The video clip may be a bit grainy, but the message of a public service announcement about the federal Equal Pay law from 45 years ago feels thoroughly (and maddeningly) au courant.
Last week marked the 49th anniversary of the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963.
The vintage PSA, starring Batgirl (Yvonne Craig), Batman (Adam West), and Robin (Burt Ward) from the 1960s television series Batman, finds the "dynamic duo" in a familiar kerfuffle — tied to a chair in a "deserted warehouse on the outskirts of town" with a bomb ticking just out of reach.
BAM! Batgirl bursts through a door just in time to rescue them before the bomb goes off. But ... not so fast, fellas. First, Batgirl, resplendent in her purple body suit and mask, has a bone to pick with her male colleagues.
"I've worked for you for a long time and I less than Robin," Batgirl tells the Bat-dudes. "Same job, same employer means equal pay for men and women."
"There's no time for jokes, Batgirl," Batman chides.
Oh no he di'in't'!
"It's no joke. It's the federal equal pay law," Batgirl says.
WHAM!
"Holy act of Congress," Robin shrieks, while Batman adds a pathetic, "Can we talk about this later?"
Will Batgirl save the dynamic duo?
Will she get equal pay?
Will we actually still be debating these issues almost a half-century later?
Thanks for the tip, Huffington Post and Sociologial Images.
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