My first post ever on this blog was the first “Attitudes Towards Feminism in the Past Week.” It’s been quite a few months since then, but I guess it’s just that time again. To be more accurate, though, these are observations I’ve made in the past two to three weeks.
Most everyone knows about DC’s “New 52.” Well, people who know comics know about it. To summarize it quickly, the people at DC comics have decided to relaunch [reboot] 52 new titles this year. Most have since come out.
Since I am wont to read a comic book every now and then, I perused a few of the bigger titles. I specifically went out of my way to read Catwoman and Red Hood and the Outlaws, two releases that appeared to have been garnering more than their fair share of attention. They weren’t.
Comics Alliance and io9 put it into much better words than I do, and I strongly, strongly suggest you read at least one of their articles. If I were to personally point out the problems with both comics, they would go as follows:
In Catwoman her first on-panel appearance involves her changing into her suit; red lingerie and butt/boob-shots abound. The issue ends [SPOILER] with her and Batman having sex. It ends with a whole page of them just- going at it.
Red Hood and the Outlaws is a comic which features Starfire, a character who also showed up in the immensely popular cartoon Teen Titans. My problem here isn’t so much with her costume design [on the right]; it’s what you expect from most female heroes nowadays. My problem is that she spends most of her time out of that costume and in a barely-there bikini. She also wants to basically have sex with everyone.
This past Sunday I watched Ironclad, a period piece which features Paul Giamatti as an irate Prince John trying to take over in spite of the Magna Carta he just signed. Baron William de Albany, played by Brian Cox1, must defend a castle alongside templar Thomas Marshal [James Purefoy]. Kate Mara plays Lady Isabel, who occupies the keep they guard.
Lady Isabel serves two purposes.
1) To be a strong female character in a heavily male-dominated film/era.
2) To incessantly try to seduce Marshal, haranguing him about how his vows keep him from love and that he should listen to his emotions.
I hated Lady Isabel.
Mara’s character strives to be both fierce and independent [she hits a man in the face with a mace]2, yet her single goal seems to be trying to get into a templar’s pants [tights?]. As a role model she teaches that the ultimate victory is not over the iron grip of royalty, but instead the taking of a holy warrior’s virginity.
In two comic issues and one film [all released in 2011] we’re given a picture of what strong female characters should be. Attractive, certainly, but also sexually aggressive. Sexual freedom and independence seems to be what helps define a woman as strong and in control. This has caused me to come to the conclusion that the last thing I want my daughter becoming is a “strong female character.”
This has been attitudes towards feminism in the past week. Two.
1. Who I must point out was also Colonel William Stryker in X2. It’s the only thing I can think when I see him.
2. Though when you take into account the fact that one man is cleaved in twain and another is beat in the face with a disembodied arm, it’s not that big an accomplishment.
Culture War Reporters 