Much to my surprise, I discovered that other people have found Steven Moffat to be a misogynist woman hate. I was shocked. I was shocked by a couple of things. One was the quote that was was supposedly from Dr. Who writer and Sherlock producer-writer Moffat.
This is the Moffatt quote:
“There’s this issue you’re not allowed to discuss: that women are needy. "There’s this issue you’re not allowed to discuss: that women are needy. Men can go for longer, more happily, without women. That’s the truth. We don’t, as little boys, play at being married - we try to avoid it for as long as possible. Meanwhile women are out there hunting for husbands."
Finding that the quote was from Scotsman.com in a 2004 article, I also found an even nastier quote:
"Well, the world is vastly counted in favour of men at every level - except if you live in a civilised country and you’re sort of educated and middle-class, because then you’re almost certainly junior in your relationship and in a state of permanent, crippled apology. Your preferences are routinely mocked. There’s a huge, unfortunate lack of respect for anything male." [http://www.scotsman.com/news/time_lad_scores_with_sex_and_daleks_1_1394833]
Given that these quotes were taken seven years ago, one hope that Moffat grew up a little and learned that women
1) Don't live to marry men, and while women may have dressed up Barbie Dolls for a play wedding when little girls, it was about the pretty dress not the wedding! For that matter, as girls we were also just as likely to play different ball games, or in my case, write and put on plays. I dreamed of being the next Louisa May Alcott - a writer; marriage was a tangential idea.
2) Civilized society still discriminates against women - all women, not just lesbians. The world, including the middle-class world of the UK and USA is "vastly counted in favour of men at every level." I have vast personal experience to back this up. And as my previous post indicates, small women who are not from the majority group get hit hard with this.
3) Women get relationship, because our live are more difficult. We realize that relationships are important, and marriage is about more than "trapping a man," finding a father for children, or even convenient sex. (So Moffat still hasn't read Carol Gilligan?). There is still a huge lack of respect for anything female, as in making fun of little girls who play wedding or want to be a fairy princess.
Perhaps the issue is that little boys in a capitalistic society are still taught to compete rather than communicate, that there is still a male attitude that marriage or a significant loving relationship is some thing to be avoided as long as possible.The result - men who consume women, moving from one relationship to the next. Sadly, now women also think that "hooking up" is just fine. So what is so wrong about having respectful relationships?
There are some equally nasty name-calling going on by women bloggers, labeling Moffat with all sorts of derogatory terms. I won't go there; it doesn't help, and really - who is going to take you seriously if you go there? Interestingly, some of the comments also said Moffat has a juvenile obsession with lesbians (see my previous post).
I rather appreciated the Scotsman article, as I found out Moffat was a former English teacher. Perhaps, also, in seven years time he has grown up a bit to learn that women don't have it that easy. One review of the Irene Adler Sherlock episode (Scandal in Belgravia) noted that the episode does explore all types of relationships and all types of love (though also questioning the dominatrix bit). That is good news, and we all need to be reminded of this fact. However, to brush over the fact that despite living in an age of female Prime Ministers and Presidents, most women - even in civilized society - struggle to be accepted for who they are.
Dorothy Sayers, who wrote the Lord Peter Wimsey tales, did make comments on Sherlock Holmes. As Wimsey was an English detective, she had something to bounce off of. Her independent female character in these stories was Harriet Vane. Unlike Irene Adler, Harriet could get a university degree, and graduated from Oxford. She also made a living as a writer, and turned down Wimsey's marriage proposals several times. I think perhaps Moffatt should have looked at these stories in updating the Sherlock Holmes tales. Sayers actually wrote and lived not that long after Conan Doyle, but what a world of difference.
In Victorian and even Edwardian days, you couldn't have a female Sherlock Holmes. Now you could. In times past, you could officially have only marriage or not, and nothing else. Thankfully, we are a bit more open to different types of relationships, and even men who somewhat understand relationships. Unfortunately, I don't think Moffat is yet one of them, but again - as a former teacher, I would really like to talk to him about Violet Hunter. Come on Steven Moffat - write one for the teachers!!! We are besieged everywhere, female or not.
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ReplyDeleteI see that people are still reading this. I'm glad because in review I think it fairly good. Moffat claims he did NOT make the quoted statement above, and that the Guardian article on Scandal got personal. Okay, so Steven Moffat, please do clarify what you actually said, and if you at least half understand why so many of us have a problem with Irene Adler as Femme Fatale instead of smart (Jewish) girl, performer. You and Gatiss did say on the Sherlock Season one commentaries that the Conan Doyle version of Adler was much more interesting. I know, it is half a year later now, but I think of such things on these hot, slow days. I guess when you are rich and successful you don't need to think as much about what you are presenting to millions of people, over half of them women.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Smart Girls are beautiful, but a female Sherlock would have an incredibly difficult time, even and especially in today's world.
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