MICHAEL MEDVED YEARNS FOR BRAWNY FIREFIGHTER

Michael Medved, fighting the good fight on behalf of USA Today, helpfully breaks down the problem with female stars in this article. Apparently, the success of Julia Roberts is linked to the general failure of female action heroes (forgetting the fact that RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, all three original STAR WARS movies, blockbuster CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, TOMB RAIDER, ALIENS and the BUFFY franchise are all cash machines dependent on scrappy gals).

The article builds to this dizzying peak of logic: "Public rejection of such fare reflects the deep-seated refusal to accept trendy notions that women match men in brute and violent tendencies. Despite political correctness, most of us continue to harbor a visceral preference for brawny male cops or firefighters to come to our rescue in emergencies."

He then goes one step beyond with: "The public doesn't yearn for stylish chicks to replicate the sweaty brutality of male action stars, but prefers watching characters who display the distinctively feminine strengths associated with the natural superiority of women."

I think this pretty much clears things up for folks who wonder why America doesn't have the same legacy of female action heroes that Japan and China do.

Mr. Medved, my hat's off to you.

(Thanks to The Beat for first posting this.)