Amazons International # 17 -------------------------- Topics: IMPORTANT: New address Thomas: Red Sonja (review) Thomas: I own a MUD! Thomas: Newsgroup in addition to AI? Val: Bio ****************************************************************** From: Editor Subject: IMPORTANT: New address for Amazons International I and Amazons International now have a new address: thomas@smaug.uio.no Please use this address for all correspondence from now on. The old address will still work for some time, but you might as well get used to the new one right away. [PS: I use "Editor" when talking about administravia and editorial policies, and "Thomas" when I talk as just another poster... -- Ed.] ****************************************************************** From: Thomas Gramstad Subject: Review of _Red Sonja_ I recently had opportunity to watch the movie _Red Sonja_ (for the first time). The film was made in 1985, produced by Dino de Laurentis (who also produced the _Conan_ movies). In leading roles we find Brigitte Nielsen as the Amazon _Red Sonja_, and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the role as a companion. _Red Sonja_ is, like the Conan movies, essentially pagan in its outlook and sense of life, displaying proud, strong and independent characters ready to fight for their values in this life. SPOILER ALERT: if you haven't seen this movie, you may want to skip the rest of this review; seeing it without knowing what's going to happen is worth doing at least once. :-) The movie is available on video. At the outset of the movie I was worried that Arnold would steal most of the show, a fear that proved to be unfounded. Brigitte Nielsen does a great job in the role as Sonja. While not possessing the kind of impressively big or defined female physique that may be admired in recent movies like _Aliens_ and _Terminator 2_, she is certainly no wimp and Brigitte Nielsen's combination of a tall, lean physique, acrobatic skills, a proud posture, a confident voice, and a strong face that radiates will-power, is definitely convincing, adequately concretizing the image of a fierce female hero. In the beginning of the movie Sonja harbors a dislike for men, and at an occasion she tells Arnold that she has sworn not to make love to any man that has not beaten her in a sword fight. (The movie does not address whether the same condition were to be applied to women; unless the term 'man' is to be interpreted generically, which seems unlikely.) Of course, there follows a sword fight with Arnold. At this point, both characters have had ample opportunity to demonstrate their skills at sword play. It is interesting to note the influence of ancient Greek ideas about gender and sexuality here. The idea that Amazons are chaste or asexual beings stems from the conception of sexuality as an act of conquest by which the male subdues the female and make her surrender. In this frame of mind, the act of sex is always interpreted as a penetration, even if it were to be initiated and lead by a female giant towards a male dwarf. Sex is penetration, and penetration is domination. Thus, the male has by his (biological) nature the role of domination as an active agent; and the female has by her (biological) nature the role of submission, as a passive object. A female hero who is strong and autonomous is not submissive; hence she has not surrendered; hence she has denied both femininity and sexuality; hence she is chaste. Some feminists call this a 'male view of sexuality' -- as if males don't lose equally much of their humanity, and as much in terms of sensual joy and erotic pleasure as females do, by accepting such a view. So there was a fight. This is a crucial point of the movie, in displaying the nature and character of the characters, and their relationship. At this point the movie could have collapsed into some Hollywood macho cliche boy-meets-girl, boy-takes-girl scheme. But that doesn't happen; instead we get some nice sword play and a demonstration of Sonja's acrobatic skills, coming to an exhausted draw. The ancient conception has been stated and put on a hold. At the end of the movie it is openly rejected, by Arnold suggesting a gender reversal of Sonja's vow, a suggestion joyfully endorsed by Sonja. Red Sonja isn't the only strong woman in the movie. First, there is the priesthood of female warriors in the beginning of the movie; then there is the leading antagonist of the movie, the evil queen Gedren, releaser of the evil forces and herself a capable sword fighter. Gedren is played by Sandahl Bergman, who also plays a major role in _Conan_ as Valeria, Conan's Amazon lover. The climax of _Red Sonja_ is the showdown between Sonja and Gedren, ending with the destruction of the evil forces. _Red Sonja_ is a refreshing and exciting movie, telling a boisterous tale of heroic characters in a pagan universe, featuring strong females in both protagonist and antagonist roles, in a congruous way. The film also has humor, mainly due to the boy king who joins Sonja's quest, but also to some situations between Sonja and Arnold. The genuine concretization of Amazon ideals, the explicit rejection of anti-Amazon conceptions, the colorful straight-line characterizations, and the visual uniqueness of the environment make it stand out as an unusual film. Don't miss it. - Thomas ****************************************************************** From: Thomas Subject: I own a MUD! I recently learned that there is a MUD at a local machine here. It turns out that the guy who had it is about to leave and he was looking for somebody to take it over. So I've taken it over. Or more precisely, an association that I recently started (Simstim -- the Association for Simulated Reality) is taking it over. (Simstim is about Virtual Reality etc., the name inspired by William Gibson's SF novel _Neuromancer_, the bible of cyberpunk. For more information about that, contact me or simstim@smaug.uio.no.) Anyway: the MUD in question is the AberMUD that previously was located at ulrik.uio.no. The new adress is alkymene.uio.no (129.240.21.60). To enter this MUD, use the command: telnet alkymene.uio.no 6715 Opening hours are 16:00 -- 08:00 (that's 4 p.m. -- 8 a.m.) Norwegian time all days, and continuously from friday 16:00 to monday 8:00. (Norwegian time is six hours ahead of NY time.) It's not a big MUD, but it's there. I haven't created a "land of Amazons" yet, but it can be fun anyway. We can arrange a time, or even set times, for Amazons to meet there. Mail me if you're interested. If you want to try this and know nothing about MUDs, I suggest you read the MUD FAQ file(s) in the usenet newsgroup rec.games.mud (look for the word FAQ in the subject-line of the headers). If you can't access the group I can send the information to you. - Thomas ****************************************************************** From: Thomas Subject: Amazon newsgroup as well? I've been thinking about starting an Amazon newsgroup in addition to Amazons International. The newsgroup would be totally separate from Amazons International, and it would have a different scope. The main differences would be: (1) News items of time-limited interest would go to the newsgroup. One of my goals with AI is that the materials here should be just as interesting to read in 10 years or in 30 years as it is today. This leaves limited or no room for news items such as where to buy and sell things or "new Amazon movie now is set up at cinema so-and-so",or "bodybuilding competition there and then -- who is coming?" or "I'll be in L.A. two weeks next year, anybody want to mail me?" etc. Global and local news items might go in the newsgroup, as well as brief ads and other kinds of temporary fast-paced information exchanges. (AI specializing in afterthought, analysis, and personal material like bios etc.) (2) It would be a broadly visible battlefield making Amazon values more present in the culture (as opposed to AI which I conceive more like a sanctuary or private haven). Or if you prefer a more peaceful metaphor, the newsgroup would be a noisy nightclub with all kinds of people, including hostile ones, while AI is a small private party of friends. (3) Since the newsgroup would reach a larger audience, it might draw new people to AI as well. You may recall that I aired some thoughts about this back in AI issue # 5, and there were further debate in issues # 6 and 7. Check this for further arguments about the issue. At that time I thought soc.amazons would be preferable to alt.amazons. However, I never followed it up then. Now I think that alt.amazons would be a better choice, for several reasons: (1) I think there is no chance to get a soc.amazons (with voting and all), while it is probably easy to get an alt.amazons (2) I believe soc. groups must be moderated, while alt. groups are not. I'd like an inhibited group, even if this would mean quite a bit of flaming, in order to get a clear-cut "niche separation" or division of labor between AI and the newsgroup. I'd like some feedback on this, personal or for submission to AI. I'll go ahead with this in the near future. - Thomas ****************************************************************** Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1992 14:18 CST From: RODGERS@BrandonU.CA Subject: Bio Thomas sent me several back issues of AI, and I believe I am hooked!! I would like to thank Jamie G. for that (he suggested I look into this newsletter). He felt I would meet the qualifications for being an "Amazon" woman. What do you think . . . . I am a 26 year old female who has been weight training for about three years with the intent of competing as a bodybuilding sometime in the (near) future. I am 5'9" and currently weigh in at 151 lbs. I've been as high as 164 lbs, but my face started to show the extra poundage. I love being a bodybuilder, the way it turns heads and gets me noticed by other men and makes other women give me the evil eye. At last count, my biceps hit the 13" mark when pumped, I'm catching up to my husband!! He is also a bodybuilder, and our ultimate goal is to win a major couples competition. I am also a sports nut, both spectator and participant. I am one of few women who can sit down in front of the TV on Sunday and watch three football games in a row and have heated debates about calls and plays with the guys I am watching the games with (I usually win!!) As far as participation, I play (and have played) golf, tennis, basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, soccer, baseball, badminton, you name it!! My love for sports is one of the things my husband found attractive in me, or so he says. I think it was the fact that I have a body to die for!! Finally, I am an advocate of women's rights, although I do not consider myself to be a feminist. In university my major was sociology, and my thesis was entitled "Women as a Minority Group" in which I attempted to prove that women are labelled as a minority and subordinate to men. So, am I an Amazon? I believe I am. What do you think? P.S. My two cents on strong women in the media -- have you seen "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle"? I like movies where the woman has to be defend the household and the family while the husband wimps out with pain!! Val ********************************************************* * Amazons International: thomas@smaug.uio.no * * Thomas Gramstad, editor * ********************************************************* "A Hard Woman is Good to Find" -- The Valkyries