do not mistake a desire to avoid violence for the inability to deal it.
October 13, 2016 4:04 PM Subscribe
United Nations to Name Wonder Woman Honorary Ambassador [Comic Book Resources] In the DC Universe, “Wonder Woman [wiki]” has long acted as an ambassador from her native land, but soon the Themiscyran Princess will take on the role for real when she becomes UN Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls. According to a statement released by the UN, the official announcement of “Wonder Woman’s” new title will be made at an event held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Friday October 21.
Kamala Khan is already the best Ms Marvel ever.
I still can't believe they chose to do the film version of Brie Larson/Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel instead. (Or, if I'm charitable, first.)
Wonder Woman, meh. Recognizable icon, I suppose, but all that built-in sadomasochism makes her a pretty strange choice as a role model.
posted by rokusan at 4:12 PM on October 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
I still can't believe they chose to do the film version of Brie Larson/Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel instead. (Or, if I'm charitable, first.)
Wonder Woman, meh. Recognizable icon, I suppose, but all that built-in sadomasochism makes her a pretty strange choice as a role model.
posted by rokusan at 4:12 PM on October 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yeah, but...
posted by gwint at 4:25 PM on October 13, 2016 [34 favorites]
The United Nations just rejected seven female candidates vying to lead the global organization.
Now, to promote women and girls, it is picking a cartoon character as its mascot: Wonder Woman.
Yes, the comic book figure.
Dozens of countries pushed this year for a woman to be chosen as the next Secretary General, pointing out that the United Nations pledges to promote gender equality around the world and arguing that it needed to “lead by example.”
After months of internal jockeying, the Security Council last week picked António Guterres...
Shhhhhhh, gwint. Don't think about it too much.
They picked a cartoon woman asmascot Honorary Ambassador! And she has shiny gold bracelets!
posted by rokusan at 5:47 PM on October 13, 2016 [3 favorites]
They picked a cartoon woman as
posted by rokusan at 5:47 PM on October 13, 2016 [3 favorites]
Yeah, my initial reaction was why couldn't they find a real person for this role? Thanks for the link gwint.
posted by kaibutsu at 5:55 PM on October 13, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by kaibutsu at 5:55 PM on October 13, 2016 [4 favorites]
This raises an important question, namely how does one pronounce "Themiscyra".
posted by middleclasstool at 6:04 PM on October 13, 2016
posted by middleclasstool at 6:04 PM on October 13, 2016
(Also Kamala is a greeeeaaaaat choice except for the part where no one outside of nerddom knows who she is; indeed, 90% of people probably think she hangs out with that dude who says Shazam a lot?)
posted by middleclasstool at 6:09 PM on October 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by middleclasstool at 6:09 PM on October 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm not much into comics these days, but what I loved about the version of Wonder Woman I grew up with is that she was happy a lot. She had power, and she enjoyed it.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:30 PM on October 13, 2016
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:30 PM on October 13, 2016
A reason this infuriates me: one of the candidates was Christiana Figueres, who possibly saved the goddamned world by heading the UN Climate group after the failure of COP15. Much of the success of the Paris Agreement was thanks to her leadership. Imagine what she could have done running the entire UN.
posted by gwint at 7:03 PM on October 13, 2016 [15 favorites]
posted by gwint at 7:03 PM on October 13, 2016 [15 favorites]
Well, of course, an imaginary woman is a much better choice for this position. #facepalm #embarrassedbymyYchromosome #fuckthisbullshit
posted by sexyrobot at 7:41 PM on October 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by sexyrobot at 7:41 PM on October 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
Garfield was honorary ambassador in 1987 to raise awareness for lasagna and very nearly passed a resolution banning Mondays across the globe.
posted by dr_dank at 8:10 PM on October 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by dr_dank at 8:10 PM on October 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
My granddaughter has spent a good part of the last year or so hanging out with Gail Gadot and her daughter (and at 3 years old having no clue she was hangin' with Wonder Woman)... This tickles me!
posted by HuronBob at 8:40 PM on October 13, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by HuronBob at 8:40 PM on October 13, 2016 [3 favorites]
that dude who says Shazam a lot
Shaquille O'Neil?
posted by DoctorFedora at 9:21 PM on October 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Shaquille O'Neil?
posted by DoctorFedora at 9:21 PM on October 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
that dude who says Shazam a lot
Shaquille O'Neil?
Gomer Pyle?
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:04 PM on October 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
Shaquille O'Neil?
Gomer Pyle?
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:04 PM on October 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
that dude who says Shazam a lot
Shaquille O'Neil?
Gomer Pyle?
Gandhi from Clone High?
posted by DoctorFedora at 10:39 PM on October 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
Shaquille O'Neil?
Gomer Pyle?
Gandhi from Clone High?
posted by DoctorFedora at 10:39 PM on October 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
Wow. They did this now? At this point in time? Chose an imaginary woman as honorary ambassador?
This last week I've made a point of reminding myself of how far we've come in concrete ways, and making it personal in order to ground it: I have the right to vote. I can have a bank account in my name, own a home in my name. I can go to work without worrying too much about unwanted advances from managers, in large part because I am a manager, which is not something that happened very often even 20 years ago. I can sign up for and run a race with my obviously-woman name. I can live alone with two cats and a dozen tarot decks without being shunned. Just a couple hundred years ago I might have been burned at the stake for that.
But we are still not named, as another post (City of Women) points out. We, real, live women, are still not named. There are enough people who think one of our fundamental rights as citizens – in a country that prides itself on being a beacon for democracy and equality – enough people who believe our right to vote should be repealed, that it was the number one trend on Twitter yesterday.
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to see it, did it happen? If women have rights, but no one cares enough to name us in memory, nor even as living ambassadors, do we exist? Or are we just a tree, a generic noun that people hold in their imaginations?
I am so proud of the women I know who are actively making this world a better place. And yes, you, if we've spoken and/or written, I mean YOU. I want them to be recognized and seen as the role models they already are. It has to actually happen, beyond our closed circles.
posted by fraula at 2:56 AM on October 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
This last week I've made a point of reminding myself of how far we've come in concrete ways, and making it personal in order to ground it: I have the right to vote. I can have a bank account in my name, own a home in my name. I can go to work without worrying too much about unwanted advances from managers, in large part because I am a manager, which is not something that happened very often even 20 years ago. I can sign up for and run a race with my obviously-woman name. I can live alone with two cats and a dozen tarot decks without being shunned. Just a couple hundred years ago I might have been burned at the stake for that.
But we are still not named, as another post (City of Women) points out. We, real, live women, are still not named. There are enough people who think one of our fundamental rights as citizens – in a country that prides itself on being a beacon for democracy and equality – enough people who believe our right to vote should be repealed, that it was the number one trend on Twitter yesterday.
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to see it, did it happen? If women have rights, but no one cares enough to name us in memory, nor even as living ambassadors, do we exist? Or are we just a tree, a generic noun that people hold in their imaginations?
I am so proud of the women I know who are actively making this world a better place. And yes, you, if we've spoken and/or written, I mean YOU. I want them to be recognized and seen as the role models they already are. It has to actually happen, beyond our closed circles.
posted by fraula at 2:56 AM on October 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
I'm a big WW fan. But...
(FTA)
"It’s difficult to think of a hero better suited to her task."
Depends on how one defines "hero." Hell, if we're just busting heads in a good cause I'm a hero. But I sure don't think of it that way. And Superman's "every time I raise my fist I feel like I've failed" sort of comments seem to fall short when he's kicking ass every issue.
I can't count how many times I've heard "I'm a pacifist...but," used to justify violence.
And I don't see violence as “the empowerment of women and girls.” Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm an aficionado, but...
(from Marston)
"not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power."
WW scrapes her knuckles a lot more than she overcomes someone with love, which, again, I'm a fan. I see what they're going for with the choice. Strong, feminine, power of heart rather than violence, symbolic, empowering figure for children, I get it.
And yeah, plenty of good real world choices - and unquestionably Christiana Figueres.
(Some others bandied around. Tina Fey. Good entertainer. Good role model. Genuine feminist. Hero? eh.)
But even throwing in comic book heroes (and if you notice, most of the female ones are killers), when I think of strength and power, when I think of a "peacekeeper," someone who overcomes violence with love and someone who empowers women and girls, the most powerful heart, I think of Malala.
("(If they come to kill me) - You must fight others through peace and through dialogue and through education ...I want this for your children as well...now do what you want.")
If they were going for "hero", that's a Hero.
posted by Smedleyman at 11:28 AM on October 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
(FTA)
"It’s difficult to think of a hero better suited to her task."
Depends on how one defines "hero." Hell, if we're just busting heads in a good cause I'm a hero. But I sure don't think of it that way. And Superman's "every time I raise my fist I feel like I've failed" sort of comments seem to fall short when he's kicking ass every issue.
I can't count how many times I've heard "I'm a pacifist...but," used to justify violence.
And I don't see violence as “the empowerment of women and girls.” Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm an aficionado, but...
(from Marston)
"not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power."
WW scrapes her knuckles a lot more than she overcomes someone with love, which, again, I'm a fan. I see what they're going for with the choice. Strong, feminine, power of heart rather than violence, symbolic, empowering figure for children, I get it.
And yeah, plenty of good real world choices - and unquestionably Christiana Figueres.
(Some others bandied around. Tina Fey. Good entertainer. Good role model. Genuine feminist. Hero? eh.)
But even throwing in comic book heroes (and if you notice, most of the female ones are killers), when I think of strength and power, when I think of a "peacekeeper," someone who overcomes violence with love and someone who empowers women and girls, the most powerful heart, I think of Malala.
("(If they come to kill me) - You must fight others through peace and through dialogue and through education ...I want this for your children as well...now do what you want.")
If they were going for "hero", that's a Hero.
posted by Smedleyman at 11:28 AM on October 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by Fizz at 4:06 PM on October 13, 2016 [8 favorites]