Wonder Woman and the Problem of Over-Sexualisation

Women have had tough time in the superhero genre. 1984's Supergirl, 2004's Catwoman and 2005's Electra were all critical and commercial failures, causing studios to shy away from female-led films in the genre for over a decade. Since then Marvel and DC (under Warner Bros.) have released 18 and 9 male led movies respectively. Studios increasingly discussed a female-led film, but it seemed they were afraid that the past would repeat itself. That all changed with last year's Wonder Woman. The Warner Bros. film proved both a critical and commercial success - bringing in over $821 million at the worldwide box office and earning a Rotten Tomatoes score of 92%. Yet, interestingly, it also generated criticism from none other than acclaimed filmmaker James Cameron - known for directing films such as Aliens (1986) and Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), both praised for their strong female leads. In an interview with the Guardian, he condemned the film's titular character as an "objectified icon", later explaining that this is because Hollywood "think they have to appeal to 18-year-old males or 14-year-old males, or whatever it is" when it comes to big budget action films. Inferred here, is that Warner Bros. intentionally over-sexualised Wonder Woman as a way of attracting male audience members. With a sequel to the film currently being developed for a 2019 release, these accusations call for examination.   

As this is an issue very much governed by personal opinion, a logical starting point is to examine how audiences feel on the matter. Results from a survey of over 130 viewers of the film indicate an overwhelming 83% found the character at least 'somewhat over-sexualised'. To followed this up, I asked participants why they thought this may be, to which responses largely agreed with Cameron in that it was to bring in male audiences. One participant pointed out that "her outfits aren't practical. She's in the same position as Iron Man or Captain America who have full body suits, so why does she have to have mass amounts of skin showing? It's so she can appeal to an audience of teenage and older boys - sex sells". Indeed, the title character is outfitted in a short skirt and flatteringly shaped armour top for much of the film - hardly a practical choice for the First World War battlefields in which she fights. With average audiences for superhero films today being 62% male, it's not surprising that Warner Bros. would purposefully over-sexualise their first female lead as a way to encourage ticket sales. 

A particularly revealing still of Wonder Woman in Justice League (2017). This
 is the same outfit she wears in much of her solo outing. 

But then again, aren't male superheroes also over-sexualised? Just look at Marvel's last two cinematic releases - Thor: Ragnorok (2017) and Black Panther (2018). Both feature scenes in which their respective protagonists needlessly appear shirtless, displaying their incredibly muscular upper bodies (see photo below). Indeed, the exist few male leads in the genre who aren't presented in such a way as to emphasise their perfect (and often under-covered) physiques. No wonder then, that 91% of my survey participants felt male superheroes were at least 'somewhat over-sexualised' as well. It seems to be an inherent element of the genre.     

Shirtless Chris Hemsworth from Thor: Ragnorok (2017). Over-sexualised?

However, perhaps this over-simplifies the issue. Returning to my survey, 42% of participants held the view that, rather than to generate sexual attraction, the emphasis put on these characters' physiques is in fact a way to further enhance the fantasy element intrinsic to the films. For a character like Wonder Woman, this is to suggest that such emphasis on her breasts and thighs helps sell the fact that she's a mythic superhero. Viewers like to imagine themselves in these characters, so doesn't it make sense for them to be explicitly attractive? Rather than purposeful over-sexualisation to allure members of the opposite sex to cinemas, it is all part of the escapism people go to these films for. 

Personally, I'm not entirely convinced. Emphasising the physiques of superhero characters certainly enforces their strength and superiority - which I agree does contribute to the escapism and fantasy factor. However, I believe there exists a line which if crossed makes a film guilty of over-sexualisation. Wonder Woman crosses this line. 

Now, given the percentage of viewers who seem to share this opinion, hopefully Warner Bros. will address this issue in the sequel. But even if they don't - most likely because it's a money-making tactic - there is still hope. Marvel are currently in production of a female-led Captain Marvel film and are rumoured to have a Black Widow solo outing in the works. One of these will perhaps present a female lead James Cameron and myself can be proud of.