From: Jordan
When we think of superheroes in the Marvel Universe, we usually think of Spiderman, Iron Man, Captain America, and so on…, but what about Black Widow? She is technically an Avenger however, what most people don’t realize is that she is one of few female fronted characters in the Marvel Universe. She is apart of what Katha Pollitt calls the “Smurfette Principle”. Pollitt defines the Smurfette Principle as “a group of male buddies will be accented by a lone female, stereotypically defined”. Which is very true when it comes to Black widows’ character. When the first Avengers movie came out in 2012, there were 6 main superheroes, 5 being male and 1 being female. You will also notice Black Widows’ appearance is for the male gaze as well. Her outfit consists of a plunging neckline and wearing a tight jumpsuit. As the Marvel Universe expanded, it has made room for other female lead characters such as Wanda Maximoff and Captain Marvel. However, with that being said there is still a much higher ratio of men than there are women in the Marvel Universe.
Growing up my favorite superhero was spiderman, but I never had any spiderman toys because they were made for boys and little girls were supposed to play with barbies. Also, at the time the only female superhero was Wonder Woman but never noticed any dolls that were of Wonder Woman. Also, in “Two Cultures” of Childhood it states, “both sexes play with miniaturized human figures that encourage them to engage in fantasy role playing” (page 61). The twist is. if girls were to play with action figures they would be considered a tom boy. At the same time if a boy were to want to play with a barbie, he would be called names such as a sissy. It is by far a double standard. However, since Wanda Maximoff, Captain Marvel, and also Black Widow have had their own spin off movie/show it has piqued interest in more girls to have a liking in superheroes.
Work Cited
Rudman, Laurie A., et al. “The Two Cultures of Childhood,” The Psychology of Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations. The Gilford Press, 2015, 59-63
Pollitt, Kathy., Hers; “The Smurfette Principle”. The New York Times, 7 April 1991
5 comments:
From: Sydney
Hi Jordan, I think it was really creative of you to use Black Widow as an element of symbolism for the Smurfette Principle. It could have been cool if you happened to have action figures for the other Avengers because lining them all up would have shown the gender disparity in the team. In this picture, Black Widow dominates the frame, but had she been displayed next to all the male superheroes, she would probably look less dominant. I hadn’t thought of the Marvel connection to the Smurfette Principle. I think Black Widow really fits that description because she is stereotypically defined and the only female character in a group of hyper-masculine male superheroes. I like the way you used lighting in this photo. The shadow that Black Widow casts is interesting because normally shadows look bigger than a person. Yet the angle in which you took the photo makes her shadow seem smaller than her. I also like how you displayed her standing strong on top of a rock. The rock gives the photo a tougher feel and communicates strength to the viewer. I think the way you utilized space was also smart. Obviously Black Widow is the most important thing in the photo, so having the close up shot of her makes sense. If you took the photo from far away, she wouldn’t look as strong because action figures are only so big. The close-up makes her presence more impactful. I also like that you are level with the action figure instead of standing above it. This once again emphasizes that we are supposed to see Black Widow as a strong presence - she stands for much more than a little action figure!
From: Tea
Hello! Some Great points you brought up regarding the lack of representation of females in superhero genres! I think your point could be stretched even further though, to include a wide range of genres! Not only are women not shown in lead roles in superhero films but really in any action film aside from being some sort of prize for our male leads to win over with time. I mean has there ever been a female equivalent to James Bond or John Wick? And not just heroes, how often are women portrayed as an in-depth antagonists? Almost every time we see a female playing the antagonist she is a backstabbing seductress who acts with pathetic motivations. Not to mention that the females we do see in action movies all share similar builds to the actress playing Black Widow. Why is it that she is shown to be super strong and combat worthy yet she lacks any sort of bulk or muscle? What is the good in creating a strong female superhero for young girls to look up to if you're just going to make her part of every other image of beauty that's unattainable to most? This just goes to show that most women added to action movies are there for sex appeal. I think you did a good job of bringing up not only the lack of representation of women but also the sexualization of the one woman presented in this group!
From Jazmine:
As a Marvel fan, I find this very interesting and very true. Black Widow was first shown on screen in a very tight revealing dress because she was undercover, which I guess is fine but then we get to the rest of the movie where she is still in very tight, revealing outfits. She is the only woman on the team and they use that alot with snide comments or sexual jokes and it has definitely seeped into society and the way woman in power are viewed. The character of Black Widow was so sexualized that even in interviews, Scarlett Johansson would be asked "what kind of underwear are you wearing?" or "when is she going to show more skin?" but her male counterparts are asked about the movies or questions that would put them in a position of power or control. I think it became painfully obvious what was happening with her character and Black Widow's body was no longer the center of everyone's focus.
From Alyssa:
This post stood out to me because I watched black widow with a guy friend not long ago and when picking out the movie, he would not stop talking about how "hot" and "sexy" she was. It really makes me wonder if he even wanted to watch the movie for the actual plot, or just because Scarlett is wearing a tight fitted suit and is seen as "sexy"? I didn't even think about what he was saying at the time, because that sort of thing is so normalized. This post made me realize "Wow, she really is heavily sexualized", and what he was saying throughout the whole movie was just out of line. The character is definitely sexualized by many men, and as you brought up in your post, I think her outfit is definitely fitted for the male gaze. Also, I didn't even realize the Smurfette Principle in this situation with Avengers. I think this is a great example of it. I also want to say how the image is captured very well. Her stance looks very powerful. She is standing straight up and doesn't look vulnerable in any way like most women are pictured usually. The way she is shown shows how she is a powerful woman that shouldn't be recognized for her beauty/"sexiness", but rather for how she is strong and powerful. I love how the doll isn't like a standard barbie doll but instead is an action figure.
Hi Jordan,
I found your post particularly interesting and thought-provoking. First, I wanted to build on what you said about the lack of women portrayed as superheroes in film. Although I was never the biggest Marvel or DC fan, I know enough about the franchises to write a somewhat knowledgeable response to your post. Something I have noticed–that you pointed out–is that there are very few women superheroes. Could this lack of representation stem from our society’s notion that women need to be saved by a man? I think so. Despite the culture's apparent front of progressiveness, it is evident that misogyny persists. Even strong female superheroes are not exempt from the overused, trite plot: the woman getting in over her head and needing to be saved by a man. In the most recent Batman film, for example, after the abrupt murder of her friend, Catwoman sets out to avenge her fallen friend's death. This story of a superhero avenging the murder of a fallen lover or friend is not new to the DC universe, yet Catwoman’s “revenge” is particularly interesting. As Catwoman approaches the area where the Penguin is involved in the drug trade, the scene gives the audience the impression that she somehow will not measure up to the men’s gunpowder. The film leads us to believe that she is being irrational and acting on mere emotions. Catwoman will walk right into her death if someone does not intervene. However, when Batman shows up, the feeling shifts. Seemingly, the man (Batman) saves Catwoman from her own “emotional rage.”
In your post, you also talked about the sexualization of women in Marvel and DC. I couldn’t agree more with your assessment of these characters’ sexualization and intentional desirability. Something I find interesting is men's response to films that center female narratives. Instead of the usual, “that what a sick movie, bro,” or “that was totally sick how Batman saved Gotham,” the response to films centering women is entirely different. Instead, men will say, “she’s so sexy,” or “she’s such a milf,” and the character’s narrative is forgotten. Even when shows/movies have strong female leads, men act as if the woman was there for their mere sexual pleasure.
Regarding your stylistic choices, I thoroughly enjoyed picking apart your photo! First, I found it impactful that you chose to place Black Widow in a power position. The feeling of power that the image evokes is metaphoric: it could stand as a reclamation of power. I also enjoyed how you centered Black Widow in the photo, and centering Black Widow also adds to the feeling of power evoked by the picture.
Regarding your main point of the “Smurfette Principle,” I agree with what you said. Frankly, I never even considered that women were always excluded or playing side roles in the Marvel and DC universes.
Post a Comment