Portrayal of Female Protagonists in Television and Movies
Which iconic girl boss have you shaped your Pinterest board around? Which aesthetic are you slowly trying to make your own? Which film inspired you so much that you try to quote at least one line from the protagonist into every conversation? In this article, we analyse the diverse portrayals of female protagonists throughout films and shows, the importance of their representation and portrayal in shaping societal perceptions, and their impact on real-life expectations.
2023 was truly the year of the female, as girls all throughout the media achieved a winning streak with their strides in their fields. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour grossed over $1 Billion, she was Spotify’s most streamed artist globally and thus, named Time’s Person of the Year. Barbie, the $1.44 billion box office success and the year’s highest earning movie, is a tribute to one of the archetypal American girlhood figures, directed by Greta Gerwig. Olivia Rodrigo released her album ‘Guts’, with defining themes of teenagers entering their twenties and perfectly encapsulating the way the voice in our head sounds at all times as a girl. Tiktok played an immense role with Get Ready With Mes, hot girl walks and the concept of ‘Girl Dinner’ coined by Olivia Maher. Regardless if the meaning of girl dinner was bread and butter, a packet of instant noodles or…the new hot white man of the month, girl dinner will forever be in our vocabularies. If the colour pink was “Ew, too girly” before, it was reclaimed in many an aesthetic but more specifically Coquette, from pink ballet flats to pink skincare products to pink bows, bows and more bows.
In this age of technology, we have witnessed television entertainment evolve from weekly-episodes of shows on The CW or Disney Channel, streaming every romantic comedy from the 80s until today, to the up and coming genres of female-centric films. In every form we are given a female protagonist to idolise, adore, despise and reject. As we mature and are given platforms such as X and TikTok to indulge in our opinions, characters in films and shows that the writers very obviously deemed to portray as toxic and malicious are now being seen as iconic and a queen. Subsequently, for a change the characters that are portrayed as a heart of gold and loyal are now naive and annoying. Viewing a female character accomplish miracles in their careers as a lawyer, surgeon, or workaholic corporate girl, inspires young girls all around the world to follow in their footsteps. The diversity of females that are illustrated in the variety of films and shows gives every single girl watching a character to identify with, to relate to, and to learn from.
The impact that The Hunger Games series had on people as a society is simply too tremendous to be put into words. In the same era as The Amazing Spider-Man, the Avengers, 21 Jump Street and other male dominant movies, The Hunger Games took the arena by a blaze as Katniss Everdeen came on screen. In contrast to the numerous damsels in distress that are a common sight in popular culture, Katniss is among the increasing number of strong female leads. Despite the fact that it would be simpler for her to think only of herself, she stays with Peeta throughout the Games, befriending and defending Rue. There aren’t many literary heroines who are as consistently eager to put themselves in danger for the people they love and as virtuously selfless. She also remains uncaptivated by her one true love or secretly searching for her soul match. She even makes it very apparent early on in the film that she would never want to be married or have kids in such a hopeless place. The fact that Katniss isn’t the typical popular, upbeat, homecoming queen type is one of the things that makes her so endearing. Katniss is the opposite of what girls are constantly told to be. Waiting to be saved by a man, eternally maternal, a ray of sunshine to everyone they meet. Yet she was still a symbol, an idol and a girl on fire to girls who thought their only option was to meet traditional gender standards.
When did the good girl trope become a bore and the nasty menace become an icon? Two prime shows that capture the transition in the eyes of the audience perfectly are ‘Victorious’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries’. Victorious follows a hyper-talented friend group in the throes of their high school, where the protagonist is Tori Vega and Jade West is the girl who constantly picks on her but is secretly, very secretly, a sweetheart when she wants to be. When you watch the show at the age of the target audience, it is most likely that you will be rooting for Tori, defending her mistakes and wishing you could perform and sing as amazingly as her actor Victoria Justice does. All the while dreading everytime Jade appeared on screen with an ulterior motive up her sleeve and is constantly insecure and jealous of Tori herself or that her boyfriend may leave her for Tori. Exactly the way the writers intended. However, after the show met its end, everyone’s views completely switched. If you ask almost anyone about their thoughts on the show and its characters, they will tell you how annoying Tori Vega was with her whining and ability to make everything about her, and how Jade West is actually their spirit animal as she is the embodiment of people’s intrusive thoughts.
A theory placed to define this switch comes from the idea that the viewers started perceiving the two contrasting characters as the actors who played them, rather than the characters they played. However, this theory is completely useless when you take The Vampire Diaries into consideration. The Vampire Diaries revolves around Elena Gilbert stuck in a love triangle with two vampire brothers, and one of the recurring antagonists is Elena’s doppelganger, Katherine Pierce. In the same way as Victorious, people watch the show in fear of every moment Elena faces death. Elena is loyal, extremely selfless and would do anything for her friends. Katherine is one of the most sinister villains on a drama television show as they never give her a redemption arc throughout the eight seasons. She is even regarded as worse than the actual devil, who also makes an appearance on the show, yes. Today, Elena Gilbert is one of the most annoying characters in a drama television show for her constant whining and crying and, you guessed it, her ability to make everything about her. Katherine is iconic, determined, and can never do wrong. As these characters are doppelgangers, they are both played by Nina Dobrev who is able to play two characters in such stark contrast ever so amazingly.
This revelation of despising the good girl and idolising the bad girl is seen in more than just television shows. In almost every romantic comedy, book or movie, the traits of the female protagonist are identical. Naive, idealistic, clumsy, awkward, unconventional and unlucky in love. Girls are tired of seeing empty headed female protagonists in every film and show, setting unrealistic expectations to men that all girls are just quirky and waiting to fall in love. They are not whiny, or selfish or plain dumb. They are human. This doesn’t mean that characters that the writers set out to be evil are entirely bad. Jade West, Katherine Pierce, Regina George, Chanel Oberlin, Jennifer Check and so many more antagonists are iconic in their own ways which people now recognise and popularise. Their determination, the way they channel their power, their show stopping one-liners are all reasons why even villains are idolised as they should.
A movie that deserves recognition for beating these allegations is naturally, ‘Legally Blonde’. Reese Witherspoon’s character Elle Woods defies the conventional blonde stereotype. Although Elle comes out as a shallow, fashion-focused woman at first, her experience in law school dispels these notions. Elle’s character showcases that femininity, fashion, and intelligence are not mutually exclusive. Her adventure commences with her pursuit to obtain a law degree from Harvard, a highly esteemed university. Her scholastic achievements shatter prejudices about blondes and stylish women and question the idea that the legal profession is just for a particular kind of person. She has to work hard to overcome obstacles and achieve academic achievement; it is not something that comes easily to her. Elle Woods is now seen as a cultural icon and a good example for young women who want to become lawyers. Elle Woods isn’t the only pioneer whose character shaped the careers of young girls. The powerful female protagonists on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ including Isabelle Stevens, Addison Shepherd and Callie Torres set the trajectory of the medicine dream for many girls. Journalism was a significant career that many movies inspired people to follow, including the classic ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, and almost every romantic comedy where the female protagonist is in a cubicle, she is most probably writing an article. Just by witnessing the success and triumphs of a fictional character, people will go through anything just to have a chance of having a life similar to their favourite characters.
In the end, the impact of these fictional heroines extends beyond the screen, shaping the aspirations and career choices of individuals in the real world. As we celebrate the diversity of female characters, it becomes evident that the influence of storytelling goes beyond entertainment, sparking conversations, challenging norms, and inspiring generations of girls to envision possibilities beyond traditional roles. The stories we consume have the power to mould our perceptions, redefine societal expectations, and pave the way for a future where every girl can see herself reflected in the narratives that unfold on screen.
[Written by: Nurul Yasmine, Edited by: Tasha]
