Wonder Woman (1975-1979)
These stills feature Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman in the TV series that ran from 1975-1979. Many people today consider Lynda Carter to be the Wonder Woman when it comes to live action representations, and her interpretation of the character is an important one. In this image, Wonder Woman is seen in her famous “power pose.” You may have been given the advice to strike this pose before going into an interview, giving a speech, or doing something else that requires confidence. Why is this a power pose? Wonder Woman throws her shoulders back and puts her hands, which are balled into fists, on her hips. Her legs are apart and she slightly cocks one hip. Her facial expression is cold; she stares with unwavering determination. Apart from her pose, her body is lithe, barely indicative of the extreme power and physical strength Wonder Woman possesses. All the physical elements of her pose here indicate to viewers that she is in charge. Commanding one’s body in this way or seeming to have absolute control over it is seen as inconsistent with most physical disabilities. We fear the “unruly bodies” of people with disabilities, and Wonder Woman eases this fear by assuring us in this image that she is in control. Without knowing Wonder Woman’s other heroic qualities – that she stands for love and justice and has a strong moral compass, among many other positive attributes – we read her in this image as beautiful, powerful, and thus good. A simple display of her physical ability suffices for viewers to quickly associate this woman with goodness. This image says without words that this is a woman we should look up to and attempt to emulate.
This ableism that reinforces our associations among beauty, physical ability, and goodness intersects with sexism. In An Analysis of Embodiment Among Six Superheroes in DC Comics, the author explains how superheroes “represent the ego ideal of Western representations of “perfect” gendered bodies” (71). Superheroes are a “hyper-embodiment,” showing the world the extreme ideal of male and female bodies. The perfect woman, then, not only embodies the unattainability of extremely large breasts, a tiny waist, etc., but is also “powerful, inhumanly strong, and able to overcome biologically inscribed human limitations” (80). Female superheroes in the media maintain their femininity since they are drawn or cast as hyper-feminine in their embodiment but remain hyper-strong, a feat that is obviously impossible in real life. The intersection of ableism and sexism in these superheroes is clearest in the author’s assertion that “men must be strong to be masculine, and women must remain feminine if they are going to be strong” (90). This placement of female empowerment first in physical femininity and beauty and then in physical ability and strength is a clear indicator of how strong women to whom we are supposed to look up are always necessarily able bodied. In this case, we see that able bodied is a term that women must live up to in both their sexual attractiveness and, if they pass this “test,” their physical ability as well.
This is another iconic Wonder Woman pose. Once again, her hands are balled into fists and her arms are the main focus in a display of physical strength. Her arms, more specifically her cuffs, are what shield her from flying bullets. They are her defense as well as a huge part of her offense. Her arms and fists frame her face, seeming to indicate that this physicality is the essence of Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman kneels in her high-heeled boots but retains a partial pose similar to the previous photo with her arm and fist raised. In this photo we can really see the impracticality of her outfit; she wears high-heeled boots and a low-cut revealing top. Surely she can’t be wearing a sports bra with this corset. As in the images of Rosie, Wonder Woman must remain feminine if she is going to be strong. Heavy eye makeup, earrings, and those high-heeled boots supplement her already very feminine outfit. Her hair appears perfectly curled with what can be interpreted as a tiara, and even her cuffs that help her in battle look like matching bracelets. Would this image be as effective and inspiring if Wonder Woman’s appearance was average? Beauty as ability, and beauty as strength is on display in this image.
Noteworthy here is the similarity of the pose to Rosie’s pose in the classic “We Can Do It!” Poster. An unsurprising theme emerges, as her other arm is once again placed on her waist. In a way, this pose is a combination or variation of the famous Rosie pose and the famous Wonder Woman power pose.
This image provides a great example of the intersection of sexism and ableism. Wonder Woman touches her neck in a display of femininity. Touching your neck is read in a feminine way. It often indicates timidity and insecurity. However, her arms are once again raised. She also appears to be flipping her hair back, obviously also read as a feminine gesture. Her raised arms complement her chest by lifting. In this image, Wonder Woman looks more like she is about to go to a beauty pageant than out to battle. On the surface, there is nothing wrong with being feminine in this way. However, a majority of women cannot live up to the body proportions and perfection embodied in this image.
