Where are the female superheroes?
He unpacks that question by addressing the lack of female superheroes in the products marketed to children, with particular reference to The Walt Disney Company and its policies on superhero merchandising.
Bell, an assistant professor of media studies and the director of graduate studies in the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), specialises in the study of popular culture, focusing on the ways in which race, class and gender intersect in different forms of media.
#WeWantLeia #WheresGamora #WheresNatasha
Bell points out the notable absence of female superhero merchandise even when key characters are played in movies by women, such as Princess Leia in Star Wars, Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, and Black Widow in The Avengers. In some instances, female characters are outright replaced with their male counterparts.
"All over the country right now there are kids playing with the Cycle Blast Quinjet playset, where Captain America rides a motorcycle out of a moving jet and it's really awesome. You know how awesome it is? So awesome that when it happened in the movie, it was Black Widow that did it. Not only has she been erased, but she has been replaced with a male figure," exclaimed Bell.
On a positive note, a shift in gender representation in the superhero toy market is happening as we speak, Bell pointed out. Last year, Target announced that it would remove gender-based signs in its Toys, Home and Entertainment aisles, Disney announced it would no longer gender its Halloween costumes, and Mattel, earlier this year, released its line of DC Superhero Girls.
"Today is about the future of the future, and in my future, boys and girls are equally respected, equally valued, and most importantly, equally represented," concluded Bell.