"I am Catwoman. Hear me roar!"

[johnnygobbs]

Here's a great article about the Catwoman of Batman Returns as a cinematic feminist icon:

http://www.tor.com/2015/12/16/i-am-catwoman-hear-me-roar/#comment-561195

[Edd Grayson]

She's a icon, alright.

[The Laughing Fish]

I reckon one of the main points this article makes is there is this sexist attitude towards women in BR, and the analysis is certainly valid.

Catwoman spends her career as a secretary and is often disrespected and not taken seriously, and then she retaliates against men; taunts them sexually like those cops arming their pistols at one of Schreck's shops. Let's not forget that she uses seduction as a weapon to distract and assault Batman.

There's also the scene where Catwoman saves a woman from a rapist, but she dismisses the victim for being weak and always relying on somebody else to rescue her from danger. Yet earlier on, Selina tried to talk Schreck out of killing her by reminding him that she's only a nobody secretary; trying to use her low working class status to stay alive. Selina's meek personality in the beginning came from this classist and sexist environment and she arguably enabled it, until she had enough of it following her near death experience.

On a side note, you could even claim that the Ice Princess being a stereotypical caricature in how young female models are notorious for being airheads is another commentary of sexism towards women.

[johnnygobbs]

I reckon one of the main points this article makes is there is this sexist attitude towards women in BR, and the analysis is certainly valid.

Catwoman spends her career as a secretary and is often disrespected and not taken seriously, and then she retaliates against men; taunts them sexually like those cops arming their pistols at one of Schreck's shops. Let's not forget that she uses seduction as a weapon to distract and assault Batman.

There's also the scene where Catwoman saves a woman from a rapist, but she dismisses the victim for being weak and always relying on somebody else to rescue her from danger. Yet earlier on, Selina tried to talk Schreck out of killing her by reminding him that she's only a nobody secretary; trying to use her low working class status to stay alive. Selina's meek personality in the beginning came from this classist and sexist environment and she arguably enabled it, until she had enough of it following her near death experience.

On a side note, you could even claim that the Ice Princess being a stereotypical caricature in how young female models are notorious for being airheads is another commentary of sexism towards women.

I think the contrast between Selina (pre-Catwoman) and the Ice Princess demonstrates how women who are valued simply for their looks/sexuality rather than their intelligence or other more substantial qualities seem to thrive more in a patriarchal city like Gotham (certainly, until her kidnap, the Ice Princess seems happily oblivious to the oppression that takes place within the city).  Likewise, Selina is shown to be someone who questions, or at least attempts to question, male authority rather than simply complying with it, in contrast to the Ice Princess and Oswald's similarly unintelligent campaign volunteers.  The problem is, Selina lacks confidence, so when she does attempt to ask a simple question at a business conference between Max and the Mayor, she is immediately cut down to size for such insolence.

Basically, any woman with half a brain who is prepared to use it, is treated like crap in the Gotham City of Batman Returns.

[Catbat]

I reckon one of the main points this article makes is there is this sexist attitude towards women in BR, and the analysis is certainly valid.

Agreed. There's a general feeling that women in BR can only chose between conforming to a system that humiliates and objectifies them (the Ice Princess, Oswald's volunteers) and becoming sexually charged avengers (Catwoman) or mobsters (the Poodle Lady, the Knivesthrower Dame).

Catwoman spends her career as a secretary and is often disrespected and not taken seriously, and then she retaliates against men; taunts them sexually like those cops arming their pistols at one of Schreck's shops.

Another interesting point. Catwoman basically mocks the guards at Schreck's store suggesting that they should no longer rely on their masculinity to legitimate themselves as protectors of the establishment. Ironically, the guards prove to be meek and harmless before her empowered femininity, and also declare themselves underpaid victims of the system.

[johnnygobbs]

Agreed. There's a general feeling that women in BR can only chose between conforming to a system that humiliates and objectifies them (the Ice Princess, Oswald's volunteers) and becoming sexually charged avengers (Catwoman) or mobsters (the Poodle Lady, the Knivesthrower Dame).

I agree that the Ice Princess and the volunteers were allowing themselves to be objectified, but do you really think they were humiliated?  The Ice Princess seemed to revel in her status and her 'job' and even when we see her behind-the-scenes she seems happy albeit clueless about whether 'the tree lights up after I press the button', and the volunteers were volunteers, and seemed to be enamoured with Oswald even after he sexually assaulted one of them by fondling her breasts.

[Andrew]

There's a general feeling that women in BR can only chose between conforming to a system that humiliates and objectifies them (the Ice Princess, Oswald's volunteers) and becoming sexually charged avengers (Catwoman) or mobsters (the Poodle Lady, the Knivesthrower Dame).

I think Bruce Wayne presents a nice, I guess, third alternative though-he's both respectful and friendly to Selina when he meets her at the office even though she acts provocatively and feigns amnesia. He does probably like that Selina is irreverent to her crooked boss Max.

[The Laughing Fish]

There's a general feeling that women in BR can only chose between conforming to a system that humiliates and objectifies them (the Ice Princess, Oswald's volunteers) and becoming sexually charged avengers (Catwoman) or mobsters (the Poodle Lady, the Knivesthrower Dame).

Looking back at this, if BR were to come out today, I wouldn't be surprised if the film were to be harshly criticised for its portrayal of women, particularly in today's relationship between film criticism and feminism. As a matter of fact, I'm kind of surprised the critical consensus for this film has gotten kinder over time considering the agenda nowadays.

I can see feminists accusing Gotham City in the film as a patriarchal society that demeans women as sex objects, victims, or psychopaths. But at the same time, I could still see people praising Pfeiffer's Catwoman for lashing out at Gotham's social norms, e.g. telling off the woman she saves from a mugging and possible rape for expecting Batman to come save her, and condemning masculinity by using her own sexuality against the men she confrontsi.e. the mugger, the mallcops at Shreck's store and Batman. I wouldn't be surprised if critics came to the conclusion that Shreck, being the biggest corporate conglomerate in the city, is the symbol of patriarchy himself, since he's an older man with a higher standing in society who controls public perception and holds political power.

Of course, I'm just only assuming what these critics could say. But it wouldn't surprise me if they would condemn the film. After all, look at the unjustified fuss over the "sexualisation" of Wonder Woman and Amazons in JL, despite the fact the critically acclaimed WW movie did a lot more in sexualising a man with Steve Trevor's nude bath. But I digress.