This guest post by Natalie Wilson previously appeared at Skirt Collective and is cross-posted with permission.
Black Widow has far more clothing than Wonder Woman. The fact that this seems worthy of noting is not the greatest recommendation for super-heroes as a vehicle for feminism. Yet, Wonder Woman was created by a feminist – and envisioned AS a feminist super-hero (as documented in Jill Lepore’s book, The Secret History of Wonder Woman).
Are Black Widow and Scarlet Witch feminist heroes as well? In my book, yes. However, some of their fellow super-heroes (and the actors who play them) don’t make the feminist cut due to their propensity for “rape jokes” and slut-shaming (Tony Stark is guilty of the former, while Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans of the latter, as discussed here and here).
As discussed in “An Open Letter to Joss Whedon from a Disappointed Feminist Fan After Watching ‘Age of Ultron,’” Whedon has “maintained, loudly and publicly, that you were on the side of making that world a better, more welcoming, more nuanced place for women — as fictional characters, and as viewers.” Yet, as the post documents, Black Widow’s story arc is disappointing from a feminist perspective while Black Widow’s powers ally with those “dreamed up by men who are terrified of women.”
Alas, while I went in fully expecting to start itching to leave early, Avengers: Age of Ultron kept me hooked until the end. A large part of this is thanks to Black Widow and Scarlet Witch, and, yes, as much as I was NOT a fan of the Iron Man sequels and feel Tony Stark is a high-octane-asshole, I still have a soft spot for Robert Downey Jr. I blame the 80s.
Age of Ultron may suffer from a bit of Smurfette Syndrome, but Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow is a complex character with a rich backstory, not just a sidekick. In this film, she is shown to be friends with Laura Barton, is called Auntie by the Barton/Hawkeye children, and interacts with Dr. Helen Cho, Maria Hill, and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch all in ways NOT about romance with a man, making the film pass the Bechdel Test several times over.
The scene with her blazing after Ultron on a motorcycle was one of the highlights of the film for me (though I could have done without the “I am always having to pick up after you boys” joke when she grabs Captain America’s shield from the road). Regarding action, super-hero skills, and the ability to banter (an aspect of the film many reviewers like the most), there is not much of a gender differential. The inclusion of a “rape joke” and the perpetuation of the infertile-women-as-monstrous trope detract from this more egalitarian super-hero world, however.
Yet, thankfully, one of the additions to the Avengers team – Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch – gives Black Widow another woman to fight the good fight with. Like another female associated with red and witchery, Carrie White, Wanda’s primary skills are mind manipulation and telekinesis. In one scene, as she stops a train with her mind, her hands emit enough bright red to rival Carrie’s scarlet-hued infamy.
I gotta admit super-hero films are not my favorite genre – not by a long-shot. That I stayed until the credits means the film kept me engrossed, providing enough story arcs to keep me interested– especially the Black Widow/Hulk romance theme. Ironically, this sub-plot irked me the most.
On the one hand, I enjoyed it, which made me feel like a bad feminist. Why? Because when films/genres that need not bring romance into the plot do so in overt ways, I feel as if we are back to the “women are only good as lovers/girlfriends/wives” meme. I like romance as much as any normal human does that lives in a culture such as ours, but need we pair off the entire planet hetero-monogomous style EVEN in our super-hero movies? (Please, SOMEONE, make a queer-positive Batwoman film!)
On the other hand, I also loathed it for its May/December connotations. Johansson is 30, Ruffalo 47. Imagine if Natasha was instead paired with someone near her own age? GASP. What a concept.
Further, the scenes where Black Widow takes Hulk’s huge hand to calm him back into his nice-guy-Bruce- Banner-self are too redolent of Beauty taming the Beast. And, given as the Hulk is presented as the MOST monstrous, so monstrous it is not safe for him to be around civilians, should it bother us that Natasha pines for the Green Guy? Sure, Bruce is a nice guy, but his “alter ego” has a wee bit of an anger management issue.
Hulk is, I must admit, a better choice than Iron Man/Tony Stark, he of wealth-amassed-via-militarism. With lines like “I see a suit of armor around the world,” the film itself nods to his pro-weapon-douchery. Further, the super-hero twins were orphaned due to a weapon labeled “Stark,” a point Wanda emphasizes. Later, she points out Ultron’s earth-destroying impulses come from the person who designed him, Tony Stark:
“Ultron can’t tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it…where do you think he gets that?”
Thus Tony, in my book, is horrible partner material (a fact that escapes the naïve Bruce Banner). He jokes about reinstating “Prima Nocta” (which sanctions rape), creates yet another world-destroying weapon via Ultron, and even scolds Natasha, “you and Banner better not be playing hide the zucchini” (ha ha, so funny to think about the BIG green man and the Black Widow boning… thank goodness the joke didn’t use a “black hole” reference as well…) Nevertheless, as I will admit, Downey is great in the role. He makes Tony the guy you love to hate.
Speaking of hate, I full on HATED the fact Black Widow cries when she reveals she was sterilized. As this post so clearly elucidates, in so doing, she equates “infertility with inhumanity.”
Finally, despite the seat-gripping special effects and a good mix of action, dialogue, and character building, I found it very hard to watch so much realistically rendered destruction due to current real world events. Buildings being demolished, the mass destruction of cities, police in riot gear, terrified humans running for their lives, stony-faced armed militia, and a long-closing arc that brings earthquakes to mind are all a bit too close to contemporary realities. Of course, this is what the super-hero genre is all about – I get it –imagining how fictional heroes could save us from tragedy. Nevertheless, it was hard to get into super-hero-cheering mode, even with Whedon’s masterful world-building. This, coupled with Black Widow’s “monstrous” infertility and Tony-Stark-douchery, made the film less enjoyable from a feminist perspective than the bulk of Whedon’s oeuvre.
Feminism insists “the personal is political” and that fictional media has a powerful role in our interactions with the real world – and, while the filmmakers could not have known the release of the movie would come shortly after a devastating earthquake, they do know that such tragic events are common place. As such, why not at least nod to how these very personalized super-heroes could serve as conduits for thinking about solving real world problems or condemn them for the problems they perpetuate – such as the “ha, ha, ha, rape is so funny” attitude.
The 3-D world that surrounds us could really use some more feminist super-hero powers – maybe next time Whedon wants to dust off his WMST degree before making his final cut?
Natalie Wilson teaches women’s studies and literature at California State University, San Marcos. She is the author of Seduced by Twilight and blogs for Ms., Girl with Pen and Bitch Flicks.
I loved Scarlet Witch and I am so excited to see more of her! She’s very interesting: as Elizabeth Olsen mentioned, she is very much overstimulated because of her powers, and I’d like to see how that manifests in the future considering the sharp changes in her life. House of M isn’t possible but there’s still the chance of all kinds of world-shattering hijinks with this girl around!
Also, I somehow I get the feeling (or its just my wishful hoping) that Black Widow will be a mentor/sister figure to her; I am so excited to see if that will come to pass. They’d make a great team.
(and it has nothing to do with feminism but I loved the Vision he was greeeaaattt)
Thanks for your comment Alexis. I also got the idea that Black Widow will serve as a mentor to Scarlet Witch – especially from that last closing scene where she and Captain America are positioned as mentors.
Two things
“Wonder Woman was created by a feminist – and envisioned AS a feminist super-hero (as documented in Jill Lepore’s book, The Secret History of Wonder Woman).” I’m not sure how much of a feminist he really was, I read some really fucked up things about him
“Speaking of hate, I full on HATED the fact Black Widow cries when she reveals she was sterilized. As this post so clearly elucidates, in so doing, she equates “infertility with inhumanity.””
I’m really not sure the correlation was between infertility and inhumanity, as I said in the other post, to me was really clear that it was about killing people, as BW states: it made it easier to carry the missions (or something like that), I didn’t even dislike the fact that she cries, it was a vulnerable moment between two people that care for each other and you can assume that she hasn’t said that to many people, and that it still may affect her considering that she is with the avengers as a way to pay for what she has done (in her on mind anyway)
What I found bothering was that Banner considered that what she wants is a house and a family, and that JW considered that it was a topic to toss to the mix.
But, that is my opinion
Why does it bother you that he might have been bothered by his inability to give her a normal life (and guess what–a home and kids is frequently considered part of a normal life for human beings of all genders. It is in fact the reason that there still are human beings.)
Joebags,
I don’t know that I agree with your suggestion that home/kids is “normal life” – the nuclear family is a construct that supports heteropatriarchal capitalism. Other societies used different models historically which might have meant there was MORE variety of human beings now if colonizers had not killed off many of these peoples.
Also, I am not uncomfortable with your that suggests Brice will “give her a normal life” as this suggests the whole male breadwinner/head of household model.
Who said anything about a nuclear family? There all sorts of families that come together all sorts of ways. Why is it that something so basic to humans of all sorts everywhere is so monstrous?
My mom and dad wanted a home and kids. So I exist and so does my brother. I don’t particularly want kids, but my brother did and my nieces and nephews are a blast and the home that he and his wife created is one of my favorite places to go to on the face of the Earth. I don’t know anything about you, but I certainly hope that your mother wanted and cherished you. How is it that something so basically and necessarily human has gotten turned into a “construct?”
Nostle Xoc, there may be “fucked up things” about WW’s creator, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is not a feminist – feminists, like all humans, are not perfect. But I have not come across such things so can’t comment adequately on this.
I really felt there was a correlation as BW calls herself a monster, indicating infertility is part of her “monstrousness.” I don’t recall Hulk linking his ability to have children to his own monstrosity, though he did express regret.
Point taken on WW, if I remember to look for the article were I read the spooky stuff I’ll posted here. The other one, I’m not even sure BB considers himself to be infertile, but, I’ll check the movie again this weekend just because if you are right it is a really bad thing to imply.
I saw the film yesterday and I don’t remember Natalia interacting in any significant way, if at all, with Dr. Cho, Maria Hill or Wanda, and only the briefest of exchanges with Laura about her unborn son. Saying that it passes the B-test even at all seems to me a stretch, much less several times over.
Ben, I recall most of the interaction being in group settings and I certainly would have liked more… but, heck, at least they were not just chatting about what super-dude they find the hottest…
…of course, Dr. Cho does have that line about Thor (which was funny and I liked), and otherwise exists to “birth” The Vision, Maria Hill’s big moment is about how butch the guys are being, Wanda’s biggest attachment is to her brother (not without motive), and Laura’s sole definition is in relation to Hawkeye…
All those people that think she was equating being sterile with being monstrous have missed the point of that scene, all those flashbacks she was having and most of the movie.
Joebags, The nice thing about art is that it invites multiple interpretations – not one “point” that people who disagree with other interpretations “miss.”
Failing to take into account the context of a line of dialogue and how it might relate to a work as a whole aren’t intepreting things differently. They are missing the point.
” “Every once in a while, matters of opinion stray over into errors of fact.”–Roger Ebert
There’s a difference between missing the intended point and thinking the scene failed to illustrate it.
Hi Natalie, I really liked your take on the latest Avengers movie. I’d like to add my two cents regarding Black Widow’s story arc. It’s been established that her sense of shame comes from being a murderer. I really liked that Captain America notes that just because you work for a different organization/country/ideology doesn’t mean you aren’t committing the same acts.
I enjoyed her back story a lot. They were rich and they set the stage for her own movie which Scarlett has proven to be beyond capable of doing although there isn’t anything in the works… Sigh. Now I only saw the movie once in theaters last weekend so I’ll take your word on the infertility=monster line. For me it seems like her sense of shame/monstrosity comes from her past as a killer more than the infertility.
Forced and non consenting sterilization is such a real and violent act. There’s a history of extermination and treating people from developing countries like animals. (Peace corps in Bolivia and Puerto Rican women unknowingly serving as guinea pigs for birth control pills in the 60’s to name a few) Its history is uncomfortable for many to discuss because it involves western culture (United States) imposing itself in such a violent way. While Black Widow’s storyline differs, she’s still forced into a life she hasn’t chosen. She didn’t ask to be trained as a mercenary. And her reproductive rights were violently taken from her which honestly justifies her tears.
I would be more inclined to agree with the crying about infertility being a problem if the storyline were about a woman who voluntarily tied her toobs because she decided children weren’t for her and was bullied for it. However Black Widow’s storyline is interesting and has depth. I like the nod to violent non consentual sterilization. I guess I take more issue with why her movie isn’t even in the works. I’m also looking forward to more Scarlet Witch!
Further, the super-hero twins were orphaned due to a weapon labeled “Stark,” a point Wanda emphasizes.
One thing I do like about the film is that it essentially takes as read that there’ll be people in the world to whom it’s not immediately obvious that a team bankrolled by a playboy industrialist like Tony Stark, and led by a guy literally called Captain America, is one that will stand up for them as unhesitatingly as it did New York. The Maximoff twins have no reason to trust the Avengers – no reason *they* know of at least – and that fact is respected, to the point of having Steve empathise with them.
(Also, I have to say, Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor Johnson did a cracking job of selling the twins as having had no one in the world but each other for far too long).
I think Wanda’s main relationship in Civil War will be with Cap, given they are both alone having lost all the people from their old lives. They emphasised his empathy for her and she backed off after attacking him at the Hydra base and Stark seemed to feel that she went easy on Cap.