I have been staying up with my birthday present; a complete set of The Sweeney and an espresso machine - not really, but you know what I mean - and I have to say that the misogyny and racism (when they actually have non-anglo characters) is starting to get to me.
I love The Sweeney. I do. Men in high heels, paisley ties, skin tight three piece pin-stripe suits and very approximate hair cuts. Denis Waterman, I've loved since I was a kid. I even like On The Up. And it's not like there's some particular incident, its just the relentlessly of the sexism.
A little girl interviewed in 1975 said in response to a question about female characters on Doctor Who 'it's a bit better, but its still mainly the girls falling over and ruining everything'. When I first heard the interview I failed to appreciate her ability to find the nub. I was hoping for subtlety, complexity, deconstruction. I was young and foolish and didn't realise that the problem was a lot more basic than I imagined.
People talk about how no one writes 'good female characters'. When they elaborate, it turns out they mean morally good or psychologically complex or kooky, and most often, just more like themselves. Honestly, I'd just like one female character on The Sweeney who wasn't a drag.
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