Zarban wrote:fireproof78 wrote:Um, I saw some outrage with Megan Fox (read, small outcry on other boards) but I think the reason this sparks protest is because....
This smells of rationalization. Like a missing-pretty-white-girl case making big news on CNN, the real reason is that nothing much else was going on.
There is absolutely nothing objectively different or worse about the marketing of Black Widow.
It might be be rationalization, though I am trying to understand the metric you are using to measure this objectively.
I never claimed to be objective-I think, like others have posted, it is growing awareness of sexism that comes from education and personal growth.
But, I am striving for objectivity and will attempt to answer your statement as to why I think it is worse in the Avengers' marketing.
Warning: Rant ahead.
First of all, my point has been, and continues to be, comics are institutionalized sexism in their portrayal of females. There are some exceptions, but for the most part, especially the covers, they are designed to titillate the male audience in to buying them. If you would prefer more objective assessment, I have no doubt that I can find studies regarding comics and their portrayal of women.
The Avengers is not new in this however I think it has brought it more to the awareness of the public consciousness something that has been a part of Western, specifically American, society for many, many years. There are other examples, as many have pointed out, of women being portrayed as little more than sexualized set decorations.
This brings me to the difference between Megan Fox and the Black Widow. Please read this carefully because I feel like I am repeating myself with no one picking up this point. In Transformers, Megan Fox's character (its bad because I can't remember her name) is little more than eye candy for the male audience-I am not denying this. Its been brought up so so I will qualify it.
Megan Fox is not a "character" in the movie sense-she is a cardboard cut out with breasts and butt, a token girl for the male lead. That is all she is. The marketing of her was little more than the trailer shot of her flaunting her equipment. I think a fan edit of the movie could remove her or replace her with anyone else and there would not be a noticeable difference. As one reviewer I listened to commented on Transformers, the fact that she can "fix anything" (paraphrase) is little more than a statement about her character-we never actually see her fix cars or do anything that makes her sympathetic.
Of course, this is nothing new, but I call it out because it was a point made earlier. Yes, sexism exists, yes, it happens in other movies. Sorry if I am now calling it out in the Avengers.
In the Avengers, as commented on by the panel, Black Widow is a character. She has motivation, a past, emotions and concerns and also demonstrates an ability to hold her own against intimidating foes. She felt like a real person, someone we care about as an audience and can identify with to one degree or another. She is more than her looks-Black Widow demonstrates the ability to be on par with her male counterparts rather than a damsel in distress or token sexy girl in a group of men.
Why is it worse? To me, it is worse for two reasons. Please take the time to read them before dismissing me as overreacting to the Avengers and not other things.
1. As stated, Avengers takes time to create Black Widow as a person, a character with motivation and goals that are relevant to the story being told. She is presented as a person in the movie but not marketed as such. The movie poster that started this whole discussion is a great example, but is not the only example. Actions figures, posters, sculptures etc, present the male members of the team in action poses, while the Black Widow gets a passive stance, sometimes without a gun, barring cleavage and making sure her butt fills out the tight outfit. So, while presented as a full character in the movie, she is marketed as a token female, boobs, butt and boots.
2. Avengers is worse because of the target audience, just like I believe that comics are worse because of their target audience, of young males, 8-14. While there is obviously a larger market for them, comic book reading starts at a young age. So, while we here (at least the majority), are able to take objective view of material presented, a young audience does not. And this is not just my own take on things-psychologists for decades have proven that childhood attitudes are taught and ingrained from a young age. Behaviors presented to them are often acted out in their lives. Attitudes are learned and acted upon.
And like I said, it is not the movie-it is the marketing, its the toys that are being targeted towards a younger audience (Again, target audience not the adult collectors or fans out there). So, while there may not be any objective measure, I object to presenting Black Widow as a sex symbol to young kids, and my objection is also towards comics in general, which are also marketed towards a younger crowd.
Ok, rant over. My concern extends beyond the movie and towards the portrayal other marketing. Maybe it si because I have kids that I notice these things-I'm in the toy aisle a lot 
These are merely observations that extend to recognizing a larger problem within the culture at large.
By the way, my view is hardly extreme feminist. Here is a blog that is even more so-http://www.femmagazine.com/2012/08/08/i … ng-sexism/
Alright, let the dismantling begin 
