Independent Women

I always loved Batman Returns, and thought that Michelle Pfeiffer did a hell of a job in her role as Catwoman. I often think of the quote below as one of the most significant contributions to the feminist agenda:

(After rescuing a woman from being mugged in an alley) "You make it so easy, don't you? Always waiting for some Batman to save you."

After flipping on my computer, I decided to type the entire quote into Google to see what I'd find. The following excerpt, taken from this Bitch Magazine article, made for a good read. Check out the entirety of the article by clicking the link, or read below for the gist.

--------------
Catwoman’s inner conflict comes to a head when she must choose between living a fairy-tale life with Batman, or being true to her sense of justice and new-found personal power. The ending does not disappoint. Warning—I’m about to give it away, so if you want to see the movie and be surprised, you’ll have to skip this part. In the final scene, Batman and Catwoman confront Shreck, the ruthless tycoon whose plan to build a huge power plant—one that would secretly drain instead of generate electricity—has brought mayhem to Gotham. Batman wants to take Shreck to jail. But Catwoman distrusts the justice system and wants to take care of him herself.

Batman: Why are you doing this? Let’s just take him to the police. Then we can go home, together. Selina, don’t you see, we’re the same, we’re the same, split right down the center. Selina, please.
Catwoman: Batman, I would love to live with you in your castle forever just like in the fairy tale. I just couldn’t live with myself. So don’t pretend this is a happy ending.
Shreck: Selina Kile, you’re fired.

But it is a happy ending. Selina Kile is fired—that naive dependence is gone forever. Catwoman administers her own justice, giving Shreck the kiss of death as she grabs a power cable and fries him to a crisp. Then she takes off, leaving Batman and his fairy-tale desires behind. Go girl!
--------------------------

I often find myself wondering how anti-feminism continues to survive in the 21st century, especially with feminine independence thriving through figures such as Oprah, Paula Deen, JK Rowling, and Queen Elizabeth II, to name a few. The recent announcement of Kelis and Nas' impending divorce has been splashed over the front page of many a gossip blog, and for good reason. Those who have kept abreast of the story are well aware that Kelis is demanding a hearty share of spousal support benefits, perhaps more than a fair share. I think I'll write more on that later, as my opinion on the whole affair is still in formulation. For now I'm content to pontificate on society and gender, and how the former imposes its views on the latter.