The Smurfetta Principle (the Smurfette principle ) is a practice in works of art, primarily in films and television series, to include only one woman in the fully male composition of the characters. [1] This practice sets the narrative in which men dominate, and the woman is an exception and exists only in addition to men. [2] [3] Consequently, works using this trope often fail the Beckdel test , which is an indicator of gender bias in works of art.
The term was created by the American poet and critic in 1991 in The New York Times :
 | Modern shows either have a completely masculine composition, like " Garfield ", or are built on what I call the Smurfetta principle: a group of male friends will be emphasized by one woman stereotypically characterized ... The message is clear. Boys are the norm, girls are the variation; the boys are central, the girls are secondary; the boys are individual, the girls are typical. Guys define a group, its history and its code of values. Girls exist only in relation to guys. Original Text (Eng.) If you’re calling on a girlfriend, you can’t make it up. Boys are the norm, girls are the variation; boys are central, girls peripheral; boys are individuals, girls types. Boys define the group, its story and its code of values. Girls exist only in relation to boys. [four] |  |
Content
Examples
Named after Smurfetta , the only female character among the Smurfs , the principle is also observed in the following works:
- Miss Piggy at the Muppets [4] [5]
- Leia Organa in the original Star Wars trilogy [5]
- Penny in The Big Bang Theory [5] (season 1–3)
- at Seinfeld [6]
- Kanga in the works about Winnie the Pooh [4]
- April O'Neill in Ninja Turtles [3] [4]
- Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy [7]
- Black widow in the " Avengers " [7]
- in " Very strange things " [8]
See also
- Mary sue
- Virgin in trouble
- Harem (genre)
Notes
- Next Next::: Mother Book Book Book Book Book Book Book Book Nav Nav Nav Next - Chicago Review Press, 1 May 2014. - P. 203–. - ISBN 978-1-61374-859-6 .
- ↑ What the Smurfette Principle Teaches Your Kids About Girls . The huffington post
- 2 1 2 Gender on Campus: Issues for College Women . - Rutgers University Press, 1998. - p. 224–. - ISBN 978-0-8135-2522-8 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Hers; The Smurfette Principle . The New York Times , 7 April 1991
- ↑ 1 2 3 Tropes vs. Women: # 3 The Smurfette Principle Undeclared . Feminist Frequency . The date of circulation is January 30, 2016.
- ↑ Cultural Hegemony in the United States . - SAGE Publications, 2000. - ISBN 9781452221960 .
- 2 1 2 Marvel To Include More Female Representation In Upcoming Films. Odysseyonline.com . The date of circulation is January 30, 2016.
- ↑ Stranger Things 2: A Sexist Trope Could Be Fixed With Season 3 | Indiewire
Links
- The Smurfette Principle on TV Tropes