Her Cape Editorial: An awesome and inspiring way to watch Wonder Woman
With all of the uproar over a women’s-only viewing of Wonder Woman, I propose a better way to watch the movie, one that is so much more awesome.
The uproar over a women’s only showing of Wonder Woman has really taken away from the overall importance of the premiere of the first female superhero movie. It’s not really about how you watch so much as it is about supporting this film so that it doesn’t become a one-and-done franchise. If we want more Wonder Woman, we need to support the film in every way we can. After seeing the movie for myself in a normal theater on June 1, I saw another aspect of the film that deserves some attention.
Wonder Woman is a film that can be enjoyed by fans of all ages, male and female. But what was most striking to me as I sat in that theater is how the movie is perfect for parents and their kids. It’s the perfect superhero film for moms to bring their boys to see, and dads with little girls can also watch the film together in ways that weren’t necessarily possible with a film like Batman v Superman.
In many ways, Wonder Woman resembles Star Wars, with mass appeal for kids and parents alike. I see the opportunities for moms to bring their young sons as a huge benefit, though, because the little boys can see their moms getting excited about superhero movies, and upon seeing it they will grow up having had the seminal experience of seeing a strong female superhero movie and not thinking twice about it.
Traditionally, comic books have been considered a “guy thing” even though so many of us fangirls were reading comics along with the guys the entire time. I was born in the 1980s, so I didn’t live through an era where anyone thought any differently about a girl reading comics. (Or I didn’t notice it) When it comes to Wonder Woman, which is a story over 75 years in the making, there are there are countless male fans of her story, just as there are countless women who look up to Diana Prince as a role model. There doesn’t need to be a line in the sand between the sexes. We can all share Wonder Woman. And starting that mentality from a young age is the best way to do it.
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Perhaps, then, instead of criticizing women-only showings of Wonder Woman, we should encourage Boy and Girl Scout troops to see it, and groups of moms with their kids. And dads with their daughters. Let’s develop a new normal so that one day we don’t have to distinguish the male and female superheroes, and instead we just have superheroes that are exciting for everyone.