Echoes of a Sunday artist

You’re competent, cool and brave, but if you’re a female Avenger, you get erased by Disney.

I saw  Age of Ultron, the last Avenger movie, and applauded at the cool action scenes avec amusement, with Black Widow (played by Scarlet Johansson). It was a treat to see her jump from the Quinjet and retrieve the shield «forgotten » by Captain America, with cool effects.

Then, I learned about the lack of merchandising (the big revenue for movie) Hasbro not only erased Black Widow from her own scene, it put Captain America in it. (My favorite Comic Shop does exist and sells action figures and cards, plus holds various artist’s meetings, but the scene is fictional. )

The erasure of Black Widow from her own scene in a toy merch had made the news. You may say it’s just toys, but… think of the message it sends, to girls. The action figures and toys are decided upon by commercials following a target group optimization practice.

A tweet (in fact, three that I put together) resumes the problem (hashtag=#wheresNatasha )

“What really burns me re: erasing female superheroes, whether Gamora or Widow or Scarlet Witch, etc:
1) it tells girls they’re not worthy  and
2) it tells boys that girls are to be ignored & erased. Because seriously, like there aren’t little boys out there who love Black Widow?”

One Marvel exec actually said: “That’s not why Disney bought us. They already have the girls’ market on lockdown.” With Brave and Frozen princesses, there’s no incentive to make more Marvel merch for women. I’m happy that the Diney  princesses have come a long way from the simpering-whimpering-sort, but give girls a choice, too!

To quote Amadi (@amaditalks): This is @Marvel and @Hasbro telling every woman and little girl — 52% of Marvel’s audience — that they aren’t significant or good enough.”

Cheers to hardy princesses and fun superheroines – and heroes!