Bye Bye, Cathy!

Today is Cathy's last day. You know Cathy.

Everything is sooo dramatic with her - from the ACK! to the low self-esteem. I used to enjoy reading Cathy, then I realized she's not such a good role model for women.

She's Not Independent

Too afraid to take a vacation alone? Or is it just a fear of being alone? Or is her mother one of those who doesn't let their kids - no matter how old - go anywhere or do anything solo?

She's Always On A Diet

Cathy raves about Chocolate, then complains when she's not skinny. While many women are in the same predicament, they rarely whine about it. I mean, if you want to be a size 5 - or whatever size you aren't - you know you have to eat less and workout more (or if you have the misfortune of being too skinny, eat more and workout less -- and if that's your situation, I'm afraid we can't be friends). Otherwise, you should embrace your curves, bumps and jiggly bits and live life! Don't let some Photoshopped image of a model/actress be your ideal - they have a whole team of people to make them look that good (and if you scroll through this blog, you'll see they don't always look good).

She's A Shopaholic

Rather than face reality, Cathy runs from it - spending her way to temporary happiness. Spoiler alert: Cathy always winds up feeling the same after a shopping binge as she does after overeating - sick. Who thinks that's funny? Maybe Cathy is to blame for the credit crisis?

She's Pet-Obsessed

Look, I know that I adore my dog (and have the occasional kind feeling about my cat). But I think you could trace back the origins of the legend of Crazy Cat Lady to Cathy. Yes, she has a dog, but I think the person who made the women who love their pets more than people got the idea from Cathy. I mean, she was treating her dog like a baby before girls like Paris Hilton started wearing their pets like accessories. Replacement for a child? Maybe. I like having pets even when they wake me up in the middle of the night. Even people don't get excited when you enter a room after being gone for 30 seconds.

She's Read A Few Too Many Self-Help Books

Why else would she be surprised to meet a man when she's not perfect? If she's read the right books (or had the right friends), she'd know that a man who is nice to you when you don't look/feel your best is worth talking to.

She Played Right Into Her Parents' Hands

I'm not anti-marriage. If that's what makes you happy, then I hope you find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. But I have never been obsessed with the idea of a wedding - or marriage. Not saying never, but just saying that unlike Cathy, I refuse to dwell on what I don't have.

When I looked back at these comics, I realized that it did a lot of damage to women. It made every misstep a punchline. Life is hard. Life as a single girl over the age of 25 - that's even harder. Do I want someone to laugh at my misadventures? Not necessarily. Laugh with me, not at me. I cannot believe that in the year 2010 people are mourning the loss of this character. I think she's the poster child for every woman who has let society label her a spinster. If you don't love yourself and your flaws, who will?

So, ladies, if you have been collecting these comics, I say take them off your cubicle wall/refrigerator/scrap book! Become a modern woman who makes the most of what she has but is open to a world of possibilities - where chocolate is good and the word "ACK!" is something crazy people say to themselves while walking the streets.

And if you want to see how this lady went out, here's the final comic strip.