Michael and Donall, both aged 8, sat enthralled as Xena, Warrior Princess kick-boxed, somersaulted and wisecracked her way through another early Sunday evening on RTE. (In case you're at sea, Xena is an ancient Greek - a powerhouse of a woman, with female sidekick, ambiguous sexual preferences and an Amazonlike army lurking in the background.)
My two boys cheered and hollered as she performed feat after feat, knickers flashing and bosom heaving, and no bother to her. Every possible combination of punching, kicking, wrestling and impaling with sharp objects was in her repertoire, and then some!
The purpose seemed to be to avenge, subjugate and march onwards in the name of justice - a sort of Robin Hood on speed. The plot was totally harmless and the acting abysmal - even Xena seemed to smirk at some of the lines.
"This is very violent," I remarked to Donall.
"Yeah, Ma. The stunts are stupid, aren't they?" Like an Eamonn Kelly seanchai yarn, you don't have to believe it to find it entertaining.
But, as I hovered around in the background, I became aware that, for all their usual "girls are stupid" protestations, they were completely on Xena's side. This six-foot dominatrix, with thighs that looked like they could crush steel balls, was truly cool, up there with Bart and Dustin. Could that be a female first?
Lisa Simpson pales beside her older brother; the Beano has Minnie the Minx - yep, she's bad, but she dresses to copy Dennis, who's the real hero; and don't get me started on Barbie. Teacher Barbie, with the NHS specs and the fuddy-duddy clothes, broke the camel's back for me. (Yes, you guessed!)
I brought this up with Orla, mother of two young girls. She's going through the same mixed emotions with the Spice Girls. They're equally raunchy, scantily clad and quick with the oneliner (as Prince Charles found out recently). "Girl Power" is meant to empower females (mostly under 12) in a male-dominated world. Orla reckons that it has to be good for girls to be told that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to.
As for myself, well, the jury's still out. I wonder are we looking for heroines at any price? Are these the images of women we want our pre-teens to see? A testosterone-charged bully more aggressive than most males and a group of five singers with little more than looks and clever marketing to their credit?
Surely there has to be a middle ground. "Give us a clean-cut but exciting, intelligent, attractive, assertive female, who engages both male and female imaginations," I demand of my unsuspecting husband.
"Four female presidential candidates, and there's always Cybill. You're not doing too bad!"
Sisters, any other suggestions?
