I found you through some Avatar-related business (specifically your post about Mai's character arc) and I just wanted to say how much I love this.
Specifically your quote: "The reward comes not from finally getting the girl we can all like, but in having a myriad of girls to choose from that encompass tons of different characteristics and flaws."
Because oh my god. I've been trying to come to grips with that for literally years. Everyone is always bitching about 'Oh the only good female character is one who can kill thirty ninjas at one time and if she wears a dress she's obviously the worse for it!' And it's just like... no.
Women come in all different forms and abilities and personalities. A woman who would rather keep her opinions to herself is NOT weaker than a woman who bitches out everyone she disagrees with. A woman who stands by her family is NOT weaker than a woman who leaves them in the lurch to save the world. A woman who falls in love is NOT weaker than a woman who scorns love and everyone who agrees with it. To claim that the ONLY strong woman is one who is an unattainable paragon of abrasive and violent perfection is harmful to the girls who need proper female role models.
Also, regarding how everyone comparing Katniss unfavorably to Peeta in the books: I had been bothered by that, too. Then I realized that everyone is compared unfavorably to Peeta. Not just Katniss, but everyone who survived the Hunger Games and was willing to murder other human beings for their own survival. Where Katniss is strong in her body and will, Peeta is strong in his morals. So... yeah. My two cents, let me give you them.
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Specifically your quote: "The reward comes not from finally getting the girl we can all like, but in having a myriad of girls to choose from that encompass tons of different characteristics and flaws."
Because oh my god. I've been trying to come to grips with that for literally years. Everyone is always bitching about 'Oh the only good female character is one who can kill thirty ninjas at one time and if she wears a dress she's obviously the worse for it!' And it's just like... no.
Women come in all different forms and abilities and personalities. A woman who would rather keep her opinions to herself is NOT weaker than a woman who bitches out everyone she disagrees with. A woman who stands by her family is NOT weaker than a woman who leaves them in the lurch to save the world. A woman who falls in love is NOT weaker than a woman who scorns love and everyone who agrees with it. To claim that the ONLY strong woman is one who is an unattainable paragon of abrasive and violent perfection is harmful to the girls who need proper female role models.
Also, regarding how everyone comparing Katniss unfavorably to Peeta in the books: I had been bothered by that, too. Then I realized that everyone is compared unfavorably to Peeta. Not just Katniss, but everyone who survived the Hunger Games and was willing to murder other human beings for their own survival. Where Katniss is strong in her body and will, Peeta is strong in his morals. So... yeah. My two cents, let me give you them.