Nupur Jha
Hollywood‘s ‘ feminism’ is gaining momentum, as seen in many movies today.
But let’s clear the air: most of us do support feminism. However, Hollywood’s portrayal misses the mark. Feminism is about equality, not gender superiority or exclusion. It’s definitely not about ‘no men needed’.
This debate could go on, but let’s explore how Hollywood’s version of feminism played a role in Madame Webb‘s downfall and its broader impact on the quality of female portrayals in cinema.
Madame Webb And the Arrogance Behind It
It’s a red flag when an actor drops hints about a movie’s shortcomings. Dakota Johnson, who portrayed Cassandra Webb, seemed to indirectly foreshadow issues in her interviews even before the film’s release.
Madame Webb’s movie is based on Marvel Comics. The story centers on Cassandra or Cassie, who has the power of clairvoyance, allowing her to see the future. Cassie uses her abilities to save three teenage girls from a villain named Ezekiel Sims.
Despite having an intriguing setup and solid comic book roots, Madame Webb ultimately failed for several reasons, with arrogance being a key factor. The filmmakers’ hubris was evident in their attempt to label it a ‘feminist’ movie, as if powerful women were a novelty in Hollywood. It was like, “Have you seen four Spider-Man-like women superheroines?” reflecting their mindset and purpose. It seemed their primary goal was to overshadow the male-led MCU Spider-Man films, which should never be the goal while making a movie. The focus should be on telling a story with decent character development.
Unfortunately, the film fell short in crucial aspects like storytelling, character development, and dialogue. The characters lacked depth, with no chemistry and cringe-worthy dialogues. The poorly written scenes even managed to turn serious moments into unintentional laughter. Instead of acknowledging their own shortcomings, the studio placed all the blame on the audience instead. It is definitely the reddest flag to acknowledge.
Ironically, this mirrors the very behavior feminists have long fought against: the tendency to dismiss the achievements and contributions of others in favor of one’s own agenda.
Hollywood And The Modern Wokeness
In the past few years, Hollywood seems to have fallen into a trap of “woke culture”. Political agendas and major corporations like Disney are capitalizing on these terms for their own gain. Rather than focusing on story and character development, in the past few years, Hollywood movies seem to focus only on propagating a particular agenda.
A prime example is Disney’s recent trend of modernizing its classic films, such as Mulan and The Little Mermaid, and their latest controversial attempt, Snow White.
Indeed, Disney isn’t the only culprit here. Top-notch franchises like Star Wars and X-Men have suffered, too. And then there’s Marvel’s She-Hulk debacle. Nobody wants to recall how Marvel tarnished a beloved character, reducing her to twerking and virtuous singing.
DCU isn’t immune to this either, and the Batwoman series is a prime example of what you should never do in the name of showcasing wokeness and feminism.
What’s The Problem Then?
The problem is not having strong female characters, but the problem is how you show them. How Hollywood often interprets a strong, independent woman is someone who likes to hate men or show herself as “superior” to men. While certain changes may be necessary, one aspect that should never be compromised is good writing. Audiences don’t dislike seeing strong women on screen; they dislike poorly written characters whose only selling point is their gender!
Feminism should not be about hating men; it should focus on empowering women. Hollywood often overlooks this fundamental concept. Instead of depicting female characters who explore their ideas, thoughts, and opinions and carve out their place in the world, the movies try to make them the next ‘men’ in society and that’s what kills Hollywood. Madame Webb’s failure is a prime example of this damaging trend.
