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U.N. Drops Wonder Woman as Ambassador, Misses the Point Completely

By Bekka Supp | Politics | December 14, 2016 |

By Bekka Supp | Politics | December 14, 2016 |


This is why we can’t have nice things. The United Nations has terminated Wonder Woman’s honorary ambassadorship. The UN has ended the campaign after two months when a petition with over 45,000 signatures asked for the removal of Wonder Woman’s title. The campaign began in October, which came in celebration of Wonder Woman’s 75th anniversary as a DC Comics superhero. The ambassadorship was intended to run through 2017 (a time when we need her most, really), but will formally end this Friday.

The petition stated:

Although the original creators may have intended Wonder Woman to represent a strong and independent ‘warrior’ woman with a feminist message, the reality is that the character’s current iteration is that of a large breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring body suit with an American flag motif and knee high boots — the epitome of a “pin-up” girl. This is the character that the United Nations has decided to represent a globally important issue — that of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.

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OK.

A spokesman for the United Nations, Jeffrey Brez, tried to divert attention away from the protest by alluding to the fact that other honorary ambassadors had shorter tenures. Brez cited the Angry Birds’ character Red, who spent one day in May as an honorary ambassador for climate issues, as an example.

Let that sink in. Better yet, allow Lynda Carter to speak on why Wonder Woman was a great choice.

For 75 years, Wonder Woman has been the ultimate symbol of strength, hope, and empowerment to girls and women all over the world. From her very origin, she has been hailed as a feminist icon. To me, it made sense that the popular heroine would be such an obvious choice for the UN to choose as an Honorary Ambassador to help promote Goal 5 of their Sustainable Development initiative. It would seem that some felt that the character’s sexualization was sending the “wrong message” to young girls.

Guess the 45,000 people who signed that ridiculous petition failed to see how great of a role model Wonder Woman was. All they had to do was ask Mary Cotter, the 103-year-old woman who dressed up as Wonder Woman for her birthday. What about when Wonder Woman endorsed marriage equality? Or how about creator William Moulton Martson’s wife, Elizabeth Holloway Martson, the real life muse who inspired Wonder Woman?

Yeah. Those are terrible role models.

Air ball, UN. But you’re getting really good at that now, aren’t ya?

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