Columnist Andrew Smith typically writes about the most mainstream of the mainstream in comic books, although not in a bad way. His column is always intelligent.
So it was somewhat to my surprise when I read his latest column, ‘Batgirl’ Reprint Cover Renews Debate Over Sexism in Comics because it’s not a subject a lot of people of his stature would bother to tackle.
He says:
Comics often are really sexist, as a glance at various heroines’ assets can attest. While men’s physiques are often just as exaggerated, there’s little doubt that pandering to the adolescent male mind exists, metaphorically putting out a “girls not welcome” sign on many comics. This is a problem that needs to addressed, a debate that needs to be had.
While ultimately, he says he doesn’t mind DC’s choice for this cover in the context of the collection, it’s still amazing and refreshing to read someone who writes for a national news service bringing up these issues. I don’t know how widely his column is distributed, but I like that it’s out there, just the same.
(Smith’s website seems to be down right now. but I believe his columns generally move to his site a week later. I’m not sure how long Scripps Howard News Service links stay active, so if it goes dead, you’ll be able to find it on his site.)
