What is it about those bad girls?

[thatcrazycajun]

There's been plenty of discussion about the appeal of "bad boys" in fiction, and science fiction/fantasy is no exception: Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, originally intended as a one-off villain but whose not-entirely-unrequited love for a certain blonde from Sunnydale, CA led him back to the side of the angels; Londo Mollari, Michael Garibaldi and even Alfred "Psi Cop" Bester on Babylon 5; Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) in the Hercules and Xena syndicated shows; and on and on.

Call me wrong, but I don't think there's been nearly as much meaningful analysis of the distaff side of that equation: the femmes fatale, the man-eaters, the Queens of Mean. You know who I mean: Xena herself, whose whole series was about her redemption; Faith Lehane in the Buffy/Angelverse (Joss Whedon gave her the last name for a role-playing game, says Wikipedia, but it's never been used on air), also on a path back to the light as of the latter series' end; Illyria in that same series, the eons-old über-goddess who ate out the insides of poor Winifred "Fred" Burkle to regain an Earthly foothold (both played to perfection by the luminous Amy Acker); Shego, the onetime brains of Team Go turned villainness and chief henchwoman to Drew "Dr. Drakken" Lipsky in the Disney's Kim Possible TV toon show; the slinky, devious, debauched Intendant Kira in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's mirror universe; Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager, a sweet human child turned cold, ruthless Borg and then brought gradually back to the side of humanity; and likewise on and on, though maybe not quite so many. Even The Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West has gotten a makeover (and a real name: Elphaba), courtesy of the novel and subsequent hit Broadway musical Wicked.

What is it that fascinates so many male readers/viewers (and even a few female ones, I feel certain) about women characters whose job it is to be un-likable? Especially ones who show even a teensy hint of not being quite all bad? Is it just that they get away with saying and doing all the stuff we'd love to and the hero/heroine isn't allowed? Or the potential, in some cases at least, for even a truly heinous female baddie to be reformed, given a complex enough characterization by the writers and/or the actress involved? Is it all just the male analogue of what so many female fans seem to think about the bad boys: "I bet I could sweeten her up, if I just got half a shot at her!"

Or if you don't wanna go that deep, just tell me who your favorite wicked, nasty, oh-no-she-didn't bitch-on-wheels in fiction is, and why. Doesn't have to be TV or film, either; Maxima is a great example from the Superman comic books, as is Rogue of the X-Men, who, you may recall, was a certified baddie in her early appearances; and there are ample quantities of same in prose fiction.

Comments

[wolfette]

You missed one - Servalan of Blake's 7, who never even tried to be redeemed, and still had the males dropping at her feet *g*

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

Oh, my...Thanks for the reminder. And is that you in the pic? Or if not, whom? And is this supposed to be Servalan? Didn't think Servie went in for black much. Either way, hubba-hubba! :-)

[wolfette]

yes, it's me, and yes it's me dressed as Servalan - note the Federation blaster in my hand. Servalan only ever wore either black or white - in her early appearances mostly white, but later she drifted more to the ... ahem ... dark side :-)

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

Way I heard it, Servalan was actually originally written to be an androgyne, wearing standard military gear, but her portrayer, Jacqueline Pearce, suggested that Servalan be dressed to-the-nines seductive and ultra-femme instead (though she kept the boy-cut hair). Whether this was to offer contrast with the character's decidedly un-feminine ruthlessness or simply because Jacquie hated the idea of tramping around in boots and a uniform all day long, I'm not sure; but either way, it sure as hell worked!

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Evil Willow (from BtVS, of course) rocks. I'd co-rule with her in a hot California eon :-)

Can I Have a "Hazzah" For the Grand Peacekeeper Bitch!?

[shelleybear.livejournal.com]

http://pics.livejournal.com/shelleybear/pic/0004ysw2

Re: Can I Have a "Hazzah" For the Grand Peacekeeper Bitch!?

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

Commandant Cleavage Grayza from Farscape? Huzzah indeed! (And am I the only one who noticed her strong resemblance to Servalan in both form and personality early on?)

[stevemb.livejournal.com]

The "the slinky, devious, debauched Intendant Kira" certainly made an impression on me. Of course, that leads into the opening of a whole new kettle of worms with the implied association of her "bad girl" qualities with her lecherousness and bisexuality....

[filkferengi]

Have you been watching "Painkiller Jane?" I think they're trying to tap into this trope.