The female gender is a limited audience as the camera in most cases focuses on the male gender. The trend in the movie industry is superhero's stars. Female heroes are not yet ready to take the stage when it comes to the movie industry (Baker & others 11). The attitude of people towards females in the society seems to have a considerable influence on the movie industry. They believe that a female cannot make to be a superhero. Fewer female-led movies assert the former statements. Numerous factors have contributed to a production of fewer female-led movies by studios. Female superheroes movies are fewer in the movie industry, and the ones that exist are performing very poorly (Baker & others 13).
Female-led movies are few in the market due to the following reasons. They do not result in high returns as compared to the male-led movies. For instance, in 2005 the Elektra movie, a female-led movie, did not do well. It made only 56 million. In addition, in 2008 the Catwoman movie also experienced the same result. Little profits realized discouraged the producers from making another similar movie. Moreover, reviews made about the movie were horrible and discouraging for the producers. They found out that the customers did not like movies that portrayed the woman a superhero. As a result, producers have focused more on the male superheroes movies since they are very profitable. Moreover, they underperformed at the box office. In addition, cinemas do not air female-led superheroes movies due to the fear of their customers.
The perception that females are weak as compared to men has also made a significant contribution to the fewer production of female-led movies. Hence, people see them not fit to play as superheroes in movies. In most cases, a superhero is very powerful, and he saves people from their bad situations. In addition, he performs moves and stunts that are very difficult for women to perform under normal circumstances. Females are soft and tender and cannot match with demanding roles that superheroes undergo (Victoria 17). Female-led superhero movies defy the odds. Thus, they make people not to like them.
In this society characterized by male chauvinism, female superhero movies find it difficult to breakthrough. Men have an attitude and behavior that indicate that women are innately inferior to men. There is a transfer of male chauvinism to the movie and comic industry. Female led movies will bring out an aspect of women dominance over males. This contradicts the set beliefs on the ground resulting to a resistance of the movies. The men want to dominate in all aspects of life, inclusive of the movie industry (Victoria 23). Male chauvinism has made a breakthrough of female superhero movies in the contemporary world.
In contrast, few people are for the female-led movies. They claim that they attract women to watch them. This is because they will watch one of their kinds in control. With a female in the lead, it matches their outcry for gender equality. They argue that this trend will increase the sales of the movies contrary to the current perception held by people.
Moreover, they believe that actors learn daily in order to perfect their skills. They believe that women can also perform the tasks of men by learning on how to go about them. In fact, nowadays women perform jobs that in the past decades were a taboo for women to perform them. For instance, in the past, only men could do the engineering jobs. However, in the current age, many women are mechanics contrary to the perceptions people had in the past. (Baker & others 27).
Furthermore, there are female-led movies in the market today. Despite the fact that they have not gained popularity, they pass the message that girls can also be superheroes in the movies. Female superheroes movies need time for people to remove the perception they have toward them. In the future, the industry will be flooded with female superhero movies.
Suggestions on how to come up with female superheroes movies have been doing rounds on the internet. They are striving to see how people can accept the entry of these movies without a rejection. The intention is to change the attitude of people slowly, until the female-led superheroes movies become accepted. Firstly, the actors should do a team-film. The membership of the team can be women with two or one man in the mix. This would make the film not to be a sole female-led movie. A woman can be a team leader while the men are just back-ups. With men in the picture, the movie will be acceptable since the female superhero is receiving help from the team, which constitutes men (Baker & others 31).
In addition, altering of the people’s mindset would play a great role in making people like female-led movies. The failure of past female superhero movies is still in the mind of people. From experience, they see female-led movies as not profitable, and they underperform in the market (Victoria 24). This is due to the failure of past female superhero movies such as Electra and Catwoman. However, elimination of the perceptions people and studios hold can make sure that they receive a positive reception from people. Furthermore, this can result even in the acceptability of sole female-led superhero movies.
My prior experience on this issue asserts the arguments against the female superhero movies. This is caused by the reaction I saw when we were watching Elektra movie with a bunch of my friends. They did not allow me to hear even a word from that movie, except for the first few minutes when they had not known what the movie was all about. Criticism was the order of the day. They disparaged the female superhero and condemned everything else in that movie. It did not last for long for before making noise that they want another movie. They portrayed a smaller picture of the bigger picture of this issue. Their main concern was the case that the movie was impracticable in the real world.
Ultimately, female superhero movies are fewer in the movie industry, and the ones that exist are performing very poorly. The perceptions people have towards the female gender are the major contributor. Moreover, the poor historical performance of the female superheroes movies has made people believe that female led movies are doomed. In addition, the superhero role requires one to have a masculine body able to play the role effectively. With this mindset in place, the female superhero movies are doomed. The people’s mindset change is fundamental in making them accept and like female-led movies. The moment an average male comes to terms with a female saving the world, the market would be flooded with female superhero movies.
Works cited
Baker, Kaysee, and Arthur A. Raney. "Equally Super?: Gender-Role Stereotyping of Superheroes in Children's Animated Programs." Mass Communication and Society (2007): n. pag. Print.
Ingalls, Victoria. "Sex Differences in the Creation of Fictional Heroes With Particular Emphasis on Female Heroes and Superheroes in Popular Culture: Insights From Evolutionary Psychology." Review of General Psychology (2012): n. pag. Print.
Pitkethly, Clare. "The pursuit of identity in the face of paradox: indeterminacy, structure and repetition in Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman." Journal of Graphic Novels & Comics (2011): n. pag. Print.
