As of writing this story on January 21, 2017, the March for Women is in full swing, and one prominent icon of women’s rights is present in many signs and artworks. Wonder Woman shows up in various forms throughout the march, like in the image below.
This imagery reminds me of a recent event. On October 21, 2016, the UN nominated Wonder Woman for the role of ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls. Part five of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals is to achieve gender equality by 2030, covered in more detail in this link.
Wonder Woman is known to be an ambassador in the comics, and many fans, including myself, felt that the title was fitting.
The goal was to attract fans and encourage a wider group of people to discuss the topic of gender equality through social media using the hashtag #withwonderwoman.
The announcement included Wonder Woman actresses Linda Carter from the 70’s series and Gal Gadot from the current film series, in addition to DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson and Patty Jenkins, the director of Wonder Woman.
Though many fans met the news excitedly, not everyone was so keen. Some of the audience stood and turned their back in protest.
The Vindale Research Twitter page posted a survey asking how many supported the decision, see the results below.
Things got a little more awkward when a petition was started, requesting that Wonder Woman be fired from the role. The petition starts off:
“Wonder Woman was created 75 years ago. Although the original creators may have intended Wonder Woman to represent a strong and independent “warrior” woman with a feminist message, the reality is that the character’s current iteration is that of a large breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring body suit with an American flag motif and knee high boots –the epitome of a “pin-up” girl. This is the character that the United Nations has decided to represent a globally important issue – that of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.“
It Goes on to say,
“At a time when issues such as gender parity in senior roles and the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse of women and girls is at the top of the United Nation’s agenda, including the “He for She” campaign, this appointment is more than surprising. It is alarming that the United Nations would consider using a character with an overtly sexualized image at a time when the headline news in United States and the world is the objectification of women and girls.“
The petition ultimately reached 45,077 signatures, and the Wonder Woman campaign ended on December 16. NPR spoke with a UN official claiming that the campaign was always meant to end at that time, to avoid bringing it into the holiday season. But the rumors that the campaign was ended prematurely continue to circulate, because…the Internet has that effect.
At first glance, Wonder Woman may give viewers an impression of being overtly sexualized. After all, she has a history of being illustrated by male artists who may have exaggerated her physical features over the years.
Those who are familiar with Wonder Woman can tell you that she hails from an island named Themyscira, a place that is really hot and in which wearing sweats is probably not encouraged.
Her skin is bulletproof (though there is occasional inconsistency on that point, due to her use of bulletproof braces), which means that she has more need of mobility in combat than of armor that will slow her reflexes.
Source: Kerry Callen Does Stuff
There is another reason why she dresses as she does, which is acknowledged in the 1-minute/41-second video below. When a protestor explicitly tells Wonder Woman that she dresses like a whore, her reaction to the heckler makes this one of my most favorite Wonder Woman moments of all time. See below:
In an ideal world, a woman could go about her daily routine without hecklers, harassers, and catcallers making the process uncomfortable and difficult.
Wonder Woman dresses as she does because she is powerful, and should have the option to do so.
70’s Wonder Woman icon Lynda Carter criticised the criticism in an interview with The New York Times, at one point saying:
“Yeah, so? Superman had a skintight outfit that showed every little ripple, didn’t he? Doesn’t he have a great big bulge in his crotch? Hello! So why don’t they complain about that? And who says Wonder Woman is “white”? I’m half-Mexican. Gal Gadot is Israeli. The character is an Amazonian princess, not “American.” They’re trying to put her in a box, and she’s not in a box.”
At ScreenPlayas we explore the notion that fiction and fantasy can do more than just provide escapism from daily life.
Heroes like Wonder Woman can inspire, motivate and de-stress people with their stories. The effect that they have on people can be much stronger than it gets credit for. One section of Lynda Carter’s interview with the NY Times, available here, had an effect on me:
“I still have women at airports coming up to me saying: ‘Oh, you don’t know what it meant to me. That show got me through this difficult time, that difficult time.’ That’s really where the fantasy became a reality, where Wonder Woman became something much more than a TV show or a comic book. And I’ll tell you this, when women recognize me in airports, I hold them in my arms and they cry.”
Part of the argument against Wonder Woman was that the UN should’ve appointed a living person for the role.
The sentiment is understandable, as it’s a delicate and critical topic. But part of the goal was to invite new players to the discussion of equality, ones who may not have previously been participating before.
I can’t even describe the excitement I felt on the day I opened a DC Justice League comic and encountered the image below:
The thought of letting Wonder Woman represent equality might not make as much sense to those who aren’t as experienced in reading/watching her stories, as they only see a fictional character. But the idea deserved at least further exploration and discussion.
Those who know the character, even if just a little bit, may recognize images such as these:
Those with young children of their own may seek ways of educating their kids on topics like equality and empowerment, but without placing too much stress on their young minds.
Ensuring that they have the best of role models while growing up is important, and can we deny that colorful heroes like Wonder Woman are great candidates for such a challenge?
Written by: Michael Gonzalez.