On October 21st, the United Nations made what would prove to be a controversial announcement: the DC Comics character Diana Prince, known in-costume as Wonder Woman, was appointed as Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls. This decision sparked a heated debate in both the civil rights community and the UN itself. Supporters found inspiration in the superhero’s longtime status as a feminist icon, while detractors pointed to her sexualized features and fictional status as disqualifying factors.
Created in 1941, Wonder Woman has long served as a symbol of women’s rights. Discarding classic tropes of the damsel-in-distress, Diana began a long and storied career as a strong female protagonist, combatting both monsters and prejudice in her battle for Truth. 2016 marks her 75th anniversary, an event which DC celebrated with her first appearance on the silver screen and a special anthology honoring her multi-faceted character. As icing on the cake, the UN granted her the Honorary Ambassadorship, and sparked an unforeseen controversy.
That controversy came to a head on December 12th, when a petition to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon against her appointment garnered nearly 45,000 signatures, prompting him to revoke her status, effective Friday, December 16th. The petition cited certain less-than-savory aspects of her character, as even Wonder Woman has not been immune from some of the unfortunate tropes that have plagued the medium.
In the 1980s and 1990s especially, Wonder Woman, along with nearly all other superheroes, became entangled in what is known as the Dark Age of Comics. In an effort to make the characters darker and edgier, mainstream comic companies began to increase the violence and sex appeal of their heroes and heroines, a trend which would not reverse until the late ‘90s. By that point, the damage had been done, reducing comics in the eyes of many to the realm of geeks hiding in the basement.
The original petition cites these corruptions, stating that, “Although the original creators may have intended Wonder Woman to represent a strong and independent ‘warrior’ woman with a feminist message, the reality is that the character’s current iteration is that of a large breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring body suit,” and it goes on to decry the decision for not selecting, “strong (living, breathing) female role models.”
However, in response to this petition, a series of counter-petitions has sprung up to preserve her status as Honorary Ambassador. One such petition was begun by Fort Calhoun native Chloe Behrens, and, at the time of this writing, has already gained 1,254 signatures in 19 hours, and has been mentioned by DC artist Patch Zircher, as well as being featured on pop culture news site Bleeding Cool. The text of Behrens’ petition reads:
“It has come to my attention that Wonder Woman has been removed from her role as ambassador for empowerment for the UN. A petition was signed by only 45,000 people wanting to dismiss her role. Their reasons are because 'she is a large breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring body suit.' Wonder Woman is so much more than appearances and this petition will hopefully prove the point. Wonder Woman is the embodiment of feminism, peace, justice, and truth. Anyone who knows the character knows that what she does advocates for the peace, freedom and rights of all people around the world, much like what the UN strives to do.”
Supporters of Behrens’ petition gave hearty support to Wonder Woman’s appointment. One such supporter stated, “Wonder Woman is a symbol of empowerment and peace. She isn’t defined by the way she looks, but by what she represents,” and another commented that, “Reducing a character to her looks and ignoring what she actually stands for -- isn’t that what feminism once fought against?”
In addition to the populist backlash, many prominent figures from Wonder Woman’s history have spoken out against her removal. Lynda Carter, who portrayed Diana on television from 1975 to 1979, reportedly expressed disapproval, saying that the protesters ought to “get over [them]selves,” and author Phil Jimenez, who wrote for Wonder Woman from 2000 to 2003, took to Twitter to voice his complaints, with a tweet that read, “This is the ambassador the @UN just rejected. Apparently, they know nothing about #WonderWoman (an actual UN ambassador in the comics):,” followed by a scan of the superheroine fulfilling her ambassadorial role.
It remains to be seen how far the counter-petitions will go, and indeed whether they will have any effect on Secretary-General Ki-Moon’s decision to reverse Wonder Woman’s appointment. However, it seems that this controversy is far from over, as a victory for this petition will mean yet another renewal of the surprisingly embroiled conflict over the would-be Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls.
