I have never quite understood where people's gender issues come from with him, to be honest.
"There’s this issue you’re not allowed to discuss: that women are needy. Men can go for longer, more happily, without women. That’s the truth. We don’t, as little boys, play at being married - we try to avoid it for as long as possible. Meanwhile women are out there hunting for husbands."
- Steven Moffat
He's said similar things in DW Confidentials and such. He just tends to be really gender essentialist in interviews to me (saying "Like all boys do" "That's how little girls are") and when he does write a relatively well-rounded or interesting female character, in interviews about that character I start to get the feeling that that was a happy accident that resulted from him trying to write the perfect girlfriend for himself, a sort of fantasy woman that he doesn't believe could really exist, but damn wouldn't she be hot?
I don't make apologies for Joss Whedon (ugh, Dollhouse, ugh ugh ugh), but at least you get the feeling Whedon is considering the sociological role gender politics play in his characters' lives, and then he just stumbles and gets in wrong, but he was trying (which ISN'T AN EXCUSE). With Moffat I sort of feel the other way. Like when his women come out of the writing fully written and interesting, that's the accident. Whedon tries to do an interesting story about objectification and consent and winds up with Dollhouse (UGHUGHUGH), Moffat tries to make the nerdy version of a pin-up doll (with smarts!) and accidentally gets Sally Sparrow who by pure coincidence also appeals to his female viewers.
That's a bit of an exaggeration, and so maybe a bit unfair, but it's just always how I've felt about him. Since Coupling, which is adorable, but when you look at it long enough, the heart behind the goofy gender stereotypes seems to come from the fact that Moffat is a really good writer, and the actors play it well, but he was still playing the goofy gender stereotypes completely straight.
IMO.
YMMV.
I'm not saying you shouldn't love Moffat! Love who you like. It's just, if you were curious why people have trust issues with him, I think that's why.
no subject
"There’s this issue you’re not allowed to discuss: that women are needy. Men can go for longer, more happily, without women. That’s the truth. We don’t, as little boys, play at being married - we try to avoid it for as long as possible. Meanwhile women are out there hunting for husbands."
- Steven Moffat
He's said similar things in DW Confidentials and such. He just tends to be really gender essentialist in interviews to me (saying "Like all boys do" "That's how little girls are") and when he does write a relatively well-rounded or interesting female character, in interviews about that character I start to get the feeling that that was a happy accident that resulted from him trying to write the perfect girlfriend for himself, a sort of fantasy woman that he doesn't believe could really exist, but damn wouldn't she be hot?
I don't make apologies for Joss Whedon (ugh, Dollhouse, ugh ugh ugh), but at least you get the feeling Whedon is considering the sociological role gender politics play in his characters' lives, and then he just stumbles and gets in wrong, but he was trying (which ISN'T AN EXCUSE). With Moffat I sort of feel the other way. Like when his women come out of the writing fully written and interesting, that's the accident. Whedon tries to do an interesting story about objectification and consent and winds up with Dollhouse (UGHUGHUGH), Moffat tries to make the nerdy version of a pin-up doll (with smarts!) and accidentally gets Sally Sparrow who by pure coincidence also appeals to his female viewers.
That's a bit of an exaggeration, and so maybe a bit unfair, but it's just always how I've felt about him. Since Coupling, which is adorable, but when you look at it long enough, the heart behind the goofy gender stereotypes seems to come from the fact that Moffat is a really good writer, and the actors play it well, but he was still playing the goofy gender stereotypes completely straight.
IMO.
YMMV.
I'm not saying you shouldn't love Moffat! Love who you like. It's just, if you were curious why people have trust issues with him, I think that's why.