Where are the interesting girls ?

When I was growing up, my least favorite character among Enid Blyton’s Famous Five was Anne. She never had anything interesting to say. The only time you noticed her was when she burst into tears. As for Bets and Daisy, from the Five Find Outers, they weren’t much better. The only girl who seemed to do things was Georgina and even she had to change her name to George and have boy cut hair.

As for the princesses in all the other stories, they certainly looked lovely in their pink princess-y dresses. But imagine how uncomfortable (and boring) life must have been for them if they had to sit about in party clothes all day. Why weren’t they busy with interesting stuff? Like maybe managing their kingdoms?

I speak to the famous film director Shekhar Kapoor about this. He has just finished making his second film about a young girl who found herself the queen of England. This was 400 years ago and no one then thought women were smart enough to rule. The courtiers around her plotted and planned, and everyone tried to line up a husband for her who could be king. But Elizabeth 1, for that was her name, proved them all wrong. She didn’t sit about looking pretty. Instead she ruled wisely and well.

Why, I ask Shekhar, are there so few girls in movies and on TV who are shown like this? Why are most movies and TV serials about smart and brave boys – why do the girls have the sidey roles? Why girls are only bothered about dressing up and dating? I mean Mary Kate and Ashley or even Lizzy Mcguire are ok but how about some really clever and smart girl characters ? Like say Jo in Little Women who becomes a writer or Hermione in Harry Potter who comes with clever plans?

TV and film, Shekhar Kapoor explains, are a lot about looks and about action. But you do have powerful girl characters, he points out – look at Lara Croft Tomb Raider, look at Catwoman. They’re strong and powerful girls in animation too, right from the Power Puff to the other girl characters in Japanese cartoons. But yes they’re mostly shown as good looking, with bodies (like Barbie’s) that may look good but would be unhealthy if you had them in real life. But then again, boys are also shown as great looking –they’re tall with broad shoulders and biceps. Still that doesn’t mean that good looks are the only important thing. Sometimes an unusual character, small and puny looking with spectacles comes along – and he’s a hit! Yes, you guessed right we’re talking about Harry Potter.

But here’s another question to consider - would Harry Potter have been such a hit if he was a girl?

Certainly the boys I talk to say they don’t like watching ‘girl’ characters. ”I hate girls” says 7 year old Aditya Shah. His friend Aryaman nods in agreement. For boys like these being friendly with girls maybe ok. But it’s simply not ‘trendy’ to watch a show like Hanna Montana which stars a girl.

And so we have many more movies about brave and powerful boys than about girls. The film studios that make these movies, find that both boys and girls watch movies about boys (with girls in side roles). But movies or serials about girls like the Olsen Twins are watched only by girls.

Turn then to the world of books for interesting girl characters. There’s Roald Dahl’s Matilda, both brave and brilliant, there’s Scheherazade the wonderful story teller of the Arabian Nights and there’s Anne Frank. Write in and tell us if you think of these and of other girl characters you admire – who are they and why do you like them.
This appeared in the Chidlren newspaper YA in February 2008