Annie Vos

I would be interested in this as well. Too often women are described as exotic when they simply are non-caucasian and by using the term “exotic” people connote a woman’s skin tone to their sexual appeal. In effect, through this fixation, people turn women into fetishes. It would be wonderful to see artwork that celebrates all women and their bodies.

I think one of the big appeals to “Bob’s Burgers” is definitely the depth of personality to each character. Consider the Belcher kids. Each one is emphatically unique. I believe that the success of the show correlates to the disorders that each kid seems to have and that they are relatable regardless of those differences. Tina could easily be on the autism spectrum, Gene seems to have ADD, and Lisa is a narcissist. These diverse characters give a great breadth of personality in which audiences can identify.

To add upon this, perhaps this popular trope is a manifestation of cultural fears regarding feminism. Women are increasingly taking power in all aspects of society; however, this hasn’t dispelled the patriarchal mentality that still prevails. Woman are accustomed to participating in male-oriented media and are capable of identifying with male characters, yet in mass media there still is a lack of female driven stories. This is where I think “Once Upon a Time” does the most damage. It presents a female-driven narrative that confines itself to prehistoric stereotypes and regresses to an age where “hysterical” was a medical condition. This does nothing to dispel myth and only builds upon those fears of women in power.