Cringe is a good word to describe the latest CW’s DC TV Batwoman series.
There’s nothing wrong with catering a story of any type to a certain demographic. For example, women like romance stories. Naturally, you’ll have some female protagonists (or antagonists, depending on the social-interpersonal dynamic of who is chasing who) fighting for and against said romantic pursuers. It’s even easier, if let’s say, a Danielle Steel novel is adapted to a TV series. Everything’s laid out for you. You simply take the story beats, main plot points, and fashion them into a storyboard. Get some actors (Fabio would be interesting) and actresses lined up for how you envision them, and you’ve got the basic workings of a TV pilot.
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How to write a Batwoman Series: steal from the comicbook
Easy-mode: this task is made simpler with comic books. The storyboards — the frames of the comic — are effectively done for you. Pick the pages and frames that you can really use as an eyecatching camera POV, and focus on the visual, audio, and movement of those scenes. Bring those 2D scenes and characters to life. Spend more time casting that perfect Fabio. Get a musician to really get a feel for the drama.
Now, let’s say you’re going to adapt a really famous comic book story, like, DC’s Batman. But not just Batman; that’s already been done a few times. A side story, or side character of the series. Baman light, as it were. A female rendition. A Batwoman series! Again, all laid out for you. You’ve read the comicbooks it’s named after, and plan out your project. You can experiment here and there, sure, as it’s not the main storyline of the Dark Knight. Creative ideas, visuals, scenes, all ready for you to bring it to life, with your own personal spin.
But then, something goes wrong. And by something, I mean, everything. Your personal spin? Feminism. And you don’t stop using it.
Enter Feminisim Politics
For some reason, your strong lesbian butch Batwoman character is a 5’8 128 pound model. She’s thin and handsome. She even thinks she is (it’s a line in the trailer.) “You’re like a female Bruce Wayne.” Really? But she’s not an MMA fighter or athlete. You give her lines describing how “woke” she is, how much of a “woman” she is; how she and her suit are not only as good as “The Batman” and his gear, but better. How she completely steals the Mantle of the Bat and demands credit for her actions for being someone else, but can’t stand it that she’s called “Batman”, and not seen as a woman. This Batwoman series is so female, so feminine, so bold, it needs to remind you every 20 seconds in the trailer.
You forget to include an actual Batman costume, and instead, showcased a Batwoman or “female Batman” costume. (If you did leave a male Batman suit, that would help in us believing that Batman just left everything and walked away.) You also give her the capacity to go down the looking glass (AKA know how to secretly enter Batman’s Batcave), and poof; her magical Bat-fem suit was just waiting for her there. But amazingly, it’s sized to her measurements, even with an appropriately sized bust (Bat-boobs.) All she had to do was be brave enough, rebel against her family and friends, break and enter into a billionnaires estate, and take what was rightfully hers. Aren’t you proud of your female protagonist? Isn’t she bold, and powerful? In this Batwoman series, we’re going to showcase that strong, independent attitude! She doesn’t need no Batman! And neither does Gotham.
This of course breaks lore, believability, and, it’s all because of the flavoring of feminism.
Respect the source material, respect the audience
I’ve nothing against the writing and depicting of strong characters, female or otherwise. Or others taking over the Batman mantle by force in a newly imagined Batwoman series. But strength, like other virtues, must be done with believability, grace, and when writing from a franchise, to respect the source material.
The new Batwoman trailer (and hopefully not the entire Batwoman series, if it’ll last a season) has at least 5 moments that are blatant pandering to the feminist or pro-female crowd. It is obvious what their agenda is. The sad thing is, I think this character could’ve worked quite well; it’s run in the comics wasn’t bad, and wasn’t too short lived. Being a cousin of Bruce Wayne sounds interesting, and given us a new dimension on the Batman mythos.
But being a strong woman does not equate to weakening men, downgrading them, or stepping over them with a few one liners of how “strong women are.” As with all writing, showing, and not telling, is how you do it. For women (or, anyone); if you want to prove you’re as good, or better than men? Learn to keep your mouth shut, and let your actions speak for themselves. Saying “I’m strong” is irrelevant to showing us just how strong you are.
The CW needs to get off it’s political angle, and start telling better stories with the goldmine of a license it’s been given. The stories have already been written for you. After that, just adapt them to the screen, find some believable actors, and some great props and costume designers. It’s really that simple. And if you have a message? Be subtle about it. This Batwoman series could’ve been as edgy and bold as you like; but when its creators are jamming that message of feminism (or any message) down ones throat, it’s just painful and cringey as it gets.
People won’t like this new Batwoman series
By the downvotes alone, it’s a good indication they’re not tageting Batman series fans. Maybe they want to a new demographic for the new Batwoman series?
