Still trying to parse fridging. I think it's key that the term evolved from superhero comics, and specifically the trope of having a girlfriend/wife captured by a nemesis, used to manipulate the hero, and then murdered. There's also an aspect of agency, there. In war movies, characters die fighting the good fight (massive overgeneralization). This is more about women being helpless objects, disposable at the plot's whim. For example, I had no problem with Batman rescuing Rachel in BB, b/c she was there of her own volition, with no known connection to Batman. Contrast that with Rachel in Dark Knight. And sure, Dent was captured too. But who lived? And what was the toll?

It can be argued (okay, it's a stretch) that Dent is also a casualty of the same incident as Rachel--he just takes longer to die. It does make him snap and result in his eventual death.

Yeah, stretch.

In terms of men used in this way. Some of the Blaxploitation films had women characters avenging deaths of brothers or lovers whose only purpose in the film was to to provide the wrong to be revenged. Pam Grier starred in at least one. I think there may have been even been some white women in the horror/revenge genre where the same thing happened. Though the usual wrong avenged was a gang-rape.

ita, yes, that's true. I still think it's notable that the role was written for a man . Haven't seen that movie but might, so I'm not up for getting totally spoiled. If I do get to see it I'll try to remember to follow up with my thoughts, I know you all will be waiting with baited breath.

It can be argued (okay, it's a stretch) that Dent is also a casualty of the same incident as Rachel--he just takes longer to die. It does make him snap and result in his eventual death.

Yeah, no. I mean, Rachel's death is part of what makes him snap. He goes from ally to antagonist. She goes from complicated love interest to... dead.

Fair enough. But he does also go to dead.

smonster, if you do go to that movie, I might be interested in going, too. So if you'd like company, just let me know. I don't think I've had my summer's fill of things that go boom.

Calli, for reals? I was despairing of finding anyone to go with me. What's your weekend look like?

TB, thanks for chiming in. That's a genre with which I am not familiar.

Fair enough. But he does also go to dead.

...as a tragic antagonist, killed by the hero mostly in self-defense. Very different fate. As I'm parsing fridging, agency and type of death is key. I think widening the definition to include any kind of death that has emotional impact is sloppy and weakens the point. The original list was of female superhero who had been killed, maimed, or depowered.

By that definition, is Nolan a fridger? IDK. But he might want to find another well.

From the archive site of Women in Refrigerators:

An important point: This isn't about assessing blame about an individual story or the treatment of an individual character and it's certainly not about personal attacks on the creators who kindly shared their thoughts on this phenomenon. It's about the trend, its meaning and relevance, if any. Plus, it's just fun to talk about refrigerators with dead people in them. I don't know why.

Sure, smonster! Saturday I'm shopping with amyth but Sunday's pretty clear.