 So I've been thinking about superheroines.Sure, a good part of this is because Caitlin and I wrote Black and White, and we've begun work on the next in the series, Shades of Gray, and when you're writing about superheroes in a dystopian world, it's a bit difficult not to think about superheroines. But part of it also is because I have two Precious Little Tax Deductions who are very into superheroes. I've been sitting through episodes of Super Friends and Justice League Unlimited and Ben 10 and Batman and The Batman (really--two completely different shows) and Superman and Voltron ("...and I'll form the head!"). And seeing all this spantastic action has made me think about the role of women in a super-powered world. [Note: This is specifically about television versions of superheroines; comic books and novels are another topic. I believe that the medium in which a story is presented makes a  difference in terms of impact--reading a book or a comic book about a superheroine is a different experience than watching the adventures of that superheroine on television. As Marshall McLuhan said, print is an active medium; television is a passive one. (Holy cats, grad school is coming back to haunt me!) Experiencing a medium actively is different than doing so passively. But the battle of the media is another topic completely. Anyway, my point here is that this blog post is about T.V. superheroines.]Before anything else, I want to make it clear that I'm talking specifically about television heroines who have some sort of power or ability that sets them apart from other television girls and women (and heck, men). Wendy Harris from the original Super Friends (1973 - 1975) doesn't qualify. But Jayna from the later version of the Super Friends (1977 - 1984) does ("shape of...an eagle!"). Catwoman does because she dresses up in a costume, has spiffy gadgets, and goes toe-to-toe with Batman. Watching shows from the 1970s and early 1980s with super-powered women (or, in the case of Cheetara, females) is a real trip. Look at Wonder Woman in the Super Friends * -- she is super strong and  has a fantabulous magic lasso, and yet again and again, she is captured and wooed by the bad guy of all bad guys, Darkseid. Ditto Princess Allura on Voltron (1984 - 1986), who for the first season is constantly pursued by the villainous Lotor. Allura is a princess, same as Diana (Wonder Woman, of course) of Paradise Island. Even without their super strength or Blue Lions, these ladies wouldn't be helpless. And yet, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it seemed to be en vogue for these super damsels to continue to be in distress and get saved by the superheroes.Not so in more recent cartoons. Look at Diana in Justice League Unlimited. T  his princess is no porcelain doll to be protected. She's a warrior as well as a woman. And she loves to flirt with Batman, apparatenly just to annoy him. Even by the mid 1980s, female super-abled heroines were becoming less dependent on their male counterparts to save them, as Princess Allura makes way for Princess Adora, also known as She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985 - 1987). Yeah, she gets knocked around and captured and whatnot, but she's also the one doing the knocking around as well as the saving.And then there are the super-powered television heroines of today, like Gewn Tennison in Ben 10 and Ben 10: Alien Force. She's smart, confident, easily annoyed by her cousin (the titular hero), and wields phenomenal magical power (or alien ability to manipulate energy, but whatever). Gwen doesn't put up with Ben's crap, and she gives as good as she gets, whether she's 10 years old (in Ben 10) or fifteen years old (in Alien Force). Superheroines on television: evolving to finally be just as self-reliant as their male counterparts...as well as still be team players. HUZZAH! * Turns out, Super Friends had other heroines during its long run: Rima the Jungle Girl (1977 and 1980; Hawkg  irl (1977, 1980 and 1983). I don't remember these characters, but man, I would love to compare Hawkgirl from the Super Friends with Shiara from Justice League Unlimited. I bet that Shiara would bash the SF Hawkgirl with her mace.OKAY, CONTEST TIME: The winner of last week's contest is... MarnieCollette! Congratulations, Marnie! Please email me at J A X aht J A C K I E K E S S L E R daht C O M with your postal addy, and I'll send you a signed copy of HELL'S BELLES, plus two all-new BLACK AND WHITE buttons! |
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Huh... I never thought to look at is that way, but you wonder how much was reflective of the times as well. In the 70's, women were just going out into the work for as their own entity, getting raises, getting promotions, yet still not treated the same way as men or given the same opportunities. It seems the same with the super heroines. They were strong and capable, but 'only female' so of course they could be seduced by the men and were silly enough to be.
On the other hand, women now are still able to seduce the men so why couldn't a bad guy seduce a good girl? I wonder when that changed... Women can use their sexuality but men cannot? It's amusing that the dynamics are never equal.
Awesome post. Thanks, Jackie!!
I never really got involved with comics. By the early seventies I had outgrown cartoons, so I guess I really missed out. Never had children to reintroduce them to me, either. I feel as if I missed something.
Even at 50, I know a lot of men and women my age very into super hero comics and cartoons. They can discuss characters, powers, match-ups for hours on end. And really, the people into the comics don't seem the same people who read books. At least not in my circle.
Comic books I've picked up look a lot like action movies of today, only on paper. I like action movies, so you'd think I'd like comics. If I didn't live way out in the boonies, I might go to a comic store and check them out.
loved the post jackie!!!! It really made me think!(you brave soul!)
Can't wait for Black & White to hit the shelves!
Terrific post, Jackie. I'm glad you included She-Ra, because she was my first childhood hero. She was strong, usually managed to save the day, but was still a princess. Something about her always appealed to my imagination.
Thanks for the comments, everyone!
Melissa, yeah, I've been thinking a lot about how cultural values are reflected in what we watch -- and how male and female role models (like superheroes) also reflect those values. Women in today's world (and superhero television shows) are vastly different from their counterparts in the 1970s and 1980s. As Virginia Slims once touted, We've come a long way, baby.
Ah, Tom, you never knew the joy that was the Smurfs? Poor guy. Nothing like ticking off your parents by asking, "Is it much farther? Is it much farther? Is it much farther?" just to see if they'd finally bellow, "YES, IT IS!" If you're interested in some truly groundbreaking comic books, I highly recommend Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN series.
Heh. Thanks, psynde! I'm reviewing the copy edits to B&W now. Oy. 470 pages. Why did Caitlin and I have to write so much? (Oh, right. Because we love this!)
I know what you mean, -kelly! I liked her, but I also really loved the Thundercats and Cheetara. But even more than Cheetara, I adored Wilykit and Wilycat, the twins who used to be Lion-O's playmates until he got superaged and they didn't. (Gawd, I can't believe I remember the names without looking them up on La Wiki.)
You silly girls, always running away and breaking a heel.
Yep, there were some awful stereotypes that female superheroes were pinned under. To me it was lazy writing and a fear of the old testosterone getting stomped on. The guys got lame-o'd plenty by the bad guys but not to the extent of the ladies. It bugged me but there wasn't much of an alternative. If you wanted to watch the supers you were going to get some silly crap along the way. Melissa is right about the male-dominated role that bound female characters for years. Couldn't have a lady show up one of the guys. Of course you'd have thought some of these writers (presumably all guys) would have been Tolkien fans and recalled that Soran was taken down by none other then a woman! Or has that been re-written to cleanse our minds?
I was a big fan of the new Justice League for many reasons, one of which was watching the women kicking some ass. Seeing Wonder Woman take on Superman toe-to-toe put her in the right context. The writers for that series have produced - IMHO - better content then most TV shows today. I miss the whitty bouts between Batman and Supes, or watching Hawkgirl slowly get under Green Lantern's skin. It was my kind of soap opera!
Absolutely, pikestephenson! Justice League kicks ass.
God, the HEELS. I have a hard time just walking in heels. You mean to tell me superheroines are supposed to not only RUN in heels but fight while wearing them? Dear God.
Even Alan Moore, bless him, dressed Laurie/Silk Spectre (2) in a flimsy plunging neckline leotard with a gossamer micro-dress over it and high heels. But WATCHMEN came out in 1985. In the movie version, due out in March 2009 (barring more stupidity and selfishness from FOX), Silk Spectre's costume makes more sense: body suit and boots. Okay, I think they're high-heeled boots. But they are a far cry from no underwire support and slip-on pumps.
Can we talk about Electrawoman and Dynagirl starring Diedre Hall?
ZOMG, Mark, I used to watch that show! Heck, I had the board game. And my dad had a crush on Electrawoman.