'Wonder Woman' Whining or...This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Written by Kate McHargue

For the past week the internet has been swirling with articles and Op Eds about the (apparently) controversial Women Only screening of DC’s Wonder Woman. The screening, originally presented by the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, now has several sister screenings at Alamo Drafthouse locations around the country. They have billed the event as a way to celebrate the superheroine and her legacy, specifically stating,

'Apologies, gentlemen, but we’re embracing our girl power and saying 'No Guys Allowed' for one special night at the Alamo Ritz. And when we say 'Women (and People Who Identify As Women) Only', we mean it. Everyone working at this screening—venue staff, projectionist, and culinary team—will be female.'

Yet if the comments section of the Alamo Drafthouse Austin page shows us anything, it’s that not everyone is happy with the idea of a woman only screening.

The arguments against the event ranged from the seemingly logical…

​To the outright absurd…

Two things were made clear from this outpouring of concern. One, that whoever runs the Alamo Drafthouse Austin Facebook page is having none of it. And two, this is why geek women can’t have nice things!

I’m sure someone somewhere might read that sentence and crack their knuckles in preparation for typing some good ol’ fashioned internet trolling. Still others might be prepared with the standard 'Not all men…' or the 'I don’t need feminism because I don’t hate men' arguments. To these individuals I will simply say this and get the comment war out of the way:

1. Do your worst, internet trolls. I guarantee you I’ve heard worse shouted at me on street corners.
2. Of course not all men…but enough men.
3. Feminism doesn’t limit men. It empowers women.

Now that we have those fundamental understandings taken care of, let’s get back to the Wonder Woman screening and why it shouldn’t be a big deal. At least, not for the reason it apparently is.

Say what you like about geek culture being inclusive but we have our issues just like every other community. We could talk about all manner of stereotypes and prejudices that exist in geek culture, but for now let’s focus on how it is still very much a male dominated space. Firstly, thanks to those who participate in the policing of geek culture. Secondly, due to the businesses that directly advertise to and profit from geek culture. 

When I say 'policing' of geek culture, I mean the ways in which people in this community define being a 'true' geek or fan and how anyone who doesn’t measure up to this standard is mocked, excluded, or seen as somehow lesser. Any and all geeks can experience this but there are a few painfully prevalent examples when it comes to geek women. The 'Gamer Girl' stereotype, for instance. On the one hand, women who enjoy video games but are not die hard collectors or players are often mocked for their novice and harassed in virtual spaces. On the other hand, women who are die hard gamers and have proven themselves as such are told that they are better than and different from other women. The implication here is that to be a geek is to be male and to be accepted by male geeks is to be stripped of your solidarity with other women. And this is just one example of the way women are forced to meet certain standards to be included. Don’t even get me started on the double standards in cosplay and representation.
 
Then you have the companies that profit from geek culture. These are the companies that make the movies, the comics, the TV shows, the video games, the merchandise that we love and that draws us closer into the worlds we hold so dear. But these are also the companies that spend nearly half as much money on products that appeal to women and the comics/movies/TV shows that have greater female representation. And this has been proven time and time again with geek women proclaiming love and gratitude for steps towards inclusion only to be met with tone deaf products and condescending justifications for why more progress isn’t being made. The favorite excuse of nearly every studio is to say, 'there just isn’t a demand for that.' Never mind the fact that geek women have literally been demanding more representation for years, now it seems as though our demands were answered and we finally have a blockbuster directed by a woman and starring quite possibly the most iconic female superhero! And yet DC and Warner Bros. refuse to give it the pomp and circumstance it deserves.
​
Think back to the last few major super hero blockbusters and their advertising campaigns. Captain America: Civil War, Suicide Squad, Doctor Strange, even Batman v. Superman got plenty of air time. There were countdowns to trailer releases, TV spots, magazine spreads, billboards, and you couldn’t go shopping without seeing a toy, candy bar, or major restaurant chain advertising the latest male super hero. What has Wonder Woman gotten? Nearly half that exposure and a pairing with ThinkThin. That’s right, they are using the story of a literal goddess who saves the world…to sell diet products.

So in the face of this constant policing of our geekness and the blatant disregard from studios, geek women have decided to claim more space for themselves. The women only screening of Wonder Woman is just another link in a long chain of demand for more inclusion.

This is probably the point where someone will say, 'But Kate, how can you say that the end goal is inclusion when the 'women only' screening is, by definition, exclusionary?' To that I say, while you may be correct in the literal definition of those two words, you are speaking about a single instance in which women will have a geek space all to themselves to rejoice in the miracle that is a Wonder Woman movie. I am speaking about the way in which this single instance is just a baby step in the journey towards not feeling the need for a women only screening. Hopefully one day, geek culture and the companies that monopolize it will fully respect the women who make up such a large part of this community. Until then, women have spent enough time fighting for inclusion in male dominated spaces. I think we’ve earned a single night all to ourselves.

---