*Note: In this paper, there are multiple spellings of Spider-Man. This is because in the 2002 movie hyphenated “Spider-Man” and in the most recent version of the film the hyphen was dropped.
The story begins with Peter Parker, a nerdy teenager from New York trying to navigate the horrors of school. One day, he is bitten by a radioactive spider and acquires superhuman speed, strength, and “spidey” senses. By day, he is a science dweeb with girl troubles. By night, he is a web-slinging crime fighter. With these newfound powers, Parker transforms into a hero: the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. While there have been different versions of Spider-Man, the character’s origin has generally remained the same.
When the movie Spider-Man (2002) premiered it grossed $821.7 million, making it the highest-grossing superhero movie at the time (2010). The movie’s marketing strategy reflected the politics of the early 2000s as many advertisements were impacted by the tragedy of Al Qaeda’s 9/11 terrorist attacks.
In one advertising poster, Spider-Man is clutching the side of a skyscraper staring into New York. In his eyes, there is a prominent reflection of the World Trade Center towers in the New York skyline. This poster intentionally reflected the nostalgia and grief over the 9/11 attacks; however, the movie’s original teaser trailer was scrapped because, after the events of 9/11, it was no longer appropriate. This trailer featured a fight scene between Spider-Man and robbers that culminated with the robbers caught in spider web stretching between the World Trade towers. The altered marketing strategy of Spider-Man (2002) reflects the fragility and ongoing trauma of the American people after 9/11. While there was some genuine motivation to uplift and protect the American people, theorist John Storey would argue that Sony’s advertising moves were “hopelessly commercial” (2009). The goal of the culture industry is to maximize their profit by whatever means necessary. The advertisements were essentially used as a tool to appeal to consumers' heartache, further enticing them to purchase tickets. Sony capitalized on public grief and mourning, not because the narrative of the film focused on this, but because this strategy was expected to increase profit.
In 2017, Sony and Marvel collaborated on the newest reboot of Spider-Man, Spiderman: Homecoming (2017). The movie was released during a period of increased social justice awareness, especially regarding gender dynamics and power. The movie revamps quintessential elements of Spider-Man (2002) to fit today’s popular feminism standards. By comparing the portrayal of women in Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man (2002), we can see how historical context molds the culture industry’s products.
At the time of the release of Spider-Man (2002), the message of third-wave feminists had yet to effectively penetrate the entertainment industry. Third-wave feminism describes the movement’s shift throughout late 1980s and 90s to embrace female sexuality and independence, often signified in commercial culture as “girl power.” During this time, the movement expanded their community to more prominently incorporate LGBTQ+ and BIPOC women. In Spider-Man (2002), Peter Parker's love interest, Mary Jane, reinforces society’s “male gaze” as a damsel in distress. Theorist Andy Zeisler explains the “male gaze” as “the idea that when we look at images in art or on screen, we’re seeing them as a man might—even if we are women—because those images are constructed to be seen by men'' (2008). The character of Mary Jane plays into the “male gaze” through her obsession with Spider-Man and lack of self-reliance. Throughout the entire movie, Mary Jane doesn’t have a conversation with another woman that is not about Peter.
By the time Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) was released, 3rd wave feminism had succesfully made a connection with the entertainment industry. Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) illustrates how the culture industry has been slowly catching up to modern day feminism since the release of Spider-Man (2002). In this version of Spider-Man, his love interest is named Michelle “MJ'' Jones. The character uses the same initials as Mary Jane from Spider-Man (2002), but in a gender-neutral fashion, to signify to viewers the inspiration for the character. While Mary Jane and MJ both function as Spider-Man’s love interest, MJ is not a damsel in distress. Unlike Mary Jane, MJ is characterized as being observant, rather than obsessive. MJ is refreshingly unpolished as she is socially awkward and subverts traditional female beauty standards created by the “male gaze”. She breaks the mold of typical Hollywood love interests, reflecting the 3rd wave feminist ideal that there is not a “correct” way to be a woman.
Another way the character of MJ can be seen as a popular feminist character is through diversity, as she is played by BIPOC actress Zendaya Coleman. Although representation does not guarantee more progressive content, it widens pop culture’s view of women (Zeisler, 2008). In the case of Spiderman: Homecoming (2017), Zendaya’s portrayal allows audiences to connect with a BIPOC character that is intelligent, independent, and unapologetic. The impact of femininst ideals displayed in Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) is explained through Sarah Banet Weiser’s idea of popular feminism. Essentially, popular feminism is a commercialized aspect feminism that aids activism through the circulation of ideals (2015). These feminist ideals are often the ones that are more mainstream, and can be easily incorporated into popular cultural narratives. A key pitfall to popular feminism is its inability to topple the patriarchy; nevertheless, popular feminism is one piece of a larger feminist movement. Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) is an element of popular feminism because MJ reinforces modern feminism concepts to audiences, but its circulation cannot enact quantifiable societal changes.
In late 2021, the newest installment of Spider-Man will hit theaters. This film is expected to blend the previous cinematic versions of Spider-Man into one movie universe. As discussed, the 2002 version capitalized on national anxiety and mourning over 9/11, but portrayed a stereotypical representation of femininity. The 2017 version, in turn, capitalized on a broad cultural context of popular feminism, “updating” the portrayal of femininity. In the context of a global pandemic and heightened awareness of racial justice, the new Spider-Man iteration presents the unique opportunity to address global issues. Since different versions of Spider-Man were influenced by various history and politics, there is no limit to the possible storylines.
Works Cited
A&E Television Networks. (2010, August 30). "Spider-Man" becomes first movie to top $100 million in opening weekend. History.com. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/spider-man-is-first-movie-to-top-100-million-in-opening-weekend.
Banet-Weiser, S. (2015, January 21). Sarah Banet-Weiser. Culture Digitally. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://culturedigitally.org/2015/01/popular-misogyny-a-zeitgeist/.
Storey, J. (2009). What is popular culture? Cultural Theory and Popular Culture, pp. 1-16.
Zeisler, Andi. (2008). Pop and Circumstance: Why Pop Culture Matters. Feminism and Pop Culture. Seal Studies.
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