Yes, you have totally touched on a big part of what I see in it as well, which is why I made sure to include the fact they these characters were female. I don't think a male character would be thought of the same way.
And that really helps me, the description you've given about the women inspiring the men to behave better-that does seem to be what it is. DD himself said Scully was Mulder's "human credential," though that quote was, imo, often misused by fans. What disturbs me I think is when people do try to push these characters as being more moral when they really are more symbolic, as if they embody morality rather than practice it as a man would. With Scully, as you say, she became a Madonna figure. Many female fans maybe identified with her and liked the idea of themselves as a Madonna, and many men maybe liked relating to her that way as well, but in the end it's the same old sexism. Somehow Scully wasn't just a person confronting her own issues.
I guess it's also sort of interesting to turn it around and say if Scully provides this kind of check for Mulder by being a person he considers when he acts, then what does Mulder provide for Scully? Perhaps Scully and Hermione both yearn for a figure who seems to embody something himself...I seem to remember sometimes getting into trouble for trying to get into that, because some people really didn't like the idea that Scully was getting anything out of her relationship with Mulder. To me this made her a more dynamic character that was his equal, to others I think it took her down off that pedestal where they wanted her to stay.
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And that really helps me, the description you've given about the women inspiring the men to behave better-that does seem to be what it is. DD himself said Scully was Mulder's "human credential," though that quote was, imo, often misused by fans. What disturbs me I think is when people do try to push these characters as being more moral when they really are more symbolic, as if they embody morality rather than practice it as a man would. With Scully, as you say, she became a Madonna figure. Many female fans maybe identified with her and liked the idea of themselves as a Madonna, and many men maybe liked relating to her that way as well, but in the end it's the same old sexism. Somehow Scully wasn't just a person confronting her own issues.
I guess it's also sort of interesting to turn it around and say if Scully provides this kind of check for Mulder by being a person he considers when he acts, then what does Mulder provide for Scully? Perhaps Scully and Hermione both yearn for a figure who seems to embody something himself...I seem to remember sometimes getting into trouble for trying to get into that, because some people really didn't like the idea that Scully was getting anything out of her relationship with Mulder. To me this made her a more dynamic character that was his equal, to others I think it took her down off that pedestal where they wanted her to stay.