Tough Men and Women Without the Misogynism (or the Self-Victimhood)

On Votaries, I discuss raunchier fairy tales. Those fairy tales remind me of 1970s television. 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, the shows were misogynistic or whatever (and actually, yes, they sometimes were). But when I rewatch them, what strikes me is the tough individuality of the characters, especially with remarkable shows like Scarecrow and Mrs King (way ahead of its time!). They seem more likely to be independent. More likely to do their own thing. More likely to call people out because they can, not because it's some kind of "you're a label--you must" mandate.

Toughness and misogynism (fear of that toughness) is a double-edged sword in some ways. Basile presents a Sleeping Beauty who gets raped by a prince, who later chucks his current wife into boiling oil. Basile also gives us a Rapunzel, Petrosinella, who overhears her evil captor's plans and outwits her, so the captor, an ogress, is eventually eaten by a tiger. Petrosinella runs the story, as do many fairy tale heroines. 

I mention in a post somewhere that Bellisario wanted his men to be tough and attractive and in-charge...and he wanted his women to be tough and attractive and in-charge. Gibbs and Ziva truly were his go-to characters. 

Some of that moxie seems to have gotten lost these days as everyone--and I mean everyone--fights to be the top-dog victim or angsty do-gooder or negative doomsdayer or cruel protester who doesn't have to do much more than join a mob. 

I think one reason Bones is still so beloved by us fans is that Brennan-Booth solved Bellisario's scenario without going down the misogynistic route. I suggest the writers accomplished this feat by (1) the characters defending their positions without labeling; (2) the characters being themselves before they are WOMAN AND MAN; (3) humor. 

Humor always helps.