Comments on: Fishtar

By: David Golding

David Golding — Thu, 14 May 2009 07:06:46 +0000

The baby (like the scenario in general) is concocted to get Seaguy to take on the El Macho role, so it is necessarily misogynistic. The whole thing falls to pieces because it isn't masculinist enough: Maria gets El Macho to do the shopping. If she had truly given herself to her role and done the shopping herself, or truly become pregnant, he may never have escaped. (This issue not only starts and ends with the sea, but with a traditionally-constructed feminine activity. Threeguy sews the bulldressing traje de luces, and Seaguy converts the hospital one-piece into his regular costume.) It seems to me that the misogyny is located not in Seaguy himself or Morrison and Stewart, but in Mickey Eye's society. Seaguy may want a child's concept of platonic love, but so does She-Beard. She seems every bit as trapped and necessary to Mickey Eye's plan as he does. I suspect they are doomed to live happily-ever-after next issue.

By: RAB

RAB — Wed, 13 May 2009 06:40:12 +0000

You two have nailed it, both here and in Sean’s equally spot-on review over at his place. It helps to remember that this isn’t just an adolescence, it’s a boy’s adolescence, and that comes with much confusion and ambivalence about women even in the most enlightened of males. (He said modestly, having been a faithful reader of Ms. magazine when he was ten years old.) So this is very much a boy’s uninformed terror. That said, it’s impossible to be sure how deliberate this is on Morrison’s part and whether or not the third volume will show a major change.

By: sean witzke

sean witzke — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:01:32 +0000

Funny thing is I was trying to cram in before the Mindless Ones come in and hog up all the good ideas – originally I was going to try for something much longer and decided I didn’t want them to beat me to the line. I think you’re dead right on the misogyny but I don’t think it’s meant to be an adult misogyny. I kind of left it out of mine except the title, but I think the whole fear of being an adult angle is also fear of sex. The relationship that Seaguy wants with with Shebeard is kind of a child’s concept of platonic love, and a woman having babies and stealing your soul is definitely a childish fear of marriage.