The 1980s-1990s were a magical time to be a child. Back then, the family advocacy groups and child protection organizations didn’t have as much control over media as they seem to have today. You could make these movies, which seemingly were for children, and they could contain mature elements, which just would not fly today.
Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman is one of those wonderful things that got through.
Coated in Latex, cinched in a corset and oozing sexuality, Pfeiffer made my young heart skip a beat. She was bad, but that was a good thing. She was complicated, she was a touch crazy and she by far had the best dialogue in Batman Returns. I’m notorious for quoting her sharp-witted lines on my social network posts.
Pfeiffer was able to be vulnerable, yet not a damsel in distress. Batman napalmed her arm in the movie…HE NAPALMED HER ARM!! It pissed her off, but she brushed herself off and plotted her revenge. She stood toe to toe with Batman and Penguin with ease. When Bruce asks Selina, “You’ve got a bit of a dark side, don’t you?” I understood that was true of her and myself as well.
She’s often summed up as a sexpot to most, but that’s a gross conclusion. Heroism and strength is often wrongly connected to masculinity. Catwoman rewrote the rules and I adore the actress and character for it.
