This will help reveal those areas where you can make the story more about who your original character is. Thank you for the advice! Often these responses contained arguments for or against the use of death or injury of female characters as a plot device. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Fridging is the most simplistic, yes, and I dont like the sexist shadows it has acquired through constant use. Alan Moore has since disownedit, and Barbara's eventual rebirth from a battered Batgirl to the organizational heart of the Bat-family as Oracle enabled her to deal with her own trauma and remain an indispensable player in theBatmanmythos. Male Mary Sue characters are sometimes called Gary Stus or Marty Sues. She is colored, headstrong, smart, capable, and distant. In terms of motivating a protagonist, fridging is a blunt tool poorly suited to more complex stories or characters. Readers are repelled by fiction that is too far different from the stories theyre used to. It's about how the story treats the character. Also, whether being nudged out of genre is good or bad is also a personal choice. The more authors overuse fridging, the less versatility it has left for those authors who want to use it in a considered and effective way. Equal representation in the entertainment industry must take precedence in order to undo societys status quo. In real life you would have to be a narcissist, or for a male, some sort of chauvinist, to believe that the world is spinning around you, but in fiction it's really true. Is it better to fridge a protagonists father than their mother? She soon commits suicide. There are examples in superhero comics, too, of heroines subverting fridging to become hardened survivors of the dreaded ice box. My twist, though, is he only thinks she is dead. As a pro, she should know that everything in the story exists for the MC, for the increase of tension, and to push the plot. This may happen by relegating her to the less exciting B-fight during the climax. The moment works because Mr. Crepsley is an established character there to do more than just die; his death isnt just a loss to the protagonist and a sympathetic cue to the reader, but a loss to the world and a tragedy in its own right. Female authors have become gradually marginalized with the growth in the industry and female fans are attacked and criticized for their opinions. To wrap female characters up in cotton wool and protect them from bad things wouldn't be good representation (or good drama) but fridging is the opposite extreme. Generally, fridging refers to killing off a female character not because of anything to do with them, but because of how it will affect other (typically male) characters. But she told him him hes not a killer. Fridging is also specifically when a character is killed off (or maimed, tortured, ect) for no other reason than to cause emotional pain to a different character. In the movie John Wick, the premise is simple: the title character is the most capable assassin ever, forced out of retirement to right an unforgivable wrong. And yet, Simone's original question still hangs in the air, unanswered, as to "why they were thrown in the wood chipper in the first place. His parents didnt even give him time to breathe after losing the wife he loved. Required fields are marked *. It depends on these existing narratives in order to function.". This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Its worth noting here that there is a deeply unpleasant tradition of using the rape of a woman to motivate a male character in a way that dehumanizes the actual victim and trivializes a serious real-world issue. I wouldn't worry about it. So, the issue with fridging is not "characters should never be motivated by the loss of a female love interest." The issue is more about how, especially in certain types of literature, women characters tend to exist only as a plot device.All they are is a source of pain for the male MC.. Writing female characters that have no purpose or personality quickly becomes annoying, both for the writer and for the reader. Happiness could be a good career, a happy family life, or a dog that gets very excited when she comes home from work each day. Unfortunately, despite the film's post-credits retcon, the image was already done, and no amount of jokes in the opening credits can make it go away. I can't tell you how hilarious it is to play a video game or read a book and someone gets the underwear wrong. Write several important female characters. I also highly developed his wifes personality.The thing is, of course, she died in the past. Its not the sole motivation for the carnage that follows, but its a specific enough act that Wick pursues individual revenge against those who have it, killing multiple people during the opening of John Wick Chapter 2 in a symbolic reclamation. However, not to mention financial backing, too many clues are missing to revive the once lost whisky. Simone published many of the responses she received on the website. Men in adventure stories regularly sacrifice their lives to either save the world, the group or just give the protagonist a head start. She learns to ask for help in coping with her PTSD from her difficult past. Unfortunately, it's all beholden in the eye of the audience. They exist solely to be killed, tortured, or harmed in order to further the development of major and . It refers to an incident in Green Lantern vol. Some responses were neutral and others were positive. Spoilers for Deadpool 2 below. Of course, he still attends therapy for his grief, but he didnt get it immediately after his past wife died. In 1999, writer Gail Simone coined one of the most enduring phrases of modern pop-culture analysis: "women in refrigerators.". and people loved her and don't know how they'll survive without her and she had so many dreams that will never come true and the people who killed her are animals and the MC is devastated at her loss and is also very angry at the people who killed her. I just fucking hate when people use the word 'rape' in connection to this issue. Intentional or not, having a woman locked up like an object the male protagonist keeps is a perfect encapsulation of how Nolan often fails his female characters. Then, ask what about their death would have to change if you used this character instead. Women in Refrigerators or fridging women is a term coined by Gail Simone, which is used to refer to the disempowerment or maiming of female characters. Fridge is where some bad guy kills someone close to the characters (usually a female character but not always) to motivate a (usually but not always male) character to seek revenge. Based on what you've said here, I'm not completely sure if this would qualify as fridging, but it seems dangerously close. Fridging offers easy character motivation, but its a device with a dark history. I dont believe hell ever be ready, but he doesnt have to be. Or am I seriously over-thinking this and should throw gender out of the equation entirely, and just go with what my story-telling gut is saying?? As with most other tropes. The Problem With Gamora's Avengers: Infinity War Storyline, Not Even Time Travel Can Undo Deadpool 2's Fridging Problem, Deadpool 2 Director Responds to Fridging Criticisms, 'The Killing Joke' Revisited: How The Graphic Novel Stands Up 28 Years Later. If she is the only woman and her entire personality revolves around being the only woman, then it's just a bummer. As if I want to improve, I cant keep trying to teach myself, or else Ill be stuck in the same place. Basically, its an easy way to make the protagonist hate the antagonist, and this is part of why it has such a negative connotation. Sometimes, this is done by careless authors, but its also a trap for the well-meaning, who choose to motivate their characters with this because its the worst thing they can imagine. If a protagonist is hurt or wronged, most writers communicate that hurt or wrong as something thats happening to that character. If you must fridge a character, its worth reflecting that the traditional sexism of fridging is a constant specter. Their Death Serves No Purpose. The idea for placing the list online originated with software developer Jason Yu, who also served as the original site host. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The term was coined by comic book writer Gail Simone. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 41,659 times. Show women that are successful in other areas such as the arts, music, or literature. If it is a love relatioship, I feel the audience would be upset if he didn't want revenge. Yes, they should have a goal, but why is that goal so important to them? This act is not meant as a way to spur the MC on a revenge rampage, but as a plot point that leaves the MC with a child, and an aimless future. However, the husband has moved on. She stops looking down on people who aren't as smart as her. Women in Refrigerators (or WiR) is a website created in 1999[1] by a group of feminist comic-book fans that lists examples of Women in Refrigerators Syndrome, a literary trope in which female characters are injured, raped, killed, or depowered (an event colloquially known as fridging), sometimes to stimulate "protective" traits, and often as a plot device intended to move a male character's story arc forward, and seeks to analyze why these plot devices are used disproportionately on female characters. WEBSITE DESIGN BY LAUGH EAT LEARN, This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. We can't root for a billionaire tech genius in a bat suit without a couple of murdered parents in his backstory, or Kryptonian goodness incarnate without the loss of his entire homeworld. I also know that many, if not all, of your comments are from 2018. Do You Need To Rewrite Your Inciting Incident? Like any literary convention, fridging has absorbed context with its use, and its now a more complex and potentially damaging device than it might appear. Don't just do a cursory scan of TV tropes on fridging and related tropes. Use Black Men. ", RELATED: 'The Killing Joke' Revisited: How The Graphic Novel Stands Up 28 Years Later. In Star Wars, Anakin's flaw was pride. The Waystar Royco team travels to L.A., where Kendall pitches eternal life (kind of), Shiv reconnects with the most unlikely of men, and Roman can't stop firing women. Its the difference between valuing a characters presence in the story and just ensuring theyre unique while they act as a plot point. Diverse female characters will help you avoid stale tropes. Technology consultant John Bartol edited the content. Give your women different roles, different personalities, and different skills. At a certain point, you could almost guarantee each comic book film would feature a character who presumably dies only to return later on. ", How to Avoid Creating Female Character Stereotypes in Your Writing, https://misslunarose.home.blog/2019/05/24/why-readers-like-glitter/, https://misslunarose.home.blog/2020/04/25/mary-sue-test/, Tasha Robinson: We're losing all our Strong Female Characters to Trinity Syndrome, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test. Mary Sues can also be male. Someone with different preferences and beliefs. Some people will still have chivalrous make-ups. They may be murdered, raped, disfigured, beaten up, or forced to suffer through overall horrifying things just so the hero can be sad. However, a wish that she told him after birthing their son was that she wants for him to be treated like a little prince. If the writers intent is to kill off a character as part of their own journey but they fail to evoke emotion, that would be poor writing, but it wouldnt be fridging. Which, is valid. His only goal is to keep his family name alive, and to properly raise his three children. Character A could try reading a favorite book and balk that the hero loses a loved one and doesnt lose a step (which now seems unrealistic to them) something to signal to doubtful readers that youve anticipated their concerns. Approved. But considering she never made it clear like that, and her husband was raised by an immensely wealthy family, he unintentionally overly spoiled their son. My issue with the term fridging is that almost everyone uses it for the death of a female character regardless of how it happened and MOST of the time it is used incorrectly. Its harder and less automatic to do this with other characters because the narrative doesnt follow them, but authors are well-served to look at whose pain they are accidentally presenting as primarily the protagonists problem. Getting a character arrested or fired even just leaving them to face the music on their own can have a similar effect. Even when you're aware that it's an issue, it's difficult to make work. He also attributed "the wholesale slaughter" of female characters being "easier" for writers to do because they are fewer in number, significance and are mostly "cookie-cut outs" of each other. Is there an effective way of killing off a female character, with a male protagonist, and it NOT coming off as a little misogynist? So, it doesnt necessarily have to lead to the protagonists rage, but its primarily a spur for another characters reaction. Females are equal to males in both good and bad aspects, they can be as heroic, virtuous, powerful, inspiring and competent as any man. 1. "[5], Journalist Beau Yarbrough created the initial design and coding on the original site. Elongated Man's wife Sue Dibny is about as disposable as it gets in 2004'sIdentity Crisiscrossover; her rape and murder used purely to incite the drama for what was billed as the "comic event of the year!". In my own defence, the character herself is well fleshed out, feels real and is not just a token female sidekick or love interest for a male hero. "Character fridging" simply had the unfortunate luck to be named for and become generally known for the times it was handled very badly.. Speaking of which, Sacred Games is a cesspool of fridging. A very simple version would be Character A reading a book, Character B asking if theyre enjoying it, and Character A saying they think the author is going to kill someone off for cheap tension. [11] Additionally, arguments on the merits of the list were published on comic-book fan sites in early 1999. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Of course, since the thing the antagonist does is there to enrage the protagonist, it can make more sense to just do it to the protagonist. Last Updated: August 24, 2022 The name Women In Refrigerators, usually shortened to just fridging or fridged, was coined by comics writer Gail Simone in 1999. Hmm, I know it can't be considered fridging if any female died, especially since I'll have to kill off girl characters too. Mary Sues tend to have many things handed to them (e.g. Let her stay happy and single. Tip: A character is "fridged" if the thing that happens to her permanently places her in the victim role. The term references an issue of Green Lantern in which the character's girlfriend was killed and stuffed into a refrigerator as a plot device. "This is a list I made when it occurred to me that it's not healthy to be a female character in comics," she establishes. Then up-and-comer Geoff Johns pointed to a "long history of the majority of male creators," while Marv Wolfmanput it down to an attempt by writers to create higher emotional stakes, explaining, "I think it generally means killing female heroes is supposed to elicit more emotions from readers than killing male [ones.]" Not only does it work just as well as a fridging, but its even more gripping to see a character return from personal injury, turning the slight into not just motivation but the start of a physical feat. John Wick doesnt even stray particularly far from a traditional fridging the viewer is appalled and sympathetic to the killing of a pet, and even the puppy itself is portrayed as a symbol of Wicks connection to this wife. The origin of the term came from the 1994 comic The Green Lantern #54.The hero, Kyle Rayner, returns home to find his girlfriend, Alexandra DeWitt, killed and stuffed in a refrigerator. So what do you think? Women in Refrigerators (or WiR) is a website created in 1999 by a group of feminist comic-book fans that lists examples of Women in Refrigerators Syndrome, a literary trope in which female characters are injured, raped, killed, or depowered (an event colloquially known as fridging), sometimes to stimulate "protective" traits, and often as a plot device intended to move a male character's story . While showing women who succeed in STEM is great, succeeding in STEM isn't the only way to be successful or strong. Some writers jump to "female" issues, like pregnancy or abusive men. He tells them about the happiest moments the two have gone through together, and how she was as a person. Getting beaten up, betrayed, or otherwise wronged is, in itself, a compelling motive for vengeance. Just try to give her other personality traits besides being boy crazy, like she could be really smart or creative, or a really friendly person. As for Wonder Woman? Sure, we may talk about our sons, boyfriends and husbands, but not at the expense of everything else. Providing character development for the protagonist is the writer's motivation (not because the writer is a sadist but because they're focused on pushing the protagonist's story forward; in either case fridging the female character is a means to an end). "The steps on how to make my girl characters more interesting, but not perfect, has been very useful. By using our site, you agree to our. Lucy is the producer of two British thrillers, and Bang2Write has appeared in the Top 100 round-ups for Writers Digest & The Write Life and is a UK Blog Awards Finalist and Feedspots #1 Screenwriting blog in the UK. Don't let femininity be seen as degrading. Given traditional story structure, this arrangement can even end up positioning a male protagonists journey as recovering from damage done to his property using violence. 3 June 2016, 1:00 am. Consider family troubles, school/career problems, health issues, relationship troubles, and other areas to explore. 9) Stop thinking female characters only talk about men. Screenwriter and script editor Lucy Hay says: "We often see stereotypes of sad, doomed characters, like teenager mothers who are irresponsible and ill-educated. But if she rolls up in her wheelchair ready to kick butt and stop the villain, then she's awesome, not fridged. Your email address will not be published. This can become painful to read. RELATED: 10 Most Overrated Superhero Films From The Last 5 Years. Again, though, the idea of recognizing trends like fridging is to allow authors to make informed choices, and it sounds like thats exactly what youve done. However, not too extremely. In conclusion, she s is dying from the incident from the villain but the main character gave up his life to her so she can live (from a power he has) and then the main character dies but his special lives. The name Women In Refrigerators, usually shortened to just fridging or fridged, was coined by comics writer Gail Simone in 1999. Its writing that takes the easy way out, and while it can be effective, it doesnt ask anything of the characters. Yeah, but it's the same kind of angry one would get if they stole his car, or ate all of his chips. Unfortunately, her hunch about it being "disproportionate" proved correct. Don't write a Mary-Sue. Also, going back to the child who turned out to be bratty topic, the husband is still trying to learn how to properly handle the, practically, monster he created. As an Amazon Affiliate we earn from qualifying purchases. Readers love a strong female character. You can also subscribe without commenting. Rather, empathy for men has to be created. The list is infamous in certain comic book fan circles. She learns to step up, let her voice be heard, and be a leader. The main character of the film is male, and this act does end up propelling him to exact revenge in the film's climax. [2][3] Simone and her colleagues then developed a list of fictional female characters who had been "killed, maimed or depowered", in particular in ways that treated the female characters as mere devices to move forward a male character's story arc, rather than as fully developed characters in their own right. Do you have a suggestion for another form of quick but compelling motivation for revenge? Female characters don't always have to win or succeed in everything. How do I do that without starting or contributing to stereotypes? If it feeds what you need it to feed, use it, but if you overuse it, itll run dry and youll extend the time before you can fruitfully return. Hence, his parents didnt give him time to at least get therapy before forcing an arranged marriage onto his shoulders. This may happen to the hero's romantic interest, a family member, or even someone he doesn't know well. HoennDude 3 yr. ago. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). It refers to female characters that are killed or hurt to move the male's story arc forward. Deadpool 2 openly called out its own "lazy writing" rather than attempt to make Vanessa's fridging amount to more than just a James Bond parody and a sexy, ghostly rendezvous. Of course, his wife meant she wants for him to be spoiled. Fridging The Women In Sam's Life "Fridging" or "Women In Refrigerators" was a term originally coined by comic book writer Gail Simone. As with racism, the problem isnt merely the one occasion of harm, but how that harm feeds on and into more widely damaging societal norms. [11], Several comic book creators indicated that the list caused them to pause and think about the stories they were creating. It's really surprising how many novels have clichd, stereotyped female characters. His son grew up to be a huge brat, and throws tantrums even as a teenager whenever he doesnt get whatever he desires, or, when nothing goes his way. Different respondents had different interpretations of what the trope's existence meant, and Simone herself wasn't after definitive answers at the time. The simplistic nature of fridging has also led to many identifying it as a sexist trope. And men can like and relate to female characters too.). Remember, men don't need women to be happy either. Where that point of no return lies is open to argument. What John Wick proves is that audiences actively appreciate creators deviating from the fridging norm, and the reasoning is pretty simple; fridging is a great justification for a revenge thriller, its an immediate shot of rage and purpose, and if you do it without adding to or drawing from a legacy of sexist decisions, readers get to dodge the attendant guilt and just buy into the thrills. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. RELATED:Not Even Time Travel Can Undo Deadpool 2's Fridging Problem. Directory So? There has been some error while submitting the form. Few people enjoy pointless death. Fridging is trope in fiction where a character (mostly female) is killed to progress the story of the protagonist. Happiness is not always a man. Campus Calendar, Jobs Several contributors to the site and the original list later became comic book creators and entertainment industry professionals: Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Or let a woman save another woman. The issue with something like fridging is that it plays off assumptions that are normalized in everyday society most authors who use fridging dont hate women, theyve just absorbed the sense that killing a female character is a perfectly fine way to motivate a male character so reading through with these societal pressures reversed can help things stand out. ). It's very normal, and you can revisit the character to grow them beyond their current characterization. The term comes from the world of comics, describing an issue of Green Lantern in which the heros partner is killed and stuffed in a refrigerator for the protagonist to find. The form has been submitted successfully! The next thing to do is to imagine replacing the character wholl die with another person. It is worth providing an explanation first, I think. When the specifics of the event dont matter only that they traumatize or enrage the protagonist the character who actually gets fridged becomes an object. You can replace fridging with pretty much any slight, and as an author who can control the entire universe, there are plenty of opportunities to do so. Im proud of how I created him. Overly sexy female characters, constraining female characters to secondary roles, and dull or extreme personalities are the patterns of sexism observed in comic books or graphic novels. For example, if she's in a wheelchair and the story only references her as a tragic victim after this, then she's fridged. And while I admit, the love interest dying is definitely a huge plot motivation for the MC moving out of town and eventually meeting the second MC, She is not just a card-board-cut-out only there to die. This article may contain affiliate links and we may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. In a landscape where protagonists and antagonists tend to be male, this creates a situation where a womans suffering becomes an incidental moment in a conflict between men, even if thats not the intention of the author depictions of death, mutilation, and rape accidentally, purposefully, or carelessly position the man as the victim of these acts and the woman as the vessel through which theyre delivered. Unusually, though, the movie seems aware of the drawbacks of fridging, and it goes in a subtly different direction. He wears her ring as a necklace, but, he has donated all of her belongings to charities and to people that needed them. Fridging is a term used in cultural criticism, primarily in regards to comic books, to describe the act of killing, harming or incapacitating female characters for the purpose of motivating the plot. Read articles and essays on fridging and what it really is and what the most egregious examples of it are in media. One would think writers would know how to avoid these poor characterizations nowadays, when it's been done a thousand times already. You know, to actually end up growing into a kind adult who appreciates the privileges he has. In those cases, what can you do? Avoid going to great leaps just to pair up your leading lady; this usually doesn't go over very well.
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