Yeah, that’s not true at all, actually, but it neatly sums up the type of attitude I regularly hear and see in the comics world and the literature about comics–if by literature you mean articles and blog posts written 9 to 1 by men.
Anyway, Jennifer de Guzman wrote a post several months back that I just stumbled upon via this post on Amazon Princess (which I found via When Fangirls Attack), and it articulates something that I’ve never really thought about before, but makes perfect sense.
As I wrote in my reply, I am kind of astounded that some men don’t see why physical empowerment would clearly be attractive for women. I think it’s intriguing to note that women often like the hot women who kick ass as much, if not more, than men do. Here’s what I think is behind that: As women, we are nearly constantly aware of physical threats. And those threats often are of being violated sexually. When I used to go to campus for night classes and people warned me to “be careful,” what they are saying was, essentially, “avoid getting raped.”
Now, what if, what if, as a woman, you could walk around, be sexually attractive and not have to feel threatened? What if all the rage you feel about women being victimized and brutalized could be channeled into pure, righteous ass-kicking? And, because you’re a woman, you could possibly do that ass-kicking without being seen as a testosterone Steven-Seagal-esque meathead. Ass-kicking fantasies for men are more about proving and retaining power, I think. For women, they’re about finding and asserting power when they’re not expected to have any.
This resonated with me on so many levels. I’ve taken kickboxing, krav maga and muay thai at different times in my life, and they always did make me feel more confident and yes, sexier, but I’ve always attributed that to feeling healthier and stronger. Maybe I thought a bit about the idea that I might be able to kick someone’s ass if they harassed me as a component, but only in a very general sense.
Yet Guzman’s point is that a superheroine can be sexy and because she can kick someone’s ass, she doesn’t have to apologize or fear for herself. There’s no need for the tradeoff–sexy woman needs powerful man–because she is both. Her sexuality is no longer something to be feared, but something she is free to display if she wants to without worry of repercussions.
In media for so many years, female characters were simple projections of what men wanted to see. Still, women gravitated toward certain characters, and as more women create comics (and movies and TV series and and and) we argued that yes, we do want superheroines. And maybe we do want them to be pretty.
Also, perhaps this explains why I was never one of those who was really bothered by superheroine costumes. Sure they’re unrealistic. But could they also be a gleeful middle finger to everyone who wants to tell a little girl that what she’s wearing is “inappropriate” or that bad things will happen to her if she dresses in a way that attracts male attention?
(Of course, we could debate about the rather narrow view of what is “sexy” that is still put forth by superheroines, but that’s another post.)
August 17th, 2009 at 11:35 am
It’s like I’ve always said– Superheroines should be rape-proof for the same reason Superman is bulletproof: to put them above the mundane every day threats that us normal people have to put up with.
I have no idea why men seem to think that they need the power fantasies more than we do.
August 17th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
More than any other female character, this is why I love Power Girl. Yes, I know how she came to be drawn the way she is, but so much about her character since her earliest appearances has been about her thumbing her nose at the super-hero establishment, and whomever is writing/drawing her thumbing his or her nose at the comic book establishment.
On one hand we’ve got Wonder Woman, the goddess, Black Canary, the den mother, Supergirl, the ingénue, and Oracle, the librarian/teacher. On the other hand we’ve got characters like The Huntress, who are real loose cannons, Catwoman, who uses sex as a weapon.
In the middle is Power Girl, who is strong, confident, and aware of who she is. She’s got sex appeal, but she’s also more intimidating than just about any other female hero in the DCU. And I could be wrong about this, but I believe she’s one of the only major female characters who’s never been successfully sexually assaulted.
August 17th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
While I have nothing against ‘super-powered women’ the arguement put forward that rape is an epidemic to such an extent that a woman can only be or feel safe is with super powers, WTF!
Is this really how women feel, super powers is the last thing I want discussed as a solution to such a terrible issue. I am not going off on a diatribe but again, I am saddened that rape and the fear of rape is/has reached such a level.
To me eqauting the silly notion of acquiring super powers as a way of solve/reduce whatever, this rape crisis, then the author had better realize her article only puts this terrible crime on par with comic books, that today have the ability to teach more than before, but they are still considered “comics” nothing more nothing less, and has the author realized comics are more T & A driven than ever before, and publishers are not giving us this “artwork” to have young men see women as empowered.
Peter
Montreal
August 17th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
One more comment if I may…rape is about violence not sex or sexy…a woman super heroine dressed liked POWER GIRL would be open to rape as would any woman, with violence being the issue. The ability to ‘kick-ass’ sounds like a plan but it may not be the solution so wonderful as described in this article.
Peter
August 18th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Like Sarah, I am very pro superheroines and all about women as ass kickers.
I don’t want to put words in her mouth but I think, if I understand correctly, it’s about confidence. The confidence that many women don’t have that, should they be attacked, they can successfully beat back their attackers. Power Girl can do this and I for one envy her for that (even if she is fictional). I want to be able to protect myself from any attack, but especially from rape.
More so than any other type of attack I fear rape – it’s the worst type of violation I can imagine. Peter is absolutely correct that it’s about power not sex but that doesn’t mean that women who dress ‘sexy’ aren’t targeted. And it doesn’t mean that every woman hasn’t unexpectedly found herself in a wary position that sends her brain on nightmarish tangents of “what if…”
So, why wouldn’t we revel in the female characters that possess the traits we most admire (and possibly desire)? Intelligence is great, sexiness is great, and confidence is great. Being able to kick ass isn’t the ultimate solution to a possible attack (not being attacked is the ultimate solution) but it sure seems like a great skill to have…just in case.
August 18th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Peter, first off, no woman is “open to rape”, super-powered or not.
The thing to remember is that throughout one’s life as a girl and woman, you’re always being told to “be careful,” having people constantly worrying over your safety, being given conflicting indications as to how you should dress and act, lest it communicate something that could potentially result in harm toward you.
Society tells us that attractiveness in a woman is most important, and yet if we’re *too* attractive, we will attract trouble, unwanted attention and maybe even violence. How the fuck is that fair?
Even if you’ve never been threatened by or experienced rape or sexual assault, the idea of it is perpetually *there* for women. The idea that we’re vulnerable and automatically not as safe in the world as men are.
Wonder Woman can be covered from head to toe or walk around buck naked and still nobody can do anything to her without her permission. That’s power that would make a lot more women feel secure and good about themselves, the same way Superman’s powers would anyone.
August 19th, 2009 at 3:09 am
Peter- Please stop trying to be ‘that understanding guy’. You say that rape is about violence, true though it’s more power than violence itself, though fail to see why a woman with superpowers is less likely to end up raped? Why a woman strong enough to break someone in two if she so pleased isn’t going to walk down the street at night with any concern of some random thug causing her harm?
Despite most rapes being committed by someone the victim knew it’s drilled into women’s heads from birth that we’re weak and that every dark corner can hold someone looking to violate us in some way. A man alone on a bad street’s first thought is more often ‘I might get mugged’ while a woman is more likely to think ‘I might get raped’. If this alone doesn’t show you why a woman would find appeal in a character who’s strong enough to never have these thoughts then you appear to be missing the point. Same with assuming that comics, as a medium, can’t have some form of influence on people simply due to the T&A of some titles.
August 19th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Katie,
I had no intention of being that understanding guy, I was just trying to understand and your condescending attitude is really sad.
I am not a child, I am not even a young man, 56 years old, a father of two grown sons and my youngest about to make me a first time grandfather, and I’m very much hoping for a grand daughter.
So please grow up, you want to comment, you want to explain, you want to give your point of view, great but please if you want men to understand your point, don’t dump on them before you even start to explain.
I found the article simplistic, no disrespect,(maybe because I have a strong suspicion that I do have a grand daughter on the way…we won’t know until delivery day) I would never think to tell a woman she is weak, meet my wife of 36 years, she could kick my ass, does sometimes.
All I was trying to say was I was surprised by this “rape” issue as per the original comment and felt the super heroine idea was somewhat lame, I understood the idea but it seemed so genuinely written that I found it hard to believe the idea would have legs…anyway I meant no disrespect, I appreciated the comments sent my way excluding your pathetic dump, if all that has been fed to you is how weak you are and how scared you should be to walk a night, I feel very sorry for those who are sending that message, women are a powerful force, I was around when they started burning bras and watched my wife, who was 20 years old go through 44 hours of labor before taking my hand and saying she could take no more, I was a wreck after 4 hours, my grand daughter will not be sold a bill of goods about women being weak, not from her grandfather but I will have her back.
Peter
August 19th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Alright, from THIS woman’s perspective, I absolutely agree with the article. I’m an attractive woman… and I’ve attracted the wrong kind of attention. I was a victim of rape, and it was a terrible experience that made me feel helpless, victimized, angry, and alone. Like a man getting mugged, it doesn’t always happen, but the fantasy of being invulnerable to that sort of thing, well, it is an extremely empowering concept for a woman like myself, and I gravitated to comics and strong heroines with those sort of credentials.
But I’ll also say, it really bothers me when people try to empathize with me. I never want to hear a guy tell me he “understands” or rationalizes it something that rarely happens and that people overreact to. Superheroes are our ways of creating an empowering fantasy to escape the limitations of reality, and for a woman to be “rape-proof”, like Superman is “bullet-proof”, that is a notion I’d cling to desperately.
I’m a tough girl too. I’m scrappy. Fiesty. I can hold my own in a fight. To feel strong and empowered makes me feel sexy, and to have strong female icons in the industry helps me validate my strength and confidence in that regard. I would kill for the ability to flaunt my sex appeal without fear of being man-handled, harrassed, or, as I regrettably endured, raped.
I admire the “real women” heroines like She-Hulk, a strong, self-confident hero who’s also a brainy lawyer, Power Girl, a sexy, empowered knockout, Ms. Marvel, a recovered alcoholic, now a team leader, and many other noteworthy additions. Tragically, so many heroines ARE sexually abused, many of them raped or killed, while the authors justify it as “humanizing” them. Alan Moore crippled Batgirl and had the Joker violate her. The result? He was praised as “daring”, “controversial”, and “a genius”, and that sickens and worries me.
I don’t know why so many men freak out over the concept of a strong, empowered woman, and why some people mock their concept as “rape proof” as “lame”, when that is the most wonderful, empowering thing I could ever hope to witness. Why are so many comfortable with Superman and Spider-Man saving the day in skin-tight outfits and pounding on the badguys, but so many get upset when a strong woman can hold her own against them, both in powers, maturity, and complexity?
I don’t know. I just know it bothers me, and I for one think there should be more strong, well-written, well-rounded superheroines out there. Preferrably ones without a future involving being horribly mistreated, killed off, or raped. If Superman doesn’t have to worry about it, then neither should any other empowered heroine.
August 20th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Peter- I wasn’t saying that you called women weak, merely that your comment and response show you don’t understand what the issue is.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:24 am
“[Peter] found the article simplistic, no disrespect,(maybe because I have a strong suspicion that I do have a grand daughter on the way…we won’t know until delivery day) I would never think to tell a woman she is weak, meet my wife of 36 years, she could kick my ass, does sometimes”
Peter, it doesn’t matter how much you tell your hypothetical granddaughter how Special and Strong and Powerful she is, or even just how much you avoid calling her “Weak”; the majority of the rest of the world will STILL be giving her the message that Women Are More Vulnerable. You are right that women can be strong, powerful, a force of nature even.
But that is not what society is largely telling us women, especially during our formative years.
Every time someone even jokingly mentions how you should “never hit a lady”… what they’re really saying, whether they notice it or not, is: “men are stronger, so it’s an unfair advantage for them to physically attack a woman” (…but a woman can hit a man, that’s OK! And hitting him in the family jewels? That’s not “sexual assault” – even though if a man did that to a woman, it would be – no, that’s just taking the only advantage she has, right?).
Every time people hear the words “domestic violence victim” or “rape victim” and default to assuming it’s a woman or possibly a child (even though a large number of grown men are victims of domestic abuse or even sexually assaulted every year)… what they’re doing is assuming that men can or should be able to defend themselves against assault from a woman, but it’s normal that a woman is vulnerable to attack.
Every slasher flick that ends with the Last Girl kicking the baddie’s ass is also a mixed message; though women have a woman to see become empowered and fight off her attacker… they also have just likely seen a slew of other young, sexually-mature women slaughtered, generally for the “sin” of wanting sex (see: “Death by Sex” trope) or being out alone at night. The Last Girl is generally cunning and brave and empowered, yes… but she’s also generally the one girl who’s chaste and dresses modestly and spends more time with her schoolbooks than boys. So much for being a Modern Woman who’s allowed sexual freedom on par with men, eh?
Not to mention the fucked up notion that our culture has that women who are promiscuous or dress “provocatively” or who don’t care that they’re out alone at night, are more likely to be raped… actual recent studies have shown the opposite to be true, with modestly-dressed women who aren’t very outgoing being much more common targets, simply because they give off a vibe of being easier to dominate compared to women who have a certain amount of confidence in themselves.
On top of that, you have a disturbing assumption that rape or even sexual assault is… rare. It’s not. Thousands of women get raped or sexually EVERY day all over the country; and countless millions more get constant, unnerving, sexually-inspired attention (sexual harassment and sometimes stalking or unwanted persistent sexual persuit) every day as well. We LIVE in a culture that, while it does not technically *condone* rape or sexual abuse or violation, still passively and pervasively allows it to happen on a disturbingly large scale.
And if you think getting catcalls and leers (especially when wearing *normal* clothing) doesn’t or can’t possibly feel like “violation”, well… you’re not most women I know, what can I say. It’s intrusive, it’s persistent, and paired with the common stereotype of sex abuse victims being female (which we’ve long since absorbed and internalized), it can be a good ten times more frightening and unsettling. And still, we have to deal with it on a daily basis… yet you still wonder why so many women here automaticaly jump from “empowered woman” = “great fantasy character in part because she’s un-rapeable”?
If you really want your granddaughter to be “empowered” and to feel safe walking home alone at night? The way to do it isn’t just to “never tell her she’s weak”; because the culture will do that even if you don’t. The way to do it also isn’t to force some notion of “my grand daughter will not be sold a bill of goods about women being weak, not from her grandfather” down her throat; chances are she might just never admit to you that she feels insecure, because she could easily assume with that kind of passionate talk that even *feeling* weak or insecure could be unacceptable to her loved ones (a bad thing, that situation).
The real way to make as absolutely sure as possible that she feels confident and secure, as opposed to the frequent tension, terror and panic that most women feel walking home at night, is to give her martial arts training (so she *knows* she can defend herself), and to stop making assumptions like “women who dress like Power Girl are [more] open to rape”, or “I don’t feel particularly vulnerable to rape so thus, it’s paranoid for women to feel a frequent panic over it, since it’s such a hideous crime that surely it happens rarely”.
I’m not saying it’s your FAULT that you make these assumptions, and I’m not saying it makes you a bad person either, because they are common cultural memes. They just also happen to be wrong.
The day people stop associating “rape victim” with “woman”, and use “never hit a lady” in reference to a catfight, might be the day things start to change. Until then, please realize, that the cultural and emotional experience is VERY different for women than it is for men. And this includes amplified terror and wariness levels. There’s a reason the horror genre is noted so often nowadays as being big among women, after all; having been scared, vulnerable, and paranoid a heck of a lot throughout our lives, we’re extremely likely to become more emotionally involved with the protagonists. The flip side of this is that once in while, we also want a Buffy Summers or a Princess Xena or a Power Girl; a complex woman who can nonetheless kick ass and take names and is more likely to kill the *monster* in the dark alley, rather than the other way around.
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April 14th, 2012 at 3:14 am
hideous crime that surely it happens rarely”.