Enrico

This skit made me realise something I haven't quite been able to put my finger on so far. Namely, why the Right has been alright with portraying Malfoid in the way they do without overt disagreement, and why we seem to broadly dislike, if not outright hate Hermione. On paper, the way Hermione and Malfoid are characterised is actually pretty similar. Both are regularly depicted as driven, high-achieving, model students (Malfoid considerably more so than canon Malfoy), they are sticklers for proper conduct (more on that later) and outdo Harry himself in many areas when it comes to magic. Malfoid actually takes this a step further by retaining Malfoy's athletic streak, which you would think makes her even less classically feminine than the more bookish and hands-off Hermione. In short, they all have the proper makings of a girlboss. Now it's hardly news that the Right has had it up to the neck with girlbosses over the last decade or so - women who not only compete with, but frequently best, humiliate a render useless the men in stories featuring them. Indeed, it seems to me that the Right's allergic reaction to the trope has become such that they now look askance upon any woman who takes a more proactive role as a leader or a combatant within any story - and not without due cause, mind you. I don't necessarily share in this extreme reaction, and personally believe that the archetype of the female achiever has its place, both in stories and reality. But I'm not at all surprised by how visceral the reaction has been. And despite her many endearing qualities, I doubt there is a single person who would dispute that Hermione had been, and still is, one of the prototypes of the modern girlboss character. Far less obnoxious for sure, and more interesting certainly, but the shared DNA is there and the Malfoidium has, if anything, only highlighted the connection. But the Right made Malfoid, indeed she has been tailored by us in nearly every aspect, and we broadly allowed her to retain her girlboss features. Why? I actually wondered about this for some time. Is it the fact that she remains broadly feminine in her mannerism and outlook? But so does Hermione, perhaps even more so. Is it the fact that she is devoted to a man? But so is Hermione. Is it the fact that she does not ultimately outshine the protagonist? But neither does Hermione. And then it hit me, watching this video. The thing which Malfoid has and Hermione lacks is, for a lack of a better word, class. They are both "strong female characters", but only one of them possesses strength which warrants a "TM" after that designation, while the other's strength stems from factors which the paradigm that spawned the girlboss explicitly rejects.