nenena | Extremely awesome Women of the DCU poster

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Extremely awesome Women of the DCU poster

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So this Adam Hughes poster, subtitled "The Real Power of the DC Universe," has been making the rounds. And there's some debate on whether it's sexist or not.

My reactions:

1. Holy God that's GORGEOUS.
2. The women may be dressed similarly, but their individual personalities really shine through.
3. Are those... individualized... faces?! Why yes, they are!
4. Mary Marvel looks about ten years too old.
5. Oh wait, that's not Mary Marvel... it's Kate Kane?!
6. So why is the lesbian the only one wearing a pantsuit? (*headdesk*)
7. You'd think that with all of Bab's money and connections she would be able to afford a wheelchair that doesn't look so wretchedly behind the times.
8. Kara. Oh my God. Kara. She's sixteen years old, for crying out loud!
9. I can imagine both Selina and Poison Ivy taking Kara aside, either before or after the photoshoot, and giving her a good tongue-lashing. "Oh honey. That's not how you do a seductive come-hither face. That's not how you do it at all. And really, would it kill you to add an extra inch or two on your hem? You're supposed to leave a little something to their imaginations!"
10. Okay, I'll admit, the fact that EVERY SINGLE WOMAN* is wearing three-inch spike heels is pretty effing sexist. The gowns are varied and gorgeous; why can't we have a little more variety in the footwear, too?

* Granted, as was pointed out in comments, we can only see the shoes on five women, and it's kind of hard to tell what Barbara's wearing. If you ask me, though, her visible foot definitely looks pointed, so either she's resting with her foot en pointe, or she's wearing freakin' heels.

ETA: You know what this entry needs? Beefcake.

Here, let me ruin your childhood for you.

Disclaimer: Many of those characters are from Disney movies that are NOT from my childhood, actually.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It IS gorgeous!!! :D

I RLY LOVE IT!!!

tho yus the pantsuit for the lesbian thing is.. >.>;;

I didn't even NOTICE the heels but yus that's.. ugh :(

The individualized faces are AWESOME tho, and I luff how PG looks :)

Kara's dress is :\ Apparently she thought they were going clubbing or something? XD

I have some pretty awesome dresses that would look amazing on her tho :D I'll lend her one and all will be good! :D

I WANT THAT POSTER THO :O

Oh and for the disney thing.. Milo = SO HOT :O

But then I love the Daniel Jackson kinda super hot nerd look :O *drools*

Edited 2008-04-20 09:45 (UTC)

This is what I think the problem is: All of the women, with the exception of Kate, are wearing gowns. And Kate's pantsuit is still very elegant formalwear, so it works fine. But Kara? Kara is wearing a dress. No wonder she looks so out of place. She might as well be wearing jeans... I mean, her outfit really sticks out like a sore thumb.

Yus exactly! D:

Actually, I think -- given the rebel-without-a-clue-personality Kara's developed since the last reboot -- that having a dress rather than a gopwn suits Kara. Everyone's in elegant formalwear, so she goes school dance-style because on Earth that's what girls her age wear.

It does kinda suit her personality (at least sometimes since nobody seems to be able to write her consistantly xD) but it still sticks out xD Also Earth girls her age (and her personality) also wear neat dresses and gowns to prom and such events, so I just think there are other options too :)

Admittedly, I would prolly wear a dress too XD But I have neat dresses and I'll take any excuse to wear them :]

Wouldn't Kara, being new to Earth, ask the others for help in what to wear to such an event tho? :o What do Kryptonian teenagers wear to formal events? :o

Edited 2008-04-20 22:29 (UTC)

Well, that's part of the point. It sticks out. Kara's kind of clueless this way (again, at least from what I've read).

And she hasn't been characterized as smart enough to ask what's appropriate to wear anyplace. I mean, would she wear that costume if she did ask for advice?

I mean, would she wear that costume if she did ask for advice?

Oh snap. Ten points for Ragnell!

XDDD

Apparently it was Martha Kent who made and designed it for her and Lois who picked out her "civilian" clothes for her :OOO So I guess that's where she got her Earth fashion sense from xD

Edited 2008-04-21 01:03 (UTC)

Yeah. They have one hell of mean streak between the two of them, don't they?

XD

Yus <3

They're so mean to Kara D:

Loeb Kara is def the ditzy one you speak of imo D:

Current Kara I think is smart enuf to ask what to wear tho, she seems to be more aware :) Bedard/Guedes Kara def would have, she seemed very close to the Kents and actually open to listening and learning :)

Kelly Kara would laser up the dance, scream about how crappy her life is, set the ballroom on fire and go clubbing xD

Edited 2008-04-21 01:22 (UTC)

Mmmm, I think you're right. But still, if you ask me, Kara's current personality is the result of a lot of creepy male gaze mixed with general cluelessness about how real teenage girls think and act, so... yeah.

Maybe this is just a result of me growing up and then teaching in a conservative part of the Midwest, but I've *never* seen anybody wear a dress like that to a school dance, whether a formal or informal dance. Clubbing, yes, but not to a school function.

When I was in high school I liked formal school dances because it was an opportunity - my only opportunity, really - to put on a gown and pretend that I was all adult and sophisticated. I hate to generalize, but I think that was true for a lot of girls, at least the ones who liked school dances (many didn't).

Right now I'm torn between thinking that a more realistic sixteen-year-old would really jump at the opportunity to wear a gown and show herself as equal/adult compared to the other women in that picture, or, you know... Thinking that Kara will be Kara. Rebelling without a reason or a clue. Yeah, I think that's it.

Yus :o A lot of teenage girls can't wait to put on a fancy dress or gown for formal events and stuff b/c you rly get so few chances to and it's a chance to be all awesome and adult and elegant. :D That rly is a clubbing dress. :\

And I think Kara would ask Diana and maybe PG what to wear :) And Kara's always in such a rush to prove she's an adult and stuff, I think she would feel similarly to other teenage girls and want to say "hay I'm adult and awesome too" :)

Maybe this is just a result of me growing up and then teaching in a conservative part of the Midwest, but I've *never* seen anybody wear a dress like that to a school dance, whether a formal or informal dance.

I wore stuff like that. I was pretty much clueless. >_>;

I haven't read any of the Western comics besides the X-Men, but the poster looks awesome!

As for the Disney guys, that was hilarious. I wonder if there is something like this for the Disney princesses.

Forgot to say that the poster looks like Mucha's works which I love a lot.

Oh heck, you're right! I never really thought about Adam Hughes that way before, but you're right! His style really does look like Mucha.

I was trying to choose between Hercules and Aladdin, but then I realized, I really don't have to choose, do I?

Your inner Draupadi says: Go for it!

Well, in that case, if I'm going to indulge my inner Draupadi, then I might as well do it properly and pick Hercules, Aladdin, Phoebus, Milo, and Eric.

Clearly I need to indulge my inner Draupadi more often, if it's going to be this fun.

Mmmm, Prince Eric. You are so saucy.

In response, I will further ruin your childhood by linking you to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymTzwU00JVY

Holy crap, that was AWESOME. In a bad, bad, oh so very wrong way. ;)

I'm not really into Western comics (these days, I'm not into comics, period), but that poster looks awesome. I love how the women don't look like carbon copies of each other, but I would've liked to see more varied footwear too. Come on, flats need some love too! :O

As for the Disney hero link... It's about time. *cough* I can't decide which image looks better (though I got coffee up my nose when I saw Hercules).

EGAD! My childhood!!! But, yeah, most of those aren't from my childhood either. B-but...prince Eric!!! Okay, I can see why Ariel wanted to get into a pair of legs for that.

Did I really just say that? Oh, wow.

I'm not as familiar with DC as I am with Marvel, so I only recognize a few of the characters there, even with you calling them by name. Who is a lesbian in DC world?

From left to right: Selina Kyle (Catwoman), Barbara Gordon (Oracle; formerly Batgirl), Zatanna, Dinah Laurel (Black Canary), Kara Zor-L (Powergirl), Diana of Themyscira (Wonder Woman), Kara Zor-El (Supergirl), Mari Jiwe McCabe (Vixen), Kate Kane (Batwoman; the one who's sitting), Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy), and Harleen Quinzel (Harley Quinn).

And yes, the two Karas are, long story short, alternate versions of each other that ended up in the same universe.

Right now I think the canon lesbians in the DC universe are limited to Kate Kane, Renee Montoya (The Question), Grace Choi, Holly Robinson (a short-term Catwoman), Anissa Pierce (Thunder), and Ayla Ranzz (Lightning Lass).

There's also Sigrid Nansen (Icemaiden), who is bisexual.

Ayla just smexed Karate Kid 2 issues ago tho D: And they appear to be a couple now :o

Edited 2008-04-21 01:01 (UTC)

Wow, that is a lot of lesbians. I can't think of any in the Marvel universe. I mean I've heard lots about Destiny and Mystique, but it was far from being admitted and open last I knew.

Then again, I haven't really been at all active in comics for the last several years with the exception of a few small forays, so maybe there are some or more.

Don't forget Karolina from Runaways ;), no subtext and no closet for her.

Oh wait, I am dumb! Here (http://www.gayleague.com/gay/characters/index.php) is a comprehensive list of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and other genderqueer superheroes, tagged by publisher/universe.

Oooooh, okay, clearly I just don't know a lot of characters. heh. I played in the X-Men sandbox the most. I didn't know about Ultimate Colossus, but that series took off after I stopped my intense collecting. Archangel confuses me, but I am guessing it is not Warren Worthington III since he is being called Angel again anyway. Karma is the only one I really should have known.

Cool list!

I'm so glad you identified Kate's clothes as a pantsuit. I'm afraid I thought it looked rather like pajamas. But, then, I missed the whole dress vs. gowns thing, too. I can see it now that it's been pointed out, but, yeah, I have no understanding of women's fashion. None. (I'm so doomed if I ever have to wear fancy dress)

I think the poster looks...mostly...pretty good. It would be better with a bit less cleavage, more people in flats, and Vixen in a less awkward looking pose. More pants wouldn't hurt, either - they aren't just for lesbians, really. But I love how individual they look. That's great.

I am of the opinion that Power Girl is not wearing heels.

We can't see Selina, Zatanna, Vixen or Ivy's feet, either, and honestly, Diana MIGHT just be wearing sandals -- but Power Girl? No heels. Ever.

I'd like to believe that the women without visible feet aren't wearing heels. But it still irks me that all of the women with visible feet are wearing heels.

Diana is definitely wearing heels. You can tell from the shape of her leg and the lack of foreshortening applied to her foot. That's not a flat foot facing the viewer; that's a foot en pointe.

I'm a little surprised you think Barbara's wheelchair looks "outdated." That doesn't have the canted wheels or the shorter back you see on many of the sporty push chairs, but I wouldn't call the chair outdated by any means. At very least artists have gotten out of the habit of drawing those old chrome Hospital wheelchairs.

Admittedly, I don't really know much about Oracle, and when it comes to wheelchairs, form always follows function. If Barbara has tried to remain as athletic as possible, or as independent as possible, she should probably have a different chair, but if she's put any sort of athletics behind her, or if she has someone pushing her for any period of time, then I think that chair works just fine.

Also, I can't decide whether Barbara is wearing heels or not. The angle of her right foot suggests that she might be. However you can't really see either shoe clearly enough in my opinion, and stiletto heels in a wheelchair is something of an absurdity as far as I'm concerned. I'm not going to tell a disabled lady what she should or shouldn't wear, but heels in a wheelchair? All the discomfort for none of the benefit.

I think it's only fair to point out that you can't even see the shoes of 5 out of the 11 women in the picture. There's no telling what they are wearing. It is pretty damning though that all of the shoes pictured (except for maybe Barbara's) are stilettos.

And Kate Kane... yeah... there are so many things wrong with her, I'm not sure where to start.

Overall, however, I love this poster. I might have to make that my wallpaper for awhile.

If Barbara has tried to remain as athletic as possible, or as independent as possible, she should probably have a different chair, but if she's put any sort of athletics behind her, or if she has someone pushing her for any period of time, then I think that chair works just fine.

But that's the thing, though. Barbara is extremely athletic (she's still a superhero!) and lives completely independently. She doesn't have anyone to push her around. Also, she's loaded. Whatever the most advanced currently available wheelchair technology is, you can bet that she'll be riding it.

Well, perhaps she has both a comfortable chair and a workout chair. Those sports chairs can really zip around, but after a long day of fighting crime, sometimes you just want to have a chair you can relax in. ;)

I have totally stolen the Disney heroes link because YUM.

Oh, yeah, that poster's pretty, too.

I think they should be barefoot. It'd go great with the vaguely Mucha arrangement.

Swankyposeoverload, and where is the powerful pose for Powergirl. Or is it an attempt with that awkward look to try to convey that she's like a fish out of water with girlygirl(TM) stuff?

Hmmm, I don't really see anything awkward in Powergirl's pose. It's a pretty standard glamour pose, andI don't think that it's out of character for her to be posing like that, at least not in this situation.

Hmm, english is not my first language so the meaning might be unclear. I meant that she looks awkward/bashful and not confident. Maybe the picture of power girl in my mind is incorrect, when I think of her I would think more confident looking like these:
http://www.dccomics.com/media/desktop_patterns/Justice_Society_of_America_9_800x600.jpg
http://www.dccomics.com/media/desktop_patterns/Power_Girl_1_800x600.jpg
http://www.dccomics.com/media/desktop_patterns/Infinite_Crisis_2_800x600.jpg

Maybe I'm just having a instinctive bad reaction to "women/girls of marvel/dc/etc." pictures.

I'm a bit confused. How is putting the women in heels sexist? Showing an ignorance of women's fashion, sure, but sexist?

Because it's enforcing a standard of beauty, if every single woman has the same footwear. Think of it as "options for elegance," if you will. The poster shows that there's a huge variety of formal wear that women can wear and still look sexy; from skirts to gowns to pantsuits. But yet the only "elegant" footwear that the artist could come up with was stiletto heels. So he's replicating a rather dim-witted and narrow standard of beauty in that case. And this particular standard of beauty (read: three-inch spike heels) is impractical, limits mobility, and can cause both short-term and long-term injury to a woman's feet, legs, and back.

There's no denying that heels - particularly stiletto heels - are sexist. And there's a lot of literature out there why, and I'm not going to go Feminism 101 here. But, like other sexist things (porn, stripping, a gajillion other items of women's fashion, etc), they can be reclaimed as legitimate fashion statements. But that's not what's going on here. I can understand if some of those women were wearing stiletto heels, but all of the women (with visible feet)? That's out of character, undermines the individuality that otherwise comes across for each woman, is lazy on the part of the artist, and yes, for those reasons, it's sexist.

Ah, I see. Thank you for explaining your thoughts. I disagree a bit, but I can see where you are coming from and I'm not confused anymore.

First of all, I didnt even notice that these ladies had feet, let alone that all their shoes were the same. But if anything, that makes ME sexists, not the artist. And besides, everyone knows 3 inches is well below the official whore length for pumps.

As for Supergirl, I'm pretty sure that her dress is a few inches longer than her uniform, and way less revealing. Where is the problem here? "She's 16... 'nuff said" doesnt really work in these modern troubled times of ours. I could go on, but its easier to refer you to the South Park episode with Paris Hilton. I think it was called "Stupid Spoiled Whore" (really).

The lesbian is wearing a pantsuit because that spread eagle pose really wouldn't have worked without one. I mean, it would have worked for me, but not in terms of mass marketing value. And just be grateful they used Batwoman and not Grace from the Outsiders... I know I am.

But back to the shoe thing on a serious note. Its not sexist to have a bunch of women in evening gowns wear high heels. However, it IS marginally sexist to put an already 6 foot plus AMAZON in high heels presumably just because she's a woman and in a dress. With maybe 1 exception, anyone I know that's taller than like 5'10 in real life avoids heels like the plague, because most guys won't approach someone significantly taller than they are. Perhaps that is exactly why WW strapped them on, in which case it was self-empowerment and not sexist ;)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Extremely awesome Women of the DCU poster

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If this is sexist, then comic book artists literally cannot NOT be sexist