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Article by Teresa Jusino
TERESA JUSINO was born on the same day that Skylab fell. Coincidence? She doesn't think so. As a writer, her work has appeared in Elmont Life newspaper, and on the sadly defunct website, CentralBooking.com. She is a founding member and editor of The Revolving Door Commune Blog, is currently at work on a collection of short stories, and is writing a web series for Pareidolia Films called The Pack, which is set to debut this fall! As a geek, Teresa loves all Star Trek, Lost, Fringe, comics, and anything Joss Whedon, Brian K. Vaughan, and Neil Gaiman ever touched. She is also an aspiring fangbanger. 15 Comments
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[...] Why Hit-Girl is a Role Model: A Review of “Kick-Ass” – I’m really proud of this piece and think it’s one of the best things I’ve written in a while. If you read nothing else on this list, I would love it if you gave this one a gander. [...]
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[...] Facebook message yesterday from some dude who asked if I was “the Teresa Jusino who wrote the piece about Hit-Girl.” I am, and I told him so. Then he asked for my number, and at first I was all, Um, [...]
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The fact that Kick-Ass is a parody, and that Hit-Girl is an eleven year old that kills people, kind of defeats your position.
How is it a parody exactly? And of what?
And also, how does that automatically nullify the fact that Hit-Girl is a character girls and women can live through vicariously?
I'm with Teresa on this one, parody or not (and aren't all superhero films on some level a parody of the hero idea?) the point is about a female character transcending her gender in a role that is being villified because she's a girl instead of looking past the fact she's a girl….it still bothers me that there aren't enough strong female role models, and Hit Girl defintiely is one of the few for me now.
And also, what about the young boys I mentioned who also kill people? Having trouble seeing your argument…
Hear hear!
I haven't seen Kick-Ass yet (stupid work conference), but it's definitely on my to-do list.
I loved your review!
well said. Especially the part of parents taking responsibility for their children and educating them on the reasons why they want to be a Hit-Girl knock off. Kids are confronted with so much more these days its refreshing to see them, albeit in a fictional character, as the hard ass information overloaded creatures they are. As a teacher I am faced with trying my best to educate kids into doing what is best and make informed choices. Other than the gore I had not anticipated (thought it was going to be disney/marvel calibre of blood) I would want every pre-teen to see this movie so as to discuss with them the issues you have raised closer to the end of your article. But also to get parents in a forum to talk about the reasons why this may or may not disgust them… Its a great film. Entertaining and a gerat conversation starter into the present human condition.
I also loved the character of Hit-Girl, and if I get around to reading the comic it will be largely because of her.
Your commentary on Hit-Girl and Big Daddy's relationship reminded me of Balsa, one of the main characters in the anime series Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. Balsa is a mercenary, and one of the best spear-wielders in her setting. She was trained from childhood by another of the best spear-wielders who became her father-figure after her father was killed.
i am a little late to the party, but I absolutely love this review and your view of hit girl. You are absolutely right, as women we get put into a little stereotypical box and anything outside it is looked upon as wrong, and I am not in that box, so having a movie I can show a daughter of mine one day like this sounds good to me!
Rosalind
"Kill one, and you score. They're dead, you win. When kids in the age range of this movie's home video audience are shooting one another every day in America, that kind of stops being funny." – Ebert
But… what about all the adults shooting each other up in America? Does that mean we shouldn't show adult violence? WTF, Ebert?
Loved your review, although I was lukewarm on the movie. I wanted more Hit Girl. I found Kick-Ass pretty boring. But I'm going to check out the comic now!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Way to put exactly what I was thinking into better words than I ever could. As for the movie, I freaking LOVE this movie. These are the exact samne feelings I had about District 9 (and still do). No matter what others may see as flaws, the movie is perfect to me. Everything just works.
I saw the movie for what it was – a parody combination of HEROES, X-MEN, IRONMAN, KILL BILL, THE BASTARD SQUAD, WATCHMEN, BATMAN, UNDERDOG and HERO TOMORROW. We expect violence in Super Hero flicks (I mean, seriously, the baddies aren't going to roll over and cower in presence of an often ridiculously clad individual who yells "STOP.") What would the Average Joe with no super human powers or super wealthy/society elite backing be like if he or she decided to be a real Super Hero. Getting stabbed, shot and getting their ass kicked is probably a realistic assumption. And I happened to like Hit-Girl … all this rubbish about her now being the poster-child for pedophiles because they dressed her up as an 11 year old in a sexy school-girl fetish costume is pure stupidity. I never listened to Ebert – he's a self-absorbed idiot critic who tends to only like weird, off the wall junk no one would even download pirated copies of – when he gives a thumbs down, that usually means the movie was actually good. There's nothing wrong with Hit-Girl … if you've ever had a tomboyish younger sister – you'd know this. Heck, my little sister's 15 and is everything like Hit-Girl, she just doesn't have a costume or neon hair. She normal, smart, friendly, loving. But if it meant defending anyone she loved – she'd have no qualms about opening up a can of whup-ass and putting a knife in a perp's forehead.No ever picked other in school either. I referred to my little sister as Tough Chick. But Hit-Girl would have been good too.