fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2897 ]

[ SECRET POST #2897 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2897 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 041 secrets from Secret Submission Post #414.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 1 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 1 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I would argue yes, just because of how many audience members for this kind of movie are now female.

This is curious to me because, as a woman, I definitely don't need a woman in the film to enjoy the movie. I feel it's almost insulting that it's assumed I would (not that I'm saying that's what you're assuming).

http://www.npr.org/2013/06/30/197390707/casting-call-hollywood-needs-more-women?utm_source=atc&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=20130630

Not quite what you were saying, but I think most women would like to see a little more female representation in their films. I've noticed that's the trend for newer movies anyway. I'm a hardcore fan of 80's macho action movies and women are represented in vastly different ways now than they were before.

Same. In fact, I find it rather bizarre when people say that they need a character of their gender in a story to enjoy it. So you can't empathize with characters who aren't exactly like you...?

Does Tauriel actually add appeal to the movies for women (who aren't social activists)? I can see how she might be a cool character for a kid, who isn't familiar with the books.

Personally, I'm a woman and I certainly love good female characters - key word here being 'good'. I don't think LOTR or The Hobbit, by this point in their fame, are at all gendered or targeted toward men. I really don't, especially considering the cast is a hobbit and a bunch of pretty boy dwarfs and there's really nothing "macho" about these movies. I really wonder how many female audience members actually are responding positively to Tauriel, or are just neutral.

I really would have appreciated Tauriel as a kid.

This I can agree with.

As an adult, she does nothing for me and I roll my eyes at the romance subplot, but as a kid, seeing an awesome kickass girl-elf would have made me incredibly happy.

I just wish the stupid romance subplot could be cut.

The women on the forum were generally negative on their view of her. There were a few who liked her. Most liked her to a point. They weren't against her inclusion per se and there were elements that were okay. But handing her a love story really annoyed most of them (me included), taking away some of her more badass qualities. In the third film, it's reported that Kili dies saving her (and not protecting his uncle and brother) and that she teaches love to Thranduil. It sounds heavy handed. Also, they disliked how unprofessional she appeared as a Captain of the Guard (though there was debate on this).

It was generally agreed that her character was made for young girls. However, those who had young girls to ask asked their opinion and they didn't seem very impressed (granted, super small sample size). So, that's how the female Tolkien crowd felt at this board.

Most people that go to see movies are not hardcore forum-going Tolkien fans. These movies wouldn't be a success if they didn't cater to a larger audience, including young girls and teenagers who are a large part of the market.

You think The Hobbit, after blockbuster hits of the LOTR trilogy, would not have been a financial success if they didn't have Tauriel? Really?

I think that movie makers have an obligation to appeal to their wider audience in an effort to make even MORE money, in fact as much money as they possibly can with their films. It is all about business. It doesn't matter if the movies would have made money, they want to make as much money as possible and that includes appealing to as many people as possible. It's basic marketing.

I don't disagree with you. However, I have noted that most forum-going Tolkien types were actually rather positive about her up until the love-story was brought in. Most of the negativity has really cropped up since the third movie spoilers came out and it's been confirmed that her story revolves around a guy. Those who liked her are disappointed by this.

"she teaches love to Thranduil"

Ah shit, I was afraid this would happen.
See, I didn't hate her. Until she became the epitome of a Mary-Sue (created by someone else to fit into an already existing story, everyone loves her or when they don't they're big meanies, love triangle with two (well loved) canon characters, all the positive development a character has in canon without her credited to her in the movie.)

Well we don't exactly have large scale surveys to test this, (unless you can find early studio screenings with audience reactions, but anecdotally speaking, most of what I've heard about her was positive. I think the hardcore purist fans have many issues with the hobbit movies that extend beyond one new female character.

I've mostly heard the opposite - Tauriel has gotten a lot of flack for being a Mary Sue, being pointless to the plot, being tossed into a romance storyline and her making friends with dwarves watering down what was supposed to be significant about Legolas and Gimli's friendship. Then again, most of the people I've talked with, irl or online, are active fans of LOTR and not the average casual viewer so who knows.

It's exactly that. The casual fan will not know the difference, except that women do want to see other women in movies and amazingly enough, many of them do like romance.

And I'm still not quite convinced that Tauriel significantly impacted women's enjoyment of the film, even casuals, overall.

I agree.

My daughter loved the LotR films even though those are pretty low on women themselves despite the beefed up roles for Arwen, Galadriel and Eowyn.

Then she read the books and she was so disappointed when she saw how little role the female characters had. Her heart broke when she read The Hobbit and encountered no female characters of any consequence. It matters to a lot of girls and women whether a trek across the entire known realms Middle Earth brings you into contact with a chick or two. I think they all must have reproduced like mushrooms or something because clearly not enough lady folk to go around.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ SECRET POST #2897 ]

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