My problem with "feminist" retellings
It's all a question of attitude.
On paper, I love the idea of focusing on different women or really anyone in the myths. Their stories are very interesting, the base of many more tales to come and that inspired us. I'd be a hypocrite if I said that I didn't see the appeal of giving a bit of your own ideas to an existing work, or to focus on a figure you find underrated but personally vibe with (me with Asclepius right now :3).
I'm not Greek but I'm personally saying : go ahead. Have fun, see why you love this story and how the ancient Greeks perceived it, try to add a new spin to the myth.
My problem comes when some people are taking everything out of context, trying to smother the original message and character motivations, or just the cohesive narration of the myth, to then put some clumsy feminist message.
Listen, I'm all for feminism and empowering women, to make our voices heard. I mean, I'm a woman so the opposite would be very counterproductive. But :
A. Many women in mythology are already interesting enough without our help. By being physically strong, enchantresses, or simply cunning, diplomatic forces, soft caring presences, protectors, etc... I could go on and on about why Penelope is such an icon, or why Leto and Demeter are amazing mothers, Hera's fascinating ambivalence and many more. Do they fit our modern perspective? No. Do they have to ? No.
B. I say "clumsy" because in some cases, they're more passive than in the so-called sexist myths so we can make the men into these evil figures that only seek harm. Listen, sometimes, I get it. Some figures were ill intentioned, others good and 99% of them in the middle. But if you won't see me defend Polydectes, I'm all for treating men like Perseus with respect and every deity with nuance (yes, even Zeus).
Now, are all feminist retellings bad ? Not necessarily. Though I didn't find any that convinced me probably because the advertisement itself is not my cup of tea.
Better adaptations that are ironically more feminist don't advertise themselves as such, or with buzzwords such as "revolutionary, world changing, sublime reimagining" but as a simple story of someone who loves mythology and poured some time to research. To respect the women in the myths and make their voices, not the author's, shine through the work.
Ofc, this doesn't completely apply to original stories with feminist messages. Since the context is chosen by the author and not some important cultural and religious findings, I'm way more lenient with those and won't complain. They can advertise their story with the words they want and can do absolutely everything they'd like.
Listen, ancient Greek norms could be misogynistic, I'm not gonna deny it one second. Women had way less autonomy. But if we want to get interested in an era, we kinda have to include the whole package, you know ?
Or, if sexism is uncomfortable to write, or for child friendly purposes, it's okay not to include it too much but one should at LEAST try to respect the original message and make the story fun. Not just cherry pick who's good or evil even though most of the time, neither fit.
Btw I'm not naming any retelling in this post because I really don't want to target any author. I may seem harsh sometimes but only want to criticize the works. They're probably lovely people irl and it's ultimately just some goober's opinion on the net. But I just don't agree with how they frame the myths.
Anyways, what are your thoughts ?
