There's been a lot of talk about Wonder Woman's appearance prior to the upcoming release of the movie of the same name. We've heard about Wonder Woman's short skirt and even her armpit hair--or lack thereof--but when recently asked to talk about the criticisms that Gal Gadot's costume is too sexy, director Patty Jenkins went all out in her response. Here's what she has to say to the critics who think Wonder Woman looks too sexy:
I think that that's sexist. I think it's sexist to say you can't have both. I have to ask myself what I would apply to any other superhero. This is fantasy and it's not for anyone other than the person having the fantasy. I, as a little girl, like took a huge amount of delight in the idea that for my power and my ability to stop that bully on that playground, I could also look like Lynda Carter while I was doing it.
The cool thing about feminism is that you can be whoever you want to be, and Wonder Woman has traditionally been a character who can wear a cute, short costume and kick ass while wearing it. Patty Jenkins seems to innately understand this idea, but it's a concept that has had plenty of people---including some feminist groups---riled up. Patty Jenkins has had to deal with quite a bit as a director on this big budget adventure flick; she also told CBS News she's still fighting to be seen as a "great" director and not just a "great female director," and she's still having to struggle against criticisms like the one above, and more.
If you've been keeping tabs on this whole Wonder Woman costume ordeal, you may know that the issue actually arose after original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter was pulled from an Honorary UN Ambassador position she was previously offered over concerns related to her skimpy outfit. Carter outright defended the costume she wore in years past and Patty Jenkins is now defending the costume Gal Gadot will be wearing when Wonder Woman hits theaters on June 2.
If you haven't gotten a close-up look at Diana Prince's superhero costume, you can check it out, from her knee guards to her tall boots, and yes, her short skirt, in the recently released poster for Justice League, below.
There's been a lot of scrutiny attached to Wonder Woman, not only because the movie features a female superhero as its lead, but also because DC movies haven't had the highest critical success in recent years. The costume criticisms just add another layer to that sort of scrutiny, but despite it all, early reactions to the flick have been positive. You can check out more of them here, or look into what we know about the upcoming release.
