capitalism Archives - Womens Post

I want to be excited about the new Wonder Woman movie coming out this year, but at every turn Warner Bros/DC Comics does something insulting and sexist that makes me change my mind.

Like accepting a promotional partnership with thinkThin, for example.

Wonder Woman, one of the strongest and fiercest female superheroes and first to receive a standalone film, is now the face of a diet bar. Good job Warner Bros. Good job.

Now, before I go any further, I should say that I have never tried a thinkThin bar. The website does not emphasize weight loss, but rather promotes general wellness and healthy lifestyles. The bars themselves are described as a “nutritious” snack to satisfy hunger without the guilt.

But, with a name like thinkThin, the image it creates is not a positive one.

This is what Michele Kessler, the president of thinkThin, was going for in terms of message: “We wanted to celebrate a hero film featuring a woman in the leading role,” she wrote in a press release. “We love that Wonder Woman has super strength and we’re proud to offer delicious products that give women the everyday strength they need to power through their day.”

I respect that comparison, but I doubt that message will get through. Instead, most people, particularly young girls, may see it as body shaming.

It’s bad enough that most female leads in film, especially superheroes, are extremely lean and thin, representing a certain type of woman. The larger, plus-size woman is always the funny friend or the wise confident. Magazines and news publications are jam-packed with articles about diet fads, offering up 10 ways to lost that stubborn belly fat while showcasing dresses only available in size zero. Women are berated with these images on a daily basis — do we really need it from Wonder Woman too?

Wonder Woman should be promoting acceptance as much as physical strength. She should be focusing on self-love, courage, intelligence, and independence. This character is a huge inspiration to young girls worldwide! Remember when the U.N. announced this fictional character was to be the honorary ambassador for the empowerment of girls and women? Think thin — is that the message this former ambassador is sending?

This is a serious missed opportunity. Warner Bros screwed up big time and I’m not sure if they can do anything to rectify it now. Wonder Woman is supposed to be a role model for girls. She is supposed to represent a strong-willed woman, someone who doesn’t need a man to save the day — someone who is smart enough to save both Batman and Superman at the same time!

But so far, all I see is another disgraced sell-out.

What do you think of this new partnership? Let us know in the comments below!

Google “unicorn” and hundreds of thousands of things will pop up. Everything from the trendy Starbucks frappucchino to brightly coloured hairstyles. It’s verging on the ridiculous and I, for one, don’t really understand the appeal.

What’s with this obsession with unicorns? First of all, in most lore, unicorns are majestic and rare creatures. They have a pearly white skin tone and a long, luscious mane. Most mythology attributes the unicorn as a symbol of purity. In these stories (and throughout modern film), the unicorn becomes a metaphor for magic and uniqueness. A person is described as a unicorn if their personality is quirky and different from those of their peers — a rarity among a society of conforming sheep.

Unicorn: unique, rare, mysterious, and impossible to find.

And yet, here we are in 2017, quite literally mass producing this idea. If there was a need to re-define irony, it would be called “the unicorn.” We have icy cold drinks, hairstyles, makeup lines, clothing, movies, and television shows. There are books, comics, phone cases, water bottles, and even nail art!

Now, I’m not saying we should ban the unicorn. Quite the opposite! As children, fantasizing about mythical and magical creatures is a big part of growing up. I think young adults should constantly be questioning reality and searching for the impossible. I also like the idea of using a unicorn to represent individuality. Young people are constantly searching for something to relate to, something to symbolize them! Using a unicorn as a blanket representation for individual thought and uniqueness is fine, but, the unicorn of 2017 is doesn’t quite measure up.

This unicorn, the one that is trending all over the Internet, is a mad concoction of cartoonish pink and blue. It’s not majestic or pure or rare — it’s just everywhere! The unicorn has become a fad, consumed for high-prices and Instagram likes. It’s become the theme of athletic races and a weird trend during concerts. It’s no longer about originality. It’s no longer about fantastical creatures and adventures. It’s no longer about standing out in a crowd.

It’s about money and social media fame.

The Starbucks unicorn frappucchino was the latest insane venture from the unicorn fan club. Admittedly, I did not purchase one, but was curious enough to ask a few friends what it tastes like. The verdict? It was supposed to taste like mango and blue raspberry, but instead tasted a bit like expired birthday cake. Not terrible, but not delicious either. I don’t regret not purchasing one, even if my description for this article is a bit lax. Most people didn’t enjoy it a whole lot, but they took lots of selfies with it. It looked cool! And it was “unicorn-themed” — so they bought it. Now that the limited-time drink is gone (all the baristas are saying ‘thank god’), I think it’s time to remind the public about the original unicorn. The one that didn’t look like a clown threw up.

Can we all just admit that it’s okay to be different. It’s okay to be a unicorn among a crowd. And we don’t need a specialized drink, hairstyle, or nail polish to believe it?

What do you think of the unicorn fad? Have you tried the frozen treat? Let us know in the comments below!