Presentation Type
Textual Analysis
Release Option
Event
Description
.
Abstract
Antiheroes appear in many different forms of characters who present relatable paradoxes. These flawed heroes give audiences someone they can resonate with, but considering the crime drama television franchise, like many others, primarily employs white, male antiheroes, women lack representation. The sparse number of females that happen to fall within the antiheroine category are patronized by stereotypes, or, even more condescending, they are given their title because they are romantically involved with the lead (male) antihero. Alyssa Rosenburg, in an interview with Forbes, states that she believes “studios are sticking to what works and not, uhm, thinking outside the anti-hero box” (Forbes 2011) while Levi Dean, in an essay regarding screen writing an antiheroine, suggests antiheroine rarity is due to her “opposing traditional female cultural expectations” (Dean 17). However, cultural movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp have attributed to a recent, increased demand for inclusion of relatable and justified female criminal characters in television dramas who are afforded agency, provided with adequate backstories, and challenge gender role stereotypes. In his Netflix series Ozark (2017), Bill Dubuque showcases the evolution of many antiheroines by providing multiple female leads with purposeful roles. These antiheroines are ordinary women who continuously grow in power, establish their own moral codes, subvert stereotypes, and take and establish more agency than their male counterparts throughout the four seasons. Ozark’s thorough representation of antiheroines rejects ideological feminine roles and sets the bar for antiheroine standards through flawed, powerful, brilliant female characters.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Beth Howells
Department of Primary Presenter's Major
Department of Literature
Location
Room 2030
Symposium Year
2023
Evolution of an Antiheroine: Feminism in Dubuque's Ozark
Room 2030
Antiheroes appear in many different forms of characters who present relatable paradoxes. These flawed heroes give audiences someone they can resonate with, but considering the crime drama television franchise, like many others, primarily employs white, male antiheroes, women lack representation. The sparse number of females that happen to fall within the antiheroine category are patronized by stereotypes, or, even more condescending, they are given their title because they are romantically involved with the lead (male) antihero. Alyssa Rosenburg, in an interview with Forbes, states that she believes “studios are sticking to what works and not, uhm, thinking outside the anti-hero box” (Forbes 2011) while Levi Dean, in an essay regarding screen writing an antiheroine, suggests antiheroine rarity is due to her “opposing traditional female cultural expectations” (Dean 17). However, cultural movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp have attributed to a recent, increased demand for inclusion of relatable and justified female criminal characters in television dramas who are afforded agency, provided with adequate backstories, and challenge gender role stereotypes. In his Netflix series Ozark (2017), Bill Dubuque showcases the evolution of many antiheroines by providing multiple female leads with purposeful roles. These antiheroines are ordinary women who continuously grow in power, establish their own moral codes, subvert stereotypes, and take and establish more agency than their male counterparts throughout the four seasons. Ozark’s thorough representation of antiheroines rejects ideological feminine roles and sets the bar for antiheroine standards through flawed, powerful, brilliant female characters.
