10-15-2016, 09:52 PM
I watch all the classic western series on ME tv. After several years of watching--ME tv usually shows up wherever I go--I want to give a shout out to Victoria Barkley, the matriarch on "Big Valley". The alter ego of Ben Cartwright in "Bonanza", she is the atypical woman as usually depicted for that era. Sociologically speaking, women of that day were put on a pedestal, above and away from the fray.
In the last week, I've watched Victoria take out three men. In one episode, she just whips a photographer in his shop. She throws chairs, runs around the room looking for anything to use as a weapon. In another she is left, deserted by all the men as she is being stalked by two bad guys who disable the stage and maneuver or kill the men on the stage with her and her daughter, Audra, who has temporarily been struck with amnesia (amnesia is an oft used malady in many of the plots in these westerns, and in series tv in general, its incidence way much higher than the real population of the country, or world). The last guy is allowed to get on one of the stage horses and skedaddle if he chooses, which he does. Victoria takes Audra up a rocky hill, and creates small landslides of boulders to take out one bad guy, then retrieves his rifle and shoots the other guy.
Women in these fictions are most likely to be seen in a corner, away from the fight between the guy trying to harm them and the guy trying to save them. They do at a times, in fact, take action, often jumping onto the back of the antagonist, then being thrown against a wall and passing out. Some even pick up a piece of lumber or candlestick, and actually take out the bad guy as he is bearing down on the good guy. So they are not always frightened observers, but lots of times they are.
In today's culture, the woman would be more likely to get involved, but these were different times. Victoria is a straight up ass kicker. She does not stop when in a fight, and is always a credit to women of any time.
Just a thought.
Spanky
In the last week, I've watched Victoria take out three men. In one episode, she just whips a photographer in his shop. She throws chairs, runs around the room looking for anything to use as a weapon. In another she is left, deserted by all the men as she is being stalked by two bad guys who disable the stage and maneuver or kill the men on the stage with her and her daughter, Audra, who has temporarily been struck with amnesia (amnesia is an oft used malady in many of the plots in these westerns, and in series tv in general, its incidence way much higher than the real population of the country, or world). The last guy is allowed to get on one of the stage horses and skedaddle if he chooses, which he does. Victoria takes Audra up a rocky hill, and creates small landslides of boulders to take out one bad guy, then retrieves his rifle and shoots the other guy.
Women in these fictions are most likely to be seen in a corner, away from the fight between the guy trying to harm them and the guy trying to save them. They do at a times, in fact, take action, often jumping onto the back of the antagonist, then being thrown against a wall and passing out. Some even pick up a piece of lumber or candlestick, and actually take out the bad guy as he is bearing down on the good guy. So they are not always frightened observers, but lots of times they are.
In today's culture, the woman would be more likely to get involved, but these were different times. Victoria is a straight up ass kicker. She does not stop when in a fight, and is always a credit to women of any time.
Just a thought.
Spanky