Anklam

** Wonder Woman ** ** Wonder Woman, a female superhero, was created by Dr. William Moulton Marston in 1941. She was created so young girls could have a role model equal to that of Superman and Batman. Her powers included super strength, super speed, stamina & flight, among many others. She was also considered very good at hand-to-hand combat. While bound in her lasso of truth, her foes were forced to tell the truth. ** ** Wonder Woman also appeared in comic books featuring superhero teams Justice Society and Justice League. Wonder Woman goes by the name of Diane Prince when in the real world. ** ** What would Johnson think? ** __ Where Are We? __  February 21, 2010

The first "so-called" superhero ever created was Popeye the Sailor Man in 1929. Wonder Woman wasn't created until 1941. This is an example of male dominance. Male superheroes ruled the comic book world for 15 years before Wonder Woman, who is now considered a feminist icon. In the article //__What Is This Thing Called Patriarchy?__// Johnson states, "Note that male dominance does not mean that all men are powerful...Nor does male dominance mean that all women are powerless." Wonder Woman shows how this is true. She has become a very powerful female icon. Johnson describes male identification as, "how we think about men and masculinity...control, strength, competitiveness, toughness, coolness under pressure, logic, etc." For many years male superheroes ruled comic books, until there was Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman shows that she has many of these same characteristics. Marston depicts her as a strong and independent woman, he also writes her to be very good at hand-to-hand combat. Superheroes began being centered on men. Although Popeye was actually created from the comic strip entitled //Thimble Theater,// which was originally centered on Popeye's love interest Olive Oyl. //Thimble Theater// was later changed to Popeye the Sailor Man because he became the fan favorite. In every storyline about superheroes, focused on the female love interest getting in trouble (portraying how women always need to be protected). In the end the superhero would always rescue her and everything would be alright. As I mentioned earlier, male superheroes ruled the comic book world for more the 15 years. This, Johnson may have considered as obsession with control. Male superheroes were always in control when it came to saving the love interest. Superman and Batman never showed emotion and always presented themselves as invulnerable, independent and strong. When Wonder Woman was created she showed that she was also independent and strong. Wonder Woman challenges all of Johnson's values of patriarchy. She is portrayed as a smart, strong, and very independent woman. Even though Wonder Woman challenges all of Johnson's values of patriarchy, she is also shown as a sex symbol. Her image has been changed many times but she has always been a sex symbol. If you were to ask someone what Wonder Woman looked like, most would describe her as a tall, slender, brunette that is very busty. Her image was created to help sell comics. Creating Wonder Woman this way also shows how, even though she challenges every value, she is still a woman and sex sells! media type="youtube" key="Fwq3ECOFKEM" height="385" width="480" __ The Princess and the Magic Kingdom: Beyond Nostalgia, and Function of the Disney Princess __ May 1, 2010 Do Rozario states in her article that, “most princess movies focus on a father and daughter relationship with the mother not being present.” Some versions of Wonder Woman include the mother as more of a trainer than a mother. They have her training Diane Prince as Wonder Girl for a future as Wonder Woman. Other versions of Wonder Woman show Diane’s mother berating her because she doesn’t have a boyfriend. This version also conveys that her mother doesn’t know that she is Wonder Woman. Throughout the long lived life of Wonder Woman, there hasn’t been any mention of her father. Many sources say that she doesn’t have a father and that she was formed out of clay by Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons and brought to life by the Greek Gods. Compared to Do Rozario’s article Wonder Woman isn’t living with the same issues that the princess’ in most of the movies. Wonder Woman never had a mother or a father. Queen Hippolyta could be considered her stepmother. Because of the way she was “created,” Wonder Woman doesn’t really have a father, unless you consider the Greek Gods as stepfathers. She doesn’t suffer from growing up without a mother, and her storyline isn’t centered around her relationship with her father. Another topic Do Rozario discusses is the princesses determining their fate and how the mail character is the princess instead of the hero. Wonder Woman is the hero this case and she is also the main character. She determines her own fate in most situations unless her so-called “kryptonite” comes into play, which is having her bracelets tied together. __ Susan Murphy, Ginormica, and Gloria Steinem: Feminisy Consciousness-Raising as Science Fiction in Monsters vs. Aliens” __ May 5, 2010 CR refers to feminist awakening. “The CR process is collaborative and involves an epiphany; the new consciousness involves significant transformation; and the CR participants categorically rejects the old way of thinking” (Hassel 7). William Moulton Marston wanted to create a new kind of superhero. This superhero wouldn’t win big with fists or firepower but with love. His wife then spoke up and said that this superhero then had to be female. Wonder Woman was born; the first female superhero. This shows a small transformation for feminists. The first female superhero help evolve the status of female characters in comic books. Wonder Woman was created to not only show that women could be as good as men but also superior to men. Wonder Woman also defies the CR process. Although she is created to show that women can be not only as good as men but also superior to them, Marston states that, “she was also created to show a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the __allure__ of a good and __beautiful__ woman.” This shows that Marston was worried that the creation of a female superhero wouldn’t be accepted by the comic book world without the allure of beauty. In the end the creation of Wonder Woman was merely based on the appearance of her presence and not the view of women’s empowerment that she would later change. ** What would Parsons say? ** __ Ella Evolving: Cinderella Stories and the Construstion of Gender-Appropriate Behavior __ February 21, 2010
 * "Male Dominance" **
 * “Male Identification" **
 * "Male Centeredness" **
 * "Obsession with Control" **
 * "Women and Patriarchy" **
 * Wonder Woman Theme Song 1976 **
 * What would Do Rozario Say **
 * What would Hassle say? **

Parsons believed that fairy tales portray women as helpless. In almost every Disney story women are either princesses or in the end they marry into royalty. Parsons states, “women who are powerful and good are never human, those women who are human, and who have power or seek it, are nearly always portrayed as repulsive…when help comes from a female protagonist, it is usually from a fairy godmother or otherwise woman, and when real trouble is created, it is usually by a witch or wicked stepmother.” In other words, good means beauty and evil means ugly. In this case Wonder Woman does follow suit. Wonder Woman is a very beautiful woman. Her body is shaped as any man would want it to be. Parsons feels that fairy tales don’t teach children the right message. She also offers that, “a high premium is placed on feminine beauty, and beauty is equated with virtue in the majority of tales…women are positioned as the object of men’s gaze, and beauty determines a woman’s value.” Even though Wonder Woman is a very strong, independent woman she is still “an object of men’s gaze,” and this is because of her beauty. Wonder Woman would not be as popular today if she were a 5’1” sumo wrestler with acne all over her. Parsons would agree though that Wonder Woman is a great asset to women all around the world. There had never really been a female super hero and Wonder Woman opened up doors for women everywhere, especially with a male creator behind her. Wonder Woman was created in hope that she would become a female icon, and she is. Even though she is still part of a feminist text, she also breaks that barrier because of her willpower and strength. Instead of her being the one saved, she is the one saving people and not just woman. ** This video shows Wonder Woman: Through the Ages! ** media type="youtube" key="SUmlxJFN3S0" height="385" width="480" ** What would Hager say? ** __ “Saving the World before Bedtime”: The Powerpuff Girls, Citizenship, and the Little Girl Superhero __ April 13, 2010

Hager challenges gender stereotypes by saying, “they exist within the show as “normal” little girls, the male-oriented sexuality of women superheroes, as well as girl anime characters, and remain present even in its absence” (Hager 70). Hager looked at the many different aspects of the Powerpuff Girls. Hager looked at how the Powerpuff Girls challenges many of the typical superhero characteristics. The Powerpuff Girls challenges the male dominance of superheroes. The girls were created for many of the same reasons Wonder Woman was created. A female superhero hadn’t been created before Wonder Woman; she was built to fight crime with love, her heart, and not anger, her head. Wonder Woman does the same thing. Being a female superhero was unheard of until Wonder Woman was created. Wonder Woman encourages identification within young girls. Wonder Woman was created to show that men aren’t the only people that can be powerful. She is created to be a role model for young girls to relate to. Wonder Woman challenges many gender stereotypes. She is a very strong female character. Though she is a woman, she has superhero powers and not only saves women that are in trouble but also men. Although Wonder Woman challenges many gender stereotypes, she doesn’t challenge all of them. Sexuality is nothing to worry about. Wonder Woman is portrayed as a huge sexual symbol. They was she is dressed and the powers she is given are very sexualized because she is a woman. __ Teena Means Business; Teenage Girls’ Culture and “Seventeen” Magazine, 1944-1950 __ May 11, 2010 “The influence of school and peers, combined with the growing prominence throughout the early twentieth century of professionals who advised on family life and child-rearing practices, decreased parental authority” (Schrum 137 [Fox, “Epitaph”; Kett]). Many young girls feel pressured by peers and by the females that they see in magazines and on TV. Wonder Woman is a prime suspect of pressuring young girls to look sexy. Wonder Woman uses sex to sell herself to the world and this is portrayed to young females as okay. “The scant literature on female adolescents addressed issues of behavior, appearance, and relationships and idealized teenage girls for their domesticity and dependence on consumer goods to alleviate feelings of inferiority (Schrum 135 [Silverman 12; Lynd and Lynd 159-167]). The image of Wonder Woman is depicted as a strong, independent woman, that doesn’t need a man to save her. Seventeen magazine portrays to woman that it is possible that to be single and independent just like Wonder Woman. Young females try to become the strong, independent woman because of the images in magazines and female superheroes like Wonder Woman. “The magazine cultivated concern about appearance, grooming, clothes, posture, figure and weight, and offered products and advice as remedies” (Schrum 138). Seventeen magazine also tries to sell the many cosmetic items. This sends the message to young girls that appearance isn’t only in the eye of the beholder but also in the eyes of many. Seventeen conveys to young females that appearance and behavior mean a lot to “make something of oneself.” Wonder Woman’s physical appearance follows exactly what Seventeen magazine is trying to sell to young females. Wonder Woman has a great figure, is very attractive and wears close to nothing while in her superhero form. __ Challenging Motions of Gendered Game Play: Teenagers playing //The Sims// __ May 11, 2010 In children’s books there is a lack of female power, including the Harry Potter series. “Like Winnie the Pooh, the Harry Potter books are dominated by male characters. Among the students named in the first four books, there are 29 girls and 35 boys. By the end of the series…there are 115 females to 201 males mentioned in the series as a while” (Heilman and Donaldson 141). This is very comparable to the number of female and male superheroes. There has also been at large contrast in the number of female and male superheroes. “Throughout the [Harry Potter] series the presence of women develops quantitatively-there are more of them- as well as in terms of their influence-they do more” (Heilman and Donaldson 143). The creation of anything has always involved man accomplishing the task first. Women have always been second. In the creation of superheroes, there are many male superheroes but the number of female superheroes is always growing. Female superheroes, I feel, are set out to prove more than that of male superheroes. Wonder Woman has done just that. She has proven that she can protect herself. “Males are represented more often, but they are also depicted as wiser, braver, more powerful, and more fun than females…more of the girls are depicted as anti-intellectual and most keenly interested in the low-status magic of the Divination class. At the height of action, females are not typically very involved, and they are always fearful and emotional” (Heilman and Donaldson 146). This states that the female characters are considered more of a sidekick than a threat. In comics from the 1040’s you will see superheroes that have sidekicks. Since then sidekicks have been written out. Unlike Harry Potter, Wonder Woman doesn’t have any sidekicks unless you consider her lasso of truth, her tiara or her bracelets. The comic book world has vastly grown since the creation of Wonder Woman. There are more and more female superheroes being created, and more male villains being created. Females are portrayed as evil or despiteful as much anymore. ** What would Inness say? ** __ “It’s a Girl Thing”: Tough Female Action Figures in the Toy Store __ April 22, 2010 Inness addresses the ratio of female superheroes to that of male, “The female figures that exist (Wonder Woman is the most famous, but there are others, including Batgirl, Elektra, Catwoman, Black Canary, and Supergirl) are largely outnumbered by the hordes of males (Superman, Batman. Green Lantern, Captain America, Daredevil, Spiderman, Wolverine, Thor, Hawkman, Wolverine)” (Inness 78). She later states that early female figures were never as fiscally successful as their male counterparts. Inness goes on to say that Wonder Woman was one of the few __female__ action figures that proved to be a popular toy. Inness would also say that Wonder Woman can be compared easily to today’s superheroes, such as the Power Rangers. The female Power Rangers are not given the sidekick role, and they play as big a role as the male characters. Wonder Woman was considered a major female superhero when she was created. Wonder Woman was created to be the center of attention on the show and in the comic books. Wonder Woman also challenges that power shouldn’t be based on gender. She has pushed the rise in female superheroes, although today men still outnumber female superheroes. Without the creation of female action figures, children would not be able to create such story lines as children playing often do. Male action figures would have all of the power yet, and any female doll would be considered a damsel in distress or could possibly be portrayed as the villain. Inness would say that the creating of Wonder Woman the action figure was a great asset to young children everywhere. Now children are given the opportunity to create scenarios in which the female saves the day and the male characters are the ones in trouble. Being able to create such scenarios while playing as a child, also effects how a person acts while growing up. // “ //__ Anti-Barbies” The American Girls Collection and Political Ideologies __ May 11, 2010 Inness discusses three different forms of ideology suggested by Sutherland: politics of advocacy, politics of attack and politics of assent. Politics of Advocacy: Politics of Advocacy can be described as “pleading for and promoting a specific cause, or upholding a particular point of view or course of action as being valid and right” (Inness 172). Wonder Woman is promoting a specific cause that woman and men are truly equal. Her comics, TV shows and movies were written to show that she is a very strong independent woman and doesn’t need a man to support her or save her. The writers of Wonder Woman want to show young girls that it is okay to do something they feel is right but not highly looked upon by others. They want young girls to make a difference, not continue to stay in the shadows of men. Politics of Attack: This is what Sutherland calls, “the reverse side of the coin…the politics of attack is generate by the authors’ sense of amusement, outrage, or contempt when they encounter something that runs counter to their concepts of right and wrong, good and evil, justice, fair play, decency, or truth” (Inness 173 [147]). One issue with Wonder Woman is the fact that she is white. During the 1940’s white females had only had the right to vote for 20 years and the Civil Rights Movement had come to full swing until 1955. If the creators would have made Wonder Woman African-American, the comic would have never survived or maybe it would have help push the Civil Right Movement. There definitely would have a huge reaction to an African-American superhero. Politics of Assent: “The politics of assent not only affirms the status quo but continually reinforces it…by inhibiting change and supporting tradition, it has great potential impact on the shape of society-for good or ill” (Inness 175 [155]). The creator of Wonder Woman was in good spirits while creating her, but everyone knows that sex sells. Creating a female superhero was a stretch but creating her without using her as a sex symbol would have been catastrophic. She has worn very revealing clothing since the beginning. __ Pretty in Pink: What Girls Wear __ May 1, 2010 “Dressing for fashion and dressing for physical play are completely different things. So what does that suggest to your daughter when you dress her in the latest fashions, such as low-rise jeans or belly shirts?” (Lamb and Brown 14). Lamb and Brown touch on a very major topic about children’s clothing. For playing, little girls are __dressed up__ in tight fighting jeans and “cute” shirts, where as little boys __wear__ loose fitting jeans and regular non-dressy t-shirts. Wonder Woman wears a sexualized costume while fighting crime. In reality this would more than likely not be functional for the activities she participates in. The only time this type of costume may be functional is when she is flying because of its aerodynamics. Like play clothes for little boys and girls, the costumes for male and female superheroes are also very different. Male Superheroes: Male superheroes wear costumes that cover their whole body, granted these costumes are all usually skin tight. These costumes are meant to show off the muscle definition of the male superheroes to convey how strong and powerful these male superheroes in their surroundings. For many Halloween costumes Brown and Lamb mention that, “boys are tough, active superheroes, ninjas, and warriors, ready to save the empire, the world, and the universe” (Lamb and Brown 23). Female Superheroes: Female superheroes are always portrayed as sex symbols and wear very unconventional costumes. This is not only seen in Wonder Woman but in all other female superheroes. The costumes are mostly geared for people to notice the chest area first and then the rest of her body. The costumes are usually tight fitting and barely there. Lamb and Brown also mention, “Wonder woman, a rare exception, only ‘encourages fortitude and self-confidence.’ That she does so in a spaghetti-strapped leotard with beige stretch nylons and what resembles a bikini bottom suggests the only thing she’s ready to battle are Halloween night goose bumps” (Lamb and Brown 23).
 * What would Schrum say? **
 * What Would Heilman and Donaldson say? **
 * What would Inness say? **
 * What would Lamb & Brown say? **