Catwoman's psychological warfare

[Catbat]

Have you ever had the impression that, while fighting Batman, Catwoman wages a wicked psychological warfare on him?
She uses a wide range of verbal mockery (including double entendres) to ridicule his role of vigilante, coupled with an ambiguous approach towards his costumed persona that seems conceived to undermine his values and his effectiveness as Gotham's protector...

[johnnygobbs]

Have you ever had the impression that, while fighting Batman, Catwoman wages a wicked psychological warfare on him?
She uses a wide range of verbal mockery (including double entendres) to ridicule his role of vigilante, coupled with an ambiguous approach towards his costumed persona that seems conceived to undermine his values and his effectiveness as Gotham's protector...

It struck me as a type of feminist campaign to undermine Batman as the patriarchal protector of Gotham, particularly its women.  That's why she chides one woman for "always waiting for some Batman to save you" and why she decided to discredit Batman in the eyes of the people by framing him as a kidnapper of one of the city's most beloved women.

She further mocks him later on when she tells him that every woman he tries to save ends up dead or at least very resentful.  I wonder if this particularly hurt Batman/Bruce Wayne hard because he was unable to protect his mother from a murderer when he was a little boy.

I also wonder if Catwoman's hatred towards Batman came about as a combination of her shame in having to be saved by Batman early on, during the Red Triangle Circus Gang's first attack, and resentment that he wasn't there to save her from being effectively 'murdered' by Max Shreck later that evening.  It compounds Batman's apparent identity as defender of the patriarchy, capitalism and the social order (in which women are submissive to men) when he tries to apprehend her for blowing up Shreck's flagship department store.

[Catwoman]

Have you ever had the impression that, while fighting Batman, Catwoman wages a wicked psychological warfare on him?
She uses a wide range of verbal mockery (including double entendres) to ridicule his role of vigilante, coupled with an ambiguous approach towards his costumed persona that seems conceived to undermine his values and his effectiveness as Gotham's protector...

Her bag of tricks had quite the variety, lol. Getting in someone's head is a good path to winning. Obviously his actions at the end of the movie show she did get in his head (both "heads," actually...) but by then circumstances had made it a lose-lose for everyone.

[Catbat]

It struck me as a type of feminist campaign to undermine Batman as the patriarchal protector of Gotham, particularly its women.  That's why she chides one woman for "always waiting for some Batman to save you" and why she decided to discredit Batman in the eyes of the people by framing him as a kidnapper of one of the city's most beloved women.

Very interesting thought - she actually played a crucial role in the events that led to the death of the Ice Princess: she basically volunteered to be her captor, ambushed Batman when he showed up to rescue her, engaged him in a fight and eventually foiled his attempt to save her. My idea is that she wanted Batman to be discredited in the public eye, but first she wanted him to know that she had made him fail.

She further mocks him later on when she tells him that every woman he tries to save ends up dead or at least very resentful.  I wonder if this particularly hurt Batman/Bruce Wayne hard because he was unable to protect his mother from a murderer when he was a little boy.

Another really interesting connection. I've always thought that Catwoman, who actively contributed to the murder of the Ice  Princess, wanted to ridicule Batman for his failure to save her (as to show him that she had outmatched him). At the same time, she was referring to what had happened during their first fight the night before, when Batman had tried to save her despite all the dirty tricks she had played on him. I believe it was particularly humiliating for Batman when he tried to explain her that he had done the best he could and she scornfully replied that her first "death" was nothing but his fault, then told him he should retire and finally thanked him by stabbing his chest.

Personally, I think Batman got deeply disturbed by the way Catwoman "seduced" him on the narrow balcony. When she run her clawed hand along his rubber batsuit, he was really on edge. Catwoman created an incredible sexual tension between them, but he kept feeling something was not right - and when he finally relaxed a bit, she viciously punctured him. I wonder if that episode somehow had a traumatic impact on his sexuality and on his already problematic relationship with women.

[Catwoman]

Wonder if when Chase ran her nails on his suit if he thought "Oh hell here we go again" lol

[The Laughing Fish]

I thought Catwoman had a lot of disdain for every man she battled throughout the movie i.e. Batman, the rapist, the two security guards and Shreck. She taunted a lot of her enemies as a way to mock them too; e.g. tells the guards "You poor guys. Always confusing your pistols with your privates".

[Catwoman]

I thought Catwoman had a lot of disdain for every man she battled throughout the movie

As though she shouldn't? lol

[johnnygobbs]

I thought Catwoman had a lot of disdain for every man she battled throughout the movie

As though she shouldn't? lol

She didn't seem to care for many of the women either.

[The Laughing Fish]

I thought Catwoman had a lot of disdain for every man she battled throughout the movie

As though she shouldn't? lol

She didn't seem to care for many of the women either.

That's true. She did have a "fark the world" approach in how she went about her business,  but she was especially disdainful towards men.