The Women Behind the Scenes

I thought Ms O'connell's presentation was very interesting and highlighted a lot of issues that I've noticed in watching different movies from different times. Movies nowadays do showcase female leads much more than they used to. Moving like The Hunger Games, portray the lead as a female hero. The older I got the more I watched tv and I was fortunate enough to be raised in a time that valued women lead characters more. While there have been large changes I'm sure that there is more that can be done. Having women shown as heroes in movies gives young girls something to look up to. Visual media like movies and tv shows are more popular now then they ever have been. When I babysit kids now all they want to do is watch movies or tv shows or play video games. These different forms of visual media can shape and impact the way kids think. Having female roles will raise girls to believe they are strong and powerful and capable of being the hero in their own stories. 

Ms O'connell's presentation also reminded me of one of our first discussions about the Disney princesses and how they've changed throughout time. At first while they were stories about women, they were mainly focused on men and the love story between this girl and her prince. But slowly as time went on the typical Disney princesses began to change and have more passion and spirit and strength then they did before. Movies like Mulan showed a female lead that defys tradition by posing as a man to become a fighter. Mulan was one of the first real female heroes. Now Disney has princesses that are lead roles and heroes and are not all focused on their one true love. The arc of women's roles in the movie industry throughout time is clear from the different movies Disney has produced. 

Tv shows like Game of Thrones really impress me as well because of the mix of lead roles they have. There is not just one lead in the show but many. The producers also show the clear injustice that many women face in this world they have created. The kings have all the power while women are used and thrown away. They shape their women heroes from these stories showing that these women used their hardships to become who they are. I think it sends a message to the audience that women despite the pain they have endured always rise up and can remain strong and this is shown in their lead female characters.