Sexism In Movies

Since the first documented comics in America were published in 1842 comic books have become an entertainment form that is deeply entrenched in modern media and society as a whole. The expansive worlds found within comic books and movies can give us rich and detailed stories that capture the imagination as well as provide an opportunity to learn new values. However, despite the many deep and insightful messages taught throughout comic books and movies, there is an undercurrent of sexist imagery and ideals perpetrated throughout comics and their associated media that can be considered damaging to the way women are expected to look and behave. The hard truth is that sexism is present in comic books and superhero films and is a definite downside to the otherwise imaginative and colorful world of comics.
Take a look at any male superhero, and you are sure to find a plot in his story that revolves around a wife, girlfriend, or daughter being taken from him. Female characters may be kidnapped, beaten, or even killed as she is used as a plot device to further the story or deepen the character of the male superhero who loves her. The way these women are treated is called objectification, in that the woman is treated as an object to be stolen from a man. A common trope dealing with this objectification of a woman is the ‘Damsel in Distress’. In this archetype a woman is placed into a dangerous situation, and requires the help of a man to rescue her, taking away her autonomy. The damsel in distress is not the only sexist trope to be found within comics, and the objectification of women can be viewed in many more