Chapter 4: Not so Wonder Woman

When I start thinking about all the powerful women on screen, and when I say powerful I mean the ass-kicking, crime-fighting actual superheroes we see in the movies, my list starts with Jennifer Garner in Elektra and ends with a failed Halle Berry in Cat Woman. That’s the list right there – a total of two female superheroes, in two movies I had to look up again because I barely remember the below-average impact they had. That is, of course, until Wonder Woman’s recent success.

Wonder Woman is the female superhero dressed in a bold red, gold and blue, with super strength and speed, the ability to fly, and just about any other superhuman power you can think of, that she uses to fight all the baddies that want to take over the world, kill the good guys and force women in the usual damsel in distress narrative. I don’t think I really need to explain how or why she’s become a feminist icon – she’s super strong, saves the world, despite unfortunately having lady parts – bruh, mind-blowing

But some people don’t feel as strongly about Wonder Woman, or rather, the 2017 Gal Gadot Wonder Woman. Here’s why:

A lot of people felt that Wonder Woman still largely followed the Classical Hollywood film of actually placing the woman in a subordinate role:

While most other criticism actually came from the film’s portrayal of the Amazonian warrior who, once again, fits into some traditional standard of beauty:

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, clean shaven and bleached – fresh out the beautician’s rooms

A lot of people were upset because Wonder Woman, being an Amazonian who was presumably not exposed to any sort of Western influence and therefore, no Gillette adverts, of course, should not have had shaved and bleached pits. But while feminists are asking ‘why doesn’t Wonder Woman have armpit hair?’, I’d like to know, why do you care?

Now I know that casting model Gal Gadot would mean this super badass superhero would fit the usual traditional standard of beauty. She’s tall, skinny and what society has come to know as beautiful. Honestly, I get that – we aren’t making any significant changes in perpetuating the exact same standard of beauty that has always been in place.

Now I know that casting Israeli model Gal Gadot without armpit hair was also a headache because firstly, unrealistic, and second, women can grow their armpit hair out if they want, as second wave feminists intended. Honestly, I get that too, even though you can be clean as a naked mole-rat and still a feminist.

Now I know that casting Israeli model and Israel Defense Forces soldier Gal Gadot as a feminist icon might be an issue, since she’s served in the military for 2 years, the military that operated against and took the lives of innocent men, women and children in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. Honestly, I get this argument the most since 2016 became the ‘deadliest year’ for children living in the occupied West Bank at the hands, or rather, the guns of Israeli Soldiers. And while our new Wonder Woman no longer serves in the Israel Defense force, she has pledged her allegiance to the IDF.

Pro-IDF and a current member of the Justice League.

JUSTICE League – a superhero team that is pro… justice?

So, white feminists asking ‘why doesn’t Wonder Woman have armpit hair?’, I’d like to pose my question to you: why do you care?

I say white feminists because while some white feminists are up in arms about armpit hair, they are unaware, or blind to the atrocities that don’t directly affect them, like, say, dying, or having your people die in occupied territories around the world. White feminists love to say that they stand by and fight for the rights of all women, but ignore much larger and greater issues.

How is armpit hair more important than killing innocent children?

How can armpit hair be so important?

Tell me, why do you care?

 

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