Batman's Most Self-Conscious Foe: Calendar Girl | The New Batman Adventures

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  • čas přidán 27. 06. 2024
  • This week I shine the spotlight on a rarely talked about villain from The New Batman Adventures, Paige Monroe, Calendar Girl. Learn how this semi-original character took inspiration from two obscure Batman villains from the comics, and became one of the most memorable villains to debut in The New Batman Adventures.
    #batman #Thenewbatmanadventures #dcau #calendargirl
    Chapters:
    0:00 Introduction
    0:42 An Amalgamation
    1:17 Calendar Man
    2:58 The Manikin
    4:28 Mean Seasons
    6:53 The Fickle Industries
    8:38 Closing Remarks
    9:13 Next Time
    Music by @Katt Strike - listen to the whole track here: czcams.com/video/VKdA2lCjtash/video.htmlttps://y...
    Join this channel to get access to perks including early access to my next video essay, sporadic members only videos, custom emojis, a custom icon on your channel, and priority responses to comments. More details here:
    / @serumlake
  • Krátké a kreslené filmy

Komentáře • 355

  • @SerumLake
    @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +173

    Special shout out to my first Member, @davidhuber8793
    Don't forget that members get unique emojis (like the Harley Heart above), custom profile icons, exclusive community content, priority reply to comments, and (best of all) early access to my weekly video essay!

    • @GhostPlanetFilms
      @GhostPlanetFilms Před 7 měsíci +5

      Oh hey what's that creepy music track playing in the background?

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +7

      @@GhostPlanetFilms it’s an original track by @kattstrike - hope you like it!

    • @GhostPlanetFilms
      @GhostPlanetFilms Před 7 měsíci +5

      thanks!@@SerumLake

  • @robo-nidai4236
    @robo-nidai4236 Před 7 měsíci +2138

    "She's beautiful."
    "She can't see that. All she sees are the flaws."
    That final exchange really cements just how top-of-the-game the writing and characterization of this show was most of the time.

    • @robchuk4136
      @robchuk4136 Před 7 měsíci +52

      The episode was a little slight for me, but that last line is still a banger that redeems it.

    • @tysondennis1016
      @tysondennis1016 Před 7 měsíci +27

      Yeah, that’s a perfect line

    • @okamijubei
      @okamijubei Před 7 měsíci +43

      And the sad part is that there's women like that IRL. More often than anyone think.

    • @Shtickyaight
      @Shtickyaight Před 6 měsíci +6

      Yess

    • @joshuagraham2843
      @joshuagraham2843 Před 6 měsíci +5

      @@okamijubeimadonna

  • @ajra6143
    @ajra6143 Před 7 měsíci +2399

    Fun fact: Sela Ward who voiced Calendar Girl was passed over for a Bond Girl because she was deemed “too old”, much like CG was booted when she became “too old” for the business.

    • @Xehanort10
      @Xehanort10 Před 7 měsíci +318

      They said "We want Sela but Sela from 10 years ago" to her.

    • @sonofsueraf
      @sonofsueraf Před 7 měsíci +99

      Talk about lacking self-awareness

    • @SatanRomps
      @SatanRomps Před 7 měsíci +305

      ​@@sonofsuerafit's not lacking self awareness, it's bringing light to a very real issue women faced so the next generation (the kids watching the show) would see the injustice and once they grew up they wouldn't continue the abuse.

    • @perrymeril
      @perrymeril Před 6 měsíci +113

      No wonder she wass chosen for this role. It fits so damn well and she knew the pain.

    • @1998topornik
      @1998topornik Před 6 měsíci +13

      Irony

  • @GrievousReborn
    @GrievousReborn Před 7 měsíci +1498

    I'd like to believe that why we didn't see her in the series anymore is because she got past those feelings of hers and found worth in herself again

    • @zemox2534
      @zemox2534 Před 7 měsíci +106

      I hope so.

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +352

      She does make a brief appearance in Batman The Adventures Continue, which suggests she didn’t overcome her issues 😔

    • @Blokewood3
      @Blokewood3 Před 7 měsíci +75

      Or she's serving a long sentence for kidnapping and attempted murder.

    • @ngrjordi2352
      @ngrjordi2352 Před 7 měsíci +81

      ​@@Blokewood3eh, since this is Gotham, I guess she's just get sentenced to Arkham instead of prison

    • @drewjohnson-85
      @drewjohnson-85 Před 7 měsíci +50

      @@Blokewood3Or it could be both, if she’s getting treatment in prison and has come to terms with her self worth she should be able to understand that she needs to serve her sentence to prove she’s worthy of being let back into society.

  • @blackkitty369
    @blackkitty369 Před 7 měsíci +1103

    The ending always hits me hard when she thinks she's ugly not realizing how beautiful she still is. How the industry warped her sense of worth.

    • @benjaminbierley2074
      @benjaminbierley2074 Před 7 měsíci +78

      Relevant since, as much as some would rather people not see the relevance, various industries can be like that, especially athletics, which, depending on the discipline, has actually ruined the fit bodies of gifted female athletes in the pursuit of making them "look good" and ignoring their destruction of the fitness that lets them perform and compete in the first place.

    • @animebrat76
      @animebrat76 Před 6 měsíci +9

      This series will continue to be timeless and relevant more and more each day

    • @XiaoFury
      @XiaoFury Před 4 měsíci

      So many Hollywood women and men go to plastic surgeons to attempt to look younger. The surgery often makes them ugly.
      In Holly weird, you're only as good as you look.

    • @lowtierbrad
      @lowtierbrad Před 4 měsíci +9

      Funny thing is in today’s era, her breakdown would have been delayed to at least her 50s/60s since she could have gotten the validation she desired through SM.

    • @blackkitty369
      @blackkitty369 Před 4 měsíci +9

      @@lowtierbrad I don't know. The internet can turn on you in a heartbeat so not sure in today's standards.

  • @FirstLast-cg2nk
    @FirstLast-cg2nk Před 7 měsíci +676

    I wish we could have gotten an episode with Calendar Girl, Clayface, and Baby Doll together. All three were ruined by showbiz. Calendar Girl due to age, Clayface due to a disfiguring injury, and Baby Doll due to typecasting because of her appearance. All three have a legitimate beef with the industry, and there's any number of potential plotlines you could use to bring them together.

    • @animebrat76
      @animebrat76 Před 6 měsíci +56

      It’s sickening either way, they all deserved better with how much they sacrificed and suffered.

    • @Lowkeylie
      @Lowkeylie Před 4 měsíci +25

      Babydoll especially has severe issues if self image and self worth, not to mention an unhealthy dose of body dysmorphia.
      It would take a deft hand but I could see that being a really solid episode if they paired up.

    • @smiththeinspiringanimator7042
      @smiththeinspiringanimator7042 Před 3 měsíci +6

      Agreed and I feel like they could absolutely give us a lesson on how we should be treating individuals and show how rotten the industry can be especially nowadays with Disney falling apart at the seams and Hollywood not learning anything about the past I feel like that could be a good episode which makes me question why they never teamed up eventually I mean surely they all have went to Arkham and have someone met each other once they realize that they had a common goal they decide to team up even better maybe they could even have a found family.

    • @smiththeinspiringanimator7042
      @smiththeinspiringanimator7042 Před 3 měsíci

      And it also feels like the criticism is landing on deaf ears.

    • @kidprime6863
      @kidprime6863 Před 3 měsíci

      Ain't a showbiz a bitch?

  • @thekoifishcoyote8762
    @thekoifishcoyote8762 Před 7 měsíci +316

    It's kinda ironic: old people firing younger people for being too old.

  • @Centinym
    @Centinym Před 6 měsíci +242

    I think Calendar Girl might be my favorite reinterpretation of a D-list character. Usually I roll my eyes when these sorts of changes are made - as there is generally no organic reason. This one makes *perfect* sense. A calendar girl is another name for a model, a model's enemy is time. She carries a scythe like a reaper - the one that comes for you when time runs out. She wears a mask - not just to hide her face but because the mask is flawless. Ageless. It is a layered presentation that sells a deeply disturbed woman's attempt to regain the spotlight through theatrical crimes.

    • @Billy-bc8pk
      @Billy-bc8pk Před 3 měsíci +6

      Agreed. One of the few swaps done right.

    • @kinghyperheart1571
      @kinghyperheart1571 Před 3 měsíci

      @@Billy-bc8pk Oh yeah, these days, race and gender swaps are done for identity politics based brownie points with absolutely no in-cannon reason for them to exist, merely to push a poorly thought out ideology agenda.
      Here, it's not only makes narrative sense, it's VERY thematically appropriate from taking a cheesy themed villain such as Calander Man, mix him with a bit of Mannequin's real themes on women being mentally damaged from the obsession of external beauty standards in the beauty industry, and this is a character that I dare say is actually better than both the original Calander Man and even Mannequin.

    • @lexofexcel886
      @lexofexcel886 Před 2 měsíci +2

      Honestly it makes me wonder how it would work if she took Julian Day's place in some modern interpretations like Long Halloween or the Arkham games.

  • @robchuk4136
    @robchuk4136 Před 7 měsíci +576

    This is a gender swap that I think actually improves on the original. I also think it said everything it needed to, and is a great example of how a villain in a one-off episode can leave an impression (before they get repetitive)

    • @victormagoco9752
      @victormagoco9752 Před 6 měsíci +55

      It’s also an interesting reinterpretation of the concept, she’s “calendar girl” with an theme of “beautiful female celebrity” instead of being obsessed with holidays

    • @pintsizedpicasso3402
      @pintsizedpicasso3402 Před 6 měsíci +38

      @@victormagoco9752 It also works since modeling work is influenced by seasons and, of course, many models do calendar shoots.

  • @thatcopkransky
    @thatcopkransky Před 7 měsíci +276

    I feel very silly for thinking that Paige was a pun on a calendar page

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +97

      That also works!

    • @Linkonpark100
      @Linkonpark100 Před 3 měsíci +18

      There's also Bettie Page, the most famous pin-up girl.

  • @spartanq7781
    @spartanq7781 Před 7 měsíci +135

    "All she can see is the flaws."
    Batman summed it up nicely.

  • @jacktoma21
    @jacktoma21 Před 7 měsíci +427

    Definitely a more interesting take than what we got with her male originator. Shame she never appeared in the tie in comics. I’ve been reading through those like crazy lately

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +67

      She makes an appearance in the background of the last issue of Batman The Adventures Continue, but she didn’t have a significant role. It was more like a neat cameo for fans… which sort of sums up BTAC in general I guess!

    • @om3ga109
      @om3ga109 Před 4 měsíci

      The Arkhamverse did a pretty goddamn good job with Calender Man, how he hatched a plot to blow up a maternity ward on Labor Day, cannibalized a random family during Thanksgiving- it all sounds edgy to just read it, but if you watch the clips the VA kills it, really makes you think "Batman's no-kill rule is horseshit".

  • @linasalazar4906
    @linasalazar4906 Před 7 měsíci +262

    She reminds me of one of the ghosts from 13 ghosts. The angry princess. A beautiful woman who could not see her own beauty and suffered a "botched" surgery. Offed herself but people still said she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

    • @Moses_VII
      @Moses_VII Před 6 měsíci +12

      The 13 ghosts of Scooby Doo?

    • @linasalazar4906
      @linasalazar4906 Před 6 měsíci +10

      @@Moses_VII no.

    • @sweetsisfat
      @sweetsisfat Před 6 měsíci +9

      I still have a fear of tubs after that movie tbh

    • @Ninamonet
      @Ninamonet Před 6 měsíci +6

      But why is a woman’s worth determined by her beauty?

    • @kakyointhemilfhunter4273
      @kakyointhemilfhunter4273 Před 4 měsíci +11

      ​​@@NinamonetSome women place high importance and their self worth on their appearance and some don't. A lot of men place womens worth purely in their looks and it can severely warp said womens self image

  • @Hack_Man_VII
    @Hack_Man_VII Před 7 měsíci +189

    She may have only had 1 episode, but it was a good one. The only reason I would want to have seen her come back is if they showed her getting the help she needs, and making a genuine change for the best

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +20

      Based on her cameo appearance in Batman The Adventures Continue (where she can be seen in one of the cells) I don’t think things got better for her 😞

    • @Hack_Man_VII
      @Hack_Man_VII Před 7 měsíci +25

      @@SerumLake that's a damn shame. She was the kind of character who would beat be used (in my opinion at least) to tell a story about moving forward. She's not the kind of character who can really make that many unique plots. Harvey Dent works better for multiple stories because of his background and his personal connection to Bruce Wayne. Calendar Girl doesn't have those, so she can't have any reason for the writers to keep her in a bad situation.

  • @billtree52
    @billtree52 Před 7 měsíci +132

    I think Calendar Girl would make a great villain for a modern day low stakes Batman movie. With all the insane stuff going on with TikTok and Instagram, her story is far more relevant now.

    • @ZX-Gear
      @ZX-Gear Před měsícem +3

      Would be even grim if we took more inspiration from reality and she was also a child starlet who was also abused behind the set. And her abusers tossed her away when she was no longer fun for them.

  • @justanotherrandomperson7913
    @justanotherrandomperson7913 Před 6 měsíci +76

    Practically everyone in my family who loves Batman loves this episode. I remember when I was little and was watching this episode. My mother always taught me the classic ‘Your worth does not depend on beauty’ and ‘It's what's inside it counts’. She always pointed to this episode whenever I felt insecure about how I looked, always saying “Remember that woman in that batman episode. She was still beautiful but the moment she thought something was wrong she thought she was ugly.”
    Funny enough my mother pointed to several batman episodes for life advice.

    • @auldthymer
      @auldthymer Před 4 měsíci +3

      I loved the promo for "Model Students" a hard-hitting look and the trials of modeling school:
      "Don't cry, just because you didn't make the swimsuit issue."
      "Yeah. It's what's inside that counts."
      "I love you guys."

    • @kinghyperheart1571
      @kinghyperheart1571 Před 3 měsíci +3

      Then your Mom was awesome. Not only good at advice, but also not afraid to use well written super hero stuff as a source. Best mom ever.

  • @zemox2534
    @zemox2534 Před 7 měsíci +188

    Mean Seasons is criminally underappreciated. It tackles strong themes that are still relevant today. I also like the scene between Bruce and a okd employee who is about to be forced into retirement. Bruce tells him that he can continue to work for Wayne Enterprises for as long as wants. It was a sweet moment and one of the rare times that Bruce showed compassion in the New Adventures.
    Calendar Girl was a great antagonist. Like Baby Doll, I think she works well as a one shot villain, as her one episode in the series left an impact.
    It is sad that this obsession with youth still continues in the entertainment industry. No matter how hard you work or have many sacrifices you make, once you reach a certain age, the powers that be deem you useless and toss you aside for their new "toy".
    I didn't mean for my last comment to get that dark but episodes like mean seasons really brings out the passion in me.
    I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Gordon.

    • @michaelandreipalon359
      @michaelandreipalon359 Před 7 měsíci +21

      It even ages well with Batman Beyond in mind, especially since that show was, you guessed it, made because the execs wanted a younger Batman in the helm.

  • @DoctorSanity
    @DoctorSanity Před 7 měsíci +110

    We always found the moral of this episode so wonderful, to the point even Bruce learned something from it. The ending where the office worker isn't forced to retire anymore was quite a sweet one. We always love seeing Batman grow with his experiences.

  • @AGuyWithSomeHair
    @AGuyWithSomeHair Před 3 měsíci +38

    "Not JUST a horndog." Haha, love it.

  • @finnmchugh99
    @finnmchugh99 Před 7 měsíci +68

    I think TAS writers really do their homework on mental illnesses especially with Calander Girl whom definitely shows signs of Body Dismorphic Disorder

  • @tashibalampkin8555
    @tashibalampkin8555 Před 7 měsíci +27

    The way she used accessories and fireworks as weapons was awesome.

  • @daviddaniels4020
    @daviddaniels4020 Před 7 měsíci +35

    The part about Manikin reminds me, oddly enough, of an episode of Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 4's "The Haunting of Mary Jane Watson".
    _Miranda_ Wilson was the lead actress in the same movie Quentin "Mysterio" Beck was doing special effects for, and was severely injured by the illegal mortar he used to amp up explosions in a bridge scene. Thrown off the bridge into the water, she washed ashore safely but hid so people wouldn't see the disfigurement the explosion caused. Her condition worsening due to lack of medical care, she was found by Beck, now well into his supervillain career (begun to gain revenge on Spidey for catching him and exposing his role in the disaster). Beck took Miranda to his lair under the movie studio, where he provided her with life support devices and various other computers and machines which he financed with money from his crimes. When the studio announced they were going to finish/remake the film and cast Mary Jane in Miranda's role, Miranda hatched a plan to steal Mary Jane's body, youth and beauty. She researched Mary Jane's personal history, then used Beck's tech to create a ghostly image of MJ's father to lure her into a trap. Spider-Man, with Mysterio's help (!), raced to the rescue--only for the body-swapping gizmo to be revealed as fake. What Miranda wanted was beyond Beck's abilities, but he went ahead and gave her the illusion of a body-swap device because the hope the plan instilled in her helped keep her alive--and because he'd fallen in love with her. Angered, saddened, and stunned by all this, Miranda triggered a self-destruct device which brought the complex down on herself and Beck, while Spidey and MJ escaped. 😊

  • @kellybeck4579
    @kellybeck4579 Před 7 měsíci +34

    I'm surprised you didn't mention the talented Sela Ward. Iirc, she used this role to exorcise her demons about not being marketable after a certain age despite still being youthful and charming even to this day.

  • @SarcasticAriel
    @SarcasticAriel Před 7 měsíci +47

    I kind of wonder what a team up between calendar girl & baby doll would be like. Would calendar girl be jealous of baby because her signs of aging are far less noticeable ( at least to her)

  • @ionasappy2732
    @ionasappy2732 Před 7 měsíci +43

    I remembered i first watched as an adult BTAS fully and as a grown woman who her 20s were getting away...the episode hit hard.

    • @francostevo9939
      @francostevo9939 Před 7 měsíci +5

      But that is a load of crap. No woman is old and wasted away in their 30s or 40s. Even some in their 50s.
      I am in my 20s and I made out with a 40 year old woman in the parking lot at my job. Society has these expectations of what beauty for a woman is and it affects a woman’s self worth and self esteem. You getting out of your 20s doesn’t make you old.

    • @fabiourbano6404
      @fabiourbano6404 Před 6 měsíci +1

      ​@@francostevo9939yes and no. The women chasing the VIPs and 400 option guys do lose power over them when that age hits. At that age there are younger and prettier. Some do lose a lot of beauty some don't. Just harsh truth.

    • @francostevo9939
      @francostevo9939 Před 6 měsíci +1

      @@fabiourbano6404 that’s a load of crap. No woman is less attractive at 30s and 40s. I didn’t know that girls were sensitive about their age until my junior year in college. I have preferred older women since I was a teenager and I have recently developed an ulterior motive to dating older women. I wish to date them not only due to my attraction but to also give them a self confidence booster. A younger man like myself having an attraction to them and dating them will show them that they are desirable and know that they are attractive. As far as I see it: 2 birds 1 stone.

    • @fabiourbano6404
      @fabiourbano6404 Před 6 měsíci +1

      @@francostevo9939 you are not understanding the point. The point is for marriage not "fun".

    • @francostevo9939
      @francostevo9939 Před 6 měsíci +1

      @@fabiourbano6404 what are you talking about?

  • @louthegiantcookie
    @louthegiantcookie Před 7 měsíci +79

    Great video as always! I find this episodes one of the darkest in the series, tackling some really heavy themes. But it also helps that the animation is gorgeous, the shot of Calendar Girl staring at the mirror is one of the most striking images in the show for me, and an absolutely perfect encapsulation of her entire persona and motivations.

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +12

      Glad you enjoyed it, and I agree with your assessment of the video. The only low point for me is the random fight with the animatronic dinosaur, but I guess they needed some legitimate peril 🤷‍♂️

    • @michaelandreipalon359
      @michaelandreipalon359 Před 7 měsíci +7

      ​@@SerumLakeAnd an explanation for how the DCAU Batman got it... although the tie-in comics make this fact more muddy.

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +9

      I suppose they never explicitly say that Batman took that dinosaur and put it in his cave, we just assume that’s how he ended up with one during the Batman Beyond era. The comic book version could still be correct 🤷‍♂️

  • @DwarfDaddy
    @DwarfDaddy Před 7 měsíci +22

    At least the Chippendales Henchmen are loyal. At least they come off as that from what I remember. Maybe they were in a similar boat as Calendar Girl? Who can say?

    • @michaelandreipalon359
      @michaelandreipalon359 Před 7 měsíci +8

      You could even say the same with Baby-Doll's henchpeople, who actually STAYED when the murder-suicide dynamite was readied alongside her former co-stars.

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +10

      I suspect that she has worked with them as a model. Or maybe they were fans of hers?

    • @nicholasfarrell5981
      @nicholasfarrell5981 Před 7 měsíci +10

      ​​@@SerumLake4:54 - she did work with at least two of them, if this screenshot is anything to go by.

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +7

      Good eye!

  • @WobblesandBean
    @WobblesandBean Před 6 měsíci +13

    This ending hit hard. I was a model in my late teens and early 20s, but this was in the early aughts when Kate Moss was the It Girl and everyone wanted models who were rail thin. So my agency told me that I had to "lose the beer gut", or else they would no longer represent me.
    ....I weighed 104 when they said this.
    Photographers, designers, and other fashion industry types would openly talk about me like a piece of meat. They would casually mention my big nose, thick waist, and short stature, annoyed that they'd have to edit those flaws out but they still wanted me cuz I was Czech and apparently Czech models were trendy at the time. My stomach and upper thighs were always photoshopped out of every photo spread I was in. Every, single, one.
    Now I'm 40, and I have never felt uglier. My fiance says I'm the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, but I just can't see it. My belly has only gotten bigger, my skin is showing signs of age, and I just can't see myself as pretty.

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 6 měsíci +6

      Thanks for sharing your experiences. It probably doesn’t mean anything coming from a stranger, but waist size doesn’t determine value as a human being. I’m sure it’s not easy to overcome the way you were conditioned to think, but hopefully the closing moments of this episode may provide you with some comfort.

  • @CyberWarezz05
    @CyberWarezz05 Před 6 měsíci +12

    I honestly really resonate with this video and the character.I was bullied in middle school because I was considered "ugly" and of course this affected my self esteem.I slowly learned to love myself, until I got pregnant and gained some weight.I was fairly athletic in my 20's but after a pregnancy and almost in my 30's, I can say that I'm not so fit anymore.It might have not been a problem, but constantly having family and acquaintances telling you that "you got fat" is really not easy to deal with.And that is the problem with our society:you probably love your body, you MAY want to love your flawed body, but there are constantly people that want to see you down, either intentional or unintentional.And not only that, but most of these people think that what they are doing is good, because "by telling you, they are doing you a favor and so you should start losing weight".Honestly, as long as people didn't bother me personally, I never cared how they look, so why can't they do the same?

  • @booskie4316
    @booskie4316 Před 6 měsíci +10

    No lies, this episode stuck with me longer than any other Batman episode. CG's rage and desperation for approval all swirl together into a very relatable concept. I'd have loved to see her return one more time, but at least her episode was good.

  • @jennifernoble8066
    @jennifernoble8066 Před 4 měsíci +5

    She's beautiful!
    "She can't see that anymore. All she sees are the flaws" -Batman
    Haunts me.

  • @philipjohnston5822
    @philipjohnston5822 Před 7 měsíci +170

    Spoilers: Poor Calender Girl.....She got dropped because of her age and she could no longer see herself as pretty....😢

    • @Scrinwaipwr
      @Scrinwaipwr Před 7 měsíci

      Silly execs had no idea how much the people like MILFs.

    • @XiaoFury
      @XiaoFury Před 4 měsíci +12

      Maybe this is how male athletes feel when they get told that they're too old to join a team, despite being at peak condition.

    • @Infammo
      @Infammo Před 3 měsíci +2

      It's silly how people see her as a victim when she's just a narcissist. She chose a career in an industry that was literally based entirely around superficiality and became embittered when it stopped working in her favor. A male who turned evil because he wasn't getting as much exposure would not be viewed nearly as sympathetically. The author of the video draws parallels between her and Clayface and Dolly but those two actually had crippling disfigurements that meant they couldn't live normal lives.

    • @user-si5dy9vc1i
      @user-si5dy9vc1i Před 3 měsíci +3

      ​@@Infammobro has no empathy

  • @ROMANTIKILLER2
    @ROMANTIKILLER2 Před 7 měsíci +15

    I always thought of Mean Season as somewhat a hidden gem in Batman TAS, and Calendar Girl was an excellent one-off villain who managed to play perfectly her role within such short screen-time. The final scene where she has a breakdown when unmasked despite still looking gorgeous caught me off-guard the first time I watched the episode as a kid (I expected her to actually be disfigured), but in fact it was the whole point of the story and what made ithe episode really stick the landing.

  • @grapenugget1963
    @grapenugget1963 Před 6 měsíci +10

    I wish he had talked more about how the show explored age not just in the model and similar industries, but there are scenes where Bruce was at work and was also thinking about his own ageing, even checking his hair for grey in the car, and changing the mandatory limit of retirement at 60 at his company. I thought it was really nice how the show worked the idea of aging in general not just to models and how harsh that is, but also in office jobs. I also thought it was funny and interesting that the man who was being made to retire, when he found out he could keep working if he wanted he ripped off his wig in celebration, it was interesting he felt the need to appear younger so he could possibly keep his job just like calander girl was seeking youth

  • @vginsprdsobepr9698
    @vginsprdsobepr9698 Před 6 měsíci +9

    Calendar Girl was one of my favorite villains who appeared in one episode. She had a great theme representing different festive days of the year. They should bring her to the comics.

  • @cheezemonkeyeater
    @cheezemonkeyeater Před 7 měsíci +174

    A lot of stuff in the New Batman Adventures seemed weirdly more sexualized than before. Like most of the bad guys get sexy girl minions out of nowhere (including Mr. Freeze, which to me makes the least sense) and then there's this villain, with her literal male stripper henchmen.
    It's an . . . odd trend, to say the least.

    • @michaelandreipalon359
      @michaelandreipalon359 Před 7 měsíci +35

      Bruce Timm's influence, easily put. Would explain Mr. Freeze's 180 from the SubZero movie to "Cold Comfort".

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +85

      I think it was more the fact that broadcast standards were a bit less strict at Kids WB, so they were pushing things to see how far they could get. The “sexy henchgirls” for Mr Freeze were a reference to Batman and Robin - keep in mind that the film hadn’t come out while the show was in production, so they didn’t know that it was a going to bomb

    • @Mukyoukai
      @Mukyoukai Před 6 měsíci +47

      ​@@SerumLake
      My stubborn headcanon is that most of the villains get their henchmen from bitter ex-workers in Gotham's adult entertainment industry.
      It's prolly not a good headcanon (lol) but what other pool are you going to draw from to get people who are both angry at society and also willing to wear ridiculous costumes aligned with the villains' aesthetic?

    • @Moses_VII
      @Moses_VII Před 6 měsíci

      This is why I don't think American and Japanese cartoons should be shown to children. Pahlavanan and Shekaristan are what I will show to my children.

    • @Donna-gt6ds
      @Donna-gt6ds Před 6 měsíci +5

      I think the hot henchwomen is a carryover from the Adam West BATMAN, where that was the norm.

  • @Hunter_UT
    @Hunter_UT Před 7 měsíci +24

    Hecking love this character, so mysterious.
    It's inspired me on what if we re-build some characters, like, The Riddler.
    Make him in all black, with cape and hood, and add this white mask with big bloody red or light-green bloody mark on whole face...

    • @srstriker6420
      @srstriker6420 Před 7 měsíci +4

      I don’t know about that but I did thought of Scarecrow looking like the Killer in Nightbreed and Ezekiel Rage from Jonny Quest

    • @cynicalducky1041
      @cynicalducky1041 Před 3 měsíci

      I do like the rebuilding on old characters like Riddler for example.
      Here's how I would rewrite Riddler:
      Have him be an aspiring poet writer that implements riddles in his wirting. And make him want the fame and acknowledgement on his work which he slaved to get.
      He tries approaching many companies to get his riddle poem book to be published and after a long time it does, he briefly gets the fame and acknowledgement until a cliche young adult novel gets published and takes his book's place. This extremely infuriates the Riddler but he tries to one up the book but it becomes a cycle that no matter what future riddle book he publishes, some other book/novel one ups his work.
      This causes the book publishers to cut the deal with the Riddler, essentially firing him. As his work just isn't popular enough.
      Which is what causes him to snap and become the Riddler, who wants the world to acknowledge that his work is worth something to the public.

  • @SPAnComCat
    @SPAnComCat Před 7 měsíci +9

    I can Empathise with Her.
    If She was a Real Person, I would Comfort her, Reinsure her, and Treat Her like a Human Being.
    Despite me being Younger than Her. [Currently 20YO]

  • @JanetStarChild
    @JanetStarChild Před 7 měsíci +16

    Such a great review! Calendar Girl is one of the most realist and sympathetic Batman villains (as is the Manikin).

  • @jonothanthrace1530
    @jonothanthrace1530 Před měsícem +1

    6:19 I love how there's somehow enough space between the hood and the engine for a folded-up adult man.

  • @pintsizedpicasso3402
    @pintsizedpicasso3402 Před 4 měsíci +4

    Although it isn't as front and center as the episode's criticism of the fashion industry, I feel like the episode also did a great job of examining the evils of the plastic surgery industry. Throughout the episode we are continuously told that Paige had multiple plastic surgery procedures done. Based on how afraid she is of showing her face and the comments from people who knew her i.e. "they tugged where they should have nipped," we think that when her mask finally does come off we'll see something warped and unnatural. But that's not the case at all, she's just as beautiful as she ever was. Sadly, it doesn't matter because that isn't what Paige sees. While it's never outright stated I think it's pretty clear Paige has some form of body dysmorphia which is very common among people who have had plastic surgery. The industry feeds off of people like Paige, saying they can fix their "flaws" while simultaneously dwindling their confidence and pointing out new "flaws" with each visit. It's a vicious cycle where the patient is rarely ever truly happy with how they look until the point where they do look artificial and plastic.

  • @drewjohnson-85
    @drewjohnson-85 Před 7 měsíci +10

    On the question of if it was a cathartic experience for the crew of Batman to work on it, given the fact that she was voiced by Sela Ward who was drawing attention to the issue of the entertainment industry’s obsession with youth and the damage it was causing at the same time I would say it probably wasn’t only cathartic but they knew it was cathartic.

  • @sterlingpratt5802
    @sterlingpratt5802 Před 7 měsíci +16

    Great video! I was just thinking about what an excellent B-tier villain Calendar Girl was, and while her story was well executed I would have loved to see her pop up again in the future. There are plenty of “corrupt media” stories to tell, and having the character refashion herself into a kind of antihero crusader would have been fun.

  • @thegayghost872
    @thegayghost872 Před 4 měsíci +3

    I wish we had seen more of her, she’s way more interesting than Calendar Man and she has himbo minions!

  • @benjaminfeld6388
    @benjaminfeld6388 Před 7 měsíci +8

    Her appearance definitely had an impact on me.

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +2

      In a good way, I hope!

    • @benjaminfeld6388
      @benjaminfeld6388 Před 7 měsíci +4

      @@SerumLake Oh yes, a very good way. I thought she was very creative with how she kept changing her costume with a different holiday theme. And I felt the twist at the end where it was revealed that all of her "disfigurement's" where in her mind.

    • @michaelandreipalon359
      @michaelandreipalon359 Před 7 měsíci +3

      Her stilled mask is also a gem.

  • @Talkitytalktalk
    @Talkitytalktalk Před 7 měsíci +5

    Her villain origin is every BBL girl story

  • @lethalpaine
    @lethalpaine Před 7 měsíci +8

    This episode is a core memory of mine, thank you for covering it!

  • @SCP_1471_TTV
    @SCP_1471_TTV Před 4 měsíci +4

    I feel like so many have to face this exact issue, not the part about being used up from age, but even the youth having to worry about there looks constantly. It's sad when people view themselves as ugly or monsterous just because somebody else said it.

  • @Elfenlied8675309
    @Elfenlied8675309 Před 4 měsíci +2

    Funny they gave one of the executive's she kidnaps the last name Day. Like Julien Day, the Calender Man.

  • @crazedcatlady867
    @crazedcatlady867 Před 6 měsíci +9

    This show didn’t pull any punches with their villains. Baby doll is one of the little known best. An evil little girl is a common trope, but her character is just so sad and pitiful and actually makes sense to exist in reality

  • @bluesnake1713
    @bluesnake1713 Před 3 měsíci +3

    The saddest truth of this, this has always been an ongoing outcome.

  • @taltigolt
    @taltigolt Před 4 měsíci +2

    fun fact each weekday comes from norse gods
    in sweden it goes tors dag it literally translates to thors day
    and Wednesday is onsdag meaning oden
    every day is based on norse gods even christmas comes from norse mythology thats why everyone says yuletide it just means jule tid which means Christmas time it's impressive how much comes from norse mythology

  • @SellavinAtoms
    @SellavinAtoms Před 7 měsíci +5

    This is one of my favorites episodes

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +2

      It’s one of the better TNBA episodes, for sure!

  • @headoverheels88
    @headoverheels88 Před 3 měsíci +1

    I'm a former model and ballet dancer, and this analysis was very thoughtful. Thank you. I didn't expect to be so moved by an algorithm-selected video essay on an obscure Batman character! 😢😊

  • @marioreds7826
    @marioreds7826 Před 4 měsíci +3

    obviously, the ending is what makes this episode. up until the last minute, we have no idea what she looks like, and one character in the episode who speculates about it, assumes she's been disfigured by plastic surgery. so we are lead to believe that's the case, or something like that has happened, only to find out it's all in her head and she's in fact a beautiful woman. so it suddenly becomes a psychological episode. it's a 20 minute-build up to that "face reveal" and to Batman's words.

  • @FloatingSpaceKitten
    @FloatingSpaceKitten Před 4 měsíci +2

    I deal with really terrible body image issues so this episode hit really hard

  • @starkilr101
    @starkilr101 Před 4 měsíci +2

    The fact that you used Ace at the end fits the script perfectly. Well done.

  • @mellowyello1478
    @mellowyello1478 Před 4 měsíci +2

    Body dismorphia is handled fairly well in a few Batman media releases. This character and Two-Face in The Dark Knight Returns are some of the best examples.

  • @user-cx3rt2cs3k
    @user-cx3rt2cs3k Před 6 měsíci +2

    its true a lot of times I feel like that to so thank you bat time for making miss Page Monroe.

  • @shinnok5337
    @shinnok5337 Před 7 měsíci +2

    Calendar Girl just needed a Long John Silver (Treasure Planet) in her life.

  • @christinaify
    @christinaify Před 6 měsíci +2

    Would love to see her and Harley in a cell together working on her body dysmorphia.

  • @marielavela7952
    @marielavela7952 Před 4 měsíci +2

    Tuesdays is Mar’s Day if you listen to how the Latin speakers like French, Italian and Spanish say the days of the week you’ll you’ll understand

  • @vincentfranklin17
    @vincentfranklin17 Před 5 měsíci +4

    Seeing Calendar Girl break down, and beg not to be looked at, was a bit sad.

  • @animedude8712
    @animedude8712 Před 7 měsíci +5

    This is a great episode and one of the few good ones during this run. One thing that I don't like is the whole Calendar Girl angel. I get where they went with it, but it feels so random. The dates are more important to her. Which makes the Holiday part feel off. Like they needed the Calendar Girl angel just for her to leave clues behind to figure out who she is. I don't think she even attacked them on those dates. After hearing that Manikin story, that's who she should have been. It feels like it works better in specific parts and has a better look at her character. Thought, that's just me, and I could be way off on this one.

  • @BobBillybob-pz1hk
    @BobBillybob-pz1hk Před 6 měsíci +3

    I remeber seeing that episode during my childhood and remember when they took her mask and she freaked out I was like: "Huh?"

  • @RoninRen
    @RoninRen Před 7 měsíci +4

    I don't know, I could kinda see Calendar Girl as a hired sidekick to Calendar Man(or a different woman, either a sister, niece, or a daughter of his taking on his mantle)

  • @mesektet5776
    @mesektet5776 Před 7 měsíci +19

    How good does a Btas villain need to be to come about, in the BSA era for a single episode, and *still* leave an impression on the audience for its commentary on the medium?

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +4

      I know, right? Batman villains tend to hit harder (emotionally speaking) than the other shows’ villains

    • @zemox2534
      @zemox2534 Před 7 měsíci +1

      What about Toyman from STAS or Vandel Savage in the hereafter episode from JL?

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +1

      @@zemox2534 they’re good too. Not better than the best BTAS villains though.

    • @mesektet5776
      @mesektet5776 Před 7 měsíci +2

      @@zemox2534 Also good/ impactful, but the significance of Calendar Girl is she’s makes an impression even within the Batman Rogues Gallery.

    • @zemox2534
      @zemox2534 Před 7 měsíci

      ​@SerumLake I personally find it rather annoying that people put the bat rogues on such a high pedestal but overlook and dismiss the other dc rogues. This is mostly dc fault for overexposing the bat rogues and putting them in everything (especially if the rogues are Joker and Quinn). I like the Batman villains, but I feel that the other dc villains are justvas great and deserve more opposition to be flesh out more and not treated like bloody jobbers!.

  • @Degamer422
    @Degamer422 Před 6 měsíci +3

    I remember watching brave and the bold and wondering where was calendar man in the 90s series did some research and turns out they spun him into this chick

  • @michaelandreipalon359
    @michaelandreipalon359 Před 7 měsíci +5

    Modern Calendar Man sure is a marked improvement over his campy past self. Hell, would even want the Arkhamverse iteration to reappear, alongside Victor Zsasz, in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's Metropolis so to have the long belated chance in "pacifying" them permanently.
    7:14: Pray the Huntress offed him in the interim. Spare the courts, get the gun (err, crossbow, in her case).
    7:19: Cue Batman Beyond, which at most subverted the flaws shown by this deliberate act of "all that is young and glitters is NOT gold".
    By the way, shame you didn't mention the fact that CG's voice actress, Sela Ward, was supposed to be a Bond girl for the otherwise excellent GoldenEye, except she was turned down for being, yep, "too old". During the time the episode got produced and released, she was leading a protest campaign against the very Hollywoodian notion all around, but I'm not sure how things went three decades on as of this comment's writing.
    Sidenote: Am glad the Commissioner Gordon of the DCAU doesn't appear to be in a relationship with one Sarah Essen. Not that she's a bad character, mind you, but it's just that, personally, am not a fan of that angle of Gordon in iterations like the Millerverse, as much as Batman x Batgirl hurts the DCAU.

    • @zemox2534
      @zemox2534 Před 7 měsíci

      What is the problem with Gordon being happy? DCAU is vastly different from Miller comics, so I see no reason why the creators could not play with the idea of Jim getting a girlfriend at least for one story.
      Also modern Calender man is boring. He is a rip off of Lecter, spends half the time stuck in his prison cell and his visual appearance is bland! At least the original incarnation had more charm and was more memorable.
      Batman Beyond actually proved that a "young" Batman can work if written well. The fact that Bruce was his mentor and still treated with respect certainly helps

    • @michaelandreipalon359
      @michaelandreipalon359 Před 13 dny

      ​@@zemox2534Well, I can only say one thing: am not fond of James Gordon being an adulterer against his otherwise faithful wife. With that in mind, I really hope said wife actually died naturally or on an unfortunate accident/assassination attempt, not removed via divorce.
      But then, to each our own on how we definitively feel about the fictional characters we know and love.

  • @srstriker6420
    @srstriker6420 Před 7 měsíci +11

    So yeah this was a head of its time with the whole Metoo stuff especially with that crooked agent which Batman should have kicked his ass.
    Well Calendarman would have been the top 10 villains that should have appeared in the animated series and I never heard of the Mannequin before which she is very similar to the Wonder Woman villain Dr Cyber and the Ironman Madame Masque aka Whitney Frost
    At the end there on peoples worth I was thinking about another Wonder Woman villain called the Silver Swan as there are 3 of them I was going for the first one Helen Alexandros a 🩰 with a Homely appearance who get empowered by Aries as his Roman name Mars as I would have made a member of my version of the Injustice league along with the Golden Glider as the female members of the team as I think they would be like sisters as I think they would definitely both hate Wonder Woman because she got everything handed to her and never struggled like they did.

  • @RiderOfPeppers
    @RiderOfPeppers Před 4 měsíci +1

    I never knew they adapted Calendar Man at all in DCAU this is fascinating

  • @davidBTAS
    @davidBTAS Před 7 měsíci +5

    Thanks!

    • @SerumLake
      @SerumLake  Před 7 měsíci +2

      You’re welcome! Hope you enjoyed the video

  • @GhostPlanetFilms
    @GhostPlanetFilms Před 7 měsíci +10

    Thanks for doing this one, man!
    I never knew about the Mannequin! If I were in charge of new Batman movies, I'd TOTALLY include her!
    PS: Fun fact, Donna Day of Donna Day Fashions was voiced by 'Tippi' Hedren, the star of _The Birds_

  • @scotttrammell3913
    @scotttrammell3913 Před 6 měsíci +1

    This, to me is one of the best episodes of ANY TV series animated or otherwise.

  • @Scrinwaipwr
    @Scrinwaipwr Před 7 měsíci +2

    This was one of my favourite episodes of TNBA.

  • @CrazyMatthew-dm5ri
    @CrazyMatthew-dm5ri Před 7 měsíci +2

    Honestly i love these kinds of videos about the villians of batman the animated series and other series

  • @alexwilcox4075
    @alexwilcox4075 Před 7 měsíci +1

    I was just thinking I'd love to see a calendar girl vid from you!

  • @darkserge1
    @darkserge1 Před 7 měsíci +2

    Would love to see her again. Hopefully DC brings in her, baby doll, Two-faces other personality the Judge and many other BTAS original villains to the comics. I know Baby Doll made a cameo in one of the comics but I think she would be a good recurring villain. Calendar Girl has potential to be good recurring villain.

  • @mikevivian3648
    @mikevivian3648 Před 6 měsíci +1

    wow! That really does give you a lot to think about! Thanks for the video!

  • @Melvinwacko
    @Melvinwacko Před 7 měsíci +19

    Greedy people discarding someone they've worked with like trash once they've gotten their money's worth, that is an ironic message from a Batman show considering what Bob Kane did to Bill Finger.

  • @Jonathan-A.C.
    @Jonathan-A.C. Před 3 měsíci +1

    Damn, that was a well done video

  • @elenacosta1040
    @elenacosta1040 Před 6 měsíci +4

    I don't understand how the calendar aspect connects to her previous life as a model. But all in all, she's a wonderful villain.

    • @Donna-gt6ds
      @Donna-gt6ds Před 6 měsíci +5

      CG would leave calendar pages where the dates she got fired were circled.

    • @reina_harhar7815
      @reina_harhar7815 Před 6 měsíci +4

      She got fired in certain dates. Some happened to be holidays.

    • @aerodynamiccow3597
      @aerodynamiccow3597 Před 6 měsíci +3

      They were dates she got fired, but other than that I think she was trying to piggyback off of another villain due to her nonexistent confidence

    • @johannesseyfried7933
      @johannesseyfried7933 Před 2 měsíci

      ​@@aerodynamiccow3597Well, a "Calendar Girl" can also be another word for a pinup model. Maybe that's the idea behind it?

  • @alpacaofthemountain8760
    @alpacaofthemountain8760 Před 6 měsíci +1

    Amazing video!

  • @Tacom4ster
    @Tacom4ster Před 3 měsíci

    I think the mask just looks so cool, would like more of her in more DC stuff

  • @Strawberrycore3
    @Strawberrycore3 Před 3 měsíci +2

    She was my favorite am still watching the series am sad she only shows in one

  • @seawolf00x68
    @seawolf00x68 Před 7 měsíci +3

    in a world where you can be anything
    be kind

  • @Unworshipediety
    @Unworshipediety Před 3 měsíci

    Haven't thought about her in a long time... but she is a great character.

  • @TheMedicatedArtist
    @TheMedicatedArtist Před 3 měsíci +1

    I liked that the series let Paige be physically beautiful and not completely disfigured. As someone who has suffered from body dysmorphia, it made her story more empathetic.
    It became more of an inevitability than a “random” tragic incident.

  • @jacobburt1523
    @jacobburt1523 Před 7 měsíci +5

    While watching this, it just occurred to me that Page being under the delusion that she's disfigured while in reality there's nothing wrong with it might have been inspired by a similar scene in the Dark Knight Returns, when Two-Face is revealed to have a completely clean and unscarred face, but he's under the delusion that his face is now completely scarred.

  • @wormwoodcocktail
    @wormwoodcocktail Před 6 měsíci +1

    Awesome review.

  • @lowtierbrad
    @lowtierbrad Před 4 měsíci

    7:44 I agree with this as an adult, but I’m not going to lie, as a kid I always preferred the episodes when Batman has a sidekick over him solo. Probably was in the best interest as a kids show to include Robin and Batgirl as much as possible.

  • @tangkwathetroublemakergirl555

    she need a hug

  • @AdamMichalMarkowski
    @AdamMichalMarkowski Před 3 měsíci

    That mask-like face would look so scary in a live action

  • @FreighttrainDaniel1225
    @FreighttrainDaniel1225 Před měsícem +1

    It’s hard to see how she was a villain especially her face at the end of the episode where Batman explained how she saw the flaws with her reflection in the glass just in genuine pain

  • @trex6052
    @trex6052 Před 7 měsíci +2

    Great video

  • @eliottdeletraz97
    @eliottdeletraz97 Před 4 měsíci +1

    i admit, calendar man's old concept of changing his style depending on the season is a pretty good idea.

  • @lazyliongames6660
    @lazyliongames6660 Před 3 měsíci +1

    2:03 they should’ve done him at issue #365

  • @dannycatala2466
    @dannycatala2466 Před měsícem +1

    The blonde himbo looks like Kobra from Mortal kombat decption.

  • @Xeorboom
    @Xeorboom Před 5 měsíci +1

    she really is one of B:TAS/TNBA's most damaged villains, I just want to help her...
    and that line, "she'll never know that, all she sees are flaws", is just such a harrowing and tragic line

  • @XiaoFury
    @XiaoFury Před 4 měsíci +1

    The ending is the most impactful part. I really thought her reveal was going to be a scarred face, burnt face, ugly etc. However, she was very pretty.
    The way Calendar Girl screamed and cried was pitiful. We shouldn't rely on looks alone. Reminds me of Proverbs 31:30.