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Or ‘Extraneous Fangirling’ as I subtitled this episode while editing it. And in truth there is a fair bit of fangirling, but there’s also a lot of critical reflection to go with it. Because when we looked back at the books and shows we enjoyed as kids, we found some unsettling similarities. We remembered female characters for their femininity, as damsels or wives, not as heroes with their own interior journeys.
But maybe what these stories lacked in gender equality, they made up for in theme and content. We ask: how has children’s entertainment changed? What sort of female heroes are taking their destinies in both hands today? And have we been looking at this whole question from a Western perspective? Listen on…
Mentioned in this episode:
- Star Wars
- The Land Before Time
- Dogtanian
- The Muppets (Christmas Carol & Treasure Island)
- The Animals of Farthing Wood
- Around the World with Willy Fogg
- Labyrinth
- The Dark Crystal
- Phineas and Ferb
- Steven Universe
- Little Witch Academia
- Gravity Falls
- Ben and Holly
- Peppa Pig
- The Adams Family
- Gargoyles
- The Dragon Prince
- Avatar TLA & Korra
- She-Ra (2018)
- Spirited Away
- Whisper of the Heart
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
- Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
- The Jungle Book
- Mulan (1998)
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Little Mermaid
- Aladdin (2019) and (1992)
- Robin Hood (1973)
- Mandy and Judy (comic)
- The Beano
- The Naughtiest Girl in the School by Enid Blyton
- Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson
- Point Horror
- Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
- The Whitby Witches and The Deptford Histories by Robin Jarvis
Hugely enjoying listening to this episode and I was fascinated to hear your views of so many childhood characters I held up too, only to look back and realise how short changed women are in fiction and on screen. It’s been unsettling for me as a now 40-something woman to realise how little I expected of female characters in the media I consumed as a child and that it really took until the Me Too Movement ripped the scales from my eyes that I understood how little agency women are allowed on screen or in books, and even then only then if they were beautiful or troublesome, rather than heroic or just ordinary. Growing up in the 80s and 90s I accepted being told that I was lucky to have the freedoms I did, and so never expected more…. However there was one shining light for me – Marion of Leaford in the legendary ITV series Robin of Sherwood (1984-86). In the first two seasons Judi Trott portrayed her with wonderful spirit and energy as she became a fully fledged member of the Outlaw band. In just the second episode the plot revolves around Marion demanding that she has a right to fight alongside the men (the first ever screen Marion to do so I believe). She proves her worth in demonstrating that they need her to survive which the men completely accept and the subject is never challenged again. She uses weapons but also guile and intelligence and is a resourceful and vital part of the gang while still being allowed to display femininity, care and kindness. Marion was my absolute hero for years and inspired me to learn to ride, take up archery and even grow herbs! It was disappointing therefore that in the final season she became reduced to a victim although in the end she did chose her own destiny to leave her man and seek peace in a religious life (which in medieval times was often empowering for women; their future detached from the power wielded by men). I would highly recommend watching RoS and following Marion’s storylines. It’s aged quite well and looks terrific on BluRay. The men dominate of course but Marion is an equal in the group and her friendships with the male characters are beautiful. The show was written by Richard Carpenter who also wrote Black Beauty, Dick Turpin and Catweazle and the spirit of the 80s feminism is clear to see. A shout out too to Ruby Ferguson’s horsey books of the 1940s/50s that centered around girls adventures through horses. Horsey girls in fiction and life are allowed to be tough, talented, adventurous and physically active but its an area of female activity I never see celebrated, (female sports coverage only ever seems only be about football, hockey or running) but these books do and the heroine doesn’t have money or privilege which is very refreshing. Thanks for reading this long message – I just felt compelled to share Marion with you. Thank you for a great listen; so pleased to have discovered your podcast. Thanks Steph
Thanks for sharing, Steph! Marion sounds fab!