Coronation Street has always had its strong and feisty women. Elsie Tanner, Bet Lynch/Gilroy, Karen MacDonald, Becky Granger, Eileen Grimshaw in her earlier incarnation before she became a one-women cavalcade of misery and self-wrought angst. I'll even put Tina McIntyre in there, despite her recent inexplicable lapse in morals (she was completely affronted when Gary Windass made a move on her, but suddenly jumping on Peter Barlow the week of his wedding? The Tina we've seen grow up on the street would never do that. Ever). These women were smart and funny and strong and wore their hearts on their sleeve and made their mistakes in public then rolled up their sleeves and got on with it. You knew where you were with them.
Nowadays, strong women is something Corrie just can't do. They are either weak simpering idiots whose only purpose in life is to have a kid (Katy Armstrong, Izzy Armstrong) or moan about not having a kid (Julie Carp), or have incongruous affairs (Tina, Kylie Platt), or else they are the new type of "strong" woman, i.e. a total bully. Tracy Barlow is the prime example. No redeeming features at all. Liz & Michelle's denigration of Steve's attempt to better himself for his daughter is embarrassing - are we meant to find this funny? Now Rita's at it, belittling Dennis' atempts to regain his interests and a bit of independence. Carla has pretty much emasculated Peter, so much so that he's flinging himself at a lassie half his age.
The rest of them? Gail is beholden to Nick to the extent that she's sold out her own son. Leanne hasn't had a storyline in months. Kylie has turned into a cow. Audrey has lost her backbone. Stella has disappeared. Eva is nothing more than Jason's girlfriend. Fiz is boring. Maria even more so. Deirdre has become a terrible comedy act. Hayley's touching cancer storyline has just become her bickering at Roy. Gloria has the odd decent one liner, but no real place to go (and she's leaving soon anyway, I think). Sophie is self-righteous and mostly dull. Sally has also become a comedy caricature. Anna Windass veers between earth mother and fishwife with alarming regularity. I'm not even going to talk about Mary. Have I forgotten anyone? Sinead and Steph and Emily barely count.
I'm beginning to think Beth Tinker is the only decent female character left, and I don't even like her.
