Wonder Woman Archives

Entertainment June 14, 2017

Why is everyone talking about Wonder Woman’s thighs?

Warning: possible spoilers below!

Apparently, Wonder Woman’s thighs are a big deal. Or rather, the fact that her thigh jiggled during the fight scenes inspired a tumblr post that has since gone viral.

“There were absolutely NO eye candy shots of Diana,” tumblr user creativepowerfulideas said. “There were Amazons with ageing skin and crows feet and not ONE of them wore armour that was a glorified corset. When Diana did the superhero landing, her thigh jiggled onscreen. Did you hear me? HER FUCKING THIGH JIGGLED. Wonder Woman’s thigh jiggled on a 20-foot tail screen in front of everyone.”

http://creativewordspowerfulideas.tumblr.com/post/161378925721/watching-a-super-hero-movie-directed-by-a-woman-is

I saw the movie last week, despite my earlier reservations, and have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The DC Comics universe has finally seen the error of its ways and developed an action-packed super hero film that doesn’t base its entire storyline on explosions and dark music. There was actual character development, comedic relief, and a storyline that made plausible sense.

Fans were introduced to Gal Gadot’s fierce portrayal of Wonder Woman in the film Superman vs. Batman: Dawn of Justice. Her role was small, but enough to make an impression.

Wonder Woman — the first standalone female superhero movie AND first female directed superhero movie — picks up where Superman vs. Batman leaves off; although, you don’t have to watch that disaster of a movie to make sense of this film (thank goodness). In this origin film, the viewers get to watch Princess Diana (later to be given the alias of Diana Prince) grow into her destiny on an island full of Amazons. She chooses to leave home with an American pilot and spy, played by Chris Pine, to kill the god of war, Ares, whom she blames for the First World War.

Suddenly, Diana finds herself in a man’s world, being told not to speak, not to show her skin, and most importantly, not to fight — rules she breaks as often as she can to the amusement and frustration of others. The movie is full of quirky conversations about power, sex, and ice cream in addition to the intensely epic battle scenes.

And all the while, Wonder Woman is portrayed as a strong leader with an even stronger heart.

What stood out the most in this film was the women were not quite built like the average size zero models you generally see in super hero movies. The Amazons were fit, with big muscular arms and thighs. They were beautiful, but they weren’t dressed up for the eyes of men. They weren’t sidekicks or love interests. They were warriors. And when warriors fight, they jiggle.

Director Patty Jenkins fully embraced the idea of a film that didn’t just portray a strong woman, but a film that was MADE for strong women. My only hope is that when Wonder Woman returns in the Justice League series, she maintains that strength and power.

What did you think of the film? Let us know in the comments below!

What's Hot May 10, 2017

Wonder Woman partners with thinkThin

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!

Feminism October 25, 2016

Fictional character to be UN ambassador for female empowerment

I’m very confused.

The United Nations has appointed Wonder Woman, a fictional character, as the honorary ambassador for the empowerment of girls and women. According to a press release, this means she “will be tasked with raising awareness about Goal 5 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030.”

I’ve always been a big fan of Wonder Woman. There’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing an Amazon warrior outperform all of the male superheroes in the Justice League. She is strong, fierce, and completely independent. While other heroes need sidekicks or weapon experts, Diana Price just needs her wits (and maybe her lasso of truth).

But, does that mean I think this fictional superhero, no matter how iconic, should be representing the struggles of women in an international agency — no, it does not.

There are a lot of people fighting for the rights of women and young girls. There are people building schools in under-developed nations, working on gender parity in boardrooms, and fighting for a woman’s right to choose. There are those trying to end sex slavery and the forced marriage of young children. And yet, despite all of that, the UN, with the combined wisdom of political leaders from across the world, has chosen an imaginary character as the representative for women. Someone who can’t answer questions and doesn’t have to be accountable — because it’s just easier when they don’t’ have to deal with a real woman. Am I right gentlemen?

What makes me truly angry is that this whole scenario is likely a marketing stunt. DC Comics will be releasing a Wonder Woman movie next year, which means they will benefit from having the character’s photo plastered all over the world. The president of DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Consumer Products was at the ceremony to support the new partnership and did not seem concerned that the position of ambassador was not given to an actual living-and-breathing human being.

“We believe that in addition to the exemplary work that amazing real women are doing in the fight for gender equality, it is to be commended that the UN understands that stories – even comic book stories and their characters – can inspire, teach and reveal injustices.”

I’m all for the power of comic books and stories, but when there are girls who are being banned from attending school, who can’t get jobs, and who are being sold for their bodies, is this really the time to get commercial? The world needs results, not an imaginary woman in a glorified metal bathing suit to act as a symbol of empowerment.

I am absolutely disgusted in this decision. If the UN was having trouble coming up with a name for the position of ambassador, they should have asked Women’s Post. I have a lengthy list of women who would be better suited for the position than … well, no one.

While the decision to appoint Wonder Woman may have been intended as a symbol of power, all it’s done is show how far behind the United Nations is in terms of its goal of gender equality.

If the UN can’t think of a single woman who would be capable of empowering other women — then they have already failed.

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What's Hot April 2, 2016

Wonder Woman – the female hero we’ve been waiting for

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS

I recently went to see the movie critics are giving an F-grade: Superman vs. Batman: Dawn of Justice. Before I continue, let me say that I didn’t think the film was absolutely terrible. In fact, there was a lot I enjoyed.

The acting was quite good overall — I really enjoyed Ben Affleck as Batman and Jesse Eisenberg’s version of villain Lex Luther— but the storyline had some pretty big holes that were hard to ignore. The audience was left wondering how Luther knew the secret identities of both superheroes and why he did what he did. The reasons given for the intergalactic throw-down were a bit weak and vague. I’m guessing both characters had a lot of pent up rage to justify that whole battle. The score was also a bit of a jumble, with some strange, clunky, dark music interrupting some what-could-have-been really suspenseful scenes. Where is this storyline supposed to take place in the Batman series anyway?

I still have so many questions…and not in a can’t-wait-for-the-next-film way.

But, I didn’t go to see the movie to see these superheroes throw down. What I really wanted to see was the infamous Amazon Warrior, Diana Prince, a.k.a. Wonder Woman. It’s the first time in about 70 years that this character has been seen in a feature film, and she didn’t disappoint.

Her role in the film is admittedly small. She meets Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman) at one of Luther’s charity events, dressed in a sexy gold dress with a low back. That’s the last time we see the characters interact until the final battle scene when she appears in her warrior garb, ready to battle an alien monster alongside the clueless Batman and Superman — “Is she with you? I thought she was with you?”

I don’t think anyone could argue that Israeli actress Gal Godot didn’t play a kickass female superhero. Her portrayal of Wonder Woman is exactly what I wanted: she was fearless, strong, and didn’t succumb to Wayne’s playboy charm (Catwoman, anyone?). My favourite moment was during the final fight scene, when Wonder Woman was knocked down and she paused for a moment, tilted her head towards the heavens, smiled, and jumped right back into the battle. That smile said everything.

I know a lot about superheroes, but I hate to admit that Wonder Woman has never really held my interest. I didn’t know much about her backstory going into the movie, except that she would probably be wearing something I wouldn’t approve of. Suffice to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

Now, before feminists cry out about her outfit, which admittedly was a bit on the skimpy side, think about it this way: in comparison to the stars and stripes she could have been sporting, the outfit was a bit badass. It covered everything that needed to be covered, and it didn’t accentuate her breasts or thighs as much as I expected. It actually looked more like armour than a showy costume. Yes, her legs showed, but who cares? I was focused more on her muscle than her sexuality.

Wonder Woman will be getting her own film in 2017, which is great news because I think her history is full of things feminists (and I) will love. Her origin story is full of themes of female empowerment — she derives from a tribe of Amazon warriors and in some versions of the story, she is quite literally created by a group of goddesses.

Not to mention she has an awesome right hook.

What did you think of Wonder Woman? Let us know in the comments below!