Last Thursday, I went with some of my closest friends to see "Captain America: Civil War." I absolutely LOVE superhero movies, even though I never read the comics. Our car full of people walked into our VIP lounge (which is code for expensive tickets and overpriced cocktails, but it has heated, reclining seats, which is a plus!) and we braced ourselves for the 2.5 hours of superhero magic. We settled into our seats with our vodka sodas and the movie began. As the movie progressed, I was thoroughly enjoying it, but I started questioning the film's representation of women and minorities. It's fair to mention that I'm a sociology major and I just finished up a class that was entirely centered around analyzing pop culture, and now I can never stop analyzing the media I come across (double edged sword, that one). While enjoying the movie for its cinematic beauty and attractive heroes, I was consciously keeping track of how the heroines and minorities were being portrayed. Now- keep in mind that we can be critical of popular culture while still enjoying it - and in fact, it's a really good habit to get into. So, here are my four current criticisms with representation in "Civil War."
1. Emily VanCamp's on-screen romance with Steve Rogers does not further the plot.
So Peggy's niece shares an on-screen kiss with the Captain himself. For no. Apparent. Reason. Literally. There was absolutely no reason for Emily and Steve to share a kiss. There was no relationship between them, they'd met about two weeks before, and after this kiss, they never ran into each other again. So why was it necessary for Steve to kiss the niece of the woman he'd once had a relationship? Is that not weird to anyone else? Additionally, is it too much to ask for a woman in a film who doesn't have a romantic plot with a main character? I want to see a film where a strong woman doesn't feel as though she needs a man. Give me someone who sees her value defined in other ways. In 2016, we are still struggling with the notion that not all women desire or need relationships. I mean, I understand the attraction to Steve Rogers' biceps, but it is not necessary to force every woman in popular culture to be in a relationship.
2. The women do not have armor. At all.
The women in "Civil War" are kick ass warrior queens and I love them for their strength and their audacity. But for the love of God can we give them adequate armor?! Seriously - if Black Widow gets stabbed or shot in the chest, her cleavage is not going to save her. The heart is a fairly important organ, and the Avengers kinda need her bad-assery. Let's keep her safe, shall we? Same goes for Scarlet Witch. Actually, let's just apply that to all female superheroes.
3. Black Widow's fighting style is inherently sexual.
As previously mentioned, Black Widow is a badass. She is the muscle of the Avenger's squad and I love her sass. However, if you take a second and look at how she fights off the bad guys is super sexual. Who is going to realistically fight off a hoard of villains by straddling their faces? While distracting for the villain, it's ineffective and seems more like a male fantasy than a feasible fighting style.
4. The villains (or villains turned heroes) all have accents.
This one isn't necessarily unique to "Civil War," or even Marvel for that matter. My friend and feminist warrior queen sidekick, Taylor actually pointed this one out to me. "Civil War's villain Zemo had a heavy accent, and when we first met Black Panther and questioned his allegiance, his accent was extremely prominent. Since popular culture permeates our everyday lives, and foreign relations are becoming increasingly more important, the representation of villains as foreign and accented doesn't do much for our tolerance and acceptance of people from other cultures.
From a purely entertainment standpoint, "Captain America: Civil War" was a great movie. While I have some issues with how minorities are represented, we can be critical of popular culture without abandoning an entire franchise. I would recommend "Civil War" for anyone who enjoys superhero movies, as well as anyone who would enjoy examining films for their sociological implications. But hey, that may just be a hobby I enjoy.
