RESEARCH AND PLANNING; Why Is Having A Female Lead Controversial?

Why Is Having A Female Lead Controversial?

1) Men Can’t Identify With Female Leads
Men and women are different, it’s a point that is particularly relevant in this case. We often find ourselves attached and invested in film characters that we either identify with or aspire to be. For men, that’s a hard sell with female characters. Add to that the fact that the audience for the Action genre is predominately male.

2) Believability
A lot of men complain that “I’m sorry, but how can I get into a movie like this?” There is no way that stick figure can take me in a fight”. It is nonetheless at the root of why many men don’t buy into a female lead action film. “Movies aren’t always supposed to be about believability, quite often it’s supposed to be about the suspension of believability, but it wouldn’t change the fact that men have a hard time buying into a female character beating up a lot of male characters. Women in prison movies on the other hand are a totally different story.

3) We’re Brought Up In A Society That See’s Women For Their Sexuality And Intelligence In Film.
I think in the movies we’ve become conditioned to see female characters just in terms of their sexuality or their intelligence. Seeing female characters as tough or bad, ready and willing to beat you up at any moment is just outside of what we’re accustomed to seeing. At most we’re used to seeing women as the damsel in distress or as the love interest in action films, not participating in the Fight.