Female Characters

[Spirit]

I don't think that most of us think in ANY sort of box at all......we just.....are....

LOL figure of speech! You don't like your box? How about a bin? A container? A room? Or maybe... a tube?

[Stewart5]

LOL figure of speech! You don't like your box? How about a bin? A container? A room? Or maybe... a tube?

No, I mean we don't think in anything.(I know about the 'think outside the box' motivation and metaphor.) The majority of us just......exist.....and unfortunately, that is it!!

[Spirit]

No, I mean we don't think in anything.(I know about the 'think outside the box' motivation and metaphor.) The majority of us just......exist.....and unfortunately, that is it!!

okok, male or not, a writer can extend their imagination to wherever they want to go. Make sense?

[Stewart5]

That is irrelavent. I know what he is saying Like I said a thousand time. It's SCIFI! What's really real? Even if he intended to say that they're trying to portrait reality... Then I'll have to ask what are the chances of military recruiting Teal'C, an alien? It's just another excuse to say "well, this is reality, can't do much about it." Well, it's television.. We can do A LOT.

Calm, calm calm calm.......
Actually, it's not as irrelevant as you might think. Sci-fi is explorign the human condition, in which case there has to some sort of relation between mankind as it is now and how it is portrayed in a show. Especially one such as stargate, which claims to be set in contemporary times. In which case, the military struture used would have to proportionally similar to that used in RL. Of course with some differences to reflect the fictional nature of it, but you can't just up and forget about everything as it is in order to put what you like on screen.
Eg - SG -US Marines in Red Berets?? What?
-Primeval(british show) - UK SF wearing American uniforms and using US weapons....in Britian......
The US recruited Bin Laden to fight the commies in A-stan. Anything can happen.

So whilst you have a great deal of freedom, you can't change the way something that already exists runs. You can add to it and evolve parts of it.

[Stewart5]

okok, male or not, a writer can extend their imagination to wherever they want to go. Make sense?

I got the point the first time.
I was simply trying to be funny.......

[Spirit]

Calm, calm calm calm.......
Actually, it's not as irrelevant as you might think. Sci-fi is explorign the human condition, in which case there has to some sort of relation between mankind as it is now and how it is portrayed in a show. Especially one such as stargate, which claims to be set in contemporary times. In which case, the military struture used would have to proportionally similar to that used in RL. Of course with some differences to reflect the fictional nature of it, but you can't just up and forget about everything as it is in order to put what you like on screen.
Eg - SG -US Marines in Red Berets?? What?
-Primeval(british show) - UK SF wearing American uniforms and using US weapons....in Britian......
The US recruited Bin Laden to fight the commies in A-stan. Anything can happen.

So whilst you have a great deal of freedom, you can't change the way something that already exists runs. You can add to it and evolve parts of it.

I'm no military expert, so you're saying that there aren't any female commanders in the military? No high female senior officers?

I'm sorry, I might not know much but I'm pretty sure there are~ And just because it's not common doesn't mean it doesn't exist. So with that given thought, what is so unrealistic about that?

Like I said, to use the structure of military as an excuse to not cast a strong female character is nonsense to me. So what about Dr. Weir? She's no military. What about Teyla? She's not in any military, period. Neither was Vala.. What about those characters? We've been at this argument over and over again. Yes, we need to have 'some' reflection of 'our' reality but to say that because it's reflected upon military structure so therefore they can't write strong female character is just a bunch of baloney.

[Stewart5]

I'm no military expert, so you're saying that there aren't any female commanders in the military? No high female senior officers?

I'm sorry, I might not know much but I'm pretty sure there are~ And just because it's not common doesn't mean it doesn't exist. So with that given thought, what is so unrealistic about that?

Like I said, to use the structure of military as an excuse to not cast a strong female character is nonsense to me. So what about Dr. Weir? She's no military. What about Teyla? She's not in any military, period. Neither was Vala.. What about those characters? We've been at this argument over and over again. Yes, we need to have 'some' reflection of 'our' reality but to say that because it's reflected upon military structure so therefore they can't write strong female character is just a bunch of baloney.

Dear God above, I hate being misquoted.

Firstly, I said the MAJORITY of the military is male. And, in actual fact, (rightly or wrongly) the greastest propotion of senior command staff are MEN. Mostly because the military is made up of combat units, and then by support units such as engineers etc. And to my knowledge in the US(and I KNOW in Britain) that woman are not allowed in frontline combat units(that doesn't mean they don't fight at the front, they just don't join dedicated infantry units etc). So therefore the largest number of senior officers would be male.

Also, I did not say ONCE that it was an excuse NOT to cast female characters, I was simply saying why you would be less likely to have a senior command position filled by a woman. Not that it wouldn't happen.

It's not unrealistic, I agree. It just reflects the actual military by not having many senior OFFICERS. That doesn't include civilians!!!!!!!!!!!
I started off qualifying what Vladius had said because you misunderstood it. Now I wish I'd stayed silent.

[Spirit]

I got the point the first time.
I was simply trying to be funny.......

I come off strong, I know. But I'm fine, really.......

[Stewart5]

I come off strong, I know. But I'm fine, really.......

Well then, the above rant by me was unneeded

[Spirit]

Dear God above, I hate being misquoted.

Firstly, I said the MAJORITY of the military is male. And, in actual fact, (rightly or wrongly) the greastest propotion of senior command staff are MEN. Mostly because the military is made up of combat units, and then by support units such as engineers etc. And to my knowledge in the US(and I KNOW in Britain) that woman are not allowed in frontline combat units(that doesn't mean they don't fight at the front, they just don't join dedicated infantry units etc). So therefore the largest number of senior officers would be male.

Also, I did not say ONCE that it was an excuse NOT to cast female characters, I was simply saying why you would be less likely to have a senior command position filled by a woman. Not that it wouldn't happen.

It's not unrealistic, I agree. It just reflects the actual military by not having many senior OFFICERS. That doesn't include civilians!!!!!!!!!!!
I started off qualifying what Vladius had said because you misunderstood it. Now I wish I'd stayed silent.

That wasn't directly towards your words specifically And you'll continue to hear me go on and on and on about my idea of why there should be strong female characters. That's just it.. no excuse, no reality baloney, I just want a solid, good story, strong characters with diversity. I'm tired of people telling me, "oh because. oh it's this. oh it's that. dot dot dot "

I know you were trying to explain to me, don't worry. I understand the words, I just don't agree.

[Stewart5]

That wasn't directly towards your words specifically And you'll continue to hear me go on and on and on about my idea of why there should be strong female characters. That's just it.. no excuse, no reality baloney, I just want a solid, good story, strong characters with diversity. I'm tired of people telling me, "oh because. oh it's this. oh it's that. dot dot dot "

I know you were trying to explain to me, don't worry. I understand the words, I just don't agree.

...........*breathes*........owell, that was a waste of my finger joints......

If it helps, I think there could be stronger female characters. I was being devil's advocate.

And please, don't use Vala as an example? I mean, compared to Aeryn Sun, Vala is a comic relief character, and any time they tried to give a relatively serious storyline or deep episode, it came off rather poorly. Very.

Early Sam was a good example, but it seems as she was promoted she lost that air of authority.

Weir was a good character, able to make the hard choices and able to stand up to the male officers in the series without having to resort to a Teyla/Xena type thing.

And that's another point, why does 'Strong Women' entail physically kick arse? Weir was a great example of morally, verbally and authoritively strong without skimpy clothes and kung fu!

[Spirit]

Let me simply put ... There are a lot and I mean a lot of people out there who doesn't acknowledge that there are sexism going on in our television show. And that shouldn't be.

If you want to talk about reality. Well, reality is that we're much more further ahead than that! I get so outraged by SciFi because the characters that I fell in love with "always" somehow disappears and they're usually female characters. Why? Because they don't stand a chance against all of these stereotypes and cliche.

There got to be a pool of viewers that shares my view on this subject matter.

I can't understand how people can so easily just say - "oh well it's reality, can't do much about it." I don't know, I think I'm doing something about it. And I think people ought to stop and think and reflect on what is really on TV.

ERRR >:E <~~That's me with an angry face..yes..indeed.

[Stewart5]

Let me simply put ... There are a lot and I mean a lot of people out there who doesn't acknowledge that there are sexism going on in our television show. And that shouldn't be.

If you want to talk about reality. Well, reality is that we're much more further ahead than that! I get so outraged by SciFi because the characters that I fell in love with "always" somehow disappears and they're usually female characters. Why? Because they don't stand a chance against all of these stereotypes and cliche.

There got to be a pool of viewers that shares my view on this subject matter.

I can't understand how people can so easily just say - "oh well it's reality, can't do much about it." I don't know, I think I'm doing something about it. And I think people ought to stop and think and reflect on what is really on TV.

ERRR >:E <~~That's me with an angry face..yes..indeed.

Firstly, my last post was AGREEING with you. AGREEING That means you don't need to enlighten me further because I'M ON YOUR SIDE!!!

Let's remove some of the chips from our collective shoulders. If we are going down the majorly vast road of bias on tv, or SG, let's llok at more than one thing, okay? Becasue the steroetypes are more than just women (although that is the major one, I agree)

As I said in several posts above, Men get stereotyped just as much. I won't repeat them here needlessly, be be assured I am neither a jock nor a geek, and yet that is all that SG portrays.

Not all foreigners are bad, evil people that want America to lose the gate!(and considering that the show is heavily CANADIAN, I am shocked)

Canadians get a pasting from everyone in Atlantis, especially through Meredith ("I love that cute little canadian thing you do..." AAARG!!!)

Scotsmen do not all have the "wee, lovely Beckett" accent that sounds like an ex-pat in Canada tryignt o do a voice he remembers his grandfather doing, nor are we all from some wee, small obscure village in the mountains. We have cities!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Soldiers are not universally stupid, nor are they ill trained, nor are they ALL AMERICAN!

British people aren't all snobs or know it alls who wear suits day in and day out.

Irish/Scottish people don't always have to be drunk, either!!!!!

Scottish people are not always the drunken thug in crime dramas!!

Russians don't all drink vodka and want the downfall of the west.

A few examples to show you that Women are not alone, and THAT IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE!!!!!!

[Stewart5]

If you want to talk about reality. Well, reality is that we're much more further ahead than that! I get so outraged by SciFi because the characters that I fell in love with "always" somehow disappears and they're usually female characters. Why? Because they don't stand a chance against all of these stereotypes and cliche.

no, I don't want to talk about reality. I want a world where Scotland owns everything, space ships are real and that hot women are in abundance.
howver, I am constrained to talking about things that are real or mad eup by real people, and was simply qualifying some statements...............

ERRR >:E <~~That's me with an angry face..yes..indeed.

i am genuinely terrified......

[Vladius]

Well first of all, the target audience is SciFi fans.. And I'm sure we all agree that we come in all size and shape. I mean that it's not specifically aim towards military personnel or male or female. I mean look at Stargate. They tried to put in diversity but their lack of ability to write female character made it difficult for female characters to grow in general. Even if it is a show that's male predominant. They can still write a good female character if they really wanted to.

And again, even if the vast majority of the people who makes Stargate is male doesn't mean that they're only limited to thinking inside the male box. A writer is a writer and that's what writers are all about. They write about anything and everything.

Well, I'm not going into the extreme of wanting to replace military personnel with all women. I don't particularly care about that issue. I have both male and female friends in the military. I'm not fond of military but whoever choose to join is their own choice. It's not really relevant to this topic.

And I'm not getting my hopes for anything. I am simply voicing my opinion on the matter. It's 2009, even if it takes time for the military to recruit more women, there's no reason why television is lacking behind. After all, it's an imaginative world. It's all about the audiences. Without the audiences, there won't be television. And this audience here said "I want more female characters." Deal with it

You don't think Carter was well written for the most part?

I'm pretty sure sci fi fans and fans of Stargate in particular are mostly male. Why does the military need to recruit more women? Don't you have to volunteer to be in the military?