Fierce Femmes: The Problem with Strong Female Characters

As a young film buff, I idolized Strong Female Characters in movies. From Thelma and Louise to Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley, I saw engaging female characters who led their own plotlines, rather than being the “sexy lamp” that feminist film critics talk about.

Despite recent fanboy complaints, Strong Female Characters are nothing new in TV shows and films. It is true that in many blockbusters of the ’80s and ’90s, women and girls had a secondary role, though, and so any woman shown with both physical and moral strength, wit, and…