XPost: rec.arts.sf.tv, rec.arts.tv   
   From: barmar@alum.mit.edu   
      
   In article ,   
    Bill Steele  wrote:   
      
   > In article ,   
   >  Barry Margolin  wrote:   
   >   
   > > In article ,   
   > >  "David Cheatham"  wrote:   
   > >   
   > > > Barry Margolin wrote:   
   > > >   
   > > > > For either demographic, it's not enough JUST to put a pretty girl on   
   > > > > the show, the subject matter still has to be entertaining to them.   
   > > > > Boys might find Miley attractive, but they're not going to watch the   
   > > > > show because it's about girly stuff (I've never actually seen it, but   
   > > > > I assume dating and romance are common plot elements).   
   > > > >   
   > > > > Sci-fi and action has traditionally not had much of a female   
   > > > > audience.  Some of this may be because girls tend to be turned off by   
   > > > > science, viewing it as a more male activity.  But if you give a lead   
   > > > > role to a woman, it breaks that stereotype.  Now you have a show that   
   > > > > can appeal to the wider demographic.  Boys like it because it's   
   > > > > sci-fi AND it has kick-ass babes, girls like it despite it being   
   > > > > sci-fi BECAUSE it has kick-ass babes.   
   > > >   
   > > > This implies that men care more about the premise, whereas women   
   > > > *don't* care about the premise as long as they can see some strong   
   > > > women as characters. I don't know if that makes men or women shallower.   
   > >   
   > > Women care about premises, too.  But the premises that they tend to   
   > > gravitate to are romantic, not action.   
   > >   
   > > What I'm saying is that if you have a show whose premise is not the type   
   > > that a particular gender will consider, you can attract them by adding   
   > > certain character types.  So many women won't be immediately interested   
   > > in a sci-fi action show, but if you put a woman in the lead lots of them   
   > > will give it a try.   
   > >   
   > > And once they try it, they might like it.  The problem is getting over   
   > > initial biases, and creative packaging can accomplish that.   
   >   
   > A lot of this seems to be based on some old-fashioned ideas of women's   
   > attitudes. It assumes little girls only play with dolls and only dream   
   > of growing up to be wives and mothers. There surely is still a lot of   
   > that still going around, but it's no longer universal.   
      
   I didn't say ONLY, I send "in general".  It may not be PC to admit it,   
   but there really are gender biases.  Little girls tend to prefer to play   
   with dolls, little boys with trucks.  It's not universal, never has   
   been, but that's the general tendency.   
      
   --   
   Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu   
   Arlington, MA   
   *** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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