Is Wonder Woman (2017) feminist? And what does that even mean?

Summary

In this thought-provoking video, the creator explores whether the 2017 film "Wonder Woman" can be considered feminist, given its status as a feminist icon. While acknowledging the positive portrayal of strong female characters and lack of objectification, the video discusses the movie's shortcomings in ethnic diversity and feminist themes. Overall, "Wonder Woman" is praised for its enjoyable depiction of female empowerment but does not delve deeply into feminist theory, instead focusing on themes related to the horror and moral ambiguity of war.

Highlights

• Wonder Woman as a feminist icon raises expectations 📣.
• The film successfully avoids the 'Male Gaze' and stereotypical tropes 👏.
• While the Amazons are strong, the beauty standards are problematic 💄.
• Diana's journey doesn't focus on challenging patriarchy, but on war's horrors 🗡️.
• More diversity in characters could have enhanced the film's representation 🌍.

Key Takeaways

• Wonder Woman (2017) is widely seen as a saving grace of the DCEU ⚡️.
• The film features strong female protagonists without objectifying them 🙌.
• Despite its strengths, Wonder Woman lacks diversity in its cast 🌈.
• Although entertaining and positive, the film doesn't explore deep feminist themes 🤔.
• The moral ambiguity of war rather than feminist theories is the central theme of Wonder Woman (2017) 🎬.

Overview

In the video, the creator delves into whether the 2017 blockbuster "Wonder Woman" is feminist. The film does feature strong women without typical objectification, which is noteworthy in Hollywood. However, the portrayal of Amazons raises questions about standardized beauty tropes, while the lack of ethnic diversity is a notable issue.

The narrative of "Wonder Woman" could be seen from two feminist perspectives: enjoyment without discomfort and thematic exploration of feminist ideas. While the film excels in providing enjoyable feminist-friendly content, it falls short of exploring deeper feminist topics, focusing instead on the universal themes of war's ambiguity.

Despite its shortcomings, "Wonder Woman" remains an enjoyable film for feminists. Though some expected a deeper examination of feminist themes, the movie centers around the horrors and moral questions associated with war. It provides an entertaining cinematic experience while gently nodding to societal themes without making them the focal point.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction The chapter titled 'Introduction' delves into the discussion of whether the 2017 movie 'Wonder Woman' can be considered feminist. Despite being widely regarded as a redeeming addition to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), the film's alignment with feminist ideals remains a subject of debate. The chapter aims to explore this question, acknowledging the complexity of defining feminism within the context of Wonder Woman's iconic status as a feminist symbol. The author warns of spoilers ahead in the analysis.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Spoiler Warning and Question Introduction In this chapter, the author introduces the idea of spoilers before delving into a detailed discussion of the Wonder Woman movie. The chapter opens with a warning about spoilers, directing those who wish to avoid them to another review. The main focus then shifts to a complex question: whether the Wonder Woman movie can be considered feminist. The author acknowledges that this question is inherently challenging because the criteria for a movie being feminist are ambiguous. It is suggested that the question can be interpreted in two different ways, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of feminist themes in cinema.
• 01:00 - 02:00: Criteria for a Feminist Movie This chapter discusses the criteria for determining if a movie can be considered feminist, particularly from the perspective of whether a feminist can enjoy it comfortably. Key criteria include having well-written female protagonists or central female characters, minimal to no objectification or hypersexualization of these characters (avoiding the Male Gaze), and having few or no sexist stereotypes or tropes.
• 02:00 - 03:00: Tests and Diverse Representation The chapter 'Tests and Diverse Representation' discusses the concept of positive representation in media, focusing on characters who serve as positive role models and contribute to diverse representation. It emphasizes the importance of including well-written, non-stereotypical diversity in terms of race, sexuality, and disability. The chapter also mentions various informal 'tests' that have emerged on the internet to evaluate such representation.
• 03:00 - 04:00: Analysis of Wonder Woman as a Feminist Film (Part 1) The chapter examines whether the film Wonder Woman (2017) can be considered a feminist movie by applying gender-related criteria such as the Bechdel test, Mako Mori test, and Sexy Lamp test. The analysis reveals that, despite a low bar set by these tests, the film qualifies as feminist. However, it is criticized for its lack of diversity, noting that while there are some black Amazons and characters of color like Steve’s friends, the cast remains predominantly white.
• 04:00 - 05:00: Analysis of Wonder Woman as a Feminist Film (Part 2) The chapter discusses the representation of Amazons in the Wonder Woman film, highlighting the problematic portrayal of beauty. While the Amazons are shown as universally thin, gorgeous, and made-up, the female antagonist is depicted as disfigured, unintentionally suggesting that beauty equates to moral goodness. Despite these imperfections, the overall conclusion is that Wonder Woman is a joyful experience for feminists to watch.
• 05:00 - 06:00: Character Analysis and Representation The chapter discusses the representation and portrayal of characters in a specific context, focusing on the strength and appeal of Amazonian characters. It emphasizes the enjoyable aspect of seeing strong, badass characters such as Sammy and Chief, highlighting how rare it is to see such interesting male characters of color on the big screen. The chapter also praises Diana as the perfect hero material, noting the lack of male gaze and objectification typically seen in big budget films, with the exception being a brief comedic reference to a naked Steve Trevor. Overall, it appreciates the absence of troubling tropes commonly present in such films.
• 06:00 - 07:00: Themes and Feminist Exploration The chapter begins by acknowledging the complexities involved in determining whether a movie is feminist. It introduces two ways of interpreting this question, with the first being somewhat straightforward and the second being more intricate, involving the exploration of feminist theory in themes or plot.
• 07:00 - 08:00: Feminist Comparison with Other Films This chapter discusses the feminist themes present in the film 'Mad Max: Fury Road'. It highlights how the film addresses issues related to patriarchy, bodily autonomy, reproductive freedom, and women’s solidarity. The narrative focuses on the characters rejecting their roles as 'breeding stock', emphasizing the powerful message that women are 'Not Things'.
• 08:00 - 09:00: Discussion on Themes beyond Feminism The chapter titled 'Discussion on Themes beyond Feminism' analyzes the feminist aspects of the film Wonder Woman (2017). It acknowledges the film as fundamentally feminist by any standard but points out that it lacks deeper commentary on feminism. The transcript highlights instances like a mention of women's suffrage and a scene with military leaders' reactions to a woman's presence but notes that the film doesn't delve into questions about gender roles in the military or leadership.
• 09:00 - 10:00: Conclusion and Final Thoughts The chapter discusses gender and racial issues depicted in a movie. It highlights the lack of inclusion of women in political processes and questions around gender roles. The protagonist, Diana, is not focused on overcoming patriarchal structures, and the film does not delve deeply into feminist ideas. Additionally, racial discrimination is briefly mentioned with a character feeling excluded from certain roles due to ethnicity.
• 10:00 - 11:00: Farewell and Future Content Teaser The chapter titled 'Farewell and Future Content Teaser' discusses the overarching theme of a movie, which focuses on the horror and moral ambiguity of war, emphasizing the absence of clear 'good' or 'bad' sides and the universal experience of suffering. It acknowledges that while the film handles this theme well and is compelling, it doesn't necessarily align with feminist theory. The chapter concludes by stating that not every film is required to primarily address feminist ideas.

Is Wonder Woman (2017) feminist? And what does that even mean? Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 Wonder Woman is such a good movie. I think people in general have come to the consensus that it is currently the saving grace of the DCEU. But one question that’s still getting kicked around is “Is Wonder Woman (2017) feminist?” It’s kind of an important question, given Wonder Woman’s role as a feminist icon over the years. But...it’s...kind of a hard question to answer? Let’s talk about it. Real quick: Lots of spoilers in this video.
• 00:30 - 01:00 If you want a spoiler free review of Wonder Woman, I made one of those. But this one will be spoiler-a-plenty. So, part of the reason why it’s hard to answer “Is the Wonder Woman movie feminist” is because “Is -any movie- feminist” is a weird question. What does a movie have to do or be to BE feminist? I propose that there is two ways to read that question.
• 01:00 - 01:30 The first way is what I think most people mean when they ask the question, which is “Can I, as a person who is a feminist, enjoy this movie comfortably?” Some things that might qualify a movie as a yes would be: Well written female protagonist or central female characters No or very little objectification or hypersexualization of those female characters (what we might call the Male Gaze) No or very few sexist stereotypes or tropes
• 01:30 - 02:00 Characters who would, on the whole, be positive role models or be considered positive representation And At least some well written, non-stereotypical diversity in terms of race, sexuality, or disability, the more the better. There’s a whole bunch of little “tests” the internet has come up with over the years to talk about this.
• 02:00 - 02:30 Things like the Bechdel test, and the Mako Mori test, and the Sexy Lamp test. And really, this is kind of a low bar for movies, but a surprising few released each year in the US would qualify. Now does Wonder Woman (2017) count as “feminist” under these criteria? Absolutely. Now, The movie is pretty weak in terms of added diversity, there are some black Amazons, and two of Steve’s buddies are men of color, but the cast is pretty overwhelmingly white
• 02:30 - 03:00 on the whole. And, the Amazons are pretty universally thin, gorgeous, clean shaven and in full make up, which is a little troubling when the female antagonist is like, disfigured. Even unintentionally, setting up beauty as a signifier of moral goodness is...not the best. So It’s not perfect. But overall, if you are a feminist, Wonder Woman is a joy to watch.
• 03:00 - 03:30 All of the Amazons being strong and bad ass is super fun. Sammy and Chief are both amazing characters, and we rarely get such interesting men of color on the big screen. And Diana herself is perfect hero material. There’s no male gaze going on. No boob or ass shots. No slow pans up her body. Hell the closest we get to objectification is some naked Steve Trevor. There’s no troubling tropes being lobbed around like we might be used to in big budget
• 03:30 - 04:00 block busters. It’s just really...nice. God job team. Now, the OTHER way to read the question “Is this movie feminist” is a little more complicated. That question could mean “Does this movie, in it’s plot or themes, either implicitly or explicitly, explore feminist theory, concerns, or ideas?” So, movies that directly explore or comment on things like toxic beauty standards, rape
• 04:00 - 04:30 culture, patriarchy, etc. My go-to example for this is Mad Max: Fury Road. Like, that’s a movie that very directly deals with issues of Patriarchy, and bodily autonomy, reproductive freedom, and women’s solidarity. After all they are “Not Things” and reject being used as breeding stock, and yeah, It’s
• 04:30 - 05:00 a- it’s a VERY feminist film, by any standard. And...I’m….not sure Wonder Woman (2017) does this. It gets close a few times. Candy has a line about women getting the vote. There’s that scene where all the military higher-ups scoff and grumble about a WOMAN in the war room. But there’s never like….any...commentary on it. Diana never questions Steve about why all the soldiers are men, or why all the leaders
• 05:00 - 05:30 are men. She doesn’t ask Candy about what she means by the vote, and then get appalled that women are excluded from political processes. Even when Sammy says he’s the wrong color to be an actor, there’s no follow up. And the overall theme of the movie isn’t specifically about feminist ideas or concerns. The moral of the story isn’t about Diana overcoming the patriarchy of man’s world.
• 05:30 - 06:00 The movie, as a whole, is about the horror of war, and the moral ambiguity of war from both sides, that there is no good guys or bad guys in war, only suffering. And that’s a good theme! It’s well done and compelling. It’s just, not, ya know, specifically feminist. And, really, that’s ok. Not every film needs to or should be predominantly about feminist theory.
• 06:00 - 06:30 That’s a hard thing to do well, and in a compelling, interesting, thought provoking way, and there’s plenty of excellent themes and ideas to explore in film beyond feminist theory. But if we’re asking the question “Does Wonder Woman do this as a movie?” the answer is...no, not really. I mean, still go see it though. It’s a super great film. So yeah. That’s it. Thanks for watching everyone! I’m sure you can find the subscribe button if you are so inclined.
• 06:30 - 07:00 This queer millennial feminist will be back with more rants about stuff I like pretty soon.