What are major arguments O’Reilly presents in this article? “Once again, the identity of female superheroes’ accusers reinforces the idea that heroism for women has its limitations.” Female superhero- oxymoron. Women aren’t supposed to be feminine and aggressive. “Until the use of this narrative technique to limit women’s roles as fully recognized subjects—as heroines in their own right—is discontinued, the ‘‘equal fights’’ described by the Powerpuff Girls will continue to be absent from superhero television series.” ‘‘Wonder Woman’s on equal footing with the other heroes. She’s just as strong, just as powerful as all these guys’’ – setting as a precedent for future female superheroes Why is O’Reilly a credible writer? She received a PhD in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. Her research interests include the representation of powerful female characters on television and in young adult fiction. Clearly showing she has extensive knowledge on Wonder Woman leading to her writings being credible.
Why is it important for her to include the Powerpuff Girls in the article? The Powerpuff girls, as a Saturday morning cartoon, might be more accessible to many people than a comic book character that. Additionally, they are superheros with the same femininity of Wonder Woman with the added youth of being children. Metaphor that represents what Wonder Woman stands for. Charmed and Buffy are examples of female heroes having to submit to oversight. How do the Tribunal (Charmed) and the Watchers Council (Buffy) demonstrate difference between female and male heroes. Can you think of any examples where a male hero faces such conditions? In Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer the Female superheros obey the council whereas male superheros defy them. Buffy is forced to complete the trials of the Watchers Council in order to keep her powers, while superheroes like Thor or Clark Kent from Smallville *are able to defy trials and break the rules while still keeping their powers. O’Reilly writes on page 278: ‘ Based on these opposing power positions, the trials experienced by male superheroes differ significantly from those experienced by their female counterparts.’ How does the interaction between Kal-El and Jor-El highlight the notion of a mock trial? Why is that important?
Males get to control their own trials, whereas females aren’t given a choice. Similarly Clark determines the outcome of his own trial. How does the male ‘trial’ differ from the female trial, according to O’Reilly? “Wonder Woman set a precedent of deference for future superpowered woman, whereas Superman set a precedent of assumed autonomy for future superpowered men.” (278) Most trials are designed to prove the superheroes worthiness. The female superhero trials are designed so that they must demonstrate and defend their abilities. Why is ‘female superhero’ an oxymoron? “Because she (Wonder Woman) is both feminine and aggressive” (pg 280) Most people see femininity and aggression as mutually exclusive. Why is Wonder Woman not unique? How is it that she could have been replaced while Superman and Batman could not?
The trials of these female superheroes emphasize the successive nature of their power; while each female superhero may be unique to her generation, others have come before and probably will come after. While Diana won the ‘‘bullets and bracelets’’ challenge to be proclaimed the strongest soldier of the Amazon’s, had she failed, one of her Amazon sisters would have fulfilled her role as Wonder Woman in America. Ultimately there will always be another Wonder Woman or female superhero, whereas Superman or Batman are their own thing- only one. As a group, locate one other interesting part of the article to discuss? What did you choose and why? One interesting part of the article was “Buffy Summers,” in which it discusses Buffy’s similarities to Wonder Woman. For one, it discusses how Buffy was the “Chosen One,” and discovers her powers and abilities. Additionally, through being armed, Buffy is capable to defeat her enemies, as is Wonder Woman.
