Please cover the "Spicy Latina", who is normally stereotyped as a hot tempered, sexually aggressive woman who simply needs the "Right Man" to reign her in. 😒🙄
I hate that this kind of women get a very stupid ending. They are either the villains of the story or just fall in love and drop everything they worked their asses off. i'm not against love but like.... why would you portray a working woman who has her shit together and than say that she still needs something more for happiness. Again, love is a wonderful thing but not all boss women are seeking for it. In fact, i think that is real life a person who built a successful career would have alot of doubts and even fear to jump into a serious relationship. I just think that movies give us a pretty unrealistic and rushed image of her development.
Exactly! Also, why is she only able to get married if she leaves her hard work behind? You can have a relationship and still work, not every woman needs to be a housewife and most women don't even want to be (or couldn't afford it if they tried). Plus, the idea that a woman that passionate about her career would be willing to leave it at the drop of a hat is 100% unrealistic. Like, that marriage is gonna be a total dumpster fire.
Fiona _ maybe because they marry precisely to leave their hard work and have a rest. If that’s not what you want at least understand that women aren’t all the same. Also you can stay at home and still have a maid. Where is the money you made when you were hardworking? It’s a good opportunity to help another woman by giving her a job. If you can’t afford a maid maybe your husband can. If both can’t afford it then someone will have to do it. Feminism is about choosing what’s best for you and you only. You don’t decide for other women and most importantly you don’t shame stay at home wives. Live your best life, enjoy your hard work.
Sorry Mariano Bukia, that’s a stupid ending for you. For most people happiness = love. For many successful people happiness = love, good company, family, legacy, and anything that money can’t buy. Some poor people with a poor mindset still believe happiness = money, career, power but when they get there, they just want someone who care, a loyal friend, a family or just even a dog to caress. Sorry but love is a serious business.
@@michelen5728 I don't know that some woman will want to work SO hard and dedicate so much of their time to let that slip away or rest. Would a man at the peak of his career want to rest? Often, women love work, the intellectual stimulation, and have ambition, but they come to terms with raising a family. In places where child care is expensive or the couple strongly believes in family raising their kids, the woman (who may make less than the husband) is forced to quit. It's purely logical since the husband makes more, but it's still sad to pause or throw away hard work and education. The feeling of professional fulfillment and speaking to adults is swapped with laundry and kid tantrums. I've witnessed this and is definitely a factor for if I ever have kids.
@@michelen5728 for me hapiness= money and love. I wouldn't be happy if a was wealth and alone, without family, friends or a supportive partner. Also I wouldn't be happy being married with children but living in the poverty, unable to do what I want to, and watching my children growing without a good prospective in life.
The only women in real life I’ve heard seriously describe themselves as a “girl boss” are lazy girls I went to high school with who have recently joined a pyramid scheme.
An iconic quote for an iconic film lady. Apparently, Miranda's line was supposed to be "Everyone wants to be me", but Meryl Streep changed it to make it more applicable to Andy's situation. ❣️
As an engineer student. Female professors are 10 times harder on their female students than their male students. That's just because it's a predominately male field. I see how some of these characters do portray some women but I have met great women who do everything. However I do feel that people do still think you have to choose either or - some females fall to either or.
I think that's actually a way that women take each other down too. Im lucky that I have a female advisor who isn't into that but, I can definitely see it in the professional and academic world. It's sickening.
Pleaso do the evil step mom trope! I feel like there are a lot of exampels for that when I was a kid i never wanted my dad to get married again because i didnt want a step mom cause I tought she will be evil (thank disney movies).
It started with Disney's Snow White to make less scary or hard on the kids her real mother like In the book. And there's still the abusive Stepfather to
@prak different responsibilities are what makes capitalism works. . And the homeless problem in America is greatly caused by feminism. Look at new Jersey 2years after ending life time alimony.
When my dad got married and I was told at the age of 6 that he was married, I couldn’t stop crying because I was certain all stepmothers are making their step-children’s lives miserable. I thought step-mother automatically meant that she would be evil. This was entirely because of cartoons. Until my mother explained to me that this is not what happens 😅 it’s a horrible trope though
There are some who are... Like they always hide in a White Lotus Facade... Never knew until you got screwed over already... Yeah, the probability of getting that type of mom in my country is 70:30, and the latter is getting a true mom that genuinely cares for you and feels guilt about what she has done to get to her position as the stepmom...
@@AxxLAfriku You're right, I mean it's not like the Hayes Code was a document specifically designed to enforce the Cis White Male oppression by demonizing LGBTQ+ people, depower women, stereotype minorities as incompetent, and further solidify Toxic Masculinity ideals that still permeate the world today.
Yeah, by putting a complete chokehold on what could and couldn't be included in a movie. Imagine all the creative and inclusive content that we've missed out on in favor of what complied with the code; which was put together by a racist, homophobic, misogynistic white man.
Maybe I’m over analyzing, but it seems like the term “Girlboss” itself can be problematic. “Girl” implies a sense of infantilism and the reducing of an accomplished, professional woman to something childlike and less threatening (at least from a male perspective). What do you think?
I personally do not think that it is infantilizing us. It is just how often are called as 'girls' in workplace as if we are kids or someone who is weak and incapable of making big decisions. The term 'girl-boss' is sort of a payback to the particular term 'girls' when used in a particular way. It's just similar too how homosexual people were earlier called 'queer' in a derogatory manner and now in 21st century it is used as a positive term. So as a feminist I would like to conclude that the term 'girl-boss' is pretty empowering to hear.
I do feel like it can be infantilizing. I remember in the trailer for the Supergirl tv show, she wanted to be Superwoman, but her boss said all these "empowering" adjectives and associated them with girl. I mean, Superboy isn't a thing. There's already a societal value of girls/younger women over older women. "Girlboss" enforce the idea that young women are more desirable and more of a threat to established women that have gotten "too old", hence the hostility vs mentorship of women in the workplace.
I intensely dislike that expression. It may appeal to teenagers or women in their early twenties, but at some point, it just makes you go 😬. In my opinion. Obviously. That being said, I can't really say, that I ever felt 'not taken seriously' in any systemic way, because I'm female, so...
You missed Fallon Carrington, from Dynasty She's another perfect example of a white, attractive, wealthy woman who puts on the girl boss facade, while damaging and antagonizing other women in her life
A woman in a position of power is either a boss b!tch or a Girl Boss. A man in a position of power is just a Boss. Is this whole thing about female bosses having to empower their teammates is just for females? Why aren’t men asked to do this? And why aren’t they chastised when they fail to do this?
Exactly! Women are always asked to do more and to constantly lift other women up. It is obviously a good thing but shouldn't it be more like a good boss (regardless of gender) should support their employees? One woman in a position of power is not in charge of feminism.
YES, THAT HAPPENS TO ME ALL THE TIME. I have to be like a MOTHER to my employes, not a bitch. My male ex boss has been a BITCH to me and nobody cared. Employees HATED me even before I just talk, just because I was a woman in lead. They just called me for a job interview and they told me: "we are looking for a woman in lead who is not a superwitch" Well, excuseeeee meeee
@@dianatorralbo7690 Women have to “tone it down” in the workplace so much. Cannot be too demanding or assertive except if they are, they aren’t called demanding or assertive... we all know what they are called
A Round Orifice in Nothingness It should be known as the “Breen Code”. Will hays was just a mouthpiece front. Joseph Breen was the real brains behind it.
@A Round Orifice in Nothingness my comment says people and I said nothing about being shocked Its weird that you still believe its unrealistic to the point where you feel its wrong to for people to strive towards it lol
the french boss is the bitch boss stereotype. And Emily is the girlboss that easily has time for career and personal life, and is white, pretty and affluent. I binged the show anyway lol
@@belenlg5978 The show is amazing. I actually don't understand what would be wrong with it. Emily's character is so interesting and so good at her job. Even if the "girlboss" is privileged in many ways, what's wrong with that? People have different experiences, she can still struggle for being a woman and an immigrant. I don't think there's a problem with having that kind of characters, the problem is with the lack of diversification, when it's the only kind of girlboss that we see. Don't you think?
@@belenlg5978@Luci Alveroy No, not really. Her personality appears to be that she is the Instagram persona of an influencer and hence devoid of any actual personality. Her character is the show's most blatant marketing trick in flesh.
I hate when people defend Miranda Priestly by pointing out that she’d be celebrated for her success if she were a man. Being a woman does not give you some right to treat other people horribly. No matter what your gender is, it’s not ok to be cruel to others.
People don't defend Miranda. Many people say that if Miranda was a man her attitude wouldn't be seen as rude or mean, instead she would have been considered as "THE BOSS". Of course even if she was a man people would have think that being mean or rude is one of the traits that this character has; but they wouldn't have focus how mean this character is, unlike they did on Miranda. They would have focus on how much of a boss he is. Unfortunately, you can see from many examples that this kind of things are real. And like you said, gender doesn't give anyone rights for being mean and that's what make this culture is so toxic.
What is interesting is a lot of workplace feminism is based on the fact that women can run companies like men can, then these same people seem surprised when the women in charge act like the men do. They expected them to be more caring and nurturing... maybe they weren't as over gender stereotypes as they thought they were?
@@rinmartell2678 she had her assistant do her children’s science project, got petty when said assistant hears some personal shit and had her find an unpublished copy of a book like an idiot all around new york, and chewed her out for not getting her a plane in the middle of a hurricane lol how is she not “mean”
Oh so we are not going to talk about the Mindy Project? She had it all. Wasn’t white, a doctor, and mother. Edited: I still love this. I need this because I am starting my own business
I love that show, but they did her dirty having her end up with danny. He was a good fit at first but holy crap did he take a turn for the worse. She deserved better!
I've always hated the Double Standard that if a woman chooses to focus on career over marriage and children, then she's "weird" or "heartless." Her male counterparts hardly ever seem to get judged for this.
It's weird for any man or woman to enjoy lording over people and exerting power over them. It's weird for normal people in the workforce to go home and lionize women in film and pop culture who earn a passive income. If men and women are prioritizing self-aggrandizement and power over marriage and children, then maybe we should treat the MEN like we treat the women and not the other way around.
@@nothingtoseehere411 ...so focusing on career = enjoying lording over people and exerting power over them? Focusing on career = prioritizing self-aggrandizement and power? Obviously you've made a good point but I do not understand why it absolutely has to be one extreme or the other. There are so many shades of grey in between.
@@nothingtoseehere411 Sometimes a high paying job is a necessary means of supporting a family and some people opt out of marriage because they just don't think they can balance the two .
@@katrin6388 ooh, that'd be another good trope vid. From what I seen, the stay at home dad trope on screen is made into a laughingstock (as if a man was biologically incapable of changing a diaper or making lunches). Exceptions being.... Daddy Daycare (after a learning curve).
Well she isn't a realistic Example. Her story started out as sad and tragic and she started with no friends until she force her way into people's lives/hearts since she cares too much due to the fact she has no life beside work life and no friends besides work friends who originally didn't like her but grew to like her since she does things for them. Including their jobs. She is literally female Michael Scott from the office. God they are by the same creators and suppose to be the same universe.
Ditto, this Trope is a cousin of "The Independent Woman", in how they make their own way of living, without the need of a man to come and "save" them. 🥰
I disagree with the assessment of Baby Boom. Through the main character we see the almost impossible struggle of “having it all”, a career and single motherhood, remaining poised and refined with spit up on your shirt and zero sleep. What she does is choose to leave her old competitive male centric career in the dust, and after a period of reflection she uses her resources (an apple orchard and business knowledge) to start her own business, which is successful, and though it is a more traditional feminine product, baby food, there is NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. She is a mother. She is a woman. She cares about what she feeds her baby, so what? She already had success in a traditionally masculine career, now she has found a niche that suites her life after becoming a mother.
@akshay Viswambharan Yep, as well as shaming small businesses! I mean, “Baby Boom” is already a feminist movie. No surprise since it was written by a woman (Nancy Meyers) who could identify with the struggles of being a working mom. J.C. Wyatt (Diane Keaton’s character in the film) still got to have it all, even if it was selling baby food (yeah, because no one got rich selling baby food. 😂 *cough* “Gerber” *cough).* Wyatt was able to “have it all” - a cute baby girl, a successful business, and a nice veterinarian boyfriend (played by Sam Shephard). She was able to be her own boss and set her own rules.
@akshay Viswambharan Julia Roberts wasn’t in any Nancy Meyers movies. You’re thinking of Diane Keaton. And yeah, a lot of her films are romantic comedies. So what? Before Nancy Meyers was a Director, she wrote screenplays for feminist films like “Private Benjamin” and “Baby Boom”.
@@maiaklimenko6614 Here’s the reason why women are annoyed by the word female: It is dehumanizing. It’s dehumanizing because any living thing can be female, but the word woman is specifically human.
Am I the only one who gets a little annoyed when someone says I'm already a "young lady" too? Of course, it depends what context it is in (five year old me loved it), but boys always grow up to be men. Girls only grow up to be young ladies, delicate little things that shouldn't be trifled with.
As much as I adore Leslie Knope, its not really fair to hold her up as an ideal. She is literally super human. She often pulls all-nighters and works weekends joyfully and without being asked. That model is not sustainable in a real life scenario. A real person would burnout after a couple years of that, at best.
Beside she pulls an all nighter she also does her subordinates jobs for them. Which is another reason John and April loves working for her since she is literally easy to manipulate while they take it easy. Also she puts above and beyond into her job even if she doesn't gets pays for it. It's a government job as well. She even Does Ron Swanson's job for him and he made it known he doesn't want you don't any work for the government.
But she doesn't have to be, if she was a guy that wouldn't even be noticed. That's the point. Strong powerful women don't have to serve a purpose. Just like strong powerful men are there just as backboards to the story, but are seen as nothing bizarre because, why wouldn't men be able to do that?!
@@CrimsonEclipse the Ron Swanson thing bothers me because even though he hates the government, he's still willing to make a higher salary than her and take credit for her work while gaslighting her about her being angry about that. Like when he gets awarded woman of the year and she's rightfully upset about it, he makes fun of her for "caring about the awards instead of just doing her job". He doesn't want the award but still accepts it, because he can take credit for her Camp Athena project. I actually think of Leslie as the manic pixie dream girl of corporate culture. She goes above and beyond, sinks her own money into things the budget needs to pay for and she spends unpaid time doing all of it. Parks and Recreation is a goddamn nightmare.
👨🏾🏫FunFact: Like the majority of these Female Tropes. The Girl “Boss” just basically has always been a carbon copy of Men “Boss’s” w/their mannerisms & speaking cadence’s.
Not gonna lie, when i saw the term on social media a month ago, i thouth was a freaking meme. The girlboss that come with gatekeep, gashlight girlboss . Cuz lets be real, what is empowering about being call GIRL before something so cool as being boss, is almost as is makimg it less impactful, yeah yeah she is a boss BUT SHE IS JUST A GIRL. In latinamerica women who are bosses dont get call lady boss, or girl boss lol, they are call boss, and thats it xD
A female boss is the same as a male boss except for the fact that they're female. They share the same traits. We only think it's weird because we are not used to it and neither are their surroundings (often).
Did you even watch the video hahahahahaha skip to the second half, sweetie, Angelica's mom is a monster who uses the language of feminism to advance her own repressive interests, you gullible twat
For the one cismales that are saying she trates Dew like a servant. Were we even saw the same show? The only thing monstrous about Charlotte (and her husband) is that they (because of guilty) spoiled rotten Angelica. She doesn't treat her husband like a servant, but, for cismen who thinks familiar co-responsability don't go with them, I suppose it's looks like that.
This is why Betty DeVille the feminist mom gets into a nasty argument with Charlotte Pickles the girl boss mom in a All Grown Up movie. I believe Perpetua from Bridget Jones's Diary is a fine example of moving beyond the girlboss.
I agree, I never realised that those two characters were perfect examples of the "Family Mother" vs. The "Go Getter Career Mother", but they're both the perfect fit! 😎💜
@@trinaq I mean it's noteworthy that Charlotte doesn't argue with Didi or Kira who are more traditionally feminine and soft, but Betty who is a loving mom but pushes against gender roles and points at Charlotte's materialism
Part of why it's so hard for women to get ahead in our careers is because men are still largely unwilling, and sometimes legitimately unable, to share work in their personal lives 50:50. How many of my colleagues, even my bosses, go home after full work days to clean and cook and buy groceries and manage the kids and buy birthday and Christmas presents? That's the reason we "can't have it all". Because we work double the amount of time men do. And i KNOW this because in my relationship it's my (male) partner who manages the dog and the household and our social lives. All i have to do is come home from work, eat, and then do whatever the hell i want with my spare time. It's honestly a pretty sweet deal - and it's exactly the deal most men are getting. If i had to do 100% of household chores etc after work, i wouldn't have a life anymore. And we don't have kids, just a dog. Imagine how much worse it is for women who have children. They barely even get 6 hours of sleep every night. It's no surprise that women often leave their career once the children show up. It's just not doable/livable. Women will NEVER be equal until men step the fuck up and actually take at least 50% of the responsibility for their home life as well.
She's got a video all about her. I think her exes sister, shown here, is a better example of the trope because she is shallow and disingenuous. Also, PC did have it all eventually and is more of a caring, realistic portrayal of a woman boss than either stereotype
As a film major and potentially wanting to be a screenwriter in the future, this series has taught me that no film is immune to tropes. Kind of scared to write now lmao
They aren't usually saying the movies or shows themselves are bad just helping you to remain critical. Many characters shown in the trope videos are also praised in other videos for different reasons.
Watching your videos is like a daily meal to my feminist soul--you guys nourish the minds and hearts of your audience and I hope you keep doing it for a long time!
I feel sad, almost betrayed that you didn’t include Rachel Bloom’s “ladyboss” here since it describes so perfectly the insecurities behind the girl boss and also I’m still hoping you’ll do a video on Crazy Ex Girlfriend pleeeeeease
How when say women with insecurities it's how bad everyone is yet silence men complaining about the damage caused by feminism by calling them insecure as if that's something their supposed to hide
I mean, the red flag was right there all along - Ms Girlboss made money by purchasing things sold by local secondhand businesses that could have been needed in their communities...to resell at a huge markup online. She is gentrification personified.
Just wanted to say that I absolutely love the new batch of videos. This channel has always been willing to discuss a large variety of issues, but I have noticed a very thoughtful and inclusive change since the BLM protests. Thank you for this video and for all the other videos that combine thoughtful critique, film studies, and real life.
You Susannah and Debra are doing exactly what should be done, democratically sharing your knowledge in a fun, interesting way, ive learned so much about myself and the world i live in, thank you for you work!
If they want to villainize women in big business or in the corporate world, I'm fine with that since I view big business as evil. But I really want to see it done the same way a man in that position is villainized. Take the Wolf of wall street for example. Jordan Bellfort is a terrible man who cons people, brakes laws for personal gain, dehumanizes others and completely deserves jail time and to loose it all, but damn if that wasn't a fun ride on the way to hell. I would love to see a story with a woman in that type of role, where they're clearly monsters, but damn they're wild, badass, and living their most uninhibited lives where nothing can touch them (Until it all comes crashing down on them). The closest I can think of is Disney villains who do terrible things but they're so charismatic and fun as they throw their heads back and laugh manically.
I’m so early! I didn’t know this was an actual trope but I’m so glad to have a video discuss it! Looking into it, what frustrates me most is that the girl boss role and the feminist movement are constantly hijacked by selfish individuals who only seek to profit off of seeming like they care. It’s extremely aggravating when you as an individual actually care and want to make positive changes in the world, like providing everyone the right to education and taking male and female victims of sexual assault/abuse seriously, but your voice gets denied and ignored by others whose participation in the movement is motivated solely by building their brand and increasing their wealth. And it’s especially infuriating when one woman is pitted against another, as if there’s only room for one, when in reality the space can easily be shared by many. People with power and privilege should seek to help those who have none.
Thank you for this, I was already having issues with the "girlboss" narrative and now I can understand why. "Girlboss is capitalism not feminism. True feminism demands equity for all."
I think this doesn't include the way girl boss has been used as a phrase to describe "strong female characters" in media that are made unnecessarily masculine to "appease" a feminist audience, such as the upgrades made to Disney characters in the live actions.
Please make a video about the "trainwreck" trope, characters with alcohol, drugs and other addiction issues and all the stereotypes and stigma surrounding them.
I gotta disagree on Baby Boom... she even says in the closing scene that a woman shouldn't have to choose and that she can take the company as far as the acquiring opponent wanted to on her own terms. It might seem like a stereotype but in the end, she gets a flourishing business and a better lifestyle and also comes up with an innovative business idea, so while the movie might put down the whole working for a soulless corporation thing it does actually reinforce that a woman should be able to have it all if she likes. That's my opinion on it at least.
Ugh this video really took off in the second half. GirlBoss mindset can seem so seductive on social media, but it's a trap. Feminism thrives when women reject the men AND women holding power (both in the public and the private sector) and choose instead collective action that advances the interests of the poor, marginalized, and working class women
Cis men blaming all on feminism. A classic. No, feminism don't taught women to hate men. That's just your own fears. No social justice movement want to hate or kill anyone. Maybe you're just misoginistic men and project your hate towards women in believing a movement that helps them to be equally successful, it's made to hate men.
Oh....my god I am so early??? Just want to add that I would take the powerful woman boss over a "Girl Boss" any day. I feel like it's the difference between the "mean girl" and the "girl who pretends to be your best friend". At least with one it's more upfront on what they want and not trying to push a monetary agenda on feminism.
When you guys mentioned Emily in Paris it made me think of the American hero characters, where an American always blatantly ignores other peoples culture even when they themselves are abroad, and ends up Americanising the people they meet convincing the viewer that the American way is always the best. I think I speak on behalf of all Europeans when I say that seeing Emily in Paris stomping on their entire French culture filled me with frustration!
Not to mention the ties to MLM(multi-level-marketing) and the culture surrounding it. In MLMs you're encouraged to act like you're effortlessly balancing your life, glamorize everything, while you're falling into debt because of a company that doesn't pay or care about you. The term is often used when talking about how MLM's enable you to 'work from home' and 'choose your own hours', specifically 'being your own boss'
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see your Take on the show "Younger." I just finished watching it on Hulu and couldn't help but imagine what you all might have to say about it. There is so much to analyze from a feminist perspective- power, love, age. It's a treasure trove. Thank you for always doing such great in-depth examinations of film. :)
Totally unrelated I was having a very shitty day today and I was feeling like crap honestly and I came to RU-vid and the first I saw was the video and in a weird way it made me happy you guy's are literally my favourite channel and I love the trope videos it's just funny how the smallest things can make u happy so thank u lol bye am weird
It always comes down to a woman cannot be happy without romantic love! Successful alpha women are always portrayed as some evil ice queen who’s miserable deep down...if only she were warmer, bubblier and less assertive she could leave that stuffy ol executive office that she busted her ass for years to get to and marry a nice man she can cater to instead. I’ve never understood this narrative because I grew up around working women who were married and had children and some of them even made more money then their husbands.
@@lucialveroy basicaly it means she is kind of a little miss perfect. Everybody fall in love whith her, she has all the good ideas and her mistakes doesn't leads to a lot of bad consequences.
To be honest, there have been movies of men who dedicate more time to the office than family, and who reach a negative end, particularly Christmas movies like Jack Frost, even Scrooge has a bit of that element. There are stories of men who meet a negative end by not spending enough time with their family, especially during the Holidays, only to realize not to take their loved ones for granted. The men are usually on the brink of divorce or risk having their family walk out. Ultimately, the man usually has to decide to quit. What I think is the difference is the boss boy is more often the protagonist and ultimately doesn't end up alone in the end. He also doesn't end up being the stay-at-home dad, he ultimately ends up with a better job or starting his own largely successful business. The girl boss however often always ends up alone and when she does quit her job, she ends up staying at home with her children or starting a small business.
What bothers me the most is when in movies and shows they always ask the working women with family. Do you want it all? What does that mean and why can we have it all
You know what a really interesting representation of a woman in charge is? Joan from Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (and I guess also Zoey to a degree). Not quite sure where she falls in what you're talking about here but she's definitely a complex character.
Thanks for finally covering this trope! Honestly I’ve found this trope harmful and it makes me look down upon motherhood and homemaking. Like I’m worthless if I’m not a girl boss. I feel like I’ve had to make myself more aggressive and masculine in order to be worthy.
It's true that females are reduced to a double narrative - either a mom or a career women. And will have to sacrifice one of it partially/completely in life. What I don't understand is why only for females? The same is largely applicable to any person irrespective of their gender. Life is not fair and there are compromises. In movies, why do only females have to compromise and males get everything they want? According to me, in every step of life there is a either - or for every one. Why not accept it and portray it the same way?!
Reminds me of the “ice queen” stereotype. You shouldn’t have to be ruthless to run a company, but even if you DID, why is it only okay for men to be that way?
My favorite girlboss is Floyd Gerhardt from season 2 of Fargo. She takes over her husband's criminal dealings after he has a stroke, and you see her fight tooth and nail against the bigger criminal organization. And she manages to fight and keep control by acting like a mother. She is not her husband, but she has her own ways of being strong.
I do agree with what you´re saying, but... The fact that girlbosses have to stand to some moraly superior level to own being bosses/leads is yet another obstacle that men don´t need to achive, all movies had to do to make a boy boss good is have him say "I´m doing this for my family" and we'll stand murder. But to have a girl lead, let say, a black girl--a black trans girl-- you pretty much need to put her on a pedestal. And, at this point capitalize feminism is pretty much a need in a consumerist sociaity, if you somewhat matter, people and willing to put it on a t-shirt, and like everything today, if you don't want it, don't buy it (says the girl that hasn't seeing any of this movies, except Devil wears Praga cause Maryl Streep is perfect). Grammaticals mistakes will be made, english is my second language
17:27 'When I am assertive, I'm a bitch. When a man is assertive, he's a boss.' And with that I think she nailed it right to where the problem truly lies: men with too much ego not taking women in general serious. I think that exactly therein lies the problem. And I'm also afraid that men won't change this behaviour until they realize that they themselves can learn so much from women and be much better off the moment they take them serious by default, by choice, not be having the woman earn the respect.
My problem with the girlboss trope is that it's not actually tackling -- or even acknowledging -- the systemic element of the overall problem. Girlboss is still portrayed as stocking their arsenal with traditionally masculine qualities -- aggressiveness, over-ambition, ruthlessness, etc -- while still failing to make space for _other_ kinds of women leaders. I would absolutely argue it's a step back even from bitchboss because it's almost Aunt Lydia-ing the argument that women don't belong in the workplace by depicting women using femininity _against_ other women. Even the term itself, girlboss, subverts the idea of women being leaders by infantilizing them as "girls" instead of "women". The term itself feels like a mockery of the idea of women as leaders. Side note: Damn, some of those earlier movie clips were so hard to watch. I'm currently in (but preparing to leave) an office that is _so_ male dominated where they have managed to push all the women out of the local leadership positions. Watching those clips makes me SO angry, ugh. Damn you, Hayes Code! *_shakes fist_*
People express distain for the 80s movies where a woman must choose between career success and personal happiness, saying that’s sending the message that women cannot be happy and successful in capitalism at the same time. People say this is a subliminal message that women should not pursue careers. But me...I always saw this struggle of the female boss of career vs relationships as a reflection of our male-bolstering society, of the problem that lies not with the driven women, but with the men around them. Society often teaches males to be intimidated by powerful women. They build up a male’s ego to make him want to achieve success, then teaches him that if a women outdoes him, it makes the male himself “less of a man”. Stay at home dads or men who have a less ambitious career than their wives are often made into jokes by the media, implanting the idea that men who are with women who achieve more than them are inferior. If a women stays home and/or supports her husband’s powerful career, she is praised by the audience for her patience or pitied for not unlocking her true potential, but a man who does the same thing with his wife, he is simply mocked. Because of this uneven bias, many men in the cutthroat world of capitalism-or the rest of the world for that matter-are set up to be insecure around women who are successful in their field. When a girl outdoes them, gets promoted, or makes more money at her job, it bruises the man’s ego that society has built up. Hence, the relationship is strained, not by any fault of the woman’s, but of her male partner‘s. The sad truth is, as biased as this onscreen crisis of career vs. romantic success for women is, it’s often true in our society. Because of all these implications that men aren’t men unless they have a partner who is less successful than they are, ambitious career women do often have trouble finding a partner who are not intimidated by their status and drive. Instead of teaching women that they need to lower their career standards to be truly happy, we should be teaching boys that supporting your girl’s ambitions and dreams does not make them any less of a man. In fact, it makes them even more of a man.
So glad you finally talked about Working Girl on your channel! It’s a terrific movie that actually challenges the types of “corporate feminism” that is actually quite toxic and does indeed pit women against each other vs focusing on the men who create such systems
