Supernatural: Saving People, Hunting Things, and Killing Women
December 31, 2020
In November of 2020, the world witnessed an amazing and historic development out of the USA: Supernatural finally aired its last episode.
Its passing is mourned by legions of fans, but celebrated by us here at the #DFGRR, because it means we can finally analyze it.
You Only Live Twice: RIP to Sean Connery
November 1, 2020
Content warning: sexualized violence
On Halloween 2020, a retired actor named Sir Sean Connery went to meet the great casting director in the sky, at the ripe old age of 90. His passing has been mourned by most fans of James Bond, our current lead for both number and percentage of dead girlfriends. For it was Sean Connery, rest his soul, who originated James Bond on-screen, way back in the halcyon days of 1962.
Yes, it was Connery who first whirled to fire at the camera in an opening sequence:
Why You Need to Vote
October 12, 2020
My Dear Readers,
Hi! I know it's been a while since we talked. I also know that you may be sick unto death of hearing about politics. I know I am. In fact, I have channeled my frustration into this special 2020-themed version of Female Cause of Death BINGO.
Joe Cartwright's Dead Girlfriends: No Wonder Michael Landon Always Cried!
August 6, 2020
You're stubborn and cantankerous, but they just ain't makin' girls into women like that no more. I know, I looked around. - Joe to Carrie Picket, "Different Pines, Same Wind" (aired September 15, 1968)
Welcome back to the #DFGRR, and to our blast from the past: Bonanza. As we covered in the last installment, this little-remembered Western was a colossal hit in the 1950s-1970s. In its 14 years on the air, it racked up almost 360 hours of screentime.
Content warning: This entry discusses sexual violence and intimate partner violence, but does not contain clips of either.
So how many fictional girlfriends died? Let's find out...
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Bum-badabum-badadadadabum-dead GIRLFRIENDS!
May 29, 2020
Imagine, for a moment, that you are an NBC executive in 1969.
Your network is airing such classics as Star Trek, I Dream of Jeannie, and Dragnet. A time-traveler asks you, "which of your prime-time shows do you think will be the most popular in future airings?"
You presumably take a puff of your cigarette before confidently replying, "Bonanza."
The time-traveler laughs and says, "Why not Star Trek?"
Now you laugh. "That childish stuff? No way. Bonanza's got 3 Emmys. Its endorsement deals sell all the color televisions and Chevrolet cars in this country. It's really popular in the European market. Plus it's even been in the Nielsen top 5 for 9 seasons straight. No other show has done that! Bonanza is definitely our best long-term investment."
And scene.
Common Measures of Fictional Female Agency (FFA)
April 25, 2020
We use 3 basic tests to determine whether our subjects have any FFA.
1. The Bechdel Test
Created by cartoonist Allison Bechdel in 1985, the Bechdel Test requires that a film:
- has to have at least two women in it,
- who talk to each other,
- about something other than a man.
Examples are evaluated and tracked on http://bechdeltest.com/.
2. The Mako Mori Test
Named for the main female character in the 2013 movie Pacific Rim, the Mako Mori Test was created by a Tumblr user as an expansion of the Bechdel Test. To pass the Mako Mori, a film must:
- have at least one female character, who
- has an independent plot arc, and
- the character and/or her arc do not simply exist to support a male character's plot arc.
3. The Sexy Lamp Test
Captain Marvel writer Kelly Sue DeConnick invented this test as a tip for writers: “If you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.” In other words, characters should not be plot devices based on stereotypes about how women work. This is quite possibly the hardest test to pass, because of the prevalence of storytelling tropes such as the Love Triangle (with a woman as the prize), as well as stock characters like the "Mama Bear," the "Damsel in Distress," and the "Hooker with a Heart of Gold."