Critique of 'Female Slacker' Archetype in Contemporary Cinema and Television
An in-depth analysis indicates a prevalence of the 'female slacker' trope in contemporary film and television, typically portraying attractive, middle-class white women in their twenties and thirties who lack direction. Examples of this trend are Alana from Paul Thomas Anderson's 2021 movie 'Licorice Pizza,' Julie in Joachim Trier's 2021 film 'The Worst Person in the World,' and Amy from 'Bergman Island.' The 2022 BBC series 'Conversations with Friends' showcases Frances, while 'Fleabag' (2016-2019) helped to establish the 'unlikeable female protagonist.' More recent portrayals include Dakota Johnson in the 2022 Netflix version of 'Persuasion.' This trend can be traced back to Lena Dunham's Hannah Horvath in 'Girls' (2012-2017), highlighting a need for greater diversity in representation.
Key facts
- The article critiques the overuse of the 'female slacker' or 'girl-Pan' archetype in recent cinema and TV.
- The archetype is characterized by thin, pretty, middle-class white women in their 20s/30s who are aimless and make poor choices.
- Examples cited include films from 2021: 'Licorice Pizza,' 'The Worst Person in the World,' and 'Bergman Island.'
- The TV series 'Fleabag' (2016-2019) is credited with popularizing the 'unlikeable female protagonist.'
- Other cited works include the 2022 BBC series 'Conversations with Friends' and Netflix's 2022 'Persuasion' adaptation.
- The critique calls for more diversity in body type and race for such characters, noting Zoe Kravitz in 'High Fidelity' (2020).
- Lena Dunham's 'Girls' (2012-2017) is identified as a precursor to the trend.
- Ottessa Moshfegh's 2018 novel 'My Year of Rest and Relaxation' is presented as a literary counterpart.
Entities
Artists
- Paul Thomas Anderson
- Joachim Trier
- Mia Wasikowska
- Aisling Bea
- Dakota Johnson
- Zoe Kravitz
- Lena Dunham
- Ottessa Moshfegh
- Anders Danielsen Lie
Institutions
- BBC
- Netflix
- Hulu
- The Guardian
- The Hollywood Reporter
- Rolling Stone
- New York magazine