I don’t know if this happens to other people, but as a writer when I’m working on (or through) a project I sometimes find myself swimming in a flow of themes that are all converging. Right now I’m starting to write out the section of my Kabbalah class which talks about Shekinah, the indwelling human relations form of God. She’s all about ethics, right living, good-sexual-healthy relationships between partners, and manifesting positively in order to make the world a better place or return it to its divine state, however you want to look at that. At the same time, I’m finally taking a bit of time out to do something I’ve wanted to do for several years now, read through the works of Luce Irigary. I was introduced to them back in the day when I was working on my Masters in Women’s Spirituality at CIIS but wasn’t able to give them the time and attention they deserved Irigary is a philosopher and a feminist and is amazingly sharp in her comments, like a straight razor she cuts close and leaves things clean and clear when she’s done.
Meanwhile in my geekery I’m deeply immersed in community conversations concerning all of our favorite super heroes that are finally out on the big and little screens. Daredevil’s grit, the Flash’s optimism, Ultron being so much for so many and yet the sum total coming up short, Gotham and SHIELD and Arrow plus Constantine and now we’re seeing new shows heading towards us at the speed of next season. And one of the major conversations is how women are being depicted. There’s actually a twitter hashtag #wheresblackwidow to point out that no merchandise is being made including her. Like in all areas of life right now the conversation about women and how they are treated, represented, marginalized, exploited etc, is uncomfortable and contentious. For me it’s just pervasive like a song you can’t get out of your head. Once it’s there its annoying and on repeat.
Even though I’m digging all this because I enjoy it and it’s about entertainment, I’m annoyed that an entire company had to come into being so girl geeks could fly their geek colors. I’m waiting for that Black Widow movie which would have made the back story part of Ultron unnecessary and probably put it into much better context. I’m hoping against hope that Wonder Woman isn’t mangled in the new Superman/Batman movie. And I’m stunned by how in Arrow the writers thought it made sense to make Nyssa (the super assassin and heir to her father’s throne) marry her enemy, become a slave with the goal of forcing her to have sex and create a child of what amounts to rape. Which wasn’t even the central theme of one episode, but a small tangent in a bigger story. Basically a throw away so the Arrow could get on to the next plot point.
Not that everything is a downer, I’m really excited for how Daredevil portrayed the women in this first season. No damsels to be saved. The saving was mutual all across the board and the women were just as strong, opinionated, flawed, tragic, and heroic as the menfolk. Which is how it should be. But the streams all seem to be flowing at me. Usually that means I’m building up to something in the writing which is going to be good. Can’t see what it is yet, but I’m still swimming.