You're listening to Imaginary Worlds, a show about how we create them and why we suspend

our disbelief.

I'm Eric Mollinsky.

There's a term that gets used a lot in sci-fi fantasy criticism, the strong female character,

and that's all in quotes.

Well there's usually only one, you can have more than one, because then that will upset

the balance of the entire universe.

Dan combo Piano is a senior vice president, a catalyst, a non-profit that works to advance

women in business.

You don't need to know anything about her.

She doesn't have to be a fully realized character, she doesn't have to have a history.

She, she don't need no man, but she will find one by the end that will be part of her

arc.

Lindsay Ellis is a media critic.

She's very often likes to shit on other women, just to prove how much of a bad ass she is.

And also she tends to resent whenever people point out her womaniness.

Yeah, because a lot of times the quote, strong female character to me is almost like when

you're playing a video game and she just drops out of the sky.

And she just, like, and she just, yeah, she's got like fists up already.

And she's like, her ponytail, and she's just ready to fight.

A trope I hate is I feel like it's always like, yeah, I have five brothers who are like,

my dad was in the army or something.

...