Thirty-Something Soccer Mom

I‘m sorry Charlize, but you’re not fooling anyone.

No matter how convincing the fight scenes are in your newest film there’s no way a 5’9” 120 lb. woman could singlehandedly take down 2 trained killers.  In real life either one of those men could have put you in the hospital in 30 seconds.  I don’t mean to diminish your athleticism or claim that you aren’t strong, because you are.  Not many actors in Hollywood could handle the kind of stunt work you do.  You not only do it, you do it really well.

Unfortunately, your convincing portrayal of a woman “kicking ass” perpetuates a myth that a woman (if she wants it bad enough and trains hard enough) can hold her own in a fight against 3 men.  It’s not only untrue it’s the farthest thing from female empowerment I’ve ever seen.

True Female Empowerment- 

We empower females most when we graciously acknowledge the differences between the genders and stop trying to make a woman be like a man so she can feel “empowered.”  Women should feel empowered being themselves and recognizing that their own unique traits and abilities are worthy of respect and hold their own kind of power. When we falsely elevate women to the same level of men (as it relates to physical strength) we inadvertently diminish their own unique worth by perpetuating the myth that they must be physically strong to be powerful.

A woman adds value to the world in a way that is uniquely female.  She doesn’t need to have the physical strength or stamina of a man to feel empowered.  She doesn’t need to swear, tell vulgar jokes or hold the world record for the 100-meter dash to feel like she measures up to a man.  She already does in unique and different ways.

This concept is best expressed in Dr. Sax’s book Why Gender Matters when he compares the differences between men and women to the differences between a knife and spoon. The unique differences in their design are intended to fulfill their own individual purpose.  Both are valuable. Neither one is better than the other.  They’re just different and we depend on those differences when we need to eat a bowl of soup or cut a piece of steak.  Likewise, a woman’s abilities are not inferior to those of a man’s but complementary.

The Normalizing of Violence against Women-

Another problem I have with this film is the subconscious normalizing of violence against women.  Did anyone else cringe during this fight scene where the man nails a closed fist punch right to Charlize’s face?  If you don’t cringe then you’re proving my point perfectly.

The first time I remember seeing this kind of violence against women was in 2014 when the first Divergent movie came out. I’m sure there were other movies before this, but this was the first time I’d seen a man beating the crap out of a woman (in a contest of strength) while everyone else stood around and watched.  I know they’re just movies but if “life imitates art” maybe we should consider the consequences of these kinds of scenes in our entertainment, especially since films projecting violence against women are on the rise.

I have nothing against strong female characters.

I LOVED the New Wonder Woman movie.  Her goodness and integrity were as much a part of her strength and power as the physical abilities she inherited from her demigod status.  I love action movies with strong female characters but when the portrayal of women in these films are so unrealistic, it inadvertently perpetuates the myth that a normal woman (without demi-god superpowers) can be as strong as a man.  And when we pretend she can, and we call it “female empowerment,” we’re actually diminishing the value and power of true womanhood and femininity.

Enough IS Enough-

In an interview with Sofia Boutella (Charlize Theron’s female co-star) she said:

“I don’t think we’ve seen enough female characters kicking ass the way (Charlize) does on screen and I think we do need more movies like that. We need more women that are empowering and empowered in films…I think things are changing and I think this movie is going to lead the way.” 

If I could respond to her comment as well as speak to the rest of the women in Hollywood that are encouraging these kinds of movies (all in the name of female empowerment) I’d like to quote Margaret D. Nadauld when she said:

“The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.”

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So if you’re a woman and you believe in female empowerment, be strong and be powerful, but not in an Atomic Blonde kind of way.  Be strong and powerful in a way that embraces your own unique nature. Because true female empowerment isn’t about making a woman more like a man.  It’s about being true to herself and using her own talents and abilities to make a positive difference in the world.  That’s what true female power is all about.