Gargantuan news Outposters, Ahsoka will receive a SOFEE! Now, for those of you who are misogynists, and wondering what in the name of Lord Vader is a SOFEE, let me explain it to you, bigots. A SOFEE is what the Women’s Committee from The Critics Choice Association calls the Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment.
Oh, thank the maker! Finally, a Star War is being recognized for delivering “outstanding new films and television series that illuminate the female experience and perspective through authentically told female-driven stories”. I am fighting back tears as I type this. So empowering.
They Have Altered The Deal
You see, Ahsoka doesn’t need to win an actual award for any of the categories that Critics’ Choice Movie Awards bestow upon other shows and movies because wimmin power trumps everything else. Best Actor or Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Costume Design, Cinematography, Editing, etc. No, no, no, there is no merit in winning any of those old patriarchal categories, Ahsoka is so much more.
Stunning and brave are the two words that spring to mind while I type this and I am becoming overwhelmed with emotion. I looked into what it takes to achieve such an honor and the CCS website states that to be immortalized with a SOFEE, a show can only qualify by “having a prominent female character arc, giving female characters at least equal screen time to male characters, having female leaders behind the scenes, and pass elements highlighted in the Bechdel test”.
Laserswords and pew-pews are no longer enough to make a great Star War, you need strong, independent women sticking it to the man, and not just in front of the camera, but behind the scenes too. Shows or movies need to score at least 7 out of a possible 10 points in the SOFEE rubric, which can be found below:
This Will Be A Day Long Remembered
One could be forgiven for wondering why the CAA is only recognising just two of the 279 available genders (at the time of writing, there may be more by now). But let’s not run before we can walk, people. This is such a monumental achievement that opening the whole trans can of worms is simply a deflection from this moment in history.
Perhaps Carrie Beck, EVP, Live Action Development & Production, Lucasfilm can explain the importance of being awarded a SOFEE much more eloquently than this middle-aged, white man. Ms Beck stated:
“Thank you to the CCA for acknowledging Ahsoka with this seal, and recognizing our incredibly dedicated and collaborative creative team,”
Inspirational.
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