Saturday, August 22, 2015

We Lost a Superheroine

I was really bummed out to learn of the death of Yvonne Craig this week. Ms Craig had a pixie's face, a pinup's figure, a ballerina's athleticism, and an activist's heart. My first introduction to Ms Craig was on syndicated network television, but she had had a long career as a dancer with the Ballet Russe, a model (holy cheesecake, Batman), and actress on the large and small screens.

One of Ms Craig's most, ahem, memorable roles was playing the most infamous of original Star Trek's infamous hawt green chix:





I'd like a heaping helping of sex appeal with a side of menace.

Ms Craig's most iconic role was as Batgirl in the 1960s television show Batman. This version of Batgirl was pretty much Emma Peel with the camp factor turned up to eleven- curvier and gaudier, but every bit as brainy and badass. Ms Craig did her own stunts, and she always looked like she had a ball delivering a variety of BAM's and KAPOW's to a weird variety of malefactors:





It's noteworthy that Batgirl was portrayed as the equal of her male counterparts. To the extent that she was a "damsel in distress", well, her male counterparts didn't have such a great track record. Offscreen, Ms Craig appeared in a public service announcement informing viewers of the Equal Pay Act. She was a supporter of labor unions and believed that poor women should receive free mammograms.

It's sad to see another childhood icon pass away, but she lived a good life... while Batgirl was a fictional character, Yvonne was a superheroine.

4 comments:

M. Bouffant said...

M.E. often has insights into celebrity.

And a few words from the fans.

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Both are fine youtubers, B^4.
~

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

M.E. often has insights into celebrity.

That last line was hilarious, she was a pip!

Both are fine youtubers, B^4.

No trip like the nostalgia trip.

Syrbal/Labrys said...

This is the part I hate about getting older -- watching the beauty that lit my younger life go out like candles in a hurricane.