#HeforShe: Strong Female Characters

The big news as of posting is Emma Watson's recent speech to the UN as the ambassador for the #HeforShe campaign. I firmly support this movement and hope it can bring about some fresh change.

I have never called myself a feminist, equalitist yes, but not a feminist. In my head a feminist is someone who wants to flip society and give men a piece of their own patronisation. Since SheforHe I have realised this is an outdated view of feminism. The new wave seeks to not only promote woman's rights to be equal to men, but also to allow men to also be free express themselves.

The movement seeks to break down barriers of how society dictates your gender. I would describe it more, but I fear I would do it a disservice. Instead I will incluede a link to Emma Watson's amazing speech below.

My interest of the movement led me to attending the Winchester University Feminist Society. Where during a round of introductions we had to say our favorite female character. This task has created the inspiration for this post of my top females in fiction (in no particular order).

• Morrigan from Dragon Age: Origins
  Morrigan was my first thoughts when I thought of a female character I admire. When faced with her world's saviour how does she react? With mistrust, sarcasm and disinterest of course. Yet, over time as he/she proves themselves she can, depending on your choices, soften to you. She is a powerful sorceress and becomes your most powerful ally. Then I read this article, specifically point 2. I realised that she does in sleep with the hero as a plot device, this caused me to question whether she is that strong. Then I remembered that, after the ending, she scarpers with the baby. She has her own goal and that child has a use to her. Also if your main character is female she doesn't jump in bed with you, instead she encourages you to for the same dubious purposes. The child is significant to her in both cases, clearly it wasn't just to save you. Added to this there are points when she is rather vulnerable and the walls of sarcasm fall. After all, if your mother raised you solely to prolong her
  own life wouldn't you have trust issues?
  


• Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty/KingdomHearts
  I will admit I haven't seen Sleeping Beauty; and I won't be talking about the latest Maleficent film. Not that she isn't strong in it, she is; especially during the film's darker moments. But when the film tries to soften her villainous intent she gets too sentimental. Maleficent in KingdomHearts is the example I want to mention. Here she leads an army of Heartless (evil shadow creatures), is the head of a league of evil characters (which includes male villains like Hook, Oogy Boogy and Hades) and manages to resurrect herself from the dead. Yes she is beaten in the first game, but she comes back stronger than ever in the second. She is still somewhere in the game's universe, plotting her return. Plus, she turns into one badass dragon, which is a pain to defeat.






• Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas
  
  Sally is trapped physically by her creator/dad, Dr. Finklestein, and emotionally, by her unrequited love for Jack. She escapes both of these on her own, and manages to save Jack from Oogy Boogy and himself. She is strong-willed and street smart despite being a typical sheltered child. Her personality isn't rough and ready; instead she is deeply caring and eager to help those around her.


• Alice from Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (the novel)
  I think if I fell down a hole into a world of nonsense I would have no clue on where to go. It wouldn't take long for me to give in and breakdown. Alice doesn't, instead she plays the mad inhabitants at their own game and succeeds multiple times. Add to this that she is still a child and I feel rather ashamed.
  


• Elizabeth from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  Elizabeth, or Lisbeth, is a very complex character. With a troubled childhood and a social disorder, she could easily allow herself to be manipulated by society. But she doesn't, even when government agencies and psychopathic individuals try to stop her she fights back. Usually with her own sense of justice which can be rather brutal. She also isn't afraid to connect ties with her love interest, in doing so she asserts her independence. She is a fascinating character due to her amoral attitude towards everyone and everything. She sees no differences between people and only judges on their actions.
  

Honourable mentions:

• Princess Zelda, specifically in Ocarina of Time (Not just a kidnapped princess in another castle!)
• Female Commander Shephard from Mass Effect (Literally can do anything Male Commander Shephard can do)
• Lana Winters from American Horror Story: Asylum

Before I end I want to make you aware that #HeforShe stresses that they also want to promote male rights as well. The right for men to express themselves freely without being judged. For this reason I will follow up this post with examples of male characters who don't adhere to their gender.

I also throw the gauntlet down to fellow blogger Amy Elize at The Willow Web to give her list.

Link for Emma Watson's UN speech.

But I also want to know what you guys think.
Who are your favourite characters who transcend gender?


Let me know below.

Morrigan image from Dragon Age Wikia, Maleficent image from KingdomHeartsfanon, Sally image from Writeups, Alice image from e-reading, Lisbeth image from minkmagic.

Monty Python Live at London's O2

Catholic confessors, dirty peasants clapping coconut shells and a ten-foot Norwegian Blue parrot- who had unfortunately expired. Three rather unique sights I saw on a trip to London's O2 on Friday the 18th of July; and at that point the event had yet to begin.

What show show could draw such crazy sights? Monty Python Live of course. If the posters are to believed this is the last tour the Python's (John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Graham Chapman [via old footage]) will ever perform. Not only this, but it also marks their first tour together in thirty years. Both factors have made this a hard to miss experience for a comedy nut like myself. Having said that it was actually rather easy for many to miss the show, Tickets for the first performance sold out within 35 seconds- I was lucky to get mine.

'This is a dead parrot.'

However, approaching the dome I didn't feel lucky or even excited: I felt like a charlatan. I wasn't born when Flying Circus first aired, nor was I overly keen of sketches I'd seen on clip-shows. I enjoyed the film Holy Grail, and Life of Brian never ceases to make me chuckle. But I wouldn't class myself as a hard-core Python fan, and I felt like I was a bit out of my depth. Surely the crowds would sense someone not so enthused, and that there were others more deserving of my seat.

Far from being made to feel excluded, instead I picked up on the surrounding excitement and eagerly awaited the Python's return. I couldn't help it, there was a buzz in the air. People flocked to the aforementioned dead parrot statue (an homage to one of their best known sketch) to have photos taken. Some people were dressed as famous characters too, there was an air of silly-ness that lends itself to the Python's style of humour.

The stage dressing as a show in itself.

Any remaining unease, was put aside as soon as the show began. Opening with a sketch about four men reminiscing on their childhood. Each one striving to outdo the other in making their lives sound harsh. The stories got to the ridiculous height of one character casually mentioning to another, how he was lucky to have been able to live in a swamp. A great take on the typical English middle-age man troupe of having to one up each other whilst having a moan. It also helped set the tone for the evening: the Python's are back, older and more successful, but they haven't forgotten their roots.

The various sketches were all short and wonderfully silly. Often about noisy body functions, awkward situations or something exploding unexpectedly. In between whilst the set was dressed or even the actors themselves, animations of Terry Gilliam were shown on a screen above the stage. It is these animations that have put me off Monty Python in the past. I can't help but find it's art style slightly creepy, especially the announcer who literally lets his mouth get the better than him. It doesn't sit right with me, but never the less the show was amazing.

I left feeling like I had been doing comedy a dis-service in not giving Flying Circus a proper chance in the past. Something I vow to do now, after all I have the box set.

Well at least they are honest.

I highly recommend the show to both old fans and new, although the former probably won't see anything new. The show is essentially a live remake of their most famous sketches. But you will I'm sure enjoy the modern twists on the old classics. It will win over any fan of juvenile comedy and maybe even those who aren't, the Python's enthusiasm for the show is obvious and you can't help but feel like part of the fun. The crowd definitely couldn't and clapped in time with the various musical numbers.

Whilst the show may be their final tour and the last night has passed, it was broadcast on TV. I'm sure anyone not lucky enough to get tickets can watch it too, I certainly urge you to. The reunion is long overdo, both the audience and the performers