I think we’re moving away from the emotionally strong woman being buff/masculine theme but originally I assume this theme was misogynistic in origin “this woman is so strong she can make it on her own - she doesn’t even need a man… and since we assume a man being present is necessary for survival it’s not that she doesn’t need a man - it’s that she’s her own man! There now we have a strong female character without eroding our own preconceived gender hierarchy. Technically a woman can survive on her own - as long as she’s a man!”
Honestly, you’ll get this read off a lot of early female villains and in trashy movies they’ll queer code her because obviously the female villain (who is functionally a man writing-wise) needs a wife of her own.
I think we’re moving away from the emotionally strong woman being buff/masculine theme but originally I assume this theme was misogynistic in origin “this woman is so strong she can make it on her own - she doesn’t even need a man… and since we assume a man being present is necessary for survival it’s not that she doesn’t need a man - it’s that she’s her own man! There now we have a strong female character without eroding our own preconceived gender hierarchy. Technically a woman can survive on her own - as long as she’s a man!”
Honestly, you’ll get this read off a lot of early female villains and in trashy movies they’ll queer code her because obviously the female villain (who is functionally a man writing-wise) needs a wife of her own.