Slutsky and Bitchin' | Scantily-clad woman-warrior trope is dead, allowing women to enjoy superheroes on TV
Slutsky: Let me tell you a story. A long time ago, I was a fan of 'Witchblade'. It had a great origin story revolving around a gauntlet that chose bad-a** women to be its host. However, despite the absolutely great storyline, my enthusiasm was always muted because Sara, the host, had an "armor" which was possibly the skimpiest ever created for any woman that just barely covering her unmentionables. It was pure male fantasy concretized. I've had similar problems with Frank Miller and really pretty much all women warriors in comic books or manga. There wasn't much a girl geek could do really because comics for a long-time, like gaming, was subject to the male gaze. So there was always a barrier to enjoying comics or superhero stories on TV or film because they would blatantly objectify their women fighters.
Bitchin': Well, not that into comics but I did like TV shows like 'Xena the Warrior Princess' and 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'. They too were sexual objects before being warriors because of their costumes. And then you have popular adaptations of characters like Wonder Woman, who still have to wear pretty impractical costumes despite being fighters. I mean there was such a big deal made about Gal Gadot being able to don practical shoes for the part, instead of the original heels.
Slutsky: Exactly. I think things started changing with Marvel's Black Widow. I loved her costumes! Like the one she wore when she took down a whole hall full of men while Happy takes down one guy. It is all-black ninja-assassin streetwear, which isn't revealing but she looks sexy as hell.
Bitchin': Marvel does tend to dress their women superheroes pretty well, from Scarlet Witch to Captain Marvel to Nakia and Okoye in Black Panther.
Slutsky: And then I caught 'Warrior Nun' on Netflix the other day about a secret order of nuns battling demons. Of course, given that they are nuns, you'd expect them to be conservatively dressed. But in the original manga, even the nun outfits were racy, with their habit slit to their waists, which is....weird. But the Netflix adaptation has them geared up as serious fighters, without taking away from their femininity. They are dressed for the job and they look uber cool.
Bitchin': Now that you say it, Marvel has had a trickle-down effect on TV. I remember in the first season of 'The Boys', Erin Moriarty actually comments about her costume being impractical but is told it is the only way to "get fans". It is a very self-aware reflection on how women warriors are asked to dress on TV and films, compared to their male counterparts. Netflix's Jessica Jones too was always dressed practically.
Slutsky: The CW also has a good track record on their superhero shows -- from 'Legends of Tomorrow' with its female-heavy cast to 'Arrow', the show that started it all on that network, to 'Batwoman' with a female lead.
Bitchin': You're right. I think TV and films have finally figured out how to have their women warriors kitted out right and ready for a fight -- which means that unlike you poor teen self, you can stan women warriors without reservation.
Slutsky: Amen to that!
Slutsky and Bitchin’ is a column that examines the highs and lows of pop culture and media from a feminist POV.