In The Margins

The ‘Smurfette principle’ is the practice of including one stereotypical female character in an all-male film or TV series. It’s extremely common- April O’Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Elaine in Seinfeld, Black Widow in The Avengers, Princess Leia in Star Wars, and Smurfette in The Smurfs- and there’s usually a male-dominated storyline where the lone woman is an exception who only exists in relation to the men. Source Source 2 Source 3

“Not everyone is okay with living like an open wound. But the thing about open wounds is that, well, you aren’t ignoring it, you’re healing. The fresh air can get to it. It’s honest. You aren’t hiding who you are. You aren’t rotting. People can give you advice on how to heal without scarring badly.”

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