What the hell is going on?
People are saying that the sexism in the DCU and The Industry is an old issue with comics, when in reality, there's a new twist. One of the important reasons this is a NEW topic is because DC's relaunch is an attempt to pick up new readers through its accessibility, which was potentially an amazing and bold move. One that I don't believe will work.
This was a chance for DC to welcome new female readers to American comics, but DC's moves will instead keep them at bay. Congrats on creating (accidental or intentional?) controversy in the industry. You'll sell a lot of reprints of issue 1, I'm sure. Will you sell as many on issue 20? 30?
I'm frustrated with some of the arguments that are out there, and I want to address some of them.
First off, I hate the argument that "other aspects of media are sexist, therefore comics aren't MORE sexist, rather they're just reflecting the times!" or something.
That's wrong.
As a general rule, American comics are sexist. Just because it's commonplace and accepted to objectify and make women's breasts as round as their personalities are flat, that doesn't mean that it's not sexist. It is, and we've accepted it. Is this as toxic as other types of media like movies or TV? Probably not, but it definitely contributes. This is also a medium I'm passionate about. Hell, I spent the last year writing a curriculum for the benefits of comics in the classroom. I think I have every right to question The Industry and challenge its generally low standards. If The Industry wants to create a real readership for the future, they better start doing something revolutionary and not just build a new house on the same swamp.
I also hate the argument "but the industry has made advances over the years!" That's true, it has. It has also made those advances incredibly slow to the point that they are now bordering on backwards. Black Vulcan, Black Lightning, and Black Racer don't represent all the non-white characters anymore (no more Yellow Claw, right? that name was retconned). Congratulations. When you're done patting yourself on the back for that, let me ask you Eddie Murphy's famous question: What have you done for me lately? How are you pushing/updating/challenging things now?
Next argument: Violent women = strong women. No, it doesn't. It equals a man. It equals a man's answer to power. There are most definitely differences between the genders, and to deny that would be absurd, preposterous, and would actually discredit what it is to be a man or a woman (and everything in between). BUT when the differences define what we perceive as strong/weak, then there's a problem. Just because a woman can punch as good as a man (or arm wrestle as good as Iron Man while onlookers place bets, further objectifying the already offensive term "Girl Comics") that isn't what makes her equal to a man. What makes people equal is not framing them against the definition of a man (which is typically (physical strength/power). Physical strength is a narrow way to define power, and one that men have used for millions of years; one that women have had to use in the past to be heard.
And the next argument: "But there are many strong female characters! Let me list them for you...!"
That's exactly the problem. You can list them. We all know who they are. If gender inequity wasn't an issue, then listing all the female characters with depth might be more of a problem.
The characters need to come first. It seems that The Industry is busy writing from the outside in. Starfire (above) and the new Harley Quinn (below) are great examples of that. People don't read Spider-Man because he speaks to white men. He speaks to people! He's an endearing and enduring character because he's real, has depth, reacts humanly, and deals with real problems. The fact that he's a male is one facet of who he is and frames his perspective. First and foremost: He's Spider-Man! He's Peter Parker! One of (many) reasons I enjoy Joss Whedon's work is that he doesn't just write MEN and WOMEN, but rather people. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is Buffy first! She and Kitty Pryde aren't amazing characters because they're strong women keeping up with men, but because they're three dimensional. The characters speak for themselves. They have voices, depth, personality, and do not have to be compared to Spike and Cyclops. Buffy lives first, and slays vampires second.
Alex SmithDoes this mean that I'm against sex, sexy characters, kick-ass women (or girls from Kick-Ass)? Not at all. But lets be honest, guys. The Industry is, as a whole, sexist, degrading (to humanity, but I'm not going to get all Freire or anything) and writes a cookie cutter woman. It's not whether one or two characters are "offensive," but rather the voice of The Industry. Again, I'm not bothered by one or two things, but it's all this stuff put together. Look at the amazing powerhouse team of Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. They created one of my favorite characters, Harley Quinn. She is a sexy, ditzy, nasally, (stereotypical) blonde woman, often seen as a pin-up model (with, up until this year, an AMAZING costume), and in a sick, destructive, abusive relationship with The Joker. Timm and Dini also gave us Renee Montoya (Harley's opposite in many ways) and every woman in between. They've shown that they can write characters of all types, can play off old film tropes (like the sultry and sexy femme fatale or Harley's "Betty Boop with a pop-gun" thing), and tell amazing tales. Harley and all their other characters are engaging in their own right; they stand alone. They're as interesting to read about and listen to as they are to look at it.
Ok, a slight interruption. I love exploitation flicks because they're gratuitous, ridiculous, over-the-top, and otherwise EXPLOIT things in a way that says "you love guns/violence/blood/women/whatever, we love it, so here you go!" But to deny that sexism in The Industry or that The Industry isn't doing it to make a short term financial gain, is BS. Admit that you're trying to give your male audience what they want. Just don't make excuses or try and pass it off as empowerment or anything else.
Anyways, the last argument I want to address: There aren't enough female fans/writers/audience/complaints/etc. It's a feedback loop. The Industry screams to a narrow demographic, and that demo screams back. The young female fans (such as my students where I teach) ARE being heard, and they're reading manga. Even my girlfriend, a long-time comic fan, has stopped reading most American comics in favor of the diverse and rich material found in manga.
And trust me, guys, she's hot.
