This issue. (Feminism)

I'm watching Californication, Season 1.

(I'm also knitting, so it isn't a complete waste of time, and I vaguely like the show, despite the commonalities it has to Terriers, with none of the intense, redeeming plots of the latter. Californication has shades of Entourage, too. But these things are moot right now.)

Four episodes in, I have big question marks above my head about the female characters.

I try to stay away from feminism issues in general, as it tends to paint 50% of the population with a large brush despite each individual in that segment deserving its own color, and so many people try to wield that large brush with so many varying opinions.

It seems whenever a male writer pens a female character or vice versa, critical readers/viewers will try to say that opposite-gender characters are (to varying degrees) stand-ins for every person sharing their genitalia, as though characters aren't allowed the same rights of individuality autonomous, non-fictional people are.

What brings this up is although I'm generally enjoying Californication (despite knowing Hank and his ex will never get back together), I can't get behind any of the adult female characters. In short, it flagrantly fails the the Bechdel Test.

Rundown of female characters in the first few episodes:
- Karen. Hank's ex. Seems interesting enough, but doesn't have much of a point other than being the ex, Becca's mother, and engaged to Bill. I had to look up her name and couldn't tell you if she has a job or not.

- Hank's girlfriend. She's an "attorney" to whom Hank was a total asshole the first time they met, but he made a couple good jokes when he apologized for being an asshole, so she forgave him and they started dating... because her other relationship was long term, with a married man. And maybe she's still sleeping with said married man, talking shit about Hank behind his back.

- Hank's agent's assistant. Twenty-two year old who gets fired for being a fuckup assistant, sends her boss a link to her Suicide Girl profile, and gets rehired so they can play Secretary.

- Mia. Bill's 16 year old daughter. Stalked and seduced Hank, and keeps toying with him, using his innate sexual attraction to hot young women against him, despite him saying "this is wrong, you're not an adult" each time she tries it.

- MULTIPLE other women... married random in the pilot, movie producer's wife, porn star, dinner guest, tabloid writer... FIVE in four episodes (not counting the dreams) have thrown themselves at him. He didn't sleep with the tabloid writer or the porn star, but fucked the other three. The porn star and the dinner guest especially irked me, however, because they both insecurely asked Hank to judge their bodies. "What do you think? what do you think of my tits?"

In this context a woman who wasn't all over Hank or another man in the show, a woman who was loyal or reserved or remotely not-crazy, a woman who was down to earth would stick out like a sore thumb and look like a prude in this company.

There is nothing remotely real about this show. Even with the "family" moments, the occasional sweet things Hank does, it's pure voyeurism and entertainment. Messed up relationships, some sex, some laughs, some tits. Asking myself, "If you have this issue with the show, what do you want?" it's not easy to answer. I guess I want a woman with some dignity to drop by, to be made a pass at, give Hank a funny look, tell him he's a jackhole, then walk off without bitchy histrionics. But that's pretty boring, huh? Maybe I want a sense that there will be some redemption, some happy ending.

The character on Terriers who was still in love with his ex (who was, in turn, engaged to someone else) didn't get a happy ending, but there were things going on in that show besides the relationships between the main characters. There were other avenues to show growth.

Maybe that's what Californication needs, a Steph character, a sister (or something) who has other things going on, interests besides men.

You know, even Becca, Hank's 12 year old daughter is already fucked up over this. Caught kissing a boy and told it was inappropriate behavior, she said, "How else am I supposed to get them to like me?" For the most part she's a punk kid, precocious and funny, but I'll be interested to see how she develops over the seasons... if I keep watching.

I have a lot of knitting to do... but there are many many other things on my Netflix queue.