Negative Influences

I was watching a drama on BBC1 last night, “The Amazing Mrs Pritchard“, and something struck me while I watched it. Of late, there seems to have become a trend in these dramas for there to be strong female roles, and the women’s partners seem to always have a very diminished role, and be a negative influence on the women, providing a downside of everything, blocking the development, and wanting the women to stop their plans for [whatever]

I realise that drama needs conflict, needs that portrayal of issues, and that the protagonist being supported all the way through by her partner would (in theory, at least) not be dramatic or whatever, but I do find that these cliches are really becoming quite wearing.

After all, if a drama were to portray things the other way round, with the female character holding back the development or dreams of the male character, it would be portrayed as sexist, biased, and many other things. But when the “norm” of negative portrayals of men happens, that’s fine.

I don’t mind as such, and I’m not concerned about it on sexist levels. I do however, think it’d be better if both portrayals were allowed to happen, and for there to be balance, rather than bias.