
As society evolves and changes, so do the morals and values of the time. Certain traits are labeled as more desirable, and others are looked at in a more positive way. On the opposite side of the spectrum, some traits are labeled as ugly, or if someone resembles or likes certain attributes they are looked at negatively. For example, some body types are labeled as undesirable by the media. Women are constantly criticized for not looking slim, and men are criticized for not being muscular or athletic. Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Bitch Planet is a brilliant piece of artwork in comic form that criticizes some of the new praised mindsets such as the desire to be extremely fit, the perspective that those who look different are ugly, and the increasing pressure and influence of outside media through beautifully drawn pictures filled with a variety of colors and intense details like with the character of Penny, and clever dialogue that displays Penny's confidence. DeConnick does not look like the stereotypical model, as she has dyed red hair and multiple tattoos, and she uses Penny to portray the confidence that young girls should have with themselves, even if they do not look like the models on television. DeConnick uses her character, Penny, and her experiences as becoming a science experiment filled with negative feelings toward for being different for a group of men to portray her feelings towards the obsession with fitness, the rejection of some differences, and the pressure media can put on someone.

In today’s society, there is an extremely prevalent pressure for people to be extremely fit and to look like models. Girls are expected to be tall and thin, while men are expected be built and very muscular. This obsession can cause body image issues and eating disorders, and it can begin to overtake someone’s every action. This mindset can overtake one’s life because of calorie counting, insecurities, and food avoidance. DeConnick portrays this issue with the three women eating at a table in the cafeteria, beginning with one female’s agonizing order of, “one sugar-free, salt-free, gluten-free muffin with three plates” (DeConnick 193). Being healthy should be encouraged, but when one becomes obsessive rather than concerned is when the mindset becomes an issue. The second extreme example is when the girls begin to talk about their new diet plans, and they are counting the calories. While counting calories is not bad, it can be a sign of obsession with caloric intake. An example of obsession would be when an individual refuses to ever eat their favorite food because it is bad for them, or if one cannot enjoy the company around them during a dinner because they are so worried about all the calories they are consuming. DeConnick is criticizing the obsession to be fit, not the desire to be in shape. She does this by presenting the three females in the cafeteria with dumbfound and emotionless expressions, while she presents Penny as confident and strong.

The next prevalent lesson DeConnick presents deals with the belief that some people hold of those who are different are ugly. There seems to be a common theme of beauty, and if someone does not fit to the standard of beauty, he or she is considered ugly. The men that surround Penny begin to insult her, saying she looks, “like a baboon,” and even exclaiming, “who would want to come home to that?” (DeConnick 194). They talk about Penny like she is lesser of a human being than they are simply because of the way she looks. It is easy to observe how the comments offend her through the close up portrait in the third panel of her angered face.  The comments they make portray the small minded thinking the characters possess and their lack of desire to see beyond her outward appearance. To show Penny’s anger, DeConnick uses close-ups of her facial features for an intense and vivid picture. DeConnick rejects these actions, and she shares her opinion on the subject after Penny is hooked up to the machine, and it shows her idea of her perfect self. The men are astonished that she is happy with the way she looks, and that she would not want to change anything about herself. Her confidence is displayed successfully with the close up shots in the final panels, as it displays her full range of emotions and her resolve to love herself even when constantly being critiqued. This is the mindset DeConnick wants others to have, to love themselves even if they do not act or look a certain way, because the differences are what make us unique. 

Lastly, DeConnick depicts the negative impact media influence can have on society, especially with the color of the news anchor’s speech bubble and persona on page 194 panel 4. The presentation of the news anchor is key to DeConnick’s message. Her panel is the color of pink, but not only is her skin color pink, but also her speech bubbles are pink. She is the only pink character in the whole comic, making her seem to be lively and invited. It seems like she could be a warm influence on those who listen to. Unfortunately, she is discussing a toxic message on her show. The discussion is about a new diet, once again picking on the insecurities of people to be fit and to fit in, that involves having a gastrointestinal parasite in one’s stomach to aid in losing weight. These panels are shown before the three women eating a muffin in the cafeteria, and this shows how much media can influence the average persons. Their obsessive nature to be fit is most likely fueled by what they see in the media. DeConnick recognizes just how strong and powerful the media can be, and she points out the importance of media outlets producing positive messages.

Bitch Planet is a very unique comic with a unique color scheme, clever dialogue bubble manipulation, complex panels with great detail, colors that help present moods, and also the colors used present the time period of when the events happened, with tan panels being flashbacks. The comic is Kelly Sue DeConnick’s criticism of some modern values, most predominantly the values of the obsession to be incredibly fit, that those who are different can be rejected because they are different, and the strong negative influence the media can have on people.  She wants to empower women, and she gives this advice to young girls about how to handle themselves in an industry that is dominated by men, “Being a woman in a male-dominated industry sort of sucks, but it doesn’t suck any more than being a woman in the world,” she says, facing the class. “My advice? Be terrifying”(www.vanityfair.com).  Her characters display the negative viewpoints put against many women, and she uses Penny to combat them with self-confidence and ruggedness. She is a strong female character, and she does not fit into the Americanized stereotypical main character role. DeConnick does a great job arguing about the importance of loving yourself, and that is what makes this comic so relatable. 
