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In The West Wing Sorkin created some of the smartest and interesting female characters in the history of television. If he wants to create a fictional universe

In The West Wing Sorkin created some of the smartest and interesting female characters in the history of television. If he wants to create a fictional universe in which quasi-historical figures inhabit a more sexist world, and in particular if he wants to do that with a view to establishing an ironic subtext for the film (social network as rooted in deeply problematic social structure), then I think he's earned the right.

krakensden 16y ago
Rather than "he earned the right," it might be more accurate to say "he's proved he's not a sexist pig, the movie is probably fairly accurate in regards to the gender of the protagonists." But you could probably object to the fact that that explanation is even needed.
Periodic 16y ago
I don't think this is some sort of game where you can gain some credit doing one thing which lets you do the opposite and have others turn a blind eye. People might still give you respect despite a misogynistic movie, a flop company, or embarrassing outburst, but that doesn't give you a "right" to do it and not be roasted for it. We need to keep questioning things and be ever vigilant to make sure we don't loose the liberties that we have gained, particularly for minorities. The healthy way to do that is to have an open and honest discussion about the subject when is relevant. You always have the right to free speech and to spend your money on whatever you want (within reason, no hit-men). You never earn the right to be above criticism.
- pigbucket 16y ago
  I agree more or less with everything you say, but don't think it's really relevant to what I said. Perhaps it was not clear, but I don't think the movie is misogynist, although it is in some obvious respects about misogyny. The terrain of sexual politics is difficult to negotiate, and it is possible to criticize intellectually-challenged unsympathetic writers even for trying to aestheticize in film the negotiation of that terrain. The fact that Sorkin has established his authority to write sensitively and intelligently about complicated subjects about which everyone seems to have intensely entrenched opinions means for me that we should avoid the knee-jerk response to the appearance in his writing of unimpressive female characters and misogyny towards them and at least consider that something more meaningful is going on than the banal intrusion into the film of the author's own supposed sexism.

krakensden 16y ago

Rather than "he earned the right," it might be more accurate to say "he's proved he's not a sexist pig, the movie is probably fairly accurate in regards to the gender of the protagonists." But you could probably object to the fact that that explanation is even needed.

Periodic 16y ago

I don't think this is some sort of game where you can gain some credit doing one thing which lets you do the opposite and have others turn a blind eye. People might still give you respect despite a misogynistic movie, a flop company, or embarrassing outburst, but that doesn't give you a "right" to do it and not be roasted for it. We need to keep questioning things and be ever vigilant to make sure we don't loose the liberties that we have gained, particularly for minorities. The healthy way to do that is to have an open and honest discussion about the subject when is relevant. You always have the right to free speech and to spend your money on whatever you want (within reason, no hit-men). You never earn the right to be above criticism.

pigbucket 16y ago
I agree more or less with everything you say, but don't think it's really relevant to what I said. Perhaps it was not clear, but I don't think the movie is misogynist, although it is in some obvious respects about misogyny. The terrain of sexual politics is difficult to negotiate, and it is possible to criticize intellectually-challenged unsympathetic writers even for trying to aestheticize in film the negotiation of that terrain. The fact that Sorkin has established his authority to write sensitively and intelligently about complicated subjects about which everyone seems to have intensely entrenched opinions means for me that we should avoid the knee-jerk response to the appearance in his writing of unimpressive female characters and misogyny towards them and at least consider that something more meaningful is going on than the banal intrusion into the film of the author's own supposed sexism.