I’ve been informed that the producers of Smallville have set their sights on Supergirl for another hatchet-job on a beloved character: TV Guide: Supergirl Soars Into Smallville. Yeah, you could say I’m not a fan of the show, despite the occasional cool moments. My reaction upon hearing this news was:
*shudders* I loathe Smallville and its treatment of women. This can’t be good. Think she’ll be naked and “sexy evil” again?
Quote from Al Gough in TV Guide:
Kara, a teenager when Krypton exploded, was sent to Earth by her father, Zor-El (Kal-El’s uncle), to look after her younger cousin. But while in suspended animation she didn’t age and now it’s Clark who must be the mentor. “She becomes enamored with our culture: clothes and iPods and stuff,” Gough says. “We’ll have a lot of fun as she gets acclimated.”
“becomes enamored with our culture: clothes and iPods and stuff” – gotta love that gender role reinforcement. Hey, maybe Lois can teach her pole-dancing! And even when Clark is supposed to be “young” (the actor’s as old as I am – 29), he still gets to be the daddyboss – sorry, “mentor” to a young woman who’s more powerful than he. What kind of wisdom and experience could he possible impart? The show constantly has other characters telling Clark what an honorable, great, noble man he is/will be, but I’ve yet to see any heroic qualities in him besides the ability to fill out the suit (IOW none). I wouldn’t trust the guy to mentor a cactus. How many times has he gone rogue now?
His cousin Kara “was sent to Earth in a ship that arrived at the same time as baby Kal-El’s,” reveals executive producer Al Gough, referring to Clark by his Kryptonian name. “But there was a problem and she’s been in suspended animation for the last 16 years. We’ll find out in the season premiere that the big dam break in last season’s finale is the reason she’s finally awoken.”
I see. Six seasons to get our first female DC superhero (no Wonder Woman in this universe’s Justice League), and we find out she’s been there all along, but is some kind of Sleeping Beauty who has to be awakened by the boys’ adventures.
From the casting call info on KryptoniteSite:
SUPERGIRL” (Kara) – 19 years old, Caucasian, blonds preferred, or willing to dye hair blond. Beautiful, smart and funny. She is Clark’s cousin. She was born on Krypton and is the daughter of Zor-El, Jor-El’s brother. Kara possesses all of Clark’s power and one he doesn’t yet have – she can FLY! Kara also has a strong, rebellious streak which puts her at odds with Clark, and puts her into Lex’s radar. This is a 7/13 Series Regular role.
Sounds like they’re sticking closely to the current comicbook treatment. Yuck.
“Beautiful, smart and funny.” – I think there’s some rule in TV that if a female character isn’t described firstly by her physical attractiveness, glass ceilings everywhere will shatter. But really, it’s a completely empty description that could have been pulled from any generic personal ad. I suspect these are the same adjectives they think describe Lois Lane.
“strong, rebellious streak” – like “feisty” and “strong-willed”, a phrase that is almost exclusively applied to girls and women who exhibit a backbone, but manifest it in irrational antagonism (towards men, mainly). It implies an immature attitude, a fruitless rebelling against authority figures. Seen as cute acting out, but not really threatening to the dominant culture. Naturally her unfeminine-like behavior “puts her into Lex’s radar.” Translation: failure to comply with the dominant male authority figure means she’ll be preyed upon and manipulated by the resident bad guy who’s in love with fixated on our lovable dumb brute, the hero. Remember, it’s always about the men’s relationship with each other; women are just their pawns.
I wouldn’t be so pessimistic if it were any other show, but it’s Smallville. They messed up Lois Lane.
At least I don’t have to worry if she’ll wear that awful costume. There’s no way they’d put her in an official uniform before Clark.
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i’m not too optimistic about it either, but i’m hoping she’ll turn out ok
and how did Lois Lane get mistreated in Smallville? i don’t really watch that show,so i’m clueless. :I
She bears no resemblance to any Lois Lane I know. Smallville basically created a brand new character and slapped the name “Lois Lane” on her. Lois should be an easy character to “get”, her character’s become really well defined after many years and many different representations. So if they couldn’t even get close on that character, I don’t have much confidence in what they’ll do with a character who’s a *one* live action representation before and a very small animated presence.
Hey I think you’re being overly negative. I know Smallville does have a tendency to screw continuity but this can be good.
I’m aware I’m being very negative, and on very little information. But that’s how much trust I have for the creators at this point: none. As much as I think this could be great fun, I know how the writers think after six years and they will find a way to make things stupid.
It’s not so much the continuity that bothers me, it’s the way the characters speak to each other and behave and the absurd plots. I’ve no stomach for those overwrought WB/CW teen melodramas, and Smallville is one of the worst.
New Supergirl Movie ?
http://joblo.com/supergirl-returns
Read this article…hope it`s true :D
“Beautiful, smart and funny.†– I think there’s some rule in TV that if a female character isn’t described firstly by her physical attractiveness, glass ceilings everywhere will shatter.”
I’m afraid you don’t really understand this. Comic books started out as a guy thing. Pure and simple. Girls didn’t read them. In fact when I was a kid, the girls in my life put me down for reading them.
Beautiful is what *initially* gets most straight guys interested. Don’t complain because we’re hard-wired that way. And I’ll lay odds that the dominant audience for Smallville and all things comic book are guys – of all ages. Girls come in a very distant second. Think Mt. Everest to the foothills in Southern California.
When girls and women start buying comic books in the volumes that guys do – when the wait with bated breath for the next Superman and X-Men movie the way that guys do – when they “get into it” in discussions at coffee shops after the movies end the way that guys do, then maybe you’ll see your glass ceilings fade away.
Goad your fellow women friends to start reading comics and watching the shows – and if they do, maybe you’ll have a chance.
But until that unlikely day arrives, your grievances are really misplaced.
Harry
Gosh, Harry, thanks for patting me on the head and telling me how things are, I’ll just get back to only expecting female characters to be treated as well as the male characters in mediums that are aimed at women. Forgive the sarcasm, but your comment comes off as extremely condescending, to the degree where I wonder if you understood what that quote was about. Treating female characters as though their physical attractiveness is the most important thing about them is sexist and wrong no matter who is reading or watching. It degrades everyone. Do men really like the idea that their penis rules their every thought and decision? Do they really want women to think that of them?
>.>
I am SO not looking forward to this! >:O
I’m always also wondering why girls are more blonde than guys? :\ Almost all of the male superheroes have dark hair, but so many more girl heroes have blonde hair. Esp since Kara is Superman’s cousin and Kara has blonde blonde blonde hair and Superman has black hair.
I rly wished that if they were to put Kara into the show she’d be 8 or something, be totally confused but also positive (since she’s a child) and maybe teach Clark a thing or two about not being angsty and being a good person on the show. >:|
I’m mostly sad that they’re replacing the only good female char on the show (besides Martha), Chloe, with what appears to be an MTV clone blonde who is going to be OMGCLOTHES! :\
I’m tired of Smallville pushing aside good female role models for Lana, Lois and other “omghot” girls. :(
Esp since it’s not like Chloe’s ugly or nething!!!
But putting Kara in (when it makes no sense) is just an excuse to save a show that’s flagging in ratings with a 7 of 9 character :(
Harry: stuff it. We’ve heard it all before. You’re wrong on all accounts. Post anything that asinine again and you will be banned. Coming in thru When Fangirls Attack, you should know better than to spout any of that nonsense.
Ami: they’re getting rid of Chloe?! WTF?! She’s the *one* good female character (better than Martha IMO) on that show! Which always struck me as odd since she’s an original chara. Also, what’s with Lana being “blown up”? (didn’t see the finale). How many times has that girl been for-sure-this-time killed, never mind smashed against a wall like a ragdoll…
I like your idea of an 8-year-old Kara, it could be really cute. Just not in *this* show of course =P
If Smallville didn’t suck mightily, and we didn’t live in a patriarchy where every story has to be about a man, I would love to see an alt-universe take (which Smallville already is) in which an older Kara comes in around season 4 as a young woman in her early twenties, and decides to become Superwoman. She could mentor Clark in being a hero and impress upon him the Kryptonian ideals of peace and justice (in my perfect world Kryptonians wouldn’t be eviiil either). Because this version of Clark sure as heck needs some guidance in that respect…
Yus :(
Chloe “died” in the finale. They have a cheat to bring her back XD But right now it looks like she sacrificed herself (she has a sekrit power) to bring Lois back to life. >.>
Which annoys me b/c in Smallville, Chloe > Lois. Lois is vapid, annoying, sexist, superficial and mean. She has NO interest in journalism (until she magically suddenly had one), and steals Chloe’s stories. >:|
But Chloe has to die. :( When Chloe is more Lois than Lois!
It WOULD be great to have a Kara mentor Clark, but that’s not going to happen. :(
This rly is just replacing the “non hot” blonde with a hotter blonde. :(
That is so awsome supergirl is just what we need to make smallville even more great. but one thing when will Tom start to fly. come on he deserves to. also can we make them were there costomes. LOL just kidding im sure they dont want to were tights on TV.
also whats this about lex leaveing come on mike. you are so good at what you do. but if you want to go and do more funny roles i will so go and watch them.