The damsel in
distress and the seductress have
been supplanted by the heroine and
the villainous dominatrix in
mainstream fiction. The useless
henchman retains his inglorious niche. His twin sister, the useless henchwoman, languishes in
obscurity.
Why is the lowly goon rarely female? Is it because women
are not inclined towards thuggery? Is it because females are unsuitable for
combat? Would not the villainous
dominatrix be an obscurity for the same reasons?
The expendable foot soldiers of villainy are not meant to
rival heroes. Their narrative purpose is to provide readily available victims
of heroic violence. Typically, these anonymous baddies are unceremoniously
killed. There is a common reluctance, however, to see expendable villains be
expended if they are female.
The Amazons of Classical Mythology were an army and
nation of women as baddies. Their queens and champions were formidable only to
be slain by heroes. Their anonymous warriors were slaughtered in droves or
carried off to be involuntary brides. The ancient legend of the Amazons remains
popular and inspiring to this day.
The useless henchwomen of today’s fiction seldom remain
true to the gist of the Amazons. They are instead slapstick clowns to be
knocked about but never slain; never to be taken seriously. The very notion that expendable baddies
should never be expended denies them their very niche! Fortunately, not all of today’s
useless henchwomen are rendered so useless.
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