Just throwing this out there:
WHERE ARE THE WOMEN?
Seriously. In Dark Knight Returns the only female character worth squat is Robin/Carrie. Selina Kyle/Catwoman is reduced to acting a a Madame for the greater Gotham area, something that should really piss off anyone who follows the character for crap. Kyle has a code of honor in the same style as Batman, and would not allow herself to be anything as ordinary as a glorified pimp-ette.
In Watchmen, women are demoted to the status of sex toy bimbos. Sally Jupiter is noted for being a busty slut of a stage mother, and Laurie has the interesting job of playing the harpy who sleeps with Dr. Manhattan. Not to mention the supporting cast of characters in both books who are nagging, unpleasant, or hookers.
It isn't an author thing though. Both Miller and Moore are capable of writing intelligent, brave, and interesting female roles. Anyone who has read League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or Sin City would know better. I just question why these two writers, who are capable of so much more, have done the ladies so wrong in some of their most noted works.
Fifty points if you guess who wrote this little rant ;)
2 comments:
Hmm...who could have written a rant on how a few female characters are written off as "bimbos," "whores" and "playthings" for the male characters? I wonder who it could be...
Well Mary, I understand why you are angry with both Silk Spectres and Catwoman for playing the "hero's trophy girl." Catwoman is reduced to to "pimp" status (and not the lithe, cunning thing that used to torment Batman...ugh...) and both Silk Spectres do more "modelin' and sleepin'" than "crimefightin'."
I could be critical of course, since I respect females and encourage them to take more active roles in society and vigilantism(!). Yet both "The Dark Knight Returns" and "Watchmen" explore on how once-great characters have taken dramatic falls. Let's start with "The Dark Knight," shall we?
Obviously, Batman's an old, senile codger but he's still pulling punches, right? And why chastise Carrie Kelly/Robin? She's funny, clever and serves a great helping hand whenever Bruce Wayne/Batman needs her. And yes, Selena Kyle/Catwoman is not getting into the action but then again, Catwoman has always been a "tease" to Batman more than an ally or even a true "crimefighter!" Catwoman was a jewel thief who caused more mayhem than applause. Yes, it's cruel but Selena Kyle/Catwoman is getting her karma for the crimes she's committed. Yes, she was a regular kleptomaniac and people with mental disorders end up on the wrong side of the law and/or on the street. Not all characters who could kick it to high gear could raise their legs high anymore and Kyle/Catwoman was one of them. Like Superman, she's a tool of society to be "used."
Now let's go to the Silk Spectres...truly, I could never warm up to either of them. Both their costumes were stupid (and not too attractive to begin with, or maybe that was the intention...) and they had smaller roles than their male counterparts. Yet one was more helpless than the other. But yes, I will continue my long response.
The first Spectre was an overglorified '40s supermodel who used her image and reputation for cash and fame. She was a major "sell out" to my eyes and not my ideal woman to take out on a date because too many other guys were looking up at her anyway. You don't even see her beating on the bad guys for crying out loud (true with the other Minutemen but Spectre, like I said, was an overglorified model.)!
What about her rape though? I will admit it's bad the first Spectre was raped by the Comedian and it was just as bad when the Hooded Justice, who rescued her, simply said "Cover yourself up for god's sake!" She scratched and that was it..."She should have fought harder!" people would say! I would agree but the first Spectre should garner some sympathy for her rape, right? The people being raped are not at fault for BEING raped to begin with! But why does the first Spectre in her old age "forgive" the Comedian? Is there not enough empowerment in her soul to say "Screw you" like she did when the second Silk Spectre was starting out?
"Watchmen" displays all the characters being flawed and Spectre is one of the flawed ones, a product of her '40s society.
The second Spectre, well, she was just the Hydrogen Man's "trophy girlfriend." Some state she "stole" him away from his original love. Sally. Or that Manhattan chose the second Spectre over Sally. I'm going to be neutral in that area for different people interpret it in different ways. Let's face it, like all the characters in "Watchmen," Doc Manhattan and the Lauren/Spectre are screwed up in their own departments.
Yes, the second Spectre's costume is a joke but I believe she's more commendable than her mother. She complains about her situation (and who wouldn't?) yet she's stronger willed and does NOT need her costume to take on a horde of bad guys. Yes, she had Dan Dreiberg (also sans costume) help her out but you see the point. I mean, Dreiberg/Nite Owl was not the one who guided the people in the burning building in to the ship. Lauren did it. She also had the guns to try to kill a significant character with a gun. So maybe the slack needs to be cut off her.
When she realized she was just Doc Manhattan's "tool" to sleep with, she bailed out. Worse, Manhattan was losing his humanity to even care about little things like sex. You still see her languishing over Jon when she's still with Dan. You think "Get over Nuclear Dude already!" Yet people who have had deep, passionate relationships, in Dreiberg's words, still have "skeletons in their closets." You HATE your ex-lover but you cannot shake him/her either. I believe Lauren's character improves as the comic progresses. She later convinces (in a weird way) Jon/Manhattan to come back to Earth!
You commented on your Shakespeare blog how both the male and female characters were screwups...it's easy to point the finger at one gender or another but it's always better to see how BOTH genders are messed up.
So...if I'm the first one who responded and guess correctly, I get my fifty points? What can I buy with them?
- Kristopher
"Cover yourself up for god's sake"- When I saw this I was like what a jerk, it's not her fault, but in the end of the book where she starts blaming it on herself that just ticks me off. She may have had a skimpy outfit but the entire rape thing just made me mad. People don't asked to be raped and it is not their fault. Personally I would not of put that in the book, but I guess they needed another twist, in the end it fit in, but I think the story could of gone on without it!
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