This entry would discuss how the Filipino feminist writers penetrated the patriarchal society of the country in promoting gender equality through the use of comics and television/films. In this entry, the creation of Darna comics on 1950s by Mars Ravelo and the succeeding films and TV series of the same character is the center of analysis.
Women, for a long time, lived in a culture that put female gender in the bottom of the Philippine hierarchal structure, where their only focus on the community centers with the family and nothing more. In fact even Jose Rizal had described the ideal image of women in the society as a demure, self-effacing beauty whose place was for the male'
s honor. In his novel Noli Me Tnangere, his exact words describing women were: "an Oriental decoration," "her eyes. . . always downcast," "a pure soul," using Maria Clara as his image of the "ideal" woman of the society.
Because of this image, promoted by some writers, Filipino women had been struggling to gain respect and equality in living in a society were men dominated the race even in the arts, literature, and films. Mars Ravelo is one of the writers who promoted female gender in the world of comics. He started with superheroine Varga from original 1947's Bulaklak Magazine. Later on after some falling out with the editor, Mars Ravelo leaved Bulaklak Magazine and renamed his original superheroine Darna in 1950's. A superheroine who holds superhuman powers
to battle criminals and other supernatural villains (mostly female). After some more years, Mars Ravelo's comic superheroine, Darna, becomes an inspiration for filmakers, to give life to the original Filipino heroine.
Comics, films and television per se are the most sought out pleasure of Filipinos of all time. In fact, is it proven by numerous studies that these are the most influential in every Filipino's life. Television/films and comics have offered manyopportunities for expressing new ideas about social structures. It had become a window for every feminist writers to defy and challenge the norms of the society and suggest new standards of how the majority shall view gender. Mars Ravelo's Darna is the perfect picture of women's capacity and strength: gutsy, helpful, compassionate, lovable and fearless. A complete destruction of stereotypical portrayals of women in comics, whereas they are the damsel-in-distress, a girl that are to be save by the male superheroes and only supporting characters for the males.
As mentioned earlier, Darna is the picture of strength. However it also important to notice that most of Darna's enemies are women. Female villains according to my research is another way of portrayal women's strength. Darna highlights the physical and mental strength of women and the pureness and goodness of their heart. Female villains like Valentina, Braguda, and Demonica, however, highlights the different side of women, their dark side. A different manifestation of strength of women both in comics and films/televisions vis-a-vis Filipino women.
In this work, female villains are responsible for creating havoc, for physically and mentally harming victims (both male and female) instead of the other way around, whereas women are usually the only victims in every story. Female villains of Comic TV series Darna defies the social norm of women being inferior to male, someone who always receive unjust and pain in the society. While the female villains are responsible for the pain of their victims, her unwillingness or inability to conform to the demands of the society made another meaning for her villainess. Whereas in comic teleseries Darna's female villains symbolizes it through the desire to inflict pain and the desire to own the world. Female villains had successfully transcends the women's societal norm of being oppressed or subdued status by refusing to act as one and their continuos display of strength. Of course, Darna's villains also possess power or superhuman strength to equalize Darna's symbol of strength. These characters are not the typical woman who are categorically inferior to men in therms of strength and ability. Female villains are the symbolic figures that threatens the man's status and security.
In closing, Darna ever since it was created in 1950s continuously rejects the notion of women's inferiority to men in Philippine society. Having it on comics, where mostly male readers are involved is one effective strategy to promote women's own "superiority" in the world. Also in movies and television, especially at prime time, people will be more aware of the silent penetration of the idea of women equality in our society. Comics, television/films are indeed the important vehicles for feminist to promote the idea of worlds free of sexism, worlds where women's rights and contributions in one nation is recognized.
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