@media (max-width:576px) .read-more-content height: 350em;
It didn’t take me long to realize that Hollywood portrays firearms in a very inaccurate way. Not to mention those who use them. In movies, we often see that women and guns don’t mix. This is not true. Let’s break these stupid stereotypes by looking at all the false ways that movies portray women with guns.
Women with guns: movies vs reality
Myth #1 – Women are not able to handle firearms
The first thing that movies portray women with guns is that they can’t manage them. Take the movie Killers as an example.
This funny movie is about Jen, a woman who discovers that her charming, handsome husband, Spencer, actually is a deadly spy. Then, to make matters worse he has an extortionate multi-million dollar hit on him. To save Spencer, the couple must discover who has put a hit out on him and maintain their neighborly appearances.
In the scene in which Jen learns her husband’s identity, he gives her his gun to hold while they fight an antagonist. Jen panics, and instead of gripping the firearm properly, she holds it flat against her hands. She is afraid of it, doesn’t want to touch it and freaks out all the time.
This scene shows that women can’t act normally around guns.
Women who work in the firearms community are confident and know how to handle firearms. They have done the research, taken the safety courses and put in enough range-time to prove to themselves and the world that they can use these tools without difficulty.
Myth #2: Women Are Irresponsible Gun Owners
Second, we see in many movies that women are irresponsible gun owners. The firearm community doesn’t care if you’re a man or woman. It only cares if you are a smart gun owner.
Responsible gun owners know how firearms work, follow the four safety rules, and most importantly, do not treat these tools like toys. In my experience, I’ve never met a woman who was irresponsible with a firearm. It’s a shame that movies don’t accurately portray women who are responsible with firearms.
Myth #3: Women are not capable of handling guns.
In movies, women are often shown to be unable to use firearms because they are too powerful. Do you not believe me? Take the movie Knight and Day as an example. This movie is about a stranger named June Havern, who meets a covert agent named Roy Miller. Miller is set up to fall.
In this comical adventure, the duo must take down a villain in a warehouse. During this scene, June is separated from her partner. She is left to her own devices with a fully automatic MP7. She gets startled, and quickly fires bullets around her. She doesn’t stop firing until the magazine is empty. Her firearm is moving around in a dangerous and erratic manner as she fires.
Guns can be powerful, but that doesn’t mean they cannot be controlled. Women can control them and the stereotype is a sad one. You would be a fool if you underestimated what a woman is capable of.
Myth #4: Women fear firearms
You can see from the two movie examples I gave earlier that both women were afraid of the guns in their hands. This is another theme that we see in many movies.
In the film Knight and Day June is unable manage the firearm. She has a look of absolute fear on her face while she uncontrollably squeezes the trigger. In the movie Killers Jen also panics audibly when her eyes meet the gun that her husband gives her.
Despite the comical nature of these scenes, both movies play into stereotypes that firearms can be dangerous and frightening weapons. It’s natural to be nervous around firearms. But movies portray this fear as something that can never be overcome.
As someone who once had a fear of guns, I can say with pride that it is a phobia that can be overcome.
Myth #5 – Women should not rely on a man
One of the most common themes that you see in movies is a woman who needs a man to rescue her. A woman needs someone to save her from danger. A woman also needs a man who can help her solve problems. Or that a women cannot be independent, and needs a protecter. I am here to tell you that this is not true and only harms women’s perceptions around the world.
In the real world no one will prioritize your safety. You can’t wait for a knight to save you. Women are capable of protecting themselves, and they don’t require a man to carry a gun to do so. They are capable of doing this themselves and can do so with confidence.
Parting Shots
The movies have always been wrong about what it means to a woman. They portray women as weak, incapable of doing the things that men can do. These messages and themes are frustrating, disheartening and so wrong.
Women should be praised for being confident, responsible and brave. They should also be praised for their ability to be independent. I believe that we are all those things, whether or not we have a gun.
You didn’t find the information you were looking for
Search Engine
Continue ReadingThe post Movies vs Reality – Are Women with Guns Accurately Represented? The post Movies vs Reality: Are Women with Guns Accurately Portrayed? appeared first on Athlon Outdoors.
