Males are default, females are.... women

Author Max Barry writes so well about Dogs and Smurfs - how children's litterature is supporting the structure where men are default and women are... only women, and how this directs their interests for the future.

Undefined characters are in general considered to be male. Barry is talking about smurfs and animals.

It’s the reason she will grow into a woman who can happily read a novel about men, or watch a movie in which men do all the most interesting things, without feeling like she can’t relate. She will process these stories as being primarily not about males but about human beings. Except it’s not happening the other way.

I think about how I really didn't enjoy either comic books or fighting games until I got me some female leading roles. As a child I loved Bamse, Goliat and TinTin but I soon lost interest as they and all following cartoon peers were male main characters with a female side kick at the most. There appeared som female heroines - first there was Batman... then there was a Batgirl. (Nothing wrong with CatWoman but she is not the main character). First there was the Hulk... then there was the She-Hulk. The same with games.

At the age to appreciate Fantastic Four and X-men where a few amazing chics are presented I had already left the comic strips behind and I found them first when they appeared at the movies and I could find my way back.

I have been told that this is a good thing for girls. “That makes girls more special,” said this person, who I wanted to punch in the face. That’s the problem. Being female should not be special. It should be normal.

...Barry writes

Now I look forward to the upcoming Womanthology, an anthology comic showcasing the works of women in comics, created by over 140 women of all experience levels. It's sad that it's needed, but it's still only in collections like this that extaordinary women has a chance to be the standard.