Has anyone here read any wonder woman comic books? When you tell people about things like this they usually don't take it seriously. They think oh it's just a cartoon what can you learn from it? But the wonder woman comic books I've read so far are really entertaining and teach young girls that there is a heroine for them. I wish western culture would be less sexist and promote female heroes as they promote spider-man and bat man or superman. But the unappreciation of wonder woman shows how we live in a culture were strong intelligent and independent women are not taken as seriously. Anyways I just wanted to let some mothers and fathers (I'm not a mother ) out there know that if your son takes up a comic book to read (which is shocking nowadays)or your daughter, that maybe you should try to get them more into wonder woman. Her philosophy is based on justice and feminism. All I remember when I was little was seeing all the guy heroes and I thought they were amazing, but I always grew up without a strong fremale hero, and believe it or not that affects you.I always grew up thinking that women should be treated equal and respected; that women are as capable at being intelligent and strong as men, but I only thought that way because I thought that was logical. However I would never see any proof in my culture or on t.v. books, music... that would tell me that was true. So in conclusion a friendly advice. Don't just lecture your children on how equality is important but inspire your daughters and sons with strong female hereos.
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My friends and I are into cultural criticism, so we like discussing the political and social implications of the copious amounts of media we consume. I've found though, that the value of feminist art tends to shine through better outside of analysis, when consumers absorb the philosophy without having it pointed out to them. So I'd tell people to watch/read Wonder Woman because it's an exciting piece of popcorn entertainment (especially the TV show), not necessarily the "strong woman" thing unless I knew my audience well.
I'm curious as to what era of the DC universe you're reading her in. The Wonder Woman comics are often described as having a homoerotic and BDSM undertone. (You tie up enough women with the Lasso of Truth and "fiercely interrogate" them, people in the 40s and 50s talk.)
In the 60s and 70s, Wonder Woman was also on the front lines of the "women's lib" battle. As the only even slightly unattached (and, at times, the only) female in the Justice League of America (the alliance of DC superheroes that included Superman, Batman, the Flash, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow among others), she was the one who was usually written as hot-headed or stubborn, but in the right hands, she expressed real feminist sentiment. As a little girl reading my neighbor's father's vintage comics, I can't say how awesome it was to find panels where Diana responded to Superman's "Oh, so it's a women's lib thing!" with "It is not! It's a Wonder Woman thing! I've got my confidence back, Superman! I'm just as much a part of this team as anybody else--but you all treat me like Snapper Carr!" (Snapper was basically a JLA intern.)
The original page can be found here
http://www.postmodernbarney.com/2007/08/oh-so-its-a-womens-lib-thing/
at one of my favorite feminist/gay geek blogs. (There are more of them than you think.)
I guess the point I'm making is be careful about what era Wonder Woman you get for your kids, because some are really problematic while some are inspiring. If you're just going with post-crisis DCU, you should be okay. Other heroines to expand into include Princess Leia (from Star Wars) and her derivative cousin, She-Ra, the women of X-Men, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Batgirl/Oracle (my favorite super heroine because she's still a fighting force after being crippled by a super villain.) Gotham, the world of Batman, has become a pretty dark universe though, so I'd wait until the kids have started reading young adult books.
We need more female comic geeks because that will result in stronger and more interesting female superheroes.
"We need more female comic geeks because that will result in stronger and more interesting female superheroes."
As you've noted, there are a number of good female superheroes around. But I've noticed that heroines tend to win the day through one of two methods- using non-physical skills (ie. "stuff girls can do"), or superpowers. I think if you want fictional role models, it's time to make some that can handle themselves physically without superpowers.
Some probably exist. I don't know who, though, besides Nell from The Diamond Age. Nothing in visual form, which is what's sadly needed now- books ain't gonna cut it.
There are women who can handle themselves physically, especially in screen media. Princess Leia did kill Jabba the Hut and Buffy might have superpowers, but Willow didn't in the beginning. What about Sarah Connor in Terminator 2? (Especially because her reaction to being threatened by the Terminator in the first film was to get totally ripped and escape a mental hospital so she can protect her son.) Ripley in Alien and some of its sequels? River and Zoe from Firefly? In fact, there's a whole trope based around women who "get physical" in the most badass sense of the word:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ActionGirl
Some have powers, but a lot don't. They just have self confidence and training (like Batgirl). We could always use more, but they're there.
Well, I agree with you on that. Some comic books are too violent forchildren or may not even get the story or some comments right. I just recently started reading Wonder woman, I don't have huge range of selection to buy from so i just go to Barne's and Nobles and get what they have there. I recently bought Wonder Woman Love and Murder and Amazons attack. I really liked them both, jsut because I had never read anything else like this but I'm sure theirs better ones out there. Thanks a lot for the link I read the part of the comic book. It looks like an older comic book from the 70's or so. I will probaly start buying books from internet or go to a city to get more variety. Have you seen the wonder woman animation movie that just came out? it is pretty cool.