Within the comic, “Bitch Planet,” issues such as gender inequality and irrational societal standards for women’s appearances are addressed. These issues exist not only in the comic, but also in the real world. Although the comic does not directly address these issues, the illustrations combined with the written text suggest messages about such key issues. By looking at “Bitch Planet,” we can see how elements such as the Fathers, the behavior of women, hairstyles, and Penelope’s appearance expose gender inequality and standards set by the general population. 

The men who set standards that society should strive to meet are the Fathers. Throughout the comic, the Fathers never appear in-person. They only appear on monitors in the background, making it seem like they are always watching over the members of this dystopian society. However, because the Fathers are never around in person, the question of how their rules are enforced arises. The answer to that question is quite simple: society. Members of society enforce the Fathers’ expectations for behavior and appearances through their judgement and treatment of other people. This contributes to the theme of unrealistic societal standards by revealing that there are no officials to enforce such rules; members of society are the people who contribute to these expectations. As soon as people decide to quit judging others’ appearances, there will no longer be a stigma associated with how a woman chooses to look or not to look.

More specifically, the women in this dystopian society enforce the Fathers’ expectations. The women in Penelope’s restaurant are so obsessed with weight loss that they split one muffin three ways, only consuming fifteen calories each. The topic of their discussion was how many ounces of bodily waste they have excreted over the past few days. In the background, the newscasters discuss a new fad diet: tapeworms (DeConnick). In this world, women are willing to go to unhealthy extremes in order to achieve what society considers to be a “good body.” Meanwhile, the men in the restaurant eat whatever they please. However, the women in the comic are not too different from women in the real world. Many women in today’s society are willing to try fad diets and waist trainers, which are both very dangerous and unhealthy, in order to get their ideal body. Along with the aforementioned elements, this element also contributes to the theme of gender inequality and unreasonable societal standards because it sends the message that society pressures many women to put themselves at risk to obtain an ideal body, but men are not put under the same amount of pressure to have a perfect body or perfect hair. 

Throughout the comic, hairstyles are a significant visual element. Women with neatly styled hair abide by the fathers’ rules, but Penelope, a woman with what society considers to be untidy hair, fights the standards and faces unfair treatment. For example, Mother Siebertling, an attractive woman with a “neat” hairstyle, acts as an authoritative figure who carries out the Fathers’ expectations.  Meanwhile, men’s hairstyles are overlooked. Their hairstyles are undistinguished and do not determine treatment or behavior. No matter their hairstyle, the Fathers are obeyed and respected by members of society. This element contributes to the comic’s theme of gender inequality and unjust societal standards. There are unrealistic expectations for a woman’s appearance, while men are not held to the same standards.

The main character in “Bitch Planet,” Penelope Rolle, represents the opposite of society’s “ideal woman.” Penelope is an overweight, dark-skinned woman with disheveled hair. Throughout “Bitch Planet,” she often stands in the shadows, wearing an orange jumpsuit, which gives her the appearance of a criminal. According to the members of society, she is a criminal because she is noncompliant. Her hair should sit flat or “curl up,” she should be starving herself to lose weight, and she should care about what other people think of her appearance (Deconnick). Because she does not conform to society’s standards, the people treat her as an outcast and judge her without knowing her. For example, the male customers in the restaurant where Penelope is employed make hurtful comments about her weight and the color of her skin, and when she decides to stand up for herself, the women in the bakery act as if she is a monster. The Fathers also treat Penelope unfairly when they want to help her visualize her “ideal self,” as if she must change her appearance to be happy. Unfortunately, people judge others by their appearances all too often, and this type of discrimination is not just something that only occurs in the comic. People often discriminate others based on their looks in the real world, too. 

The aforementioned elements contribute to the underlying theme of gender inequality and irrational expectations for a woman’s appearance. In “Bitch Planet,” society does not see men and women as equals. As a result, the two genders have different expectations to live up to. Women strive to meet these expectations that are nearly impossible to reach. However, Penelope does not and as a result, she is mistreated and emotionally abused because of her weight, skin color, and hairstyle. Mother Siebertling is treated with respect and authority because she is attractive and conforms to the expectations set by the Fathers. Meanwhile, the Fathers’ appearances are not very detailed, but they set the expectations for the behavior and appearances of the members in this dystopian society. Overall, “Bitch Planet” uncovers gender inequality and the unrealistic expectations set by society through elements such as the Fathers, the behavior of women, hairstyles, and Penelope’s appearance.