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August 10, 2007 11:40 AM
Women in comics: girlfriends and tag-alongs and also rans - oh my!
Via Bookslut, I came across this excellent piece on the shoddy way women are represented in comic books: whether treated as sex objects, subjected to horrific
and humiliating (often sexualised) torture, or portrayed as simpering idiots, it seems the male-dominated history of women and superheroes has not been a very happy one. Perhaps the best answer to this problem is for more women to write about super heroines.
On a closely-related topic, it wasn't until I read a recent letter in the Radio Times that I realised that of the two women (i.e. a minority) in (the otherwise gripping and well-rendered) drama series Heroes, both of them are stereotypical females: one a blonde, pretty cheerleader, the other a blonde, pretty stripper... Sigh.
How about a super heroine for the 21st century? Maybe she could start by wearing clothes that fit...?
What else?
Came straight to this page? Visit www.trashionista.com for more female fiction news, reviews and interviews.
Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 10, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Opinion | Permalink
Comments
Hehe fab!
Last month I planned a novel about a superheroine - well, actually she turns villain, but not deliberately - but anyway...
Yup, methinks we need something new! Have never watched Heroes but everyone raves about it so I might.
Posted by: Danielle | August 10, 2007 6:49 PM
AUTHOR: Heather
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DATE: 08/10/2007 07:35:31 PM
Posted by: Heather | August 10, 2007 7:35 PM
I disagree...There is lots of strong girl 'super hereos'...In 1999 they came out with a series called Spider-Girl where the main character is a punky basketball player...You got Buffy who proves you don't always need a man in your life, and her comics show her as very, very STRONG. Men are often the ones potrayed badly in that comic book...
And then you got the new Batgirl...Not only is she strong and beautiful but she has too battle gender issues too...
Posted by: bunny | August 12, 2007 10:46 PM
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