Fatal femmes

Why do women in comics become Women in Refrigerators?

A A A Comments (2) By Robert Wilonsky Thursday, May 18 2000

...continued from page 2

DC Comics

Uh, they don't call her "Catwoman" for nothing. Is she wearing any clothes?

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"Superhero comics are based on wish-fulfillment fantasies," Simone says. "Bad things happen to male heroes, but they tend to either survive relatively unscathed or die a heroic death. A lot of heroines just get chopped up in the kitchen. There's no wish fulfillment for girls in that. I wondered if it was the readers who wouldn't put up with their favorite male characters being destroyed, or if it was some subconscious thing on behalf of the creators. A few creators confided to me that they had done some pretty evil things to their female characters after going through a divorce or breakup. Hello, therapy!"

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Ratih Harun 09/15/2007 1:44:00 PM

It probably wont mean very much but I have to thank you so much for addressing something that has irked me ever since i was a kid. I'm an avid comic and picture novel reader.Women have struggled with thier identity for as long as we can remeber it has been the basis of our entertainment and occupation ever since the first paid job for a woman was prostitution. With the exception of a few matriarchic societies in third world or underdeveloped countries our culture has never liked the idea of " I am woman hear me roar" Unfortunately both genders balk at the thought of an overtly independant woman, considering them to staunch (think of the chinese women in the during the mao dynasty, spartans and vikings oh and certain latin and european typecastes) Apparently one must get in touch with thier inner testies and wave them above your head sporting a crew cut in your silk stockings and age defying wrinkle creams or is it the other way round? "please don't get paid more than i do have a more established career and activities oh politics is out of the question though you always look so sexy wearing my jersey and i loved that beret wearing hippie i met in college please oh please shave your underarm hair are you sure your not a lesbian he thins as he's contemplating bending you over that shackled barrel reading faust. Or predecessors ran a family had extra curriular activities, organised drives and functions for thier prospective religions and "humane" counterparts only to be shunned if dinner and beer were not provided for their partner or children. No wonder we have our blood stained femme fatale madonna whos plights of philanthropy get her strapped up emancipated, demoralised and idolised dipped in gold then set on her pedastool. I'm still torn which gender has a deeper pit of inadaquecy those that are willing to believe whats being fed or those that fear the truth that has always been? Independance and individuality has been the tightrope of humanity since before shakespeare. It's paradoxical i guess we need to confrence with pandora and her little box, and though sailor moon was annoying she had cool friends and wonderwoman was subservient in her own right and tank girl may have been a minx as witchblade was a pagan and death well you know... i can't beleive that teenage girls are so willing to accept these roles it was frustrating watching women melt to the whim of the hero's and villians alike even mystique had her jelly moments then again so did superman discussions don't get very far as therapeutic as they are, there is little resolove the little boys and girls inside us will be hard pressed to find prevelent role models though we shouldn't give up i can't help but wonder if aliens no not xenophobia is our best chance. Were all feminists and mysogonits lets all suck our thumbs in comfort and be glad were still as messed up as our ancestors