Wonder Woman proves that she can fight the stigma surrounding strong female characters.
While browsing the Internet, I keep finding articles written in a tone of awe about how the new Wonder Woman movie broke box office records by having the biggest opening ever for a female director. These articles write about the success of the movie like it’s a wonderful suprise, as if they were expecting the movie to be a flop.
There was so much pressure on this movie. If it failed at the box office, then it would send a message that audiences weren’t ready to see a movie directed by a female starring a strong, female lead.
However, I knew this movie would be successful before I even saw the first trailer. My friends and I were so excited to see a new, modern depiction of the Wonder Woman story. And so were women across the country.
So my main question is this- why are people so shocked that the new Wonder Woman movie did so well at the box office?
First of all, over half the population is women. And in my Intro to Advertising class, I learned that women hold 70-80% of the total purchasing power in the United States. So why is creating a movie that targets a female audience still considered such a bold and daring move? It just doesn’t add up, both in a financial and social context.
This movie is proof of something that female consumers of entertainment have known for a long time- we have viewing interests that reach far beyond the typical “chick flick.” We desire to see ourselves represented in every genre of film.
Hopefully now movie studios will wake up and realize that not only is there an audience for movies that feature female characters- there is an intense craving for it. We’ve been used to seeing ourselves get saved and rescued on screen for far too long- now we want to be the heroes of our own story.