The B*tch Factor

Last night I started reading a new book, and by this morning, I was having a real moanfest with myself about how tired I am of books and movies whose main (and side) characters feature a b*tchy female lead.

The worst scenario for me is when all the female characters in a ‘script (either manuscript or screenplay) embody the dark side of human nature, and so, of course, most of the males in the same ‘script must balance evil with good-natured and honorable tolerance of such nastiness as though it were the normal policy of all femininity.

What’s new? You ask. That representation of the dark sisterhood has been going on a long time. Centuries. Longer. Millenia?

Precisely. And I’m sick of reading it and seeing it continually depicted in modern stories as though all the negative stereotypes that persist about women must be true, and that “interesting” leading characters of the female persuasion have to be b*tches.

Here’s what I abhor about the modern-b*itch role model: The protagonist’s plot line is built around her obnoxious attitude, and the author expects us to somehow identify with her emotions and subsequent motivations.

Look— I seldom use the word “bitch” in my own vocabulary, and it’s a rare moment I’ve ever referred to a woman by such a name. If I swear, it’s usually “fuckin’ this, fuckin’ that,” and it’s never for shock value, only a bad habit I picked up a long time ago in post-hippie days. Anyway, I equate b*tchiness with meanness, cruelty, and monstrous manipulation, not with femaleness, emotionalism, or mere anger. To me, the word is more verb than noun, but since verbs often get nounified, and nouns, verbified, I’ll use it here how I see fit, even if it sports a feathery asterisk on its head.

My biggest problem with b*tchy protagonists is that these women aren’t being portrayed as strong, courageous, angry, no-nonsense, take-no-shit heroines (as some authors claim while trying to justify their characters’ shameless spitefulness). Give me some of those "strong" women, please, but allow them to react with emotions as their particular characters dictate, and not just vindictively. In real life, we stop sympathizing with vindictive people. We avoid them. We don’t hero-worship them. No, what we seem to be getting from authors who write “bad-girl” (or “b*itchy good-girl”?) leads are mean-spirited, insulting, assuming, self-centered, manipulating devils. Most of the plots that develop necessarily from their flippant, obnoxious behaviors are smoke and mirrors — built predictably on self-illusion and overwrought emotions.

Authors, what are we, as readers, to get from following along with the presented illogic of such b*tchery?

Oh? The “heroine” cough cough will learn her lesson and by some virtue of formulaic contriteness be redeemed in character by the end of the story? Honey, that’s too late. What right-minded human puts up with the b*tch factor for more than 100 pages and then says, “That’s ok. Your one good deed for the decade absolves you of all your nasty-mouthed and foul-hearted offences.”? Yeah, that’s many of today's romance novels, where, in each, the “angel guy” sees through the shrew’s antics, wants her anyway, sticks a pin in her, deflates her until she’s pliable. But still nasty — wait till book 2.

And in soap operas, in prime-time shows, in movies, the whole cast of females (if there are more than one) are typically made the villains — surprise! Because, apparently, both male and female writers seem to believe that women’s motives stem from meanness. That, or hysteria. But that’s another rant, perhaps for another time. I want to see strong female characters, but I don’t want them to be mean, cruel, toxic, and narcissistic. They can have weaknesses, make poor choices, and have bad days, but I can’t bear to see any more protagonists who scream, “My selfish, b*tchy behavior is going to drive my plot conflicts.”

If you’re writing one of these kinds of stories, how about rethink it? If you want misunderstandings, use misinterpreted actions and facts to propel them, then unravel them with motivations based on the facets of your characters' personalities. Want conflict? Give characters clashing values. There’s honor in that. But don’t rely on b*tchiness unless you want readers to hate the b*tch. Meanness can’t really be redeemed. Your audience might partially forgive a villain with some heart in her, but your heroine is more likely to be offered to the chopping block of disloyal readership if she’s consistently bad and veers too often toward evil.

#characterdevelopment #FeaturedonSaturday #essay #stereotypes #plotmotivations