Farther figures

[robinturner]

This is something I posted on my course website (I kept the typo because it seemed appropriate).

I've just noticed how common fathers, or men taking a father role, are in female action films and TV series. Check this out:

* Lara Croft and her father (which was what prompted me to think about this, since I was watching Tomb Raider)
* Beatrix and Bill (bad father substitute)
* Buffy and Giles (good father substitute)
* Charlie's Angels and Charlie (benevolent but distant father figure)
* Henry VIII and Elizabeth I (real father but dead, just like Lara's)
* Julie and Mr. Miyagi.
* Xena and Ares - no, I'm getting silly now.

What I find interesting is that the protagonist's father is either dead or replaced by a surrogate father. What do you think?

Comments

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

It's a way to allow the father-figure to develop their own character, without necessarily being tied in to the parent role so tightly that they're nothing more than a one-dimensional stereotype.

[solri.livejournal.com]

Now that I hadn't thought of. If, for example, Giles had been Buffy's actual father, he wouldn't have been such an interesting character.