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Culture War Roundup for the week of May 29, 2023

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Male protagonists are often in a sense sex symbols for women. You can't easily write a leading role of a female sex symbol. Competent male leads work for both men and women. James Bond is an obvious example of a character tailored in some ways to female tastes.

As to your question, I have never thought of Major Kusanagi as anything other than incredible.

James Bond is an obvious example of a character tailored in some ways to female tastes.

Ahhh - no. He's definitely a male fantasy figure, the idea that he's irresistible to women is all part of the idealised man of action character. If you're a women reading the novels, he's not that great to the women he encounters. A lot of them are the stock femme fatale types anyway.