Equity & Difference
I’ll make a man out of you: Redefining strong female characters
Thurs. Jan. 21, 2016 7:30 p.m.
Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue
Anita Sarkeesian
Media critic, creator, FeministFrequency.com
This event is sold out.
There has been a significant increase in the number of television shows and movies that showcase female action heroes, challenging and transforming the historical representations of women. But are these truly examples of “Strong Female Characters,” or do they simply replicate traditional masculine archetypes in a sexualized, female body?
In this lecture, Anita Sarkeesian deconstructs the “Strong Female Character,” and argues for a better approach to how women are portrayed in media, one that breaks out of oppressive interpretations of gender and supports feminist values to promote a more just society.
Anita Sarkeesian is a media critic and the creator of Feminist Frequency, a video webseries that explores the representations of women in pop culture narratives. Her work focuses on deconstructing the stereotypes, patterns and tropes associated with women in popular culture as well as highlighting issues surrounding the targeted harassment of women in online and gaming spaces.
Anita was the recipient of the 2014 Game Developers Choice Ambassador Award, she was given a 2013 honorary award from National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers and was nominated for Microsoft’s 2014 Women in Games Ambassador Award. In 2015, Anita was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
As part of her work with Feminist Frequency, Anita lectures and presents at universities, conferences and game development studios internationally. She has been interviewed and featured in publications such as The New York Times, Wired, The Wall Street Journal, The Globe and Mail and The Boston Globe. Her videos are freely available via the Feminist Frequency YouTube channel and widely serve as educational tools in high school and university classrooms.
Brought to you by the UW Graduate School and the UWAA, Equity & Difference is series of talks that expose and explain transgressions and struggles—both systematic and personal—experienced by too many in our communities today, featuring thought leaders from our campus and around the world who are working to open our eyes to the consequences of prejudice, and seeking solutions for change.
UWAA and UWRA members receive advance registration for the series! Not a member? Join today!
For more information, contact the UW Alumni Association at 206-543-0540 or uwalumni@uw.edu.
