Joss Whedon and Annoying Chicks

[Ten]

I've already seen Dr. Horrible, and as of recent, I've been watching a lot of Joss Whedon's other work -- some of Buffy, Firefly, and Dollhouse, plus all of Angel (my favorite so far, despite the plot tumors). All of it's entertaining, but I've noticed a pattern that troubles me.

CHARACTERS THAT BRING ME JOY (even if they're messed-up little morons):
Angel, Spike, Wesley, Giles, Oz, Wash, Jayne, Badger, Billy/Dr. Horrible, Topher, Boyd, and Laurence


CHARACTERS THAT I WANT TO SEE GET SHOT IN THE FACE:
River, Kaylee, Inara, "Fred" (Winnifred), and sometimes Buffy


The awesome characters are guys.
The despicable characters are girls.
What's up with that?

Note that this is all subjective, blah blah blah, and I'm sure there are folks with different ideas (in other words, I don't think the girl characters are supposed to be despicable to the viewers, and their fellow characters sure adore them).

Maybe I have a double standard or something, but there must be a common thread here. How is it that these writers have such a hard time writing a female character that Ten would like when they do so well at creating fantastic male characters?

[Draco]

I guess it's because female characters are meant to be a damsel in distress of sorts, or something? Like they're only there to cause problems. Either that or they're wayyy too independent and then ruin the whole effect of them being there or something. ;~;

But I agree with you. I like more male characters than I do female characters.

[Ten]

"I guess it's because female characters are meant to be a damsel in distress of sorts, or something?"
--
Some of them are, and being a useless load is always annoying, but it's something about their personalities that bugs me most. Some sort of... snottiness. I'm not sure how to define it.


"But I agree with you. I like more male characters than I do female characters."
--
I'm not saying that I---
Okay, maybe that's true for me too, but it's something specific about Joss Whedon stuff. In other stuff, there are female characters I like, but with him it's like the male characters are mediocre-likability at worst and the female characters are mediocre-likability at best.

I'm not sure how they manage this.

What you said about being "wayyy too independent", though -- that sometimes applies too, sort of. Okay, it's not so much independence as it is being anti... anti-tradition, I guess? I thought I would like Zoe at first, but geez woman, don't be staring daggers at your husband for even thinking of you making dinner for him just once, as if that's so unholy. It's not like he's Okonkwo, expecting his wife to make dinner on time every night and beating her if she doesn't.

And then Kaylee, argghh Kaylee, she's so rude to Simon, making fun of him for not cussing and being respectful to her, the crass little ditz.


Anyway.
Sorry for getting so ragerage emotional, y'all.

[Cloud]

...I didn't know Ten was capable of "ragerage emotional". You surprise me with every post, Tenri. Ha, May's watching Buffy...from the sound of it I'd want to shoot Buffy in the face too sometimes.

As for character gender related to likability, I generally have no preference as long as the characters aren't boring as crap, or uber stereotypical, or make me want to barf. (Dora fits into the last category.)

[Ten]

"...I didn't know Ten was capable of 'ragerage emotional'."
--
It's... different with fictional characters.
And family members, but that's a different topic.
When the people don't exist, it's... there are no consequences.
I get mad to someone irl, they get mad back/use it against me/make me look stupid.
If I rant at a character in a book, I have the advantage in that they can't defend themselves.


"Ha, May's watching Buffy"
--
I've seen up to the second or third episode of the fourth season. Her?


"(Dora fits into the last category.)"
--
fffahaha Dora. It's a good thing she died.