Girl Power Done Right: The Boys
- 25020486 Istafa Niazi
- Jun 14, 2023
- 2 min read
We are finally at a point where female representation in film has brought radical changes to the Film & TV industry, with powerful female characters dominating the big screen. The influx of superbly written characters has achieved newer heights now that we view these stories from a different lens entirely. This has been accompanied by dedicated scenes featuring 'girl power' and showcasing the potential of these female characters, with two very prominent examples being present in Avengers: Endgame and The Boys. There is, however, a stark difference in how both integrate these scenes.
While the scene in Avengers: Endgame features the majority of the female cast with diverse representation, it is still evident that it feels out of place within the context of the battle. The balance between being a cinematic marvel and effortless representation is no longer maintained, and you, as the viewer, begin to think that this inclusivity might not have been added as a passionate achievement but instead an obligation upon the filmmakers. Perhaps the casual viewer would not have their immersion broken, but 'The Boys' sets the bar for girl power so high that you're always in the zone (flow state mmnt?)
https://youtu.be/SgAEexDFhV8 ( I hope either of these links work for the scene)
I feel it is essential to comment upon how effortlessly this scene just blends into the plot and becomes one of the best fight scenes of the show. This is partly due to how the writing deeply explores and complements the story arcs of not just the female characters but everyone who appears in the show. The way these characters have been solidified into this world makes the need for an explicit scene to show their empowerment almost unnecessary, as each has already held positions of paramount importance exhibiting their individuality, something that Avengers: Endgame lacked immensely.
The cinematography and direction, too, are to die for. The weight of every punch reverberates through the scene, with the bass and badass music syncing with the battle giving you more goosebumps. The intensity of the camera shakes and blood splatter even shows the difference in strength between each of them, with Maeve and Kimiko punching the hardest.
These elements brought together bring the best out of 'The Boys' and let them deliver this iconic line. "Girls do get it done."
Probably the most cleverly written show I've seen so far, perhaps not always in terms of plot but definitely in terms of its political awareness and social commentary. The end of season 3 where they all loved homelander for the public killing is just so brutally honest.
I haven't seen The Boys, but the scene you linked seems intriguing enough for me to want to start the show. Often, like when you mentioned in Endgame, women's representation is done solely as a checklist that production companies try to tick off by cramming in a scene or two to appease the audience. It is always done with a specific intent which makes the scenes look awkward and misplaced. I think production companies and writers try to diversify their characters just for the sake of it, and it ends up looking shallow, making their intended message rather dull. I think it's even more harmful to gendered stereotypes of women and power because if scenes that depict that are done…
While I haven’t seen Endgame or The Boys, I’m aware of the discourse regarding female representation in superhero movies in particular, where the women either have a very minor role to play or their character is overshadowed by the males. In such movies, the women mostly act as a sidekick or the romantic interest of male superheros and that is their only significant contribution, which I often find very reductionist and stereotypical.
Again, although I haven’t watched the show, the clip you linked seemed like a positive change to the stereotypical representations of female superheroes we’re used to because it actually shows these women taking control and contributing significantly to the narrative (even if they’re fighting each other).
Though I left it half-way through the first season, I might just pick it up again. I agree: what you've pointed out is something that we don't see very often because we're so used to the female characters just playing side roles in this genre of movies/films that are almost always in need of help, and cannot do without the men. No obvious empowerment means they've done their job so well, that it is not another token representation to make people happy without much consequence. It stands testament to the type of discourse we've been fed for so long, and what has been so subtly stereotyped on the screen that it has begun to feel "normal".
Great review! and I like how you compared the two fight scenes in detail. The boys has been on my watchlist for a long time but I haven't gotten around to watching it yet. To expand on your point about the avengers endgame I also feel like the whole girl power moment at the end was only added for performativity and to earn woke points because marvel has been called out for its lack of female representation many times in the past. And they will continue to fall short unless they move away from superficial storytelling that assigns one dimensional roles to their female superheroes. To counter this I do feel like the women in the black panther wakanda forever…