I saw this article today written on Geeknative.com. The artist Michael Lee Lunsford decides to see what some of the most well known super heroines would look like to us "Fully Dressed". It explores how differently would we perceive these empowered women when they have more clothing on.
The title "Drawing the impossible?" really strikes me. I think this article's author has already begun the experiment in perceptions when the author thinks a women's empowerment is in jeopardy when she decides to wear pants. While I appreciate seeing super heroines in various states of dress rather than the normative bullet proof nudity, do we really still have to go through this song and dance? Are our expectations still so shallow regarding empowered women and how much clothing they are currently wearing? Women are still the object. Let's not determine my empowerment on clothes. Super Woman can wear sweat pants or be nude, but she is still Super Woman.
I understand that sexuality is still something that we attribute to power, but how does our identity become minimized into a choice of clothing? I'm tired of women superheros having their abilities quantified by what they wear. I don't remember having any conversations about Batman's choice of clothing in relation to his super ability, and we never complain that he isn't more stylish despite his never ending supply of money. Superman does appear weaker because he wears different clothing, but his superpowers never leave him because he doesn't have his tights on.
Go ahead let Psylocke wear pants if she wants to, she's still going to be awesome.
The title "Drawing the impossible?" really strikes me. I think this article's author has already begun the experiment in perceptions when the author thinks a women's empowerment is in jeopardy when she decides to wear pants. While I appreciate seeing super heroines in various states of dress rather than the normative bullet proof nudity, do we really still have to go through this song and dance? Are our expectations still so shallow regarding empowered women and how much clothing they are currently wearing? Women are still the object. Let's not determine my empowerment on clothes. Super Woman can wear sweat pants or be nude, but she is still Super Woman.
I understand that sexuality is still something that we attribute to power, but how does our identity become minimized into a choice of clothing? I'm tired of women superheros having their abilities quantified by what they wear. I don't remember having any conversations about Batman's choice of clothing in relation to his super ability, and we never complain that he isn't more stylish despite his never ending supply of money. Superman does appear weaker because he wears different clothing, but his superpowers never leave him because he doesn't have his tights on.
Go ahead let Psylocke wear pants if she wants to, she's still going to be awesome.