RKORadio said:
As it is, the only women we really see in the story are "greatful" mothers who are overjoyed when Indy returns their children to them, and Willie's back up singers.
While I get your point, RKO, there are actually more women than just those; the lady guests at the club, the cigarette waitresses, the Kathak dancers, the palace singer and the sailor's squeeze. None of them are tough but the film doesn't require any of them to be so in order to make it better.
Drifter said:
I doubt that thought would've entered most people's minds. Is that how some people think? That a grown man can't be around a small girl without accusations being slung around?
Unfortunately, yes, some people do. A few years ago, a pair of Raven members were talking about a perverse relationship between Shorty & Indy, including sick comments about Shorty picking Indy's pocket (and I will not post a link to the thread). A little girl sidekick would very likely be fodder for similar remarks, as Finn already stated.
kongisking said:
I dunno, you saying that having a kick-ass young girl sidekick is 'unrealistic' sounds sort of sexist (not saying you are, just saying that's how it sounds).
Forbidden Eye is right. Now, of course, Indy films aren't grounded in realism but it would be terribly unrealistic for ToD to have a "kick-ass young girl sidekick" and saying so is not sexist, for a number of reasons. To start, how many 10-year-old girls in 1935 would be capable of beating up men?
Toht's Arm said:
Alas, I can't imagine that would have happened back in 1984. Representation of women in Hollywood action movies wasn't too crash hot back then (though I'm sure someone could dig out some examples to contradict that claim.)
There are some examples of "kick-ass" women in Hollywood action films before 1984 but, you're right, they were certainly nowhere near as common as they are today. I won't bother mentioning these women characters because we're talking about a pre-pubescent action girl, which would have been absurd.
RKORadio said:
Well a grown man certainly can't admit to liking Shirley Temple films the way a grown woman can. It's a factor.
Well, I can admit that I happen to love one Shirley Temple film in particular and have seen it many, many times. I even own 2 versions (one black & white, one colourized). According to what you believe, maybe I should hide them in a secret place, for fear that folks might get the wrong impression. In this context, the TITLE could cause even further embarrassment!
(Hint: It's based on a Rudyard Kipling story.)
As a young female, yourself, *YOU* might think that a little girl would've made ToD better but you're also implying that any adult males who'd like the movie would be "suspect" by the "general public perception". So the change would be better for whom? You or them?
RKORadio said:
A kick-ass Asian child Princess
How oxymoron-ish. "Kick-ass" and "child princess" are a contradiction of terms.
Being a teenager when "Doom" was released, I wasn't pleased with the fact that the sidekick was a little boy and I would've strongly disliked a young girl even more (and still would today). In my opinion, it's an awful idea.