I gave it some serious thought, and I came to the conclusion, that MacGyver already is a gender-neutral hero as it is. You don't need to change anything, except for the first name and the actor playing the main character.
So a female MacGyver should work as a gender neutral hero, too. By the way, this is not a "we want to clone the series and only switch the character" thing, but a search for something similar inspiring but more directed at girls.
On the other hand, I would love to see RDA reprise his role not only for a commercial, may be he could be a grandfather role :)
Anyway, it's not about changing MacGyver, it's about handing out another role model and some good content to inspire future engineers, so why not a female one.
One especially appealing feature of the MacGyver series is the fact that they always explain, in more or less detail, why and how things worked. So any profession that gives you the opportunity to either disassemble and analyze or design and build stuff would work. The popularity of various "forensic analysis" TV series shows that it is indeed a nice thing.
So any kind of "investigator" works here, starting with murders, insurance (accidents), through Scooby-Doo, up to academic research such as archaeology or ocean expeditions. Of course, that doesn't have to be the hero's official profession, it's always possible to get involved by accident -- but then you need a setting in which such accidents are fairly common. I wonder how well a post-apocalyptic setting would work, with people re-building the lost technology...
I'd be excited to see a woman in the role if the show reappears. She needs to be smart, articulate, and independent. I'll be pissed if every episode doesn't pass the Bechdel test [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test].
I always found the notion that girls need separate role models slightly sexist. Why can't they use the normal role models? Why do they need special female ones?
Well it's easier to relate too, when you see someone else like you doing the stuff that you maybe wouldn't consider in the first place. I'm not a fan of this google thing "3D print your own jewelry" approach, I think that is sexist. But what I think is missing is something that shows another perspective, rather then becoming a princess / clothing designer / model / superstar. What is normal in this case anyway? Being male? That's sad :(
"Normal" of course is, and always will be, what the speaker themselves was raised on. Are you saying that men can't or don't need to 3D-print their own jewelry? :-)
And I think it's wrong to raise kids so pigeonholed :)
I'm someone who wants everyone to do and make whatever makes them happy (and other persons not unhappy), and I've designed and 3D printed a medallion for my mum once, that counts as jewelry.
So yeah, assuming that all women would be interested in making jewelry may be sexist, but trying to attract a group of people interested in making jewelry, hoping that a large part of that group would be women, seems fine to me. I think that stuff like jewelry, cosplay, home decoration, gardening, cooking, etc. are great gender-neutral areas of interest for hackers.
That would be slightly off purpose, I guess, when it is supposed to inspire little girls to become engineers :D Or let me say it that way, I don't think I was inspired by any technobabble on Star Trek to get into soldering and reusing/hacking stuff together. MacGyver on the other hand... .
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Kaylee of Serenity
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Or Claudia Donovan in Warehouse 13
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Why not reboot Macgyver and cast a woman in the lead role?
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would be cool, too.
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There is Ladyada, already inspiring the young: http://www.adafruit.com/coloringbook
A fictional show would popularize, that is true - contrived illustrative situations and all.
Are you sure? yes | no
I gave it some serious thought, and I came to the conclusion, that MacGyver already is a gender-neutral hero as it is. You don't need to change anything, except for the first name and the actor playing the main character.
Are you sure? yes | no
So a female MacGyver should work as a gender neutral hero, too. By the way, this is not a "we want to clone the series and only switch the character" thing, but a search for something similar inspiring but more directed at girls.
On the other hand, I would love to see RDA reprise his role not only for a commercial, may be he could be a grandfather role :)
Anyway, it's not about changing MacGyver, it's about handing out another role model and some good content to inspire future engineers, so why not a female one.
Are you sure? yes | no
One especially appealing feature of the MacGyver series is the fact that they always explain, in more or less detail, why and how things worked. So any profession that gives you the opportunity to either disassemble and analyze or design and build stuff would work. The popularity of various "forensic analysis" TV series shows that it is indeed a nice thing.
So any kind of "investigator" works here, starting with murders, insurance (accidents), through Scooby-Doo, up to academic research such as archaeology or ocean expeditions. Of course, that doesn't have to be the hero's official profession, it's always possible to get involved by accident -- but then you need a setting in which such accidents are fairly common. I wonder how well a post-apocalyptic setting would work, with people re-building the lost technology...
Are you sure? yes | no
Great points and ideas! :)
Are you sure? yes | no
I'd be excited to see a woman in the role if the show reappears. She needs to be smart, articulate, and independent. I'll be pissed if every episode doesn't pass the Bechdel test [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test].
Are you sure? yes | no
I don't think they want a girl clone, but these are my exact same thoughts on the Ghostbusters 3 movie.
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they want something similar inspiring, it hasn't to be just a switching gender thing. But I think this would totally work.
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I always found the notion that girls need separate role models slightly sexist. Why can't they use the normal role models? Why do they need special female ones?
Are you sure? yes | no
Well it's easier to relate too, when you see someone else like you doing the stuff that you maybe wouldn't consider in the first place. I'm not a fan of this google thing "3D print your own jewelry" approach, I think that is sexist. But what I think is missing is something that shows another perspective, rather then becoming a princess / clothing designer / model / superstar. What is normal in this case anyway? Being male? That's sad :(
Are you sure? yes | no
"Normal" of course is, and always will be, what the speaker themselves was raised on. Are you saying that men can't or don't need to 3D-print their own jewelry? :-)
Are you sure? yes | no
And I think it's wrong to raise kids so pigeonholed :)
I'm someone who wants everyone to do and make whatever makes them happy (and other persons not unhappy), and I've designed and 3D printed a medallion for my mum once, that counts as jewelry.
Are you sure? yes | no
So yeah, assuming that all women would be interested in making jewelry may be sexist, but trying to attract a group of people interested in making jewelry, hoping that a large part of that group would be women, seems fine to me. I think that stuff like jewelry, cosplay, home decoration, gardening, cooking, etc. are great gender-neutral areas of interest for hackers.
Are you sure? yes | no
MacGalver? :)
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Seven-of-Nine-ish?
Are you sure? yes | no
That would be slightly off purpose, I guess, when it is supposed to inspire little girls to become engineers :D Or let me say it that way, I don't think I was inspired by any technobabble on Star Trek to get into soldering and reusing/hacking stuff together. MacGyver on the other hand... .
Are you sure? yes | no