How “Wonder Woman” Will Help Defeat Geek Culture Sexism

With the past release of the “Wonder Woman” film, many women have been embracing the character again with vigour and fervour. Wonder Woman’s newest incarnation has been praised for her strong portrayal and interpretation, making her very favourable amongst men and women alike. However, backlash has been occurring since the films release, for everything from the casting to the women’s only screenings in certain theatres. Joshua Ostroff of HuffPost breaks it down.

Sexism is not something new in the world of geek culture, in fact it’s always been around, just like any other subculture or community, there is negativity and toxicity. Sexism is typically aimed at women, and while men do experience it (“neckbeards”, nerd stereotyping, the expectations for men to be strong and buff, etc), women have overwhelmingly been subjected to it. The expectations of women to be thin, beautiful, meek, and to have to prove ourselves are prevalent in everyday life, not just in geek culture. However, questioning a woman on her geek knowledge and forcing her to prove her geekiness, expecting female cosplayers to be thin and beautiful, and shaming women for their interests (or even lack of) slights and pushes women from our community, which once could be prided on its openness and acceptance.

Wonder Woman destroys the geek culture stereotype of the damsel in distress – she is a strong, independent, intelligent woman who also happens to be beautiful. People have noted the poor ratings of female lead superhero movies, such as “Catwoman” (2005) and “Elektra” (2005), and often believe those films do not do well because of the leads. However, “Wonder Woman” destroys this notion with its over $700 million worldwide profit, indicating it’s a problem with the movies and not the leads. Gal Gadot previously received criticism for her size, as she is fairly thin framed when Wonder Woman is an curvaceous Amazonian warrior. Gal trained for hours a day just to develop enough muscle for this role, learning martial arts and trying to gain body mass. Yet she portrayed the character with defiance and grace nonetheless.

The male-dominated geek community has been slow to allow a female presence in, and while many have marked their names within it, many feel afraid or ashamed to try to display their inner nerd. I myself have felt this, as I feel I cannot cosplay a character unless I am very familiar with their background and have read or watch their work. As a cosplayer, I have not been privy to the sexual harassment some have, but I recognize the need for safety and the very real fear that comes with putting your love of something on display.

Overall, the geek community is still the same welcoming, open space that many people fall in love with. But, like all communities, toxicity and sexism exists. Hopefully, with every strong female heroine, anti-heroine, and villain cast, we can break down those stereotypes and abuses and make everyone feel safe.