NPR: Catwoman: Feminine Power, on the Prowl
NPR’s Allison Keyes discusses Catwoman’s appeal, contending that she is a symbol of feminine power. She interviews women who portrayed Catwoman, co-stars, and a writer, and describes Catwoman incarnations over the years.
Catwoman’s “feminine power” includes her independence, ruthlessness, but always (and often first and foremost) her sex appeal. The fact that a story can claim to discuss empowerment of women and not raise a single concern about this focus on sex appeal is disconcerting.
“This was one of the first female characters we saw on television that really spoke to empowerment,” says Suzanne Colon, author of Catwoman: The Life and Times of a Feline Fatale. “Not only empowerment; a proto-feminism that was very sexy and pretty and female, and yet very take-charge.”
I find this to be another shallow attempt of modern feminism - delighted that women can be strong AND pretty. The notion that this is a novel combination is an example of how little most of us know about feminism.
I believe feminists are just as pretty, strong, weak and ugly now as they always have been. I also realize that many of us have been taught ridiculous things about feminism, including that feminists are unattractive to men, and therefore hate men in their own defense.
I dream of a day when women can proudly claim feminism, without nervous apologies or fear of being labeled feminazis, or, even worse, ugly.
Did I mention to you that in Mike Farrell’s autobiography, every time he talks about meeting a woman, he mentions her attractiveness? Thankfully :-), they were all attractive, I guess. Looks rarely get mentioned in regard to men, but always with women. And he makes several references to himself as a feminist. Sigh.