There was going to come to a point where I’d have to touch on the topic of gender, no matter how delicate it is nowadays (I've read and heard more takes on gender identity and gender equality than I’m proud to admit), and better to get down to it than to keep putting it off indefinitely.
I’ll start with something that has been on my mind almost all my life and that has been relevant to me in one way or another throughout the duration of it: Male Villains Vs. Female Villains. Or, if you want to be less dramatic, vile males vs. vile females.
To do that, however, I must first speak about gender, about what, to my understanding, is “male” and what is “female”, what is “masculine” and what is “feminine”, what is “masculinity” and what is “femininity”.
Nowadays these terms are being continuously redefined. And don’t get me wrong, I’m in for change and progress. I want there to be fairness, for people to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their gender as well as enjoy opportunities to live good and great lives however it best suits them. However, there are a few definitions that I’d prefer to stick to for the sake of clarity. And that, in my opinion, are not too harmful in themselves. I don’t think that the harm we should be concerned about is in the definitions of these terms but in how we value and promote what they encapsulate.
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| Becky (2020) |
For context, I grew up questioning the notion of gender. One of the first things that were ever said to me, when I was first beginning to be conscious as a child, was “I always wanted a baby girl; I was so happy when I finally had you!” It’s a flattering thing to say - except in cases when it isn’t. In my case, it sort of backfired. I ended up actively wondering and worrying about what a girl even was and whether or not I could be that.
Fortunately for me, strict gender roles were never forced on me by my caregivers. Hence, it was never too horrible for me. Even if my mother wanted a baby girl because she believed women could be more caring than men, she’d be the one to make room for me to do “boy things” I wanted to do, like play video games even though the (male) kids there didn’t want me around as, according to them, I should be doing “girl things” instead. My grandmother, too, who raised me alongside my mother, would go out of her way so that I’d do sports and exercise. Would even make it so that I could practice basketball even though I sucked at it. In other words, despite growing up in what was still a conservative culture that divided certain activities between males and females, I was allowed to participate in what was considered “masculine”. They even put me in karate! My two favorite uncles, too, who were often around, never limited my development based on gender (one, the lawyer, got me my first computer, the other, the electrical engineer, taught me mechanics).
There were “feminine” things I enjoyed, too, though. I liked playing with barbies and collecting plushies. What I could not, for the life of me, ever find any joy in, was playing with baby dolls to pretend to mother them. I always found them creepy as heck and that should say something about my maternal instincts. It’s a good thing that I chose not to have children of my own because I’m sure that would not have gone well. Not for me, not for the child.
So, there were “feminine” things I did or did not resonate with, same with “masculine” things. Which led me to see myself as feminine in some ways and masculine in some others. Turns out, that’s how it naturally is for a lot of people. Being part masculine and part feminine. Rarely have I encountered someone purely at the end of either side. Though many would seem to be, when looked at closely, might just be a matter of pushing one side while repressing the other - either because they were brought up that way or something else.
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| 12 Hour Shift (2020) |
Throughout my life, I have found various systems that, while not necessarily their focus, categorize what is masculine and what is feminine. Three of them stood out for me and helped me make sense of what was a more spread out, nebulous phenomenon. Nevertheless, the differences between these two sides are not as clear-cut as they would make it seem and they still rely on generalizations drawn out of behaviors emanating from assigned and enforced gender roles throughout history and what one gender or the other was usually credited (due or not) for. Yet, they coincide in something: You don’t have to be born with male reproductive organs to be masculine or with female reproductive organs to be feminine, you might be a bit of both regardless. And to be fair, we can’t expect much nuance and precision from systems that are aiming to simplify a complex subject. That defeats the purpose. If anything, they have merit for providing perspective.
The one I first read into was on The Left Brain vs. The Right Brain and how the left brain hemisphere is the more “masculine” one while the right brain hemisphere is the more “feminine” one. We all use both, but some of us function more on one side than the other rather than being balanced-brained.
The second one is the Yin Yang and its symbolic meaning, how it basically says that the dark side, Yin, represents the feminine, while the light side, Yang, represents the masculine, and both sides have a bit of the other in them while simultaneously being complementary.
The third one is Western Astrology, stating that Fire and Air signs are more masculine, while Water and Earth signs are more feminine. In truth, zodiac signs are mixed bags of characteristics that could be considered either masculine or feminine, but do tend more toward one or the other overall. E.g. Capricorn, an Earth sign, is considered feminine despite being an ambitious, career-oriented one, which would have normally been attributed to males. However, its manner is more resemblant of a responsible, self-controlled, sensible parent that could very well be a mom or “the mom friend”. Similarly, Virgo is known as perfectionistic and analytical but, as another Earth sign, still comes with that grounding quality present in caregivers. In contrast, the fire signs, which are more impulsive and reckless, are considered masculine in astrology.
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| Hosts (2020) |
All this, and more that I’m leaving out to not make this article a long essay, goes to say that there are traits and behaviors that have been typically attributed to males and traits and behaviors that have been typically attributed to females, and consequently are widely associated in that fashion. Although, in reality, if there are no constraints or limitations to develop and express ourselves, we’d see them manifest regardless of gender.
Given that, if we grasp what masculinity and femininity refer to, we can look at and ponder the morbid aspects of each side, how bad they get if they’re too extreme, or if, for whatever reason, they have become twisted and/or destructive versions of themselves. Toxic masculinity and toxic femininity, or worse.
Masculinity is essentially described as:
• Extraverted
• Active
• Firm
• Direct
• Logical
Femininity is essentially described as:
• Introverted
• Passive
• Flexible
• Thorough
• Emotional
In horror, male (or masculine) villains tend to rely on their force to intimidate and gain power over others. Whereas, female (or feminine) villains tend to rely on their vulnerability to manipulate and gain power over others. In this sense, male/masculine villainy is more straightforward while female/feminine villainy is more insidious. Which one is more dangerous and terrible would actually depend on how and how far they’re carried through. Some of the most horrible villains combine masculinity and femininity in their acts.
Personally, I’m glad and relieved that female/feminine villainy is shown in the media. Not because I aspire to it, but because it acknowledges the existence (or potential existence) of it. And you may say that males and masculinity are still way worse and we should pay attention to that instead. Well, I’m paying attention to it but I don’t want to overlook the other kind - especially when I know first-hand how detrimental it can also be. I don’t care if you’re male or female, masculine or feminine. If you’re guilty of heinous acts, you should be judged for them. Call me a faux feminist with internalized misogyny if you will. Do you really want to go your entire life lying to yourself, saying that you’re incapable of any wrong?
Furthermore, from a mere entertainment standpoint, it’s no wonder that female/feminine villains can be especially intriguing and fascinating. There are usually more layers to them and intricacies to their approach. And that is engaging. Covert behavior gives us mystery. Overt behavior... not so much. Although the latter can be extra exciting and amusing, making for supreme action.
At the end of the day, what scares us the most may have to do with what we’re least able to handle. Can you see through and gracefully hold your ground against vile femininity? Can you remain brave and efficiently fight back against vile masculinity?
Are you more masculine or more feminine?