First Impressions

Growing up I could never really get into Wonder Woman because of how sexualized she is. Now, when reading the comic in an academic sense, I still cannot get over her sexualized costume.

Large breasts and slim, muscular thighs
are what draws the eye

The image at the left is a modern interpretation of Wonder Woman, but not much has changed. Why does a woman need to wear heels to save the world? Why does she have to be wearing a bathing suit? Some might argue that with less clothing she has greater range to kick ass, but why then does every male superhero wear a full body suit?

I came across this quote from creator William Moulton Marston: "Not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power. Not wanting to be girls, they don't want to be tender, submissive, peace-loving as good women are. Women's strong qualities have become despised because of their weakness. The obvious remedy is to create a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman."

I believe Martson truly did have good intentions with these words, but they are still problematic. I am all for empowering women, and Wonder Woman's goal to do that, but his words still send the message that you can be a strong woman as long as you still retain your beauty. If you are not feminine and beautiful, then don't even bother being strong and independent.

This is the unveiled Wonder Woman costume shoe from
the 2015 Comin Con this past summer. Heels in 2015?

And if you put pants on Wonder Woman, a deluge of angry fan boys cry foul. If you make the most prominent part of a character their sexualized body, then everything else about them, their strength and ingenuity, becomes less important.