I sat down to write and this essay ended up being about my
all time favorite superhero: Wonder Woman. Five pages later, this is what I
came up with:
My
adoration of this character started when I was just a kid watching the Justice
League cartoons. Wonder Woman was voiced by the fabulous Susan Eisenberg, and I
remember being spellbound by her; awed by her strength, compassion, and
loyalty. That adoration for the character never faltered—she was always at the
back of my mind. The only girl on an all boy team, a woman who didn’t need any
male assistance nor did she feel the need for a lover. Sure there was her crush
on Steve Trevor, and later Batman, and most recently her love affair with
Superman—but never once did she need
them. There’s not a drop of dependency in her Amazon body.
Recently it
was announced that she would be in Zach Snyder’s Superman sequel. At first I
was happy—but that happiness only lasted a mere second or two. You may by
wondering: “Why Lauren? As big a Wonder Woman fan as you are—you should be
delighted!” I should be, but I’m very worried about how the
character is going to be portrayed by actress Gal Gadot. Let’s start with a little bit of history first.
Wonder
Woman came on the comic book scene in 1941. She enjoyed a wonderful run until
the 50’s—because of a book called Seduction
of the Innocent (which basically blamed comic books for juvenile
delinquency), a comics code of ethics was adopted; Wonder Woman’s pro female
message and mostly female cast led the author of the book to believe that she
was a lesbian and promoting lesbianism. So she went from kicking some serious
ass and going on these grand adventures to being a romance editor and being
carried across streams by Steve Trevor. She fell on some hard times after the
code of ethics was adopted, in the 60’s she was stripped of her powers and was
going on these ridiculous spy-fy adventures. That is until the first Feminist
Movement led by Gloria Steinem; the feminist of the Movement demanded that she
get her powers back—with much reluctance their wish was granted and Wonder
Woman became a symbol of female empowerment. Her character continued to be
invigorated into the 70’s when Lynda Carter put on the golden tiara and lasso
of truth in the television show. The show was a huge success, running for
nearly four years, but after it ended the Amazon’s popularity started to slip a
bit—despite continuing in the comics. Throughout the 90’s and today though, her
popularity has increased significantly in the last 30 or so years. Thanks to
the Justice League cartoons, DC Comics New 52 movement, and her ongoing romance
with Superman Diana has experienced a little increase in popularity.
I wanted to
give you that little bit of history because in order to really understand the
character and how important she is to me—you need a little background.
The reason
I am concerned about our new Wonder Woman appearing in the Man of Steel sequel
is because I want so much for the cast and creative team to get her right. She’s not just some
superhero with tits okay she’s so much more and she represents so much more
than just a pretty face with superhuman strength. Wonder Woman was created to
be an ideal woman: strength, compassion, humility, equality, and beauty.
Wonder
Woman is strong—physically, mentally, and spiritually. She can bear the weight
of anything, be it a two ton truck, a heavy decision, or a devastating loss.
When she’s down she gets right back up and keeps on going no matter what, she
keeps fighting and will fight to the death.
Wonder
Woman is compassionate, she can empathize with people. She isn’t just for
female power but for the community of people and their needs. She never goes in
fists blazing like other superheroes, she tries to find alternate ways to solve
problems before fighting despite her warrior’s training—fighting is always her
last resort. She’s the embodiment of love and compassion, never judging or
bullying.
Wonder
Woman is humble—always reverent and respectful. She’s not arrogant about her
powers or abilities but grateful for them; she knows that they are a gift that
she could possibly loose. She is reverent towards the gods and is always
respectful to those who are older and wiser—something we could all learn from.
Wonder
Woman stands for equality. She doesn't just stand for women’s equality but the
equality of all divine beings on this earth. She comes from an island where all
are equal, and does not stand for a patriarchal society. Equality belongs to
all beings.
Wonder
Woman is beautiful. Thick, dark hair, big blue eyes, and a womanly figure
that’s not unrealistic or subjected like most comic book heroines. Her beauty
isn’t just physical—as cliché as it is to say, her true beauty is a combination
of all of the things I’ve mentioned; that’s what makes her beautiful.
That is the
Wonder Woman, the Diana Prince, which I have come to know and love. I want so
much for this character to thrive on the big screen in a full length movie—she
can handle her own, you just have to trust the character! The DC Universe
animated film is still one of the most popular one they’ve made! It tells a
brilliant story and it doesn’t try too hard to get you to like her because
there’s no need for that: you adore her from the first moment you see her! If
you’re going to do Wonder Woman you’ve got to do her right, and that’s not
entirely difficult to do—it takes trust in the character and what she stands
for.
Who knows
what Zach Snyder has in store for Wonder Woman; we won’t know anything until we
see the movie. I can only hope it helps and not hinders Diana. After all—she’s
fought a damn good fight.
