Stronger Female Leads, Stronger Female Viewers

It is proven that shows that have strong, independent females in lead roles, such as Law and Order: Special Victims Unit’s lead detective Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, causes viewers to have higher opinions of women. Watching shows with powerful women has been proven to make women feel less anxious. Also, shows with passive female characters correlated with men having more negative attitudes towards females. On the contrary, men felt less anxious when watching shows with passive women, opposed to men who watched shows with strong women. This goes to show that women gain a lot from watching shows with tough women. It lets them know that they don’t have to be vulnerable or play the victim, and they do have power and can protect themselves. Men found it more comforting when women were vulnerable and submissive. Law and Order: SVU is a great example of a show that has overall very high ratings, and a very strong, female main character.

SVU's Olivia Benson

--Breana Swain