What hath Xena wrought? As actresses flex and bare more than muscle, some see familiar stereotypes
by Stephanie Schorow
Monday, February 26, 2001

In a time of special effects, reruns and recycled plots, a media in turmoil cried out for an action hero. She was Xena, a mighty princess, forged in the heat of syndication. Her ratings will change the screen world.
This is the last season for Universal Studios' ``Xena Warrior Princess,'' starring Lucy Lawless. But those who mourn the passing of the leather-clad and breast-plated warrior woman should take heart.

Xena's children now populate the world.

The world of pop culture, that is. After decades of domination by male action heroes - from James Bond clones to Sly to Arnold - females are putting on the Spandex and taking charge.

On TV, Max on Fox's ``Dark Angel,'' has joined ``Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' on the WB and ``La Femme Nikita'' on USA in tough, surreal crime fighting.

Other TV shows starring tough babes include: ``Black Scorpion'' on the Sci Fi Channel and the syndicated shows ``Sheena,'' ``Queen of Swords," ``Relic Hunter'' and ``Cleopatra 2525.''

Last year, a popular film version of the 1970s TV series ``Charlie's Angels'' turned Charlie's glamour girls into Charlie's kick-butt gals. Earlier, a reality-defying Trinity saved Keanu Reeves in ``The Matrix.''

And now, a Chinese arthouse-martial-arts film, ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,'' is wowing Americans with three fighting female characters.

Even the fashion world has taken note. On runways last fall, top designers were showing military uniforms, khaki bodysuits, metal and leather cartridge belts and bomber jackets - a huge contrast to last season's prim looks.

Black leather - the material of choice for every self-respecting warrior woman - is also hot.

Both male and female college students love the new action movies, which have been greatly influenced by the Hong Kong movie industry, said Jeanine Basinger, film studies chairman at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

``If it were just women saying, `Yeah, we're kicking butt finally,' but it's not,'' she said. ``They're saying, `great action, great characters, great stories.' Not `great female character or great female action.' ''

The rise of the female action hero has been a long time coming. Cold War Spy Emma Peel of TV's ``The Avengers'' was hugely popular in the 1960s, but spawned few imitations. Seventies shows - ``Charlie's Angels,'' ``Wonder Woman'' and the ``Bionic Woman'' - only mildly reflected the gender wars.

Not until Sigourney Weaver picked up a flame thrower in ``Aliens'' (1986) and Linda Hamilton bared her biceps in ``Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991) did a new Hollywood heroine emerge.

You can't blame the slow growth on male chauvinists; many female action movies stunk. ``Red Sonja,'' the female answer to ``Conan the Barbarian,'' bombed. Star vehicles such as ``Barb Wire'' with Pamela Anderson, and ``G.I. Jane'' with Demi Moore and ``Long Kiss Goodnight'' with Geena Davis were busts. Even the quirky ``Tank Girl'' tanked.

``It's a profit-driven industry,'' said Jeffrey A. Brown, a professor of popular culture at Bowling Green State University. ``If Arnold and Sly are done, they're looking for what's new and what's fresh. It (a women action hero) doesn't always work.''

Even Xena's fan base grew slowly. Lawless first appeared as a character on the syndicated series ``Hercules,'' then won her own show. Indeed TV seems better suited for female action roles; unlike a movie, a series permits the eye candy to develop a character, Brown said.

Basinger now sees the ``feminization of the entire action universe'': heroes, sidekicks, villains, even extras are female. ``We saw that with Xena and we certainly saw that with Buffy, which has had an incredible influence on TV and films and in people's lives,'' she said.

But observers warn of mistaking action heroines for real progress in women's rights. Xena and Buffy might be tough, but their images are highly sexualized. Brown and Stuart Fischoff, a professor of media psychology at California State University, say all that leather has a ``dominatrix appeal'' to men.

Rare are nonsexualized portrayals such as Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling in ``The Silence of the Lambs'' or Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) of ``The X-Files.''

Rhonda Hammer, a research scholar with Center for the Study of Women at UCLA, finds old values in the new heroines. Even ``Crouching Tiger'' reinforces Asian stereotypes, she said - the chaste heroine, the witch or dragon lady with lesbian longing and the spoiled-brat princess.

``It's great to see women in action; it's not good enough to just have representation, especially if representation is reinforcing stereotypes,'' she said. Also, ``they are invariably white and beautiful and they seem to be getting skinnier and skinnier and this is dangerous for women, especially women in college.''

Some deride action heroines as men in drag. Fischoff disagrees, saying women fight within a different context. ``You find that aggression and relationships share the top spot - you don't have women being violent for the sake of violence.''

Basinger believes the media can suggest to young girls that they can be physically powerful; she ties such images to the popularity of women's basketball. ``We are seeing real-life role models, not action heroes, although they are certainly action athletes.''

Given such influences, Brown is anxious to see if the upcoming film ``Tomb Raider'' starring Angelina Jolie as the popular game character Lara Croft, will let the actress flex her acting chops as well as her shorts and tank-top-clad body.

With an ``Academy Award-winning actress, you would hope they give her plot,'' Brown said.

Maybe she could borrow Xena's sword as well.


BACK TO XWP ARTICLES