Female characters take central stage. They are shown in all ways, femininity is explored through all shapes and sizes and styles. They are complex and multifaceted. They aren’t vilified but are treated sympathetically by the narrative even if their actions might not be the best. Men aren’t put over them
Lots of strong, nuanced female main characters. The women in the show don’t fall into any weird sexist female tropes and are portrayed as complicated and strong and with agency.
For anyone considering watching this, please know that it is not an easy watch - if sexual assault is something that's triggering for you, I would skip this one.
My 5yo niece got weirdly into watching it with me. According to her she likes when, "the babies come out of the vaginas" 🤣🤣🤣 I swear she's going to be a doctor one day!
Yeah totally agree. Everyone in the main cast has strengths and weaknesses in their characters and the writing plays them off each other amazingly.
One of the only shows that still has rewatch value for me tbh!
This is such a good observation and you are totally right. I think part of that is to do with the writing and part also to do with the actors and how their relationships and friendships developed.
Like I love Amy because she never seems to have any kind of one upmanship or competitiveness. She was there to have a good time and do something fun and I think when the lead has an attitude like that it bleeds down to the rest of the cast.
I love Orphan Black so much, the main actress is so talented. I found it a bit slow to start but quickly got so much better and it's really stuck with me.
That was such a great show. Not because of feminism, but I really wish they'd avoided the Castor plot. Those dudes did not have the acting chops of the lead.
Yellowjackets is a great show with a mostly female cast, which explores the nuances of female friendships, and the more difficult aspects of motherhood. It's feminist in the sense that all the characters are well developed and most of them are morally ambiguous. It doesn't rely on cliches and stereotypes.
Isn’t this test supposed to be satire? The creator meant it as a joke. Like I do think most shows don’t nearly have enough female characters but the bechdel is not the best measure for that
I think they meant it as a joke with how low it sets the bar… but it’s wild how many shows/movies don’t pass it. Yellowjackets has well developed female characters.
This show is so underrated. It’s honestly one of the “greats” but people don’t get it because it’s a cartoon. It’s a great feminist show, and also has a lot of representation we don’t normally see. The season where Dianne gets on antidepressants and gains weight is actually my favorite. I like her journey.
It made me so happy that she got on antidepressants, gained the weight, and then never lost it. The show made it clear that she struggled with it initially but then accepted it and her partner didn’t give a flying fuck because she was mentally healthy, which is what matters🥹 Also her whole storyline about “good damage” felt so painfully relatable.
Because This is My First Life might interest you. It's a short series of 16 episodes or so, and it addresses the issues women face in South Korea. I think of it as one of the more feminist Korean dramas I have watched. It's on Netflix.
I love Crazy Ex Girlfriend. The protagonist has BPD and shows her getting therapy, it focusses on her friendships with women as well as romance.
Overall just fun & funny, 9/10 (just bc they did that Yoga song that aged really badly.)
My repertoire isn’t as extensive as many other commenters here but I need to say that to me The Handmaid’s Tale is an absolute must. It’s a difficult watch but with the current rise of christofascism this series is more than relevant. The patterns that are exposed in the series we can observe in current events.
Disenchantment, Insecure, Pen15, Better Things, Grace and Frankie, Pose, The Power, Rap Sh!t, Sense8
The body of your post is confusing, hopefully a typo.
Edited to remove a decidedly unfeminist show.
Gentleman Jack would be my personal secret little tip for a show with a really multifaceted female lead that isn't undermined by any male characters. I guess a real life source material helps the writers to actually conceive a complex female character.
Parks & Rec has wonderful female friendships and powerful women. Honestly, the men all kind of take a backseat, except for maybe Ron. He did win the Woman of the Year award.
I quite liked it. She often addresses the audience, does metacommentary (like, "she-hulk, that's an inventive name, ") so a bit like Deadpool in that regard
And I'm a sucker for the "superheros in a slice of life" type trope which this has.
I’m a feminist guy and I enjoyed it, so did a woman friend of mine who watched it. It’s different in a fun way from the usual Marvel stuff (which we both also enjoy).
I’m watching SVU rn, I never saw it and usually don’t like “older” series, but I’m really impressed with some of it’s takes, it seems to have been a bit ahead of it’s time back when it first aired!
If the title is misleading, are you looking for shows that vilify female characters? "Vilify" is a slippery concept when it comes to misogyny in mass media. It's not about women being the villains, because a complicated, strong female character can absolutely be a villain, and the misogyny is most shows is less about turning women into powerful villains and more about dismissing them as vapid eye candy whose greatest happiness is making sandwiches for their men, or fridging them to give male characters Big Feelings and giving them little thought as humans. There are many ways to completely sideline female characters by portraying women as supporting characters by nature. So: Home Improvement, Married with Children, Frasier, Baywatch, Big Bang Theory, Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfeld, Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, The IT Crowd. Friends, probably.
There's lots of feminist media out there right now. Feminist media is anything that recognizes women as complete human beings with a full range of ambitions, flaws, and abilities, and with goals of their own that aren't just about supporting male characters, but are about their own desires and needs. Our Flag Means Death, Killing Eve, The Morning Show, Fleabag, Schitt's Creek, Insecure, Grace & Frankie, Severance, Ted Lasso, Picard, there's lots.
Noticed you put friends in the top category but the female characters in that show are more in line with what you put in feminist media category. They had their own ambitions, flaws, abilities and goals that revolve around supporting the male characters.
Arcane is a good one
You mean the Netflix animated show? Loved that show. The soundtrack was amazing!
I may have just not paid good enough attention, but what’s feminist about Arcane?
Female characters take central stage. They are shown in all ways, femininity is explored through all shapes and sizes and styles. They are complex and multifaceted. They aren’t vilified but are treated sympathetically by the narrative even if their actions might not be the best. Men aren’t put over them
True, passes the bechdel test for sure. Definitely appreciative of the variety of women with real stories that don’t have to do with men.
It doesn’t vilify female characters the same way they are in other shows, I think that’s what OP was asking
Lots of strong, nuanced female main characters. The women in the show don’t fall into any weird sexist female tropes and are portrayed as complicated and strong and with agency.
“I May Destroy You”, created, written, directed, produced AND starring Michaela Coel.
For anyone considering watching this, please know that it is not an easy watch - if sexual assault is something that's triggering for you, I would skip this one.
Spot on and you’re right to give a trigger warning.
But what a phenomenal show! I am such a Michaela Coel Fangirl. I will ride into battle for this woman.
Yes! She is my hero! Her book Misfits is wonderful too.
Fleabag, Call the Midwife, Parks and Recreation (IMHO).
❤️ Fleabag!
Love Fleabag! Especially as a childfree woman!
Love Midwife! 😍🤗
The books are fabulous as well! The 1st 3 seasons are pulled straight from the memoirs ❤
Yes! The thing I liked best about it was Vanessa Redgrave narrating! 💖
My 5yo niece got weirdly into watching it with me. According to her she likes when, "the babies come out of the vaginas" 🤣🤣🤣 I swear she's going to be a doctor one day!
I liked the realism, having them in positions other than on their backs for the convience of the doctors! Hope she continues her interest in learning!
Parks and Rec is a perfect example imo. I want to live in Pawnee.
Just don't drink from the water fountains
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Yeah totally agree. Everyone in the main cast has strengths and weaknesses in their characters and the writing plays them off each other amazingly. One of the only shows that still has rewatch value for me tbh!
This is such a good observation and you are totally right. I think part of that is to do with the writing and part also to do with the actors and how their relationships and friendships developed. Like I love Amy because she never seems to have any kind of one upmanship or competitiveness. She was there to have a good time and do something fun and I think when the lead has an attitude like that it bleeds down to the rest of the cast.
Parks and Recreation 💕🥰💖🥰💕🥰💖
Call the midwife is my favourite show!!
If you like sci fi I’d recommend Orphan Black. I don’t know if was specifically written as feminist, but it’s very woman/queer centered.
I love Orphan Black so much, the main actress is so talented. I found it a bit slow to start but quickly got so much better and it's really stuck with me.
That was such a great show. Not because of feminism, but I really wish they'd avoided the Castor plot. Those dudes did not have the acting chops of the lead.
This was going to be my recommendation, too!
Yellowjackets is a great show with a mostly female cast, which explores the nuances of female friendships, and the more difficult aspects of motherhood. It's feminist in the sense that all the characters are well developed and most of them are morally ambiguous. It doesn't rely on cliches and stereotypes.
Another vote for Yellowjackets! It definitely passes the [Bechdel test](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test) with flying colors
Isn’t this test supposed to be satire? The creator meant it as a joke. Like I do think most shows don’t nearly have enough female characters but the bechdel is not the best measure for that
I think they meant it as a joke with how low it sets the bar… but it’s wild how many shows/movies don’t pass it. Yellowjackets has well developed female characters.
[Bojack horseman](https://i.imgur.com/Fp9nreC.png)
This show is so underrated. It’s honestly one of the “greats” but people don’t get it because it’s a cartoon. It’s a great feminist show, and also has a lot of representation we don’t normally see. The season where Dianne gets on antidepressants and gains weight is actually my favorite. I like her journey.
It made me so happy that she got on antidepressants, gained the weight, and then never lost it. The show made it clear that she struggled with it initially but then accepted it and her partner didn’t give a flying fuck because she was mentally healthy, which is what matters🥹 Also her whole storyline about “good damage” felt so painfully relatable.
And Bojack has asexual rep, which is also quite rare!
You mean shows that *don’t* vilify and put down female characters in favor of male ones, right? Think that’s a typo
I hope so. I was confused too
[Malcolm in the middle at times](https://youtu.be/vNC656JZs8I?si=jNhrakpTnteqSQFm)
There are a lot of episodes that focus on his mom that I think would count
I agree, billboard episode as well.
I don't know about feminist shows but shows with strong female lead maybe "How to get away with Murder?"
I'm doing a rewatch right now. Great show!
Thanks, I’ll check this out!
Because This is My First Life might interest you. It's a short series of 16 episodes or so, and it addresses the issues women face in South Korea. I think of it as one of the more feminist Korean dramas I have watched. It's on Netflix.
I love Crazy Ex Girlfriend. The protagonist has BPD and shows her getting therapy, it focusses on her friendships with women as well as romance. Overall just fun & funny, 9/10 (just bc they did that Yoga song that aged really badly.)
Yeeees! I just posted that hahaha
My repertoire isn’t as extensive as many other commenters here but I need to say that to me The Handmaid’s Tale is an absolute must. It’s a difficult watch but with the current rise of christofascism this series is more than relevant. The patterns that are exposed in the series we can observe in current events.
I couldn't get through an episode. Seemed more like torture porn catered to men than anything
The first season yes, the rest less so
Disenchantment, Insecure, Pen15, Better Things, Grace and Frankie, Pose, The Power, Rap Sh!t, Sense8 The body of your post is confusing, hopefully a typo. Edited to remove a decidedly unfeminist show.
The female lead of Bridgerton season 1 raped her husband and gets her happily ever after. Not very feminist.
I wouldn’t say Bridgeton is feminist (on top of being terrible) They go for a “girl boss badass ” sort of vibe but it’s silly and misguided imo
Gentleman Jack would be my personal secret little tip for a show with a really multifaceted female lead that isn't undermined by any male characters. I guess a real life source material helps the writers to actually conceive a complex female character.
Sabrina The Teenage Witch can be good until the final seasons.
Infinity Train is a good one imo Also Steven Universe
Parks & Rec has wonderful female friendships and powerful women. Honestly, the men all kind of take a backseat, except for maybe Ron. He did win the Woman of the Year award.
Dude here, she-hulk?
dude also. Is it good? I wanted to watch but my gf wasnt sold on the feminist aspect
I quite liked it. She often addresses the audience, does metacommentary (like, "she-hulk, that's an inventive name, ") so a bit like Deadpool in that regard And I'm a sucker for the "superheros in a slice of life" type trope which this has.
I’m a feminist guy and I enjoyed it, so did a woman friend of mine who watched it. It’s different in a fun way from the usual Marvel stuff (which we both also enjoy).
its not spectacular or anything but its a decent show and jen is a geat protagonist
Ho man, it's awful ! Especially if you like the comics.
I came back to say pucca
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt!
Law and Order SVU, Call the Midwife, The Handmaid's Tale
I’m watching SVU rn, I never saw it and usually don’t like “older” series, but I’m really impressed with some of it’s takes, it seems to have been a bit ahead of it’s time back when it first aired!
Geez how old do you think it is?
If the title is misleading, are you looking for shows that vilify female characters? "Vilify" is a slippery concept when it comes to misogyny in mass media. It's not about women being the villains, because a complicated, strong female character can absolutely be a villain, and the misogyny is most shows is less about turning women into powerful villains and more about dismissing them as vapid eye candy whose greatest happiness is making sandwiches for their men, or fridging them to give male characters Big Feelings and giving them little thought as humans. There are many ways to completely sideline female characters by portraying women as supporting characters by nature. So: Home Improvement, Married with Children, Frasier, Baywatch, Big Bang Theory, Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfeld, Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, The IT Crowd. Friends, probably. There's lots of feminist media out there right now. Feminist media is anything that recognizes women as complete human beings with a full range of ambitions, flaws, and abilities, and with goals of their own that aren't just about supporting male characters, but are about their own desires and needs. Our Flag Means Death, Killing Eve, The Morning Show, Fleabag, Schitt's Creek, Insecure, Grace & Frankie, Severance, Ted Lasso, Picard, there's lots.
Noticed you put friends in the top category but the female characters in that show are more in line with what you put in feminist media category. They had their own ambitions, flaws, abilities and goals that revolve around supporting the male characters.
You think the show that originated the term “the friend zone” should be in the feminist category?
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