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“Watchmen” by Alan Moore is said to be a revolutionary piece in comic history, and sure it may stray away from the classic, static superheros that came before but that remains true for only its male characters. So how revolutionary can it be? Let’s dive into Moore’s misogynist representation of women in the “Watchmen” universe. Out of the large cast of charters we have two female characters with a significance in the story, Laurie and Sally Jupiter.
Laurie:
I wanted so desperately to like Laurie, but it was so evident that she was written as a one dimensional woman that was created solely to inspire male characters. Firstly, she moved on from her first relationship that had lasted years within days of the breakup. This was motivation for Dr. Manhattan to go to Mars and for Dan Dreiberg (or NiteOwl) to become a masked adventurer again. Laurie also mentions early on how she disliked her costume, calling it “dreadful.” (33) Yet, she encourages Dan to get back in his costume and puts hers on without a second thought. Lastly, the big revelation of Laurie learning that the Comedian is actually her father was used to motivate Dr. Manhattan to come back from Mars.
Laurie went through a lot of traumatic events, but she remained the same throughout the whole book. The only things that changed as a result of what Laurie went through were the men around her.
Pilgaard, Michael. “Laurie Juspeczyk.” WeirdSpace – Culture without Borders, 8 Jan. 2003, https://weirdspace.info/DCComicsWatchmen/LaurieJupeczyk.htm. Accessed 17 Nov. 2022.
Sally-
We don’t get to see as much of Sally in Watchmen, but what was included I found very upsetting. When women experience sexual assault it is not uncommon for them to be unsure if what happens classifies as assault. It is a confusing thing for any person that has had to go through it. What I found upsetting about Sally’s story is how no one ever makes it clear that what happened was not her fault. Sally herself says, “I really felt that, that I was somehow as much to blame for.. for letting myself be his victim.” (312) A woman can be raped by her own husband. Just because Sally wanted to be with the Comedian at one point doesn’t mean she has to want him at all times. While it’s okay for her to be written this way, someone needed to make it clear that to Sally and the audience it was in no way her fault.
Cho, Phil. Silk Spectre I / Sally Jupiter.
Moore had the chance to write strong, female characters. He could’ve inspired the next generation. However, he decided to write another story that would appeal to men. He made women weak, one dimensional, and sexualised them.
Caroline Conner
Watchmen was incredibly disappointing in terms of female representation. I also don’t appreciate the revealing costume, while the men get all the cool gear and outfits that cover them completely. I’m talking about everyone except Jon here, since he’s pretty much naked the whole time. However, I feel like Watchmen could have progressed without Sally or Laurie. They just seem to be there, which is sad.
You bring up a good point about Jon being naked. Despite almost never wearing clothes he is not sexualized, yet our female characters are because of their shot skirts. Yet another double standard we see in the Watchmen universe.
Yes! These women were so catered to the male gaze; rather than being rounded characters, they just fell flat. Their inclusion was unecessary and only used to further the story of the male characters while providing unrealistic idealized versions of the female body for the reader. I feel like this is a common issue with comics, especially earlier ones and super hero comics which are catered more for a young male audience. The genre has historically provided pretty harmful perceptions of women.