Video games aren’t the only place where girls and women are cast as tough superheroines. The same trend is evident in movies and on television. In fact, the entire entertainment landscape is populated by a host of sexy, seductive, street-wise women who know how to deliver a punch. Even the Disney princesses these days are much feistier and far more independent than they used to be back in the days of Snow White, Cinderella, and the Sleeping Beauty.
This trend may be traceable to the feminist ideals that have had such a powerful influence in American culture over the past three or four decades. Another social development that may have something to do with the popularity of fictional female crime-fighters and adventurers might be the aimlessness and insecurity of young men who find themselves lost in a culture that doesn’t seem to have any special need for their strength and heroism anymore. As women become increasingly prominent in every area of modern life, some men tend to feel more uncertain about who they are and what they’re supposed to be doing. As a result, they may find a strange sort of comfort in fantasizing about women who are not only sexually attractive but strong enough to take care of uncertain males and help them face challenges of life in the twenty-first century. At least that’s one way of explaining the phenomenon you’ve brought to our attention.
If you have further questions or think it might be helpful to discuss these ideas at greater length, we invite you to call our Counseling department for a free consultation.
Resources
If a title is currently unavailable through Focus on the Family, we encourage you to use another retailer.
