Ding ang Bato! The Rise of Super Hero(ines) and Violence on Local Television

Abstract

Feminism has changed not only how women define their roles in society, but also how they are portrayed in mass media. What was once considered a male space—the superhero genre—is now very much appropriated by women. The mushrooming of fantasy-action series in the country’s leading television networks, ABS-CBN and GMA Network, has created a new breed of heroines on primetime TV. Women now engage in stunts, fi stfi ghts, fl ight, and other action sequences that parallel those of male action heroes in saving the day and the oppressed. This article studies the rise of women superheroes on television as exemplifi ed by what many consider as the most popular superheroine in the country: Darna. It also discusses the implications of women superheroes that use violence to achieve justice as an end. Finally, it asserts that despite the criticisms leveled against women superheroes, the genre still provides a welcome change in how women are represented in the entertainment media.