I figured out quite some time ago that the full picture of my personality is best represented by a mix of the Batgirl and Catwoman characters from the '60s surrealist action comedy "Batman." Now, if I just looked that good in a skin-tight crimefighter/villain costume, my life would be complete. Oh, well.
Surely my political leanings were influenced by this awesome Public Service Announcement, as Batgirl schools Batman and Robin about the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Not exactly sure when this was filmed -- sources vary on the date -- but to me it looks to have been done after the series had finished its run, so I'd guess around '69-'71. I sure remember seeing it!
Batgirl Equal Pay Act PSA
I know, Modern Kiddies, you can't even believe there was a time when women, just because they were women, got paid less than men for the exact same job, right? That's CRAZY TALK!
Oh, wait.
"Male–female income disparity, also referred to as the "gender gap in earnings" in the
United States, and as the "gender wage gap", the "gender earnings gap" and the "gender pay gap", refers usually to the ratio of female to male median yearly earnings among full-time, year-round (FTYR) workers.
In 2009 the median income of FTYR workers was $47,127 for men, compared to $36,278 for women. The female-to-male earnings ratio was 0.77, not statistically different from the 2008 ratio.[2] The female-to-male earnings ratio of 0.77 means that, in 2009, female FTYR workers earned 23% less than male FTYR workers. The statistic does not take into account differences in experience, skill, occupation, education or hours worked, as long as it qualifies as full-time work. However, in 2010, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee reported that studies "always find that some portion of the wage gap is unexplained" even after controlling for measurable factors that are assumed to influence earnings. The unexplained portion of the wage gap is attributed to gender discrimination."
Sigh. Forty-eight years and counting, folks.
© Copyright 2008- Marianne Spellman