# Lady Dopers: Would you accept \ Girl as your superhero moniker? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 24, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733 "2015-08-24T15:38:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/41 "2015-08-25T16:48:53Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Her hair makes a noise like a cow?. . . See? It’s distracting. They’re going to start calling me The Cowgirl or something. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/42 "2015-08-25T18:35:23Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > except when called be the setters I assume True. On my planet of origin, we have canine overloads and even we superheroines have to obey them. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/43 "2015-08-25T19:07:13Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > See? It’s distracting. > > They’re going to start calling me The Cowgirl or something. You could trick the name out a bit and go by Reverse Cowgirl. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/44 "2015-08-25T19:08:03Z")
I came to the conclusion a while back that there was a double standard at work with “girl”, and that it’s not fair. Adult women should not be called “girl” in any situation where an adult man would not be called “boy”. And while there are superheroes named \_\_\_\_ Boy (or Lad or whatever), they’re all minors. Nobody would ever call the adult Clark Kent “Superboy”, nor the adult Bruce Wayne “Batboy”, so why do Kara Zor-El and Barbara Gordon get “Supergirl” and “Batgirl”? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/45 "2015-08-25T19:54:18Z")
Because these are comics aimed at teenaged boys. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/46 "2015-08-25T21:00:21Z")
In the 1960s. When we hadn’t yet gotten worked up about these issues. The fact is that English is loaded with suffixes (& prefixes?) that denote a feminine variant which are also used for a diminutive variant. With all that implies. To be sure, e.g. “-ette” is becoming passe, but it’s not gone yet. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/47 "2015-08-25T21:20:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I came to the conclusion a while back that there was a double standard at work with “girl”, and that it’s not fair. Adult women should not be called “girl” in any situation where an adult man would not be called “boy”. And while there are superheroes named \_\_\_\_ Boy (or Lad or whatever), they’re all minors. Nobody would ever call the adult Clark Kent “Superboy”, nor the adult Bruce Wayne “Batboy”, so why do Kara Zor-El and Barbara Gordon get “Supergirl” and “Batgirl”? You’re definitely right with the Babs Gordon Batgirl, who was introduced as a 20something college student and aged to at least her late 20s. But Kara was introduced as a 15-year-old, and by the time the original died was no more than 22. Subsequent versions have generally been teenagers. The Peter David version was an adult and really should have been Superwoman, but there were trademark protection issues. The Matrix version wasn’t human enough to make a judgment about her maturity. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/48 "2015-08-26T00:45:43Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > You could trick the name out a bit and go by Reverse Cowgirl. But reversing would make the hair go oom oom. And that’s just silly. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/49 "2015-08-26T01:02:19Z")
‘lowing blonde hair’! OMG I’ve got hair that’s infrasound enabled! High Five! ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/50 "2015-08-26T01:48:01Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > In the 1960s. When we hadn’t yet gotten worked up about these issues… Maybe you hadn’t. You were hanging with Master Blaster, weren’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/51 "2015-08-26T02:33:05Z")
> [@Marion\_Wormer](#): > > ‘lowing blonde hair’! OMG I’ve got hair that’s infrasound enabled! High Five! Do cows do infrasound? They’re not on the wikipedia list. Hey, wiki says: “One study has suggested that infrasound may cause feelings of awe or fear in humans.” I like that as a superpower. Whales are the animal most known for infrasound. And I am NOT going to put up with Whale Girl. Whale Woman, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/52 "2015-08-26T22:21:49Z")
My office gave me a new nickname today–it used to be “honey badger” but there were conflicts w/ the new male employee who was also called “Honey Badger” and I didn’t even really care that much so I ceded the right to be called Honey Badger to him. Then there was a long string of nicknames that didn’t sitck…until today. I am now: BABE. Bad @\*\* Bitch, Everday. So don’t call me Golden Girl. I’m not Babe, I’m “The BABE”. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/53 "2015-08-27T01:53:39Z")
“I am not a bitch. I am _ **the** _ bitch. And that is ‘Ms. Bitch’ to you.” ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/54 "2015-08-27T02:05:22Z")
Mooing hair may be the weirdest superpower ever. I might have to dream up a Champions character with mooing hair. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/55 "2015-08-27T09:43:07Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > See? It’s distracting. > > They’re going to start calling me The Cowgirl or something. Cowgirl, last of the Oom? 😃 At the now defunct - and NSFW - site Naga’s Den there was a picture of Power Girl as a minotauress. Horns, hooves, human face… ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/56 "2015-08-27T18:55:54Z")
Well, I mean there are characters named Super Woman and Batwoman. After I got used to becoming a lady in order to fight crime (which would be a hell of a secret identity) I’d just adjust an earlier suggestion: **Bronze**. I’m tanned and tough, like the metal. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/57 "2015-08-27T19:14:35Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > :: takes long drag on cigarette while staring at Blaster Master :: > > I’m gonna assume you’re of primarily European extraction. Which brings up a new wrinkle for your hypothetical. Same set up, but the woman in question is also black. Does the media follow the typical superhero naming convention for women, and add a “-girl” suffix, or does it follow the typical superhero naming convention for black people, and add “Black” as a prefix? Or does it do both? Black Golden Girl? Could be big in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/58 "2015-08-27T19:20:15Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Cowgirl, last of the Oom? 😃 > > At the now defunct - and NSFW - site Naga’s Den there was a picture of Power Girl as a minotauress. Horns, hooves, human face… I like the infrasound hair and I like this image. Sadly, horns and hooves would require that the comic address all the people who would start screaming that I’m a devil. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/59 "2015-08-27T23:18:04Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > I like the infrasound hair and I like this image. Sadly, horns and hooves would require that the comic address all the people who would start screaming that I’m a devil. It seems that the site was only offline temporarily. It’s clear from the picture that the lady is no devil: [http://www.nagasden.com/images/commissions/powermoosmall.jpg](http://www.nagasden.com/images/commissions/powermoosmall.jpg) The page itself isn’t NSFW but there are lots of pages on the site which are. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733/60 "2015-08-28T14:50:52Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > I already AM a super heroine. 😃 > > However, if I’m to be publicly acknowledged, there is only one name I’d accept. She Who Must Be Obeyed. I hadn’t realized my wife was on this board…Hi Honey! Steaks for supper tonight? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-dopers-would-you-accept-blank-girl-as-your-superhero-moniker/728733.md?page=4)