Three Ways Wonder Woman is impacting society

Sameera+Rachakonda+explains+how+Wonder+Woman+not+only+fights+villains%2C+but+also+stereotypes.

Sameera Rachakonda

Sameera Rachakonda explains how Wonder Woman not only fights villains, but also stereotypes.

The fierce, idealistic persona of Wonder Woman has jumped off the pages of D.C. comic books and onto the big screen. And while the character Wonder Woman is saving the world, the film Wonder Woman is changing the world by impacting females in Hollywood and young girls at home alike.

The movie recounts the heroic tale of Diana Prince, or Wonder Woman. It’s the first female focused superhero film in over a decade, and it is the first superhero movie ever to be directed by a woman. Patty Jenkins uses the perfect combination of wit, humor, and action to concoct a superhero film that will be talked about for years to come. That’s not merely a supposition; the numbers speak for themselves. The film grossed $100 million domestically, and $223 million worldwide which is an all time record for a female director. Along with its box office success, the film is also garnering positive reviews from critics for both Jenkins’s storytelling and Gal Gadot’s performance as Wonder Woman herself. More impactful than box office numbers or critics’ words, the film is affecting the world on a much larger scale. To break it down, here are three ways Wonder Woman is leaving a legacy in society:

 

  1. Wonder Woman is shattering Hollywood’s glass ceiling for female directors.

Since the first Academy Awards were announced back in 1929, only four women have been nominated for best director, and only one, Kathryn Bigelow, has won. The long running Cannes Film Festival, founded in 1939, has only recognized two women as best director. The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University researched that last year, a remarkably low 7 percent of the 250 top grossing films in the United States had female directors. In other roles, women weren’t much better off, accounting for 13 percent of writers, 17 percent of executive producers, 24 percent of producers, 17 percent of editors and 5 percent of cinematographers.

There hasn’t been a female led superhero film in over a decade. Even those who aren’t usually fans of the typical DC Extended Universe films are turning out in massive numbers to see Wonder Woman because they understand it is far from a typical superhero film. It’s much more than a movie that will be talked about for the summer or a film that will win a few awards. It has the power to change, or at least play a sizable role in changing Hollywood’s perception of women. Wonder Woman is symbolic of the strides being taken to recognize and acknowledge women. Taking on the job of directing this movie came with a lot of pressure for Jenkins since many were prepared to critique this film in a harsh light because of Wonder Woman’s iconic role in the DC Universe, and because of the film’s anticipation. The movie’s success can lead many to hope that Hollywood will start surrendering their resistance to hire female directors and let go of their reluctance to action films centered around a female lead. This summer is a perfect example of how that’s starting to take place, as there are currently eight films set to be released this summer that are either directed or co-directed by a woman. Although it’s nowhere near perfect yet, it’s safe to say the ceiling has been crashed through, and the industry is forever changed.

 

  1. Wonder Woman is reinforcing the notion that girls can do anything boys can do.

After the film’s premiere, parents shared inspiring photos of their daughters posing next to cardboard cutouts of the heroine in movie theaters, holding up a plastic sword and shield with a determined gaze, smiling ear to ear at the camera with a large, golden W in the center of their T-shirts. All of these images graced Twitter and Instagram this past weekend. With the film’s success, one can expect to see many young girls dressed as the superhero this Halloween, and that’s a beautiful picture to imagine. Wonder Woman is taking the superhero spotlight and shifting it to incorporate both boys and girls. For years, people would see crowds of little boys dressed as Batman and The Hulk, and although there’s absolutely nothing stopping young girls from dressing up as male superheroes, there is a certain sense of empowerment that comes from putting on the costume of a fierce, female hero.

There are other female superheroes whose stories have been told, but the intense and rapid popularity of Wonder Woman has thrusted the female superhero image to the forefront of society. Superhero movies have always conveyed the ideal of fearlessness, but for too long Hollywood has focused on selling that ideal to primarily the male audience. Now, Wonder Woman proves to be the perfect way to oppose that philosophy. If superheroes are no longer separated by a gender barrier, than that helps show young girls and boys that none of their dreams in life are inaccessible to them because of their gender. Many kids grow up with the tales of superheroes told to them. They watch movies with superheroes saving civilians and smashing cars, and kids dream of having the courage idols like Superman display. If kids are exposed to primarily stories of male superheroes, they’ll come to associate the brave image of a superhero that they have in their heads with exclusively men. However, portraying stories and films like Wonder Woman, young children will connect superheroes and the face of courage to both males and females. If kids grow up knowing there are both male and female heroes out there in the world, young girls will feel inspired to be fearless, young boys will realize that courage and strength aren’t only designated for men, and everyone will see that gender shouldn’t be an obstacle in achieving one’s goals.

 

  1. Wonder Woman is taking the words “feminine” and “fearless” and proving that they belong in the same sentence.

Superhero movies are a fundamental genre in Hollywood. Studios are constantly rolling them out because they know that if they play their cards right, they’ll end up with a hit on their hands. In the vast majority of the seemingly countless number of superhero films produced, women play the beautiful love interests, or in some cases the strong but overlooked sidekicks. The character of Diana Prince rejects that as Gadot executes a strong, inspiring performance. It’s a performance that has ignited a spark in women all over the world who feel fierce and fearless because of the actress and the movie. If done correctly, films, like all forms of art, have the ability to change the world, or at least how the world is perceived. The feeling of empowerment that this particular film is impressing on females has the ability to inspire change.

Wonder Woman is fearless, brave, strong, and unwilling to let anyone or anything prevent her from saving the world. She is also incredibly hopeful, optimistic, loyal, and yearns to find the good in humankind. Even though she witnesses the evil and cruelty of human nature as the events of World War I unfold, she continues to stand for goodness, and see the best in people. At the same time, she’s a fierce Amazon warrior. Both society and Hollywood have a tendency to place women in boxes where they have to choose between being either fearless and brave, or kind and compassionate. It’s an uncalled for consensus that states women can’t be both fierce and kind, rather they are forced to choose. If they’re fearless, they’re cynical and uncaring. If they’re kind, they’re pushovers and timid. Wonder Woman beautifully rejects that statement. In addition, the action shots in the film display Diana’s strength and courage but never sexualize her, another issue society and Hollywood often succumb to. Wonder Woman smashes so many of the stereotypes and labels placed on females, and it does so in a way that never loses focus on the plot, or takes away from the film’s wit and action.

In an interview with The Pool, Jenkins commented on watching the T.V. show Wonder Woman as a child and how the heroine inspired her. She claimed that Wonder Woman “was everything a girl could aspire to be: strong and kind, exciting and stylish, powerful and effective, and just as fierce as the boys.”

D.C.’s extended universe needed Wonder Woman to save the world, and it appears as if the real world needs her just as much in order to ignite change.