We just got the DVD of Ashes to Ashes from the UK and again, I sigh and grin and bear it. The first indication of the clearly obvious gender bias of this show was the fact that the main character is a woman and yet the top billing goes to a man. The whole show is based around the character of Alex Drake (stupid name!) played as well as she can by Keeley Hawes and yet Philip Glenister gets top billing. Sure, I can understand that he is the most popular character (and it is incredibly indicative of how backwards we are that such a full-on misogynist is very popular), but he is not the main character. In the special features of the DVD Keeley Hawes mentions that it is hard as she is in every scene, if that's not proof that she is the main character I don't know what is.
Now, the thing about the billing of the actors in the credits is not my only issue. Another problem is the nature of the Alex Drake character. Now, I am going to be completely controversial here and say gay men can not write for women. There, I said it! Gay men have neither the ability and insight nor the interest to write a decent role for a woman. As is typical in most female roles, Alex Drake has power only in that she is sexually provocative and attractive and how she uses that to wield power over the Neanderthal men in her office. The only way Alex Drake can assert herself is by being sexually promiscuous - in other words by acting like a man.
Now the reason my I blame this on the fact that the writers are gay is that because, even more than heterosexual men, gay men have no idea how women work, and they don't need to, do they?? I mean, heterosexual men (the half-way decent ones at least) have to have a gleaned knowledge of how women work if only to get into their pants, well, for gay men it's not even worth knowing a little bit because women factor a very small degree in their lives.
But it's not only the prevalence of gay men in the media that is the cause of this gender inequality. I mean, it's ancient isn't it! Actually I really think we are going backwards. The media is so set on the idea that all women are interested in is how to find a bloke and a pair of manolo's on sale in the same day while maxing out three credit cards. We have become even more bimboized that ever. Just take the TV series Grey's Anatomy. What a piece of insipid bollocks! And this is what women are supposed to want? I remember there was a debate when Charlize Theron won the Oscar for best actress for Monster, "the only way women can get decent roles is to get ugly". But I think it's not just that, it's the writing too.
Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly said that if he did anything for his mum, it was to write decent female roles. Well why is he the only one to do it, the only one to employ female writers and say "hey, write for these women like they are real" (I am assuming here, not quoting!).
The fourth and final series of the 4400 is out now, we haven't got it yet, but it was another show that got right on my goat (Kath and Kim reference anyone!) You have a woman as one of the main characters (played by Aussie Jacqueline Mackenzie, who is a great actress) and the main story line they give her is about being a mother and finding a man. For goodness sake, when are they going to realize women watch telly too?