Batwoman: The Answer No One Asked For
Batman has deserted us, crime is rampant, and all roles have changed. The CW Network’s newest show has been revealed and the trailer alone seems to be a reflection of our culture: taking that which has gone before, tearing it down, and regurgitating a “bizarro” worldview where the more intersectional and victimized a person is, the more entitled they should be.
The trailer begins in a press conference where it is announced that: “Batman gave up on us; the bat’s not coming back.” This shocking revelation seems to be a warning to all viewers: all that you knew to be true, heroic, and steadfast is a lie. Batman, the defender of Gotham is gone and will not return. Rather than finding a new hero (or an original story), the writers show us that what we need is a remake of a trusted hero (and villains) with more edge, different sexual preferences, and reversed genders.
Kate Kane (played by Ruby Rose), is introduced as Bruce Wayne’s cousin, but more importantly, the independent lesbian that doesn’t like to be labeled. Kate thrusts herself into the role of Batwoman when Alice, the new female Joker (played by Rachel Skarsten), kidnaps Kate’s ex-girlfriend. She breaks into Wayne Manor and demands the new butler fix Batman’s old suit for her. In the most cringe-worthy exchange, the underlying theme of the show is revealed. The butler explains, “the suit is literal perfection.” Kate responds, “It will be, when it fits a woman.”
This show takes a classic superhero, one of the favorites of boys and girls all over the world, and labels Batman “not good enough,” merely based on his gender and sexual preferences. What we know and love is no longer good enough. For the sake of “progress,” the CW reshaped reality into a form that no one asked for and discredited the heroes that everyone loved.
The beauty is the final line; Kate declares after having a man remake Batman’s suit for her:
“I’m not about to let a man take credit for a woman’s work.” Sorry, Kate, it is only because of Batman’s suit that anyone is paying attention to you.