Superhero films often exhibit assertive, outspoken female characters. Yet they often simultaneously objectify women’s bodies, reduce them to ancillary love interests or perpetuate gender stereotypes. So when I heard that Pepper Potts would have a more active role in Iron Man 3, I was excited yet remained cautiously skeptical.
The Team
Megan Kearns
Megan Kearns is a feminist vegan blogger and freelance writer living in Boston. She blogs at The Opinioness of the World, a site she founded in 2010 focusing on gender equality and living vegan. A Bitch Flicks Contributor, Megan reviews film, television and media from a feminist perspective. She earned her B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology from UMass Amherst and a Graduate Certificate in Women and Politics and Public Policy from UMass Boston. You can follow Megan on Twitter at @OpinionessWorld.
Recent blog posts written by Megan Kearns
‘How I Met Your Mother’ One of the Few TV Shows to Explore a Childfree Life for Women
I was ready. Poised to be pissed. For the first half of last season’s How I Met Your Mother(HIMYM) episode “Symphony of Illumination,” I sat on the couch, scowling perpetually.
In the previous episode “The Rebound Girl,” we learn journalist Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) and playboy Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris)’s adulterous one night stand (although is it really a one night stand if you’ve slept together and dated before?? But I digress…), resulted in Robin telling Barney she was pregnant.
No, ‘Oz the Great and Powerful,’ We Don’t Need More Male-Centric Fairy Tales
After seeing Oz the Great and Powerful, I was annoyed. And angry. Everything in the film revolves around one dude: James Franco as Oscar Diggs aka Oz. Bleh. It’s a patriarchal dream come true. Women in the film fawn over Oz, swoon over him, make googly eyes at him, get enraged by him and arguably [...]
Is ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ the Most Feminist Action Film Ever?
Warning: Spoilers ahead Can an action film portray exquisitely choreographed fighting scenes, badass fully dimensional ladies, tragic romantic love and make a searing social statement? Yes, yes, yes. One of my favorite films, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an undoubtedly feminist action film with a potent gender commentary woven throughout. In Ang Lee’s lyrical, Oscar-winning wuxia masterpiece, the lives of 3 [...]
Contest Raises Awareness for Violence Against Women Through Music: Interview with Pixel Project Founder Regina Yau
Rape, rape culture, domestic violence, and violence against women impact us all. The Pixel Project, a virtual, volunteer-led nonprofit, works to eradicate violence against women globally. They are currently running the Valentine 2013 YouTube Cover Carnival contest to raise awareness through the power and artistry of music. They dedicated the contest to Jyoti Singh Pandey, [...]
‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Raises Questions On Gender and Torture, Gives No Easy Answers
Originally published at Bitch Flicks. Cross-posted with permission.| Warning: Spoilers ahead! Driven, relentless, bad-ass women in film always hold a special place in my heart. Ripley from Alien and Aliens, Patty Hewes from Damages, Carrie Mathison from Homeland. Maya, the female protagonist of Zero Dark Thirty, is no exception. But can a film be feminist [...]
2013 Athena Film Festival Lineup: Films on Women & Leadership
Get excited for the 3rd annual Athena Film Festival! The festival features narrative films, documentaries, short films along with panels and workshops for filmmakers — all focusing on women’s leadership. Co-founded by Melissa Silverstein and Kathryn Kolbert, the festival runs from February 7-10 in New York City at Barnard College. Kathryn Kolbert, Athena Film Festival Co-Founder and [...]
The Myth of “Pro-Life Feminism”
Alright. Let’s get this out of the way right now. There is no such thing as “pro-life” feminism. It’s a myth, kind of like fairytale happy endings or the abominable snowman. You can’t have feminism without equality. In fact its most basic definition, according to feminist icon Dr. bell hooks, is “feminism is a movement [...]
‘Les Miserables,’ Sex Trafficking & Fantine as a Symbol for Women’s Oppression
Some writers, like professor Stacy Wolf, have enjoyed yet criticized the film adaptation of Les Miserables for not being feminist enough and turning the female characters into “bit players.” Whileothers have lauded its feminism. Sure it irks me yet another film focuses on the journey, salvation and redemption of a man. We clearly have enough of those. But that ignores [...]
Does ‘Argo’ Suffer from a Woman Problem and Iranian Stereotypes?
When I saw Argo in the theatre, I wasn’t really expecting to have a whole lot to say regarding gender in the film. In the majority of the trailer, all you see is men, men, brief glimpse of the women, and more men. Did Argo reaffirm my fears of making women silent and invisible? Based on the 1979 Tehran [...]