How "Batman: The Killing Joke" Could Have Avoided Objectifying Batgirl in All-New Ways

[CBR News]

"Batman: The Killing Joke" failed Barbara Gordon in some all-new ways, but it didn't have to be that way.


Full article here.

[titanfan]

Or they could have just told the freakin' story as it was instead of trying to add filler. As others have said--this really isn't a BatGirl story--that came later...

[kalorama]

They couldn't have told the story as it was without adding filler, because the original story didn't have enough content to fill a feature length movie.

[3Dspiderbat]

Very well-written analysis. And if they were determined to expand Batgirl's story, why not have a woman write or co-write the screenplay? Nothing against Azzarello, but his take on Batgirl's story has a distinctly male-dominated perspective.

[IamBATFAN]

Who cares that they "objectified" Batgirl, im more disappointed they made the movie about her when the focus should be on the Joker.

[Drew Melbourne]

Based on the themes of KILLING JOKE, it might have made sense to do the prelude as a montage or series of vignettes focusing on the Batman-Joker conflict over the years, with Batgirl as the POV character who walks away when things get too dark. Maybe also work in some Batgirl on the computer stuff to presage Oracle.

[KryptoTheSuperdog]

I got the movie yesterday, and had to settle for Standard Definition, not the usual Blu Ray, my much preferred format due to me having a Blu Ray DVD player... I was rather disappointed for the reasons previously discussed by other folks in this and other blogs/articles... Glad I only spent 17.99 CAN at my local Best Buy... I might get a Blu Ray version from Amazon later...

[GreenLanternRanger]

Who cares that they "objectified" Batgirl, im more disappointed they made the movie about her when the focus should be on the Joker.

I care. I want the characters I like and care about to be well portrayed. Sure killing Joke is about Joker but that doesn't excuse poor execution of other characters.

[Sighphi]

And sure, she gets the upper hand in their final confrontation, but that's only because she's motivated by her concern for Batman, who was injured severely in an earlier fight.

and only manages to overcome him when her lover's life is on the line.

Shouldn't you be celebrating that Batman got fridge?

I find it weird that this very old story based ON REAL LIFE STUFF is now hated.

she spends her time pining over him or growing increasingly frustrated about the way he treats her, as seen in conversations with her gay stereotype of a co-worker, whose sole purpose is to also obsess over her love life.

This is not a TV show this is a movie. Things will be focused on the story and not on things that have no use for the story.

Between Barbara's youthful naiveté and her role as Batman's protégé, the sex scene takes on an added level of creepiness.

eeew old people like young poeople, eeeew. come on.

Batman isn't simply her mentor by name; he acts like one, constantly instructing her and berating her as she works and even putting his foot down to tell her she's off the case. According to him, "We are [partners], but we're not equals. Not even close." (Even if that belief alone doesn't prevent him from sleeping with her.) Though clearly an adult with a career, Barbara never acts in kind, consistently rejecting his advice with a pout and her arms crossed;

This is the exact same relationship Batman has with all his sidekicks. The exact same thing. He is always telling him how they mess up and they are always going out on their own to prove him wrong. This is a very old storyline.

Again, the source of her trauma -- and, subsequently, the total change in her way of life -- can be chalked up to a man's actions.

And? It's a 50% chance that this is going to happen.

Between the added backstory and source material, then, poor Batgirl -- the only woman to appear on screen besides Joker's fridged wife and a few prostitutes -- just can't win in this animated adaptation of "Batman: The Killing Joke."

I guess they should've turned the gay friend into a woman. But then you will likely complain about that, too.

the new villain could easily have challenged Barbara to a game of wits with a riddle or dare too intriguing for her to turn down

But then it would be two women going after batman and you would've complained about that.

However, there are already so few female Batman villains that a new one would have stood out, particularly in comparison to the rather forgettable Franz.

So few female Batman villains? And this is where we all can see that you know nothing about the material you are talking about.

Which is fine for a review. But not knowing the material then turns what was seen on screen as some tremendous thing. A tremendous thing that isnt that if you know the source material. Like i said above, Batman is always berating his sidekicks.

[Wulf1984]

Crazy question here...wasn't Jim Gordon ALSO sexually assaulted? He was stripped naked too, as well as beaten and tortured.

[KidGetNice]

Or they could have just told the freakin' story as it was instead of trying to add filler. As others have said--this really isn't a BatGirl story--that came later...

Agreed! This movie was doomed to fail the minute they started adding extra story.

[MaxMatrix]

Crazy question here...wasn't Jim Gordon ALSO sexually assaulted? He was stripped naked too, as well as beaten and tortured.

In the original no one was explicitly sexually assaulted. Moore admitted later he realized how it could appear that Batgirl was sexually assaulted though, I do believe. But I never read it as such until this film...

[bloodofthegods]

Who cares that they "objectified" Batgirl, im more disappointed they made the movie about her when the focus should be on the Joker.

Who of anyone, who read the book, would even think that Batgirl wouldn't be objectified since she was in the source material whether Moore admits it was intentional or not. It's like being offended that there's nothing to eat at a BBQ joint when you're a vegan.

[batalia]

I like the different types of interaction a man and woman can have. I don't understand this need to have female protagonists be surrounded by female characters and why female protagonist has to have female villains and so on. I liked Franz.

I do agree in the sense I didn't like that Batman was framed as being right. I didn't like the whole abyss talk. Batgirl isn't like the Robins. Batman doesn't and shouldn't have control over Batgirl the way he does with Robins. I didn't like her waiting on rooftop after the sex. If Batman doesn't want to partner with her anymore, she should have gone on her own way. We should have seen Batgirl investigating Franz on her own and coming to witness Batman's (have Batman be distracted by a listening to a message she left him in the batmobile) ambush in time to save him and beat Franz.

[Noodle]

This is the exact same relationship Batman has with all his sidekicks. The exact same thing. He is always telling him how they mess up and they are always going out on their own to prove him wrong. This is a very old storyline.

Except that Batman doesn't sleep with Robin. Be it good or bad, that happening changes the entire dynamic of it.