The Gender Equality Checkpoint

[Sundae]

Okay, now I know this is WAAAAAAAY out of date.
But someone I know posted a link to some sort of behind-the-scenes Beastie Boys video.
It was the '80s. I listened to them in the '80s.
Shoot, I listened to them in 1992, when I went on my l'il solitary roadtrip to Wales to celebrate my 30th birthday (This was BC - before Cellar.) But I also listened to Dolly Parton, Carter USM, The Pet Shop Boys and various musicals, as well as Radio One.

Anyway, I watched it, expecting to laugh.
Hahaha, Beastie Boys, with their attitude and everything. I didn't expect them to be Guardian (Huffington Post?) readers or bleeding heart liberals or sitting knitting or anything. I mean, I'd listened to their lyrics. At the time, and later. And I even sang along. In an ironic way, y'get me (no, not really).

But it really shocked me. Not just the way they treated the women (girls) who came backstage, but the way the girls were so desperate to be "cool" that they let themselves and the appearances which they'd surely contrived to be attractive to get backstage, be trashed by silly boys, with whipped cream, honey, whisky, whatever.

I'm not specifically making a point about their appearance, but that was what struck me as most ironic - that they would work on it all day (I never got hair that high - and I tried) and then just pretend it was fun when it was ruined.
It was acceptable in the '80s and all that.

I'm certainly not doing a Chrissie Hyndes.
I'm just saying what I started watching as a laugh, something that exists in my timeline, was really quite shocking to me.

I may have enjoyed Licensed to Ill, but I'd never have let them Boys into my house.
Cat in the Hat and all that.

[xoxoxoBruce]

It doesn't have to be a Beastie Boys or Stones, you'd be amazed what the groupies will endure for a nobody garage band.

[xoxoxoBruce]

.

[DanaC]

Hahahahahahahahaha. Oh, and: hahahahahahaha

yeah, I liked that.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The power of women.

[xoxoxoBruce]

British women be sneaky, trained in them jiu-jitsus and shit, gettin so a guy can't cop a feel anymore.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Why should just boys be robbed of the lunch money, and piggybanks cracked, by the makers of action figures. Mattel feels girls should be abused equally. To that end, they hired women to design female superhero 12" dolls, and 6" action figures, from Mattel's agreement with Warner Brothers' DC comics.
So is this a step up, or down, for girls?

[Happy Monkey]

Sideways. Maybe a little up.

The female characters should be released with the superhero lines, in the same release, and the same style. If you get a Justice League set, Wonder Woman shouldn't be the one who looks like an alien.

But it's a step up from just not releasing the female characters at all.

[glatt]

See, you're a guy and think the look of alien Wonder Woman is a bad thing. I agree with you, but I'm also a guy.

Women apparently designed these. The test is, do girls like the way they look?

[Happy Monkey]

That's not my issue; she would look like an alien when standing with the rest of the Justice League members. Because the male characters are from a different set.

I don't like that they separate the lines in a way that if kids play with them together, the difference between the male and female characters is extremely highlighted. It can make her seem like she's not really part of the team.

Now, I'm not sure whether WB has been particularly bad on this front, but it is a fairly common problem.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Yes, in the past the males all had cool unique weapons, but if there was female in the set, her weapon was apparently being nearly naked.

[Happy Monkey]

The tagline in the article is:

The result is less buxom and more athletic than the typical Wonder Woman.

In that context, this line is great as a special release. But if they continue having the porny versions of the characters, or skipping them altogether, in their other lines, then this is just a stunt.

[Sundae]

I hate them.
I have never, not ever had calf muscles wider than my thigh muscles.
The proportions would have had me thrown out of art class. These things are mutants. They are not super-heroes they are monsters.

Then again, I only used to read DC Vertigo comics, so I never liked the caped crowd anyway. I guess they're aimed at the Bratz buyers. And at least these gals kick arse, rather than simply get their clothes changed.

We used to play Star Wars.
And when I say play, I mean we didn't have action figures (okay, the rich kids did, but they weren't allowed to bring them to school) we were live-action. And yes, I was cool enough to be allowed to play Return of the Jedi with the boys. Because I wasn't too nice to kick.

I hope I didn't mentally scar Trevor or Nathan for life. It's not my fault they were relegated to the role of Stormtroopers...

And my calves were still thinner than my thighs.

[DanaC]

I agree with the monkey of cheer. One thing that struck me as well, is that, whilst male superheroes are generally depicted looking ready and psyched for battle - these dolls are all smiling cheerfully. I quite like the catwoman doll. And the girl that hangs out with the Joker (can't recall her name) looks suitably manic and like she'd probably do some serious damage with that mallet - the others look a little too demure and pretty.

Serious step up from no female figures, or female figures designed for the male gaze - but they totally need integrating into the main line.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by DanaC

One thing that struck me as well, is that, whilst male superheroes are generally depicted looking ready and psyched for battle - these dolls are all smiling cheerfully.

That's the look of, don't-need-a-grimace-or-scowl-ready-for-anything-I-can-handle-it, confidence.
And class too.