Archery Chicks at Work

Seriously.

What is it with films depicting women as archers?

And I don't just mean the Hunger Games. I also mean films like

Princess of Thieves (starring Keira Knightley with a bow)

King Arthur (starring Keira Knightley with a bow, again)

Your Highness (starring Natalie Portman with a bow)

Brave (animated, so that doesn't really count)

Blade Trinity (starring Jessica Biel with a bow)

Chronicles of Narnia (starring Anne Popplewell with a bow)

And the list keeps going. It isn't limited to Hollywood films either. A lot of Japanese anime also features female archers. Inuyasha's Kagome and Kikyo both use a bow.

It really is a huge stereotype of female archers in films. Sure, I admit, I would rather watch a female shooting arrows than a male... just a preference of beauty... But I am a tad annoyed at the constant stereotype that if a female is in a war-like scenario she goes for the bow over the sword or axe.

I think its because, perhaps, a bit of a judgmental thing on the part of the writers in Hollywood. They don't think women can swing a sword or an axe. Totally ignoring the chick with the axe in Dragonheart... or any movie containing Joan of Arc.

Thus it is well-established that women are perfectly capable of swinging a sword or axe. But Hollywood writers apparently don't like having women in the thick of melee combat and instead often have them as "supporting cast" wielding bows instead.

Now I am not saying Hollywood should stop making films with females who are archers. Absolutely not! Keep doing that... but try to mix it up with some more variety.

How about spears? Javelins? Tridents? Blowdarts? Crossbows? Throwing Axes? Good ol' fashioned throwing knives?

And since Hollywood is currently on an archery kick, would you please make something about the life of Awa Kenzo? Yes, technically it would be a drama - not much action in the life of a zen archery master. But make it anyway because his life is actually a very interesting story.

Except I don't think Hollywood would ever make such a film. It would really only be Japanese filmmakers who would think to make that.