernatural but I do sympathise with that feeling! It drives DH mad that I keep pointing out the sexism in lighthearted comedies but it really does ruin the film for me!
Agree that Battlestar Gallactica was great (partly due to Starbuck who was male in the original) and I love OITNB and its vast array of female characters.

passes fran a

I loved Buffy but am I the only person who loved season 7?

Has anyone seen Battlestar Gallactica? The re boot, not the seventies show. I think it had some of the best female characters in tv history and was the least offensive tv programme I've seen, I didn't have to throw any cushions at the tv at all.

Watch it, it really is fabulous.

I just monitor what my children watch and if anything seems to glorify violence against women i will turn off/over and same goes for the way male actors are cast as fools in the adverts i don't want my boys growing up thinking that men are as useless/thick and irrelevant as the ones on TV nor my girls viewing violence towards them an occupational hazard of being female and although hubby and i are having massive problems just now he is helping/guiding oldest daughter to be all she can be a lot better than i could but not posting what for fear of being identified

Buffy was a really, really important show to me when I was younger. I was absolutely the right age for it, and I did genuinely feel that I was seeing something very different from anything I had seen before. There were moments I really utterly disliked (Riley, UGH!), but generally it verged on some kind of therapy for me! I think it's difficult to recall now how different it felt from other pop culture TV around at the time. It's not just about having a strong female lead (I think that's the mistake made by a lot of male writers), but the way in which the men in the story are supportive and very definitely second-string, without being in any way suffocatingly protective. (I think this is also taken apart in interesting ways in that last series, when Buffy really does fail to become an effective leader to a larger group).

Anyone else love Top of the Lake?

I liked the female ambassador in the latest homeland.

Films that I think show decent female characters:

Brooklyn 99
Orange is the new Black
House of Cards
Blue Bloods has surprisingly decent female characters- and a large number of them!
Elementary

There aren't many!

Buffy got better as the characters aged too, except season 7

Films are terrible esp when it comes to age of male to female co stars. there have been some great female lead films but mostly the still run the typical stereotypes.

Horror movies there's always a woman who gets naked/ boobs/ lots of flesh on show and is brutally murdered. Thrillers the woman is always damaged in some way and seeking revenge.

Cop shows/films the woman is either a 'ballbreaker' it needs her hand holding

In all films the biggest threat to a woman is rape. They go to the most terrifying prospect. I'd like a film where I'm not confronted with rape as a plot tool.

The whole 'torture porn' (think saw, hostel etc for anyone who doesn't know) thing too. Ugh

Anyway I'm rambling and not making much of a point !

shovetheholly, you're not missing much by skipping season 3 of Homeland. I haven't seen season 4 but apparently that was better. The Carrie character was so ridiculous though. She made such bad decisions (even when on her meds) that I'm not sure how she got a reputation as such a brilliant agent.

Sadly, on the whole TV shows are much better than films. I know that's not saying much as the vast majority of films don't pass the Dick Flick / Bechdel Test.

I think British tv shows are better than US ones, on the whole.

I loved buffy. I was a teenager when it started tho, so it was good to gave a female lead character the same age who pretty much kicked ass.

I also like Madam Secretary. It shows a woman as the main character and a woman as her chief of staff. Her husband is in a supporting role, taking up much of the household stuff that she doesn't have time to.

Borgen was good for a while, but one storyline really irritated me (I won't say which in case anyone hasn't seen it). The Killing was excellent, as was The Returned.

Unfortunately, I love crime dramas and they are often about men killing women. But then again, that represents overall crime statistics so perhaps it's not unrealistic.

I haven't watched Homeland, it's on my 'to watch' list.

Very different I would think, but I did enjoy Parks and Rec, and the ongoing storyline of the friendship between Lesley and Anne. You don't often see female friendships portrayed like that.

It does improve! You have to remember it's a very long story arc. The original idea was for a story to be told over five series, but it grew and became ten. I won't mention spoilers either, and I can see why you reacted the way you did - I wasn't keen at first - but it does develop and the characters aren't static, they do evolve as the story progresses.

It does improve. I think, too, that it reflects the ages of the characters on the show. i won't go into any spoilers at all but you will see them change as characters.

The begining was very sexist. No excuse but is 10 years old! Things have changed a bit. I'm waiting on series 10.

ooh yes i've heard very good thingd about the bridge and the killing.

*Lego here again, sorted account but had to change nn

we're only on season 2, so just at the beginning really.. this girl was a werewolf so didn't mean to kill people but still i think the message was clear glad to hear it improves a bit as it goes on