Batgirl's equal pay for women PSA (1972)

Batgirl demands equal pay in this fantastic 1972 public service announcement. (via Super Punch)

David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

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Charlie B

Holy discontent! If she has to wear that outfit, she should be paid more. Wait, that actually applies to Robin, too. Congress needs to mandate an extra bonus for jobs that require wearing tights or bird-dog bras.
Ambiguity

Wow. I saw this as a little kid, but totally forgot about it.

It’s always extremely surreal to watch something that you don’t really remember: each word produces an eerie deja vu feeling. You don’t know what the next world will be, but once you hear it you “remember” it and it’s right. There should be a word for that if there isn’t.

Edit: Oh, and was that really Adam West? The voice always sounded strange to me, like it was an impersonator.
- Editz
  
  I swear there was a similarly themed Star Wars PSA that used the Leia/Alderaan scene. Can’t find it though.
- retepslluerb
  
  I know what you mean. When my wife and I visited the US back in 1992, we saw a TNG episode, but only the last act or so.
  
  Months, possibly years later, we watched the same episode – dubbed – on German TV. We *knew* it wasn’t a rerun, yet we also had the strangest feeling that we knew where the episode was heading and at the end we were sure we had seen it before - yet also sure, that we couldn’t have seen it before.
  
  Weeks later I groked what had happened. Quite a relief.
  
  Oh, er… off topic.
  
  Batgirl is hot and should totally get paid the same as Robin. Which is zero, as superheroes work for free.
- jimh
  
  It WASN’T Adam West! I didn’t notice it the first time through, but after reading the Wikipedia entry I watched it again and could tell quite easily.
  
  ” Dick Gautier played Batman because Adam West was, at the time, trying to distance himself from the role.”
  
  LOL, like he could *ever* distance himself from that one!
  - Ambiguity
    
    I read once that the actor who played Robin tried distancing himself for a little while, but he ended up giving up. He was Robin, as far as anyone was concerned. Then — at least for a while — he changed careers because of the taint (I think organizing fan clubs, if I remember correctly).
    
    Re Adam West: Lady Chatterley’s Lover? I think the cure was worse than the disease!
taj1f

Bruce Wayne’s a member of the 1%: is it any wonder Batman drags his feet on the issue?
jwkrk

Hmm, Dick Grayson was Bruce Wayne’s ward, so presumably he got some sort of allowance or stipend for that. His Robin persona, I don’t know the employment details of that.

On the other hand, Batgirl, was, I recall, the police commissioner’s daughter, and is simply a crime fighting vigilante. She’s not employed by Wayne Industries. Perhaps she performs “rescues for hire”, but I think this PSA misses the mark.

That said, I’m in complete agreement with equal pay for equal work…
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Batman was ahead of the game back in the 1960s if he was already using independent contractors instead of employees so that he could avoid paying employment taxes and benefits.
jwkrk

Come to think of it, in this day and age, Batman would probably sue Batgirl for copyright infringement over the use of “Bat” in her hero moniker.
http://twitter.com/rvitelli Romeo Vitelli

Was I the only one to wonder how Batgirl could afford all those gadgets on a librarian’s salary? No wonder she demands equal pay.
- jmcgarry
  
  Clearly she was a Maker. :-)
- http://www.youtube.com/user/Freethinkersanon Christopher
  
  Having just attended a librarians’ conference this weekend I can tell you she didn’t need to buy most of those gadgets. They were nifty giveaways she picked up at the vendors’ expo. Honestly, it’s a wonder more librarians don’t fight crime…or do they?
  - jimh
    
    If they’re handing out purple motorcycles, I’m there!
zombiebob

Holy discontent lol
planettom

There’s gotta be a little more info on this out there: BATMAN went off the air in 1968, so was this existing footage redubbed, new footage shot especially for this in 1972, or what?
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  It’s a PSA.
  - planettom
    
    that’s the question. Did 4 years after the show went off the year did they get the gang back together to shoot this, or did they just take existing footage from the show and redub it?
    - GrumpySteen
      
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(TV_series)#1970s_reunions
      - planettom
        
        Thanks; so Dick Gautier (Hymie the Robot on GET SMART) plays Batman.
http://stop.zona-m.net Marco Fioretti

what does Robin say exactly ? “Holy….” what?
Ultan

Well, as long as she plays best of five sets against the men, she deserves equal pay.
JhmL

No time for jokes, Batgirl!
- malindrome
  
  I noticed that too. For a PSA ostensibly intending to raise awareness of pay inequalities, it sure is weird that two of the characters spend most of their time belittling Batgirl’s concerns!
taghag

wow, i came in here expecting to read how you can tune in tomorrow, and the next day and the next day, until 40 years later women still don’t get equal pay for equal work.

but you guys would rather chat about her outfits or her tennis-playing ability. where are all the modern men around here? boo!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=766223693 Christopher E Reis

What’s missing from the video: Batgirl complaining about being called Batgirl instead of Batwoman or Batperson.
- retepslluerb
  
  Didn’t she name herself?
http://profiles.google.com/macrumpton Michael Crumpton

Ironically, I am sure batgirl got paid less for that spot than either of the guys.