Problems in Urban Fantasy

[the-mome-wrath.livejournal.com]

I found this three part article on the urban fantasy genre and the second part covered many of the cliches and annoyances of the genre. Sadly it seems the genre really is becoming formulaic. It doesn't name any series as examples, but as I was reading down the list I found that unsurprisingly LKH is in violation of many of them. The only thing I really noticed on the list that we haven't seen in the books yet is the lower back tattoo. Anita should get a tattoo, but it should say something like 'run while you still have a personality.'

For your reading enjoyment, here's the articles:

Urban Fantasy Part 1: The Formula
Urban Fantasy Part 2: When Things Go Wrong
Urban Fantasy Part 3: Deconstructing Urban Fantasy

Comments

[korinna.livejournal.com]

I don't really have anything to contribute, but thanks for linking that - definitely a good, well considered read.

[bleedtoblue.livejournal.com]

Interesting viewpoints! Thanks for the link.

[othellia.livejournal.com]

I have a new appreciation and respect for Carrie Vaughn now. That said, was I the only one who thought of this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOB1bU0plos) when she mentioned Fabio in Part 2?

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

The second link pretty much sounded like a full-on description of Anita!

I was particularly struck by the part about how we're still apologizing for strong women. Even today, when they get praised, it seems they can only be so strong without being reprimanded, and being sexy is still the most important thing. I remember watching Van Hell sing and just gagging at what was supposed to be a strong female. The only decent part was when she stabbed the lady-vamp and said the line about her talking too much. And Anita...she's strong, but not in a positive way. She's villain-strong. She's pretty much what sexist jerks fear that a strong woman will be, and that's not empowering or advanced at all. Making women in power or sexual women evil is one of the the oldest tricks there is, and LKH doesn't even realize she's doing it.

I did not realize that this anti-blonde bigotry was rampant, though. I thought this was just LKH using Anita as a mouthpiece again and/or giving Anita a really transparent excuse to whine.

[baeraad.livejournal.com]

Very well said, all of it. Now I kind of want to read her books, actually... Has anyone read them? Are they any good?

[gabe-speaks.livejournal.com]

In writing class, one fellow student gave us a story with a 'strong female character'. But... something about it bothered me; namely, this person is someone with whom I've had the pleasure [no irony] of being in several writing classes.

And just about each story that focuses on female protagonist always ended the same way--the woman striking out against a repressive man. Usually quite literally. He usually gets praised for it. Never mind that he writes just the striking out part and never what it MEANS to be a strong woman... probably for obvious reasons.


Finally, after about 2 1/2 years and 4 classes of this, I pointed out that he was using his very male definition of 'strength', pasting it on top of his female character, and, basically, tricking us all--intentionally or not--into thinking she's a token of femininity.

But... is she?

When I read stories of women being "just as strong as men", I actually think I've read the deterioration of a character, not her elevation.

When we watch television shows or movies of women being terrorized by men and finally deciding to fight back, we see very visual representations of devolution, of a woman being less woman, more animal. Now, is that because she's needing to rely on animal instincts to survive, or because she's taking herself down to the level of her male antagonist? Invariably, in the movies, at least, we get that final moment when the woman pulls back and lifts herself back up to her 'normal' level--she's realized that she has devolved too much.

I guess my point--or concern, really--is that we praise 'strong women', yet define that 'strength' by how much "like a man" she is.

Is that really making her a strong woman? Or just a male copy-cat?

Is that because cunning and intelligent revenge is just... not interesting to watch unfold? Could a woman who relies on 'hyper-feminine' traits to protect herself, overcome her enemies, and/or exact revenge simply be too sleepy-time to read or make into a movie? Is that akin to a story about a 'real man' taking responsibility for the babies he help makes, does his share of housework, and works is lackluster; but showing a 'real man' fighting, defending, and showing actual physical strength isn't?

To me, it seems to me that lowering-to-their-level is still lowering to their level--even if it's to show a 'strong' woman. But... I may be just... missing something. Defining a strong woman by boiling her character down to its component parts and showing how much like a dude those parts are is... somehow not exactly right.

I haven't rad much of the genre, tho', to be honest... are there stories/series out there that, knowing how i feel about this particular trope, would show that writers understand such dilemmas and/or are addressing them?

Thanks everyone.

[morriganscrow.livejournal.com]

So many good things said here - and those articles are well worth a thorough study.
I thought the comments about the gay characters particularly interesting, as I'm in the planning stages of a fantasy story where one of the two main characters, Dragonfly, is a young gay guy, still growing into himself physically and sexually, as well as the usual 'solve the mystery of my birth' and 'where did my weird, kick-ass armor come from' stuff.
I have the benefit of house sharing with a young gay man, who's not a complete queen, and my son is FTM trans, and clearly masculine, both of which will, I think, be of considerable value as I flesh out the ideas.
The comments about Anita tipping the world over as LKH forcibly moves her through it are spot on, and as this is one of my major peeves with both the character and the series, most apt.