[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.14,0:00:29.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What do Inception, the Transformers,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.51,0:00:31.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the Muppets all have in common?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.84,0:00:33.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They all suffer from a trope called
Dialogue: 0,0:00:33.80,0:00:35.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Smurfette Principle.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.01,0:00:36.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As defined by TVTropes:
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.66,0:00:56.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 1991 Katha Pollitt, a feminist essayist
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.40,0:00:58.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,wrote an article for the NY Times
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.30,0:01:00.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because she was disturbed by the lack of
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.13,0:01:01.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,substantive female characters
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.80,0:01:02.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for her young daughter to watch.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.15,0:01:04.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She found that most of the programming
Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.46,0:01:06.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,aimed at young people
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.14,0:01:07.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,had a majority of male characters,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.99,0:01:10.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with just one female included in the group,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.66,0:01:12.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,she called this The Smurfette Principle.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.75,0:01:14.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You’ve probably guessed by now
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.65,0:01:15.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that this trope was named after
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.92,0:01:17.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the only female smurf in all of Smurfville.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.20,0:01:19.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Once upon a time,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.81,0:01:21.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Smurfs were an harmonious
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.16,0:01:24.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all-dude miniature civilization comprised entirely
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.16,0:01:26.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of kind good natured little blue dudes
Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.56,0:01:29.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,living out their cooperative-dude existence
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.61,0:01:32.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,somewhere deep in their dude forest utopia.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.65,0:01:34.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We’ve got Lazy, Grouchy, Jokey,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.51,0:01:37.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Brainy, Baby, and Papa Smurf
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.76,0:01:39.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and all their Smurf buddies
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.14,0:01:41.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,living out their smurfy existence
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.03,0:01:43.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,free from any of those meddling, divisive,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.53,0:01:45.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,controlling, manipulative, mean women folk.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.28,0:01:48.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But one day the evil wizard Gargamel
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.48,0:01:51.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,decided on a devilish plan to sabotage smurfdom.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.48,0:01:53.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And how will he do that?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:53.20,0:01:56.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,yes that’s right, by creating a female smurf!
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.88,0:02:00.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“That’s it, I’ll get them through their hearts,”
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.54,0:02:03.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“I will send them a Smurfette!”
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.55,0:02:05.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So Gargamel sent in Smurfette
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.51,0:02:07.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to cause divisions between
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.06,0:02:09.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the lovable blue creatures so he can capture
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.19,0:02:10.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and eat their tender blue flesh
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.67,0:02:13.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in a nice honey lemon sauce.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.01,0:02:14.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Long story short,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.53,0:02:16.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,love and understanding won out
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.28,0:02:18.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when Papa Smurf worked some smurf magic and
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.11,0:02:20.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,transformed Gargamel’s impostor
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.25,0:02:22.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into a real live smurf girl,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.70,0:02:25.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“sexy” blond hair, high heels and all!
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.50,0:02:27.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Down in the 100 acre woods,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.98,0:02:29.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we follow the adventures of
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.51,0:02:32.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Winnie the Pooh, Rabbit, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.32,0:02:34.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and Tigger – all dudes of course…
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.94,0:02:37.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in fact there’s only one female character,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:37.46,0:02:39.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Kanga, who shows up occasionally
Dialogue: 0,0:02:39.73,0:02:41.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as the mother of little roo.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.59,0:02:43.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even Jim Henson didn’t seem too keen on the women,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.72,0:02:46.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,along side Kermit, Gonzo, and Fozzie the Bear,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.93,0:02:49.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Miss Piggy was the only female muppet.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.38,0:02:52.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We can even see the Smurfette Principle
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.46,0:02:54.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,outside of programming aimed at young people.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:54.38,0:02:56.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So for example you have George Lucas’
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.87,0:02:58.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,original Star Wars trilogy where
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.44,0:03:01.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Princess Leia is the only principle female character
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.37,0:03:03.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the entire galactic empire.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.98,0:03:05.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you’re like me then you are probably thinking
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.99,0:03:07.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there’s got to be something wrong, I mean,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.57,0:03:09.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Star Trek has had a female captain,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.59,0:03:12.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Buffy has saved the world from a demon apocalypse
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.49,0:03:14.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at least half dozen times,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.30,0:03:17.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this trope has gotta be a thing of the past right?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:17.09,0:03:20.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Ellen Page gets Smurfette’d in Inception as her character
Dialogue: 0,0:03:20.57,0:03:22.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is the only female dream team member.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.87,0:03:25.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Big Bang Theory has a primary main cast of brainy
Dialogue: 0,0:03:25.25,0:03:27.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,men plus the smurfette that lives across the hall.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:27.96,0:03:29.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,While there’ve been a small handful
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.57,0:03:31.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of female autobots in the Transformers universe,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:31.58,0:03:34.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Arcee is the only regularly reoccurring
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.30,0:03:36.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,female cast member and she only appeared in
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.89,0:03:38.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,8 episodes out of the original series.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.94,0:03:40.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She was set to appear in the 1st Transformers
Dialogue: 0,0:03:40.98,0:03:43.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,live action film but she was dropped and
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.33,0:03:45.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,replaced with Ironhide.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.33,0:03:47.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She did however appear in the second film
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.49,0:03:49.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Revenge of the Fallen
Dialogue: 0,0:03:49.07,0:03:51.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which also happens to be one of the most sexist
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.47,0:03:53.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and racist films I’ve ever seen.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:55.32,0:03:57.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This version of Arcee is either a hivemind
Dialogue: 0,0:03:57.86,0:04:00.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with 3 different motorcycle components
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.07,0:04:02.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or the other two bikes are her sisters,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:02.46,0:04:04.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it’s not exactly clear.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:07.09,0:04:09.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it doesn’t really matter anyway
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.34,0:04:11.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because they all get blown up at the end.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.14,0:04:14.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Plus they only appear on screen
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.21,0:04:16.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for a grand total of exactly…
Dialogue: 0,0:04:16.96,0:04:20.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“Follow us to the pillars — AHHH!”
Dialogue: 0,0:04:22.42,0:04:24.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,39 seconds.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:24.11,0:04:25.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even in most seasons of Jon Stewart’s
Dialogue: 0,0:04:25.93,0:04:27.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Daily Show there has been
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.46,0:04:29.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,only one female correspondent at a time.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:29.63,0:04:31.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Smurfette principle is especially
Dialogue: 0,0:04:31.32,0:04:32.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,important to remember now because
Dialogue: 0,0:04:32.90,0:04:36.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hollywood is currently trying to remake everything
Dialogue: 0,0:04:36.13,0:04:38.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and anything that we even vaguely remember
Dialogue: 0,0:04:38.17,0:04:40.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from the 80′s and 90′s in an attempt
Dialogue: 0,0:04:40.38,0:04:42.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to cash in on our collective nostalgia,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.59,0:04:44.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you know, instead of maybe taking a risk
Dialogue: 0,0:04:44.89,0:04:46.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on things that are new and exciting.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:46.53,0:04:49.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We even have a live action Smurfs movie coming out.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:52.30,0:04:54.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We’ve had 2 big blockbuster movies based on
Dialogue: 0,0:04:54.78,0:04:56.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Transformers, and sadly
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.73,0:04:58.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there’s another one on its way.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:58.80,0:05:01.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The 2009 Star Trek reboot by JJ Abrams
Dialogue: 0,0:05:01.26,0:05:03.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,had Uhura as the only female character
Dialogue: 0,0:05:03.93,0:05:05.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the main bridge crew.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:05.34,0:05:07.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And just like Star Trek we can be sure
Dialogue: 0,0:05:07.12,0:05:08.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that hollywood is not going to try to bring
Dialogue: 0,0:05:08.94,0:05:10.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,gender equality into these reboots
Dialogue: 0,0:05:10.87,0:05:12.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but rather just stick with their Smurfettes.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:12.84,0:05:14.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The problem with narratives infused with
Dialogue: 0,0:05:14.65,0:05:17.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Smurfette Principle is not only the lack of women
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.04,0:05:19.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but as Katha Pollitt points out in her NY Times article:
Dialogue: 0,0:05:26.09,0:05:27.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Basically this means that men are the default
Dialogue: 0,0:05:27.98,0:05:31.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and women get to be sidekicks or sexy decorations.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.84,0:05:35.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even when there’s only one female primary cast member,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:35.02,0:05:37.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as videoblogger Nostalgia Chick points out in her
Dialogue: 0,0:05:37.06,0:05:38.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Smurfette Principle video, they are usually just
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.87,0:05:42.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“sexy” female duplicates of their male counterparts.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:42.47,0:05:44.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“Disney was the one that kinda really started”
Dialogue: 0,0:05:44.05,0:05:46.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“this interest in the whole default and”
Dialogue: 0,0:05:46.06,0:05:47.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“deviation from default complex,”
Dialogue: 0,0:05:47.97,0:05:49.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“basically this idea that men seem to want”
Dialogue: 0,0:05:49.87,0:05:51.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“a vagina’d version of themselves.”
Dialogue: 0,0:05:51.50,0:05:53.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That’s an excellent point,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:53.00,0:05:53.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,thank you Nostalgia Chick.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:53.89,0:05:56.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Smurfette Principle is an alternative name for
Dialogue: 0,0:05:56.82,0:05:58.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Tokenism or the Token Minority which is
Dialogue: 0,0:05:58.82,0:06:00.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the inclusion of one cast member
Dialogue: 0,0:06:00.79,0:06:02.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from a marginalized group in an otherwise,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:02.49,0:06:06.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,white, straight male ensemble.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:06.16,0:06:07.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We see this most often when writers include
Dialogue: 0,0:06:07.85,0:06:09.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,one person of colour and that character
Dialogue: 0,0:06:09.76,0:06:11.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is usually painfully stereotyped.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:11.66,0:06:14.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is a little trick used by movie studios to pretend
Dialogue: 0,0:06:14.96,0:06:18.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to appear “multicultural” and “diverse” when really
Dialogue: 0,0:06:18.67,0:06:20.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they’re just upholding the status quo
Dialogue: 0,0:06:20.62,0:06:22.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and not changing anything substantially.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:22.74,0:06:25.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So here’s a tip for all you Hollywood writers
Dialogue: 0,0:06:25.13,0:06:27.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,out there, it is in fact possible to have
Dialogue: 0,0:06:27.19,0:06:29.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,more than one woman in your script.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:29.35,0:06:31.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Really, I swear it is.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:31.48,0:06:34.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You could even have 2 or 3 women or even
Dialogue: 0,0:06:34.11,0:06:37.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the majority of your cast be women.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:37.13,0:06:39.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here’s a simple test you can ask yourself
Dialogue: 0,0:06:39.22,0:06:40.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when you’re writing your scripts:
Dialogue: 0,0:06:40.87,0:06:44.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“Does my movie have more than one woman on the primary cast?”
Dialogue: 0,0:06:45.21,0:06:47.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That’s it, that’s the whole test.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:48.13,0:06:50.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you answered “NO” then you need to
Dialogue: 0,0:06:50.32,0:06:51.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,go back to the drawing board.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:51.59,0:06:53.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you answered “YES” then we can proceed to
Dialogue: 0,0:06:53.43,0:06:55.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Bechdel Test.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:55.19,0:06:57.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Once you’ve got two female characters
Dialogue: 0,0:06:57.08,0:06:59.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who are talking to each other about things other then men,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:59.47,0:07:02.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then we can talk about fully developed female characters.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:03.14,0:07:06.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Song] “la, la, la, la, sing a happy song,”
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.71,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Song] “la, la, la, la, smurf the whole day long”