#WeWantLeia & my search for Wonder Woman

When Wonder Woman came out on my birthday I was so happy. Finally a strong woman portrayed on the screen; the same one who I'd pretended to be a lot through my early years.

I didn't know it in my head, but when I actually tear'd up in the opening 10 minutes in the cinema, I realised that seeing a load of strong, capable women (who didn't actually need to be looked after, or saved, by men) was something I had been waiting for, for a very long time.

It's actually taken 75 years for Wonder Woman to make it to the big screen!

All wasn't rosy though, only a week later I was moaning to my hubby about the severe lack of Wonder Woman merchandise out there. I may be a 47 year old woman, but I wanted to buy some stuff (t-shirts, etc.), but no there was little to nothing in the shops.

Even when Batman vs Superman came out (a film not greatly received) there was stuff everywhere, and naively I thought that with Wonder Woman it would be the same (there is a bit on the internet, but mostly it's retro WW, not the current film).

Then I happened across this amazing TED talk. Watch it, it's eye-opening.

To my shame, I hadn't actually realised that female characters have been systematically removed from view,  #wheretheBLEEPisLeia/Gamora/BlackWidow... (shame on you Disney).

Female superheroes are being erased from view, I am bloody angry about it.

Does having a female superhero on merchandise make it impossible to sell to boys?
NO

Will having a female superhero doll make boys less macho, and girls less feminine?
NO

Me trying on retro WW knickers in 2014.
I bought them!

I was, and still am, one of those 'tomboys' (Oxford Dictionary's description : a girl who enjoys rough, noisy activities traditionally associated with boys) Christopher mentioned, and I agree with his assessment that for little girls it's a bonus to have these traits. They are described in terms such as : plucky, spirited and confident, which are all generally held to be good things.

I'm lucky to be a girl, as I am horrified to see that if I had been a young boy with a liking for 'activities traditionally associated with girls' I would've be called a 'sissy' (Oxford Dictionary's description : a person regarded as effeminate or cowardly), and I may have ended up doing myself harm, like Mike.

I have written before about my dislike of gender specific toys in 'No more mini-mummies!', in fact it was my first ever blog post back in 2014. Unfortunately not a lot has changed.

The Wonder Woman film has done a lot to show that:
- a female lead character in a superhero movie can make money
- that a female is perfectly capable of directing such a massive hit

AND
- that there IS an audience (male & female) out there

So give us more female superhero movies, but next time can we have the merchandising too. After all, Mr. Merchandising Exec., it is mainly women who buy it.

Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment below.
KL

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