Catfight
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the animal behavior sense of this word see Catfight (animal behavior).
Catfight is a slang term for an altercation between two women, typically involving slapping, scratching, and hair-pulling as opposed to punching or kicking. It can also be used metaphorically to describe two human females insulting each other verbally or being otherwise nasty to each other.
Catfighting has recently been on the rise in several fields of entertainment. The appeal of a catfight was facetiously explained by Jerry Seinfeld, as "Men think if women are grabbing and clawing at each other there's a chance they might somehow you know... kiss."[1] Catfights have been featured in cartoons, movies, and beer television commercials, frequently ending with the participants missing articles of clothing. In the 1970s, interest in catfighting led to the popularity of the women in prison films and roller derby. The current boom in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) women's wrestling is, in part, an offshoot of the catfight craze.
[edit] In popular culture
Miller Lite's racy Catfight commercial in 2002, derided by many as sexist, greatly raised the profile of catfights in recent pop culture. The careers of both actresses in the original commercial, Kitana Baker and Tanya Ballinger, took off as a result of their exposure. The commercial, which shows an argument between the duo escalate into a shoving match into a pool while ripping each other's clothes off and ends with them wrestling in a trough filled with concrete, has been defended by Miller executives as "a lighthearted spoof of guys' fantasies."
Soap operas are famous for their use of catfights. The 1980s primetime soap Dynasty, particularly the donnybrooks between Krystle Carrington (Linda Evans) and Alexis Carrington Colby (Joan Collins), is regarded as the pinnacle of the genre. The most popular encounter occurred in 1983, when the Krystle and Alexis attempted to strangle each other in a lily pond.
In movies, Undercover Brother featured a memorable catfight, between Denise Richards and Aunjanue Ellis, that was both titillating and a parody of titillation. Similarly Dumb & Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd had a parody bikini catfight featuring tongue-grinding girl-on-girl action by Mimi Rogers.
Catfights, either real or staged, have become a hallmark of The Jerry Springer Show, a daytime television talk show.
In song, catfights have been commemorated in "Girl Fight Tonight!" (1987) by Julie Brown and in "Girlfight" (2005) by Brooke Valentine.
[edit] Newsworthy catfights
Two cheerleaders for the Carolina Panthers, Renee Thomas and Angela Keathley, were the top entertainment story of November 6, 2005, when they engaged in an altercation with patrons in a bar's women's bathroom in Tampa, Florida who were annoyed at how long the two were occupying a stall. The combination of catfighting and allegations of lesbianism between cheerleaders made for titillating media exposure.
In June 2004, Bijou Phillips attacked Playboy Playmate Nicole Marie Lenz in a Los Angeles nightclub. The fight was broken up by actor Matthew Perry.
Another minor celebrity who achieved 15 minutes of fame as a result of a catfight is Danielle House, a former Miss Canada International (1996) who was convicted for assaulting her ex-boyfriend's girlfriend in a bar-room. After serving her sentence, House was named Playboy's Playmate of the Month for December, 1997.
