Engaging in Discussions about Controversial Issues
Engaging in Discussions about Controversial Issues
Alys Avalos-Rivera
People constantly engage in conversations about controversial issues in different contexts and media. You may have observed that sometimes people around you in favor of one point of view in everyday conversations or when they interact online. Some may use memes, others discuss hot topics through social media, and some even participate in online forums and blogs. These sort of controversies may deal with real issues but can also address leisure topics. We will begin our exploration of persuasive writing considering a rather informal topic discussed in an online forum.
The Controversy About Female Characters in Science Fiction
Some people argue that women are usually misrepresented in fiction. This means that a great number of the main characters in novels, movies, and even in comics are men, whereas women are pushed into the background to play secondary roles. Just think of how many female superheroes you have heard or read about in your lifetime. Probably not many, especially if you compare the number of female leading characters with cool superpowers to their male counterparts. Right? The same happens with famous movies in the history of the film industry, particularly in certain genres, such as action and science fiction, which have usually been dominated by male figures.
How many famous female leading characters from your favorite movies/video games/comics/animes can you name from the top of your head in one minute? Make a list and compare it to the male characters you can remember in the same amount of time. You can use the table below. Remember they should be leading characters, not supporting characters. For example, if you like the Harry Potter series, you cannot use Hermione Granger and your list, because in that series Harry Potter is the main character.
| Female Characters | Male Characters |
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In the United States, the lack of female-centered stories has been taken into consideration by the movie industry to create a new generation of leading female characters in some movies such as Kill Bill, the Divergent series, and more recently, the new Star Wars trilogy. However, some still believe that women are still far from being as well represented as men are. In the first part of this chapter, we will explore the end of the Star Wars series and see whether they feel that the situation has truly changed.
Presenting a Point of View on an Online Forum.
The following chart shows reactions of Star Wars fans to an article posted on The Guardian’s Website about the importance of having the Star Wars sequel centered on a female character.[1]
| Poster[2] | Reaction |
| Elegant Weapon | Women are not some extreme minority. That said, white women leads in science fantasy films franchises aren’t all that rare: the Hunger Game series, Resident Evil, Mad Max Fury Road, Lucy, Lara Croft, Underworld, Kill Bill, The Divergent series, Sucker Punch.
I get Star Wars was hugely male-centere