I have nothing against strong, independent women. The problems arise when either of the genders take the other for granted. It's not fair for women to be mistreated, just like it isn't fair for men to be disrespected. In the 1980s, there were countless action thrillers and romances that revolved around the idea of a man saving a woman. Although a lot of the films were borderline sexist, they were appealing to large audiences and were considerably more realistic than "Atomic Blonde" (just as one example).
One of the most insulting movies I've seen was "Knight and Day." This thriller starred Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise. I'm surprised there hasn't been more backlash from today's crowd. Besides painting Diaz as completely helpless, she's also as dumb as a sack of rocks. Tom Cruise constantly swoops in to save the damsel in distress, who keeps falling for the same tricks and can't shoot a gun. She screams at the most inopportune times, and her dress means more to her than her own life.
American directors have completely switched gears since the 2010 release. However, I don't understand the pendulum swing. Not all men are stupid or cruel. There's nothing more annoying and disrespectful than painting all fathers as incompetent or downright dumb. If you think I'm exaggerating, watch one scene of any TV sitcom. I don't care if we're talking about Disney Channel or ABC…Dads are always painted as the dumb, incompetent, lazy man-children who can't pour their own cereal.
Of course, at least TV shows can pretend they're just poking fun at their leading men. When it comes to more serious entertainment, like "Gerald's Game," "Secret obsession," "Long Shot," "Isn't It Romantic," "Late Night," etc., the men are always the villains. What happened to girl vs. girl and classy knights in shining armor? Now, instead of the smart guys, we have the emasculated video-game nerds who can't exert any authority for fear of stepping on their intelligent girlfriends' toes. Personally, I like seeing the guy save the girl. I'd rather watch the classic than the unrealistic, aggravating scenarios we project on screens now.
Where's the balance? Can't the girl be a boss, along with the male lead? Why is the husband always secretly evil, the boyfriend completely irresponsible, and the dad a big kid? Is it impossible to make a movie where the woman is independent, and yet she can still be nice to a guy with great leadership qualities? Why do they have to be threatened by each other?
We are equals. I get that some plots revolve around the evil husband or nonexistent father, but do all of them have to? Not all men abuse their strength. Can there at least be some comic relief…or at least the relief of a good, kind man who also happens to save the girl in the end?
I don't want to have to save a man. Maybe some girls out there want to, but I think we can all agree that we'd rather be swept off our feet than have to calm down a brooding, wounded guy. This, in fact, is the other cliché that was constantly shoved down my throat as a teenager. I don't want Harden from "After," and I definitely don't want pouty Gale from "The Hunger Games."
What movies and books never really portray is the guy with the savior-complex, the loyal boyfriend or the patient husband. Those exist too. Can we please see a little more variety? In my experience, it's not that rare to find a nice guy. I know plenty. Obviously Netflix writers don't.
