On Wonder Woman, Hollywood, and equality
If recent history has anything to teach us, it’s these movies are anomalies, not portents
Holy smokies, people are falling all over themselves to sing the praises of the new “Wonder Woman” movie.
In the New York Times alone, in the space of a few days, there have been articles on “the triumph of ‘Wonder Woman;’” “solidarity at an all-female screening” of “Wonder Woman”; Wonder Woman as a “hero for our time;” Wonder Woman as “the hero women in Hollywood need;” and Wonder Woman not only as a depiction of what all girls can do, but even as an exemplar of a positive model of masculinity (“Behind Wonder Woman is a great man”). An Associated Press article proclaimed that “‘Wonder Woman’ is a hit that Hollywood can’t ignore.” I was reading yet another glowing review of “Wonder Woman” — a film about a woman “saving the world!” — and my 10year-old daughter leaned over my shoulder and muttered, “Yeah, in a metal bathing suit.” Exactly.
I think that pretty much sums up our feelings about the whole “Wonder Woman as feminist icon” debate.
Putting that aside for a moment, I’ve been struck by just how eager people seem to be to interpret the new “Wonder Woman” movie as a sign that Hollywood is ready to move toward gender equality simply because the movie was made and a woman directed it. There was no financial or cultural risk here — no bold, brave move to empower women: Wonder Woman’s a long-standing franchise and the superhero action movie is a fairly reliable revenue-generator. Moreover, Wonder Woman is easily sexualized and frequently violent, which makes her appealing to the movies’ traditional demographic sweet spot (males aged 18-24) and international markets. In other words: let’s not jump to any conclusions about Hollywood’s new commitment to gender equality.
And yet we do jump, again and again, despite what we should have learned by now. The fact that a woman director was at the helm of a movie about a female superhero does not mean that women directors will now find it easier to get work in the film industry. The fact that a movie with a “strong” female lead has made big box office does not mean that there will be more such roles in the offing.
Let us not forget, for example, that way back in 2002 a little film called “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” opened with little fanfare and yet went on to become the second most profitable film in the history of cinema. While it was directed by a man, its screenplay was written by its star, Nia Vardalos, and it was a romantic comedy with a wedding, so it was branded a “women’s movie.” Surely, media critics argued, Hollywood can’t ignore how much profit this women’s movie had made? Surely there would be a boost in women-centered films and women filmmakers? It never happened.
And then in 2008 “The Hurt Locker” came out and its director, Kathryn Bigelow, became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director! Now, media critics said, now there will REALLY be some progress in this whole women-in-film thing!
Nope. In fact, the number of women directors working on the top 250 American domestic grossing films went down, from nine per cent in 1998 to seven per cent in 2016.
And then in 2011 when “Bridesmaids” came out everyone got all excited again because, while it was directed by a man, the hilarious screenplay was written by TWO women, and it had TWO totally rad female stars and several equally rad female supporting roles, AND it was also about impending nuptials AND it made a ton of money so SURELY this was the harbinger of The Age of the “Women’s Movie,” right? Sigh. I honestly don’t know why people bother getting excited about this kind of thing anymore. If recent history has anything to teach us on the subject, it’s that these movies are anomalies, not portents.
I’m not interested in seeing a female version of a dysfunctional male archetype. I’m interested in women telling stories about women (preferably without any kind of wedding plot, thanks very much) that are recognizable as a reflection of our own experiences, and encourage audiences to see that real power and strength need not have anything to do with intimidation, dominance or violence. That our stories matter, even if (especially if ) we don’t fit into the sex-and-violence paradigm shaped by generations of comic books, video games and action movies.
We are far too generous with our praise — far too unguarded with our optimism. Progress for women requires constant vigilance and a clear memory of all the times (the many, many times) we’ve been sold a bill of goods. It requires relentless insistence that a token is not enough.
Latham Hunter is a writer and professor of communications and cultural studies; her work has been published in journals, anthologies, magazines and print news for over 20 years. She blogs at The Kids’ Book Curator.