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bewarethespork wrote an absolutely must-read post about Amy and [a section of] fandom's reaction to her. Spoilers for everything up to and including 'Cold Blood', so don't spoil yourself! Money quotes:
You know the problem with Amy Pond? Her problem is that she's a strong woman in a society that actively hates and tries to tear down strong women. Her problem is that she is smart and capable, and yes, pretty damn sexy. Her problem is that she looks comfortable in her short skirts and her manicured nails. Her problem is that she knows what she wants and goes after it in a world where only men are allowed to do that.
Her problem is that she delivers on something that a lot of people claim to want - strong women in their entertainment media.
[...]
Amy Pond is a woman who feels comfortable about her sexuality and her attractiveness, both things that are *independent* of male perception. She is also clever and inquisitive and capable - again, independently of male perception.
[...]
being confident about your attractiveness is not a crime. No, not even if you're female. No, not even if you're also smart. No, not even if you choose to express that confidence with miniskirts and manicures. No, not even if it's someone you don't like.
no subject
Oh I'm not surprised at all... Someone throws a stone in a pond and the ripples go far and wide.
Saying she "wears those clothes because she likes them" as if there were nothing more to it than that, oversimplifies things drastically.
Very true. And people should definitely talk about it, because of the male gaze that is so deeply woven into our culture that it is very, very hard to notice, or avoid. But... *ponders* I don't think that Amy is particularly aware of the objectification inherent in clothing. She is pretty, and she likes to be in-your-face, so these are the clothes she chooses to wear. (And they are perfectly normal for girls her age.)
Really it is two arguments - one, about what clothes mean culturally etc, and another one about what Amy's clothes say about her. Being uncomfortable with the way fashion objectifies women is something that should definitely be addressed. Judging Amy on her clothes is something very different.
Also, this article is v. interesting when thinking about all this.
no subject
But where the two intersect is that Amy isn't a real person, she's a created character (created, in part, by men, for an audience that is composed, in part, of men). The way the character is dressed isn't a matter - as it would be with a real woman - of a whole complex of psychological factors but of a set of much more conscious and deliberate decisions (of which the actress's - entirely legitimate - sense that the character is "a mini skirt sort of girl" is only one among many).
And now I'll go and read that article you linked to...
no subject
Hmmmmm. Well Doctor Who is, on the whole, a children's/family show. The tabloids have been after Amy for months and months for dressing 'too provocatively' for the audience, so the miniskirts are generally not the big bonus you'd expect.
The way the character is dressed isn't a matter - as it would be with a real woman - of a whole complex of psychological factors but of a set of much more conscious and deliberate decisions (of which the actress's - entirely legitimate - sense that the character is "a mini skirt sort of girl" is only one among many).
Well I think that created characters also have complex psychological factors - Amy in particular. She's very confident and in-your-face, and her outfits are part of that. She's also very damaged, but tries to hide it, partly with her choice of clothes.