Kenny Andriana

Does Curiosity Really Kill the Cat?

I remember the first time I watched Batman Returns (1992), I was
probably eight years old at that time, how stoked and mesmerized I was by
Catwoman—Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. The lonely, unhappy, and
overworked-secretary that got pushed off the window by her boss when
she found out and confronted him about his evil plan.
This was during the time where boys should’ve hated girls.
During middle school and high school years, I started to go through
the phase where I slowly became more aware of what boys should like and
shouldn’t like. I tried to consider it for a while: that boys should like
Catwoman because she’s a seductive lady friend of Batman who wears a
latex bodysuit. Some things felt wrong. But as a boy, I was genuinely
confused about how I situated myself within the struggle when I was so
extremely conscious about myself that I didn’t want to give away a chance
for other people to see me as different.
This was during the time where boys should’ve turned the hate
against girls into attraction, feelings, or lust.
When I started college, I finally found a safe space for me to
reevaluate everything, including my identification with my gender and
queerness. This was the time where I became so exposed to the stories
of women, the LGBTQ+ community, and their struggles. Soon I realized that
Selina Kyle did not die because of her curiosity alone. She died because the
man in power decided it for her.
This was during the time where all my confusion and anger toward
my peers—men, made me hate myself.
Then, I realized: as a man, I would never fully understand what the
struggles and experiences of women felt like. So, I figured out that one of
the crucial things for men to do is to listen and to see what women have to
say and show about the issues that matter for them and then fight alongside
them. I realized that maybe the reason why I like Catwoman was because of
what she had to say, to offer, and to show made me aware not only of her
struggles but also her power. Not only was I aware of what and why she
had to fight but also of what men have to do in it, thus what men can do
about it.
This was the time where I started to have a better idea of what I
wanted and should be: an ally. For my mother, sisters, and brothers.