Skip to main content

Blog #2: Fixing the Positive Stereotype of Natasha Romanoff



Iron Man 2, the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to include Natasha Romanoff, gave the Black Widow a weak introduction, as her character is written to fall under a positive stereotype of women being valued only for their sex appeal. Future films where she is featured have better established her personality and motivations. Despite the well-written exploration of her character in other films, it was not their responsibility to properly develop Romanoff. Iron Man 2 could have included a characterization of her that did not rely primarily on sex appeal. 

The backstory and occupation of Romanoff follow that of the original Marvel comics, so the movie was correct in keeping her career as a spy. Inclusion of her sarcastic humor and serious, calculating personality was necessary. As seen in the movie, without her signature traits, she is rather one-dimensional. Her lack of personality emphasizes the dependence the movie places on her beauty as a definition of herself and would have appeared much less as a positive stereotype.

As a spy, Romanoff does have to portrayal various different personalities, some of which do require her to be flirtatious. Keeping some proactive elements of her character in the movie would be fine, but it should have been included much less. A much better plot device would have been hints that Romanoff is working undercover through foreshadowing and hints to the audience rather than scenes where the focus is on Romanoff’s beautiful appearance. Iron Man 2 could have properly established the personality and traits of Natasha Romanoff without the use of the positive stereotype of women being valued only for their sex appeal.

Comments

  1. Mackenzie JFebruary 2, 2022 at 10:56 AM

    Hi Shannon! I am glad you are writing about this topic because although it has been brought up before, it has still not changed enough in the media. Additionally, it is a common “positive” stereotype that is used frequently in superhero and action films, which I thought was important to point out because they do not rely on sex appeal for the male superhero characters.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog #1: Positive Stereotypes

  Movies and television shows have a history of attempting to make audiences like female characters that are portrayed as attractive but with a lack of personality. The character is typically noted and applauded by others for her beauty, which does not appear as a negative portrayal of women. The issue, however, is that some women in the media are primarily characterized by their good looks and are not given any other form of identity. They are treated like their beauty is their personality, which gives the impression that women can only be respected and liked if they are pretty. One of the most well-known women in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Natasha Romanoff, also known as “Black Widow”, was introduced under that positive stereotype. Her first movie was Iron Man 2 , where she first appears in a tight-fitting blouse, catching the attention of the male characters, most significantly Tony Stark, who looks up more information about her. She then defeats one of Stark’s friends in a ...
2 comments
Read more

Blog #5: Transgender Women and Healthcare

Throughout my life I have had transgender friends complain about the discrimination they faced in relation to healthcare. I remember some coming out during high school, where some in the medical field thought that they were too young to make decisions regarding their gender. Most of my friends were lucky with the support of their parents, though some expressed initial fear that they would not be welcomed and therefore not get the transition materials (typically medical) they needed due to parental permission being required.  Even if transgender people are adults, they can still have difficulty finding the needed medical treatments. Many transgender people face discrimination with finding employment and housing, which can effect their location to places with proper medical treatment. In addition, without effective insurance, the treatment can be rather costly. The most obvious concern when actually given the opportunity to get treatment is the possible transphobia, which does exist ...
Post a Comment
Read more