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July 01, 2004
The Plight of the Female Superhero
Via Anil, I found Women in Refrigerators, a fascinating site that looks at the sad fate of most female superheroes in comic books. What makes the site so interesting to me isn't the long list of superheroes and their unpleasant endings--it's the "respondents" page, where she's posted responses from comics industry professionals to this letter she sent out:
Hi.This is a list I made when it occurred to me that it's not that healthy to be a female character in comics. I'm curious to find out if this list seems somewhat disproportionate, and if so, what it means, really.
These are superheroines who have been either depowered, raped, or cut up and stuck in the refrigerator. I know I missed a bunch. Some have been revived, even improved -- although the question remains as to why they were thrown in the wood chipper in the first place.
I know I missed a bunch -- I just don't know my comics deaths the way I should. I'm not editorializing -- I'm just curious to find out what you guys think it means, if anything.
On the respondents page, she's posted the responses she received. The letters are quite heartening to read--very little of the knee-jerk defensiveness and anger I expected to see, but a lot of thoughtful analysis and consideration. You can find the history and rationale for the project here.
(Yeah, I know, this isn't technology per se, but I still though it was interesting.)
Posted by Liz Lawley at 09:55 AM | Permalink
Comments
i think that superhumans are mythic: goddess-like towards an ideal.
my daughter plays with a barbie computer: but is this an appropriate rp
role model? I perfer her knowing that her mothers name is Athena: there is more to that name than Barbie. My wife stuggles being a radiologist, a mother, a wife, and caregiver for a sick father in law. this is real life and my wife is super human. I think that fanatasy is important: but my daughter should form her own imaginary world outside of the media and scripted comic book ethics. real life is more interesting with its role playing.
In history, there is Antigone, there is Iphigenia: these are young ladies who sacrifice virtue for the common good. there is no contrived super human powers and silly power rings.
There are saints and martyrs: persons of virtue that are conflicted with societies pressures.
I think that the Uber Human stuff is too totalitarian in the long run: not very egalitarian nor plurialistic in character building. If there is an Uberhuman, there have to be underhumans, and hence, a rigid social structure evolves with a new underdog: it may no longer be the "female" but rather, a new system of subjectation other humans via a colonization of fixed ideas and systems of communication that stagnate language.
stef
Posted by: stefanos at Jul 2, 2004 9:59:44 PM
I highly suggest you pick up a copy of Lucifer #50 by Mike Carey. It's a significant departure from the typical protrait of women in comic books. While #50 focuses on Lilith, the Lucifer title features Malikeen who is more than adequate in handling herself (Dalliances of the Damned, etc.) and a universe ruled by the goddess of everything but hedgehogs.
More important the art -- none of which Mike is responsible for -- paints women as something else than just carriers for breasts like the Witchblade/Tomb Raider/Fathom titles.
Posted by: Giao at Jul 6, 2004 5:33:21 PM
Time for a little cross-pollination:
http://www.friends-lulu.org/
The "Women in Refrigerators" trend in superhero comics is one of the things that put me off most of them; Friends of Lulu is my antidote to to that trend.
Posted by: William Donohue at Jul 9, 2004 2:06:36 PM
has everyone forgot wonderwoman? she was never raped or put in a fridge. am i missing something? anyway, wonderwoman is a great superhero. i never knew her personally but she used to kick ass with that gold rope.
Posted by: danny at Jul 11, 2004 5:14:55 PM
ok, feminism isnt needed anymore. sure theyre is still sexism against women but there is sexism against men aswell. women are more protected in the law. certain things are barred from men like anything the colour pink. women can have any part of the colour spectrum. and im not saying men arent allowed to like the colour pink, im just saying about societys acceptance. women are allowed to hit, hurt a man and it wud pass people by. a man hits a woman and wow: you cant do that. its preferable to be a lesbian to a gay man because people accept lesbianism more. i know about aids but c'mon. why does the ladies first thing still apply? i thought this was equality? why should it be the man who is trying to get the womans affection in most cases? margaret thatcher once said: 'if u want something said ask a man. if u want something done ask a woman.' imagine if tony blair were to today say the same statement but with the 'men' and 'women' reversed? he'd be out. sexist comment but no one acknowledged it. hats off to maragret thatcher tho, first female prime minister. and i also know there has never been a female president of the united states. but dont women make up something like 55% of voters? or is it 65%. i think 55. more than the men percentage anyway. if a suitable female candidate was put forward surely she should winthe election on that. theres all i have to say. and thats not mentioning child custody cases. but on that note, women do tend to win most every time. thankyou and goodnight
Posted by: danny at Jul 11, 2004 5:28:27 PM
I love super heros, and I've always loved the egalitarian nature of most comics. From Wonder Woman, to Jean Grey, to Susan Storm, woman in my day often seemed the most powerful and respected members of most lineups. Still, I can understand the sensitivity to occasionally seeing heroines in negative positions as I worked on two online courses in the spring that focused on violence against women (for professionals) and violence against women (for consumers) that highlighted this very real problem. Maybe this reality heightens people's sensitivity to seeing such depictions in art. Just a thought.
regards
Fitz
Posted by: Fitz at Jul 19, 2004 8:03:49 AM
I love super heros, and I've always loved the egalitarian nature of most comics. From Wonder Woman, to Jean Grey, to Susan Storm, woman in my day often seemed the most powerful and respected members of most lineups. Still, I can understand the sensitivity to occasionally seeing heroines in negative positions as I worked on two online courses in the spring that focused on violence against women (for professionals) and violence against women (for consumers) that highlighted this very real problem. Maybe this reality heightens people's sensitivity to seeing such depictions in art. Just a thought.
regards
Fitz
Posted by: Fitz at Jul 19, 2004 8:05:13 AM
