Give Me Lashes or Give Me Death
By Bri Monet
Fantasy as a genre knows no bounds regarding the most mystical elements, from an array of mythological creatures and species to expansive magic systems and lush fantastical lands. But I find there’s much to be desired with the limited characterization of female main characters within these stories. In fact, girly or overtly feminine women seem to have no place in the genre at all!So let’s talk about the ways in which femininity is regarded, or moreso disregarded in the genre as well as the “Why?” of it all.
I’m “Not Like Other Girls”!
Within a large portion of fantasy, female main characters seem to singularly take on an archetype that is famously known as the “not-like-other-girls” trope. The "not-like-other-girls" trope refers to when a character rejects traditional feminine gender roles, often implying people who fit these roles are inferior. The “not-like-other-girls” trope rejects femininity as a whole, opting to wear their rags over gowns. These characters are often forced to dress up for that one ball scene and spend the whole time complaining — because why must they engage in such frivolous activities? Of course, the “not-like-other-girls” character doesn’t need makeup because they’re naturally gorgeous, complete with a no-makeup makeup look straight from birth.
The “not-like-other-girls” though renounces femininity, also in turn isn’t quite masculine either. They’re usually this perfect combination, not too feminine so as to not be taken seriously by men, but also not too masculine as not to appeal to the majority of female readers. I’d argue this to be exhibited a lot by men writing female characters, though also largely perpetuated by women who have yet to deconstruct misogyny at its core. There are even instances of this archetype struggling to get along with the women they encounter in their stories, maybe even demeaning them because they don’t fit in the cookie cutter they are molded perfectly for.
Stereotypes in Femininity
“But Bri, there are feminine women in fantasy!” I know you’re dying to scream at me from beyond the screen. However, many hyper-feminine characters fit predictable stereotypes commonly subjected to female characters such as being vain, unintelligent, antagonistic or hyper-sexualized.
This issue goes beyond just books but media as a whole. Female characters are often subjected to these characteristics because of the stereotypes presented against traditionally feminine women. People (male writers in particular) assume that someone caring about their looks means that they solely exist for aesthetics and have no real personality, sense or purpose, or hero's journey to embark on.
An important but understated reality of feminine characters is that they’re often over-sexualized. This reductionist portrayal not only diminishes the depth of these characters but reinforces harmful stereotypes about women. This can create a narrow, distorted view of what it means to be feminine, suggesting that a woman's value is largely, if not entirely, tied to her physical appearance. The result is a portrayal of women that focuses on their desirability rather than what they have to offer, thus perpetuating the idea that femininity is only valuable when it aligns with a particular, often sexualized, ideal.
Fantasy media shows time and time again that to be a hero, you can’t paint your nails or style your hair. To save the day, you can’t be beat to the gods. Why? Because of good ole misogyny, of course. And instead of turning the dial the other way to embrace femininity in all its glory, women have opted to reject it altogether and shame others for not doing the same. What I want to see more than anything is a variety of women who choose what woman they want to be. The choice to choose to whether or not to wear the gown, to choose to express their sexual prowess, to choose what role they want to fill whether femininity is or isn’t for them.
And as a self-proclaimed girly girl who loves her dragons and magic, I want to see this change within fantasy media, particularly books. I’ve seen the beginnings of this change taking place in the form of The Legendborn Cycle by Tracy Deonn, where Bree Matthews cares for and styles her hair as a form of self-care and indulges in the occasional ball gown. A lot of inspiration can be taken from 90s TV such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Charmed, where women manage to kick ass and save the day while still looking fabulous.
