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[QUOTE=VonHammersmark;5017205]I didn’t say you can’t relate to characters of a different sex and/or sexual orientation, let alone a different ethnicity which I think is another matter. Race is not integral to our sense of self. Well, for most of us
You can...but most people certainly relate more easily to characters that reflect their values, experiences and fantasies. The more distance there is between the character and you, the less relatable they are and Wonder Woman is not the most relatable character to begin with. Making her queer would only make her even more removed from most of us, and for what purpose?[/QUOTE]
I agree with most of what you said!! The biggest reason WW isn't on even ground with Batman and Superman is because she's hard to relate to by most!! By making WW queer, their making her less relatable!! No matter how much we try and pretend it doesn't matter!!
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Everything that matters about Diana makes her relatable to me - her POV, empathy, fight against injustice, boldness, love and camaraderie she shows for friends and family, compassion, strength and conviction, skills, etc.
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[QUOTE=lotchj;5017235]I agree with most of what you said!! The biggest reason WW isn't on even ground with Batman and Superman is because she's hard to relate to by most!! By making WW queer, their making her less relatable!! No matter how much we try and pretend it doesn't matter!![/QUOTE]
I have to disagree with your entire premise.
DC has made Wonder Woman more "safe" and less interesting for a very long time. The movie leaned into her earthy, compassionate, anti-patriarchy version, and showed exactly how engaging such a version of Diana can be.
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[QUOTE=lotchj;5017235]I agree with most of what you said!! The biggest reason WW isn't on even ground with Batman and Superman is because she's hard to relate to by most!! By making WW queer, their making her less relatable!! No matter how much we try and pretend it doesn't matter!![/QUOTE]I don't find Batman relatable. I thought he was cool... until I started thinking about how and why he does stuff and... no.
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[QUOTE=marhawkman;5017333]I don't find Batman relatable. I thought he was cool... until I started thinking about how and why he does stuff and... no.[/QUOTE]Can't say I disagree about Batman!! But it seem a lot of comic book fans find him relatable, his comic books are always some of the best selling comics every month, every year!! His comics are always DC's top selling comics!! Even Batman movies are blockbuster!! Everything in the dc universe is base around his world!!
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[QUOTE=VonHammersmark;5017205]I didn’t say you can’t relate to characters of a different sex and/or sexual orientation, let alone a different ethnicity which I think is another matter. Race is not integral to our sense of self. Well, for most of us
You can...but most people certainly relate more easily to characters that reflect their values, experiences and fantasies. The more distance there is between the character and you, the less relatable they are and Wonder Woman is not the most relatable character to begin with. [B]Making her queer would only make her even more removed from most of us, and for what purpose?[/B][/QUOTE]
Where you're losing me (and others) here is how you determine what section of the fanbase isn't queer enough to determine that "most of us" can't relate to that. Wonder Woman was a gay icon even before Rucka finally confirmed she was bi, she already has a following among the LGBT crowd.
And basic human empathy means plenty of straight fans will find other areas to relate to her. Or even still find her interesting without being able to relate to her directly. "Relateable" is only one way to give a character value and a difficult one, since people relate to different things. I can't directly relate to a lot of my favorite characters in fiction, that doesn't mean I can't find them interesting.
[QUOTE=lotchj;5017235]I agree with most of what you said!! The biggest reason WW isn't on even ground with Batman and Superman is because she's hard to relate to by most!! By making WW queer, their making her less relatable!! No matter how much we try and pretend it doesn't matter!![/QUOTE]
So Wonder Woman being bi means she can't be realateable to anyone, but Batman being a billionaire means he can be? I love Batman and always will (certain versions anyway), but give me a break.
The real reason is because she's a female character in a genre that primarily caters to men, boys and man children. The reason she's so far behind everyone else is because the Silver Age was incredibly ill equipped to deal with her, whereas every other IP was thriving and coalescing into their iconic shapes. Meanwhile, her movie aimed at a wider audience did extremely well. The issue isn't with her.
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It's not so much I think she is unrelatable more of her background they took away from her. Diana had a city and other characters that weren't from the military. Now no city or characters who aren't in the military. This is why I want the HollidayGirls back. That Etta isn't in the military. Rather a diva in her own right or dealing with something else. There is a reason why I somewhat like Diana Prince's id. Diana uses it because she does want to engage the public.
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[QUOTE=SiegePerilous02;5017365]Where you're losing me (and others) here is how you determine what section of the fanbase isn't queer enough to determine that "most of us" can't relate to that. Wonder Woman was a gay icon even before Rucka finally confirmed she was bi, she already has a following among the LGBT crowd. [/QUOTE]
Pretty much. Who is to say what a person will find "relatable?"
I can't relate to Peter Parker. At all. My life experience is nothing like his and I find him a pretty awful person. But a whole lot of people out there relate to him. But then, I was never a 98 pound weakling nerd who got picked on by bullies. Does that mean Parker should be changed so he reflects me more?
And I can't relate to Batman at all either. Wouldn't want to; he's the poster boy for asshole entitlement. But a lot of people say they can relate to him....I guess we have more control freak, emotionally stunted billionaires in the world than I realized. Does that mean Bruce should lose his money, his cars, and his entitled attitude so he's more like me?
There's a whole community out there who already relate to and support Diana. And the queer subtext has been there from the start, even if it wasn't explicit. If you can't relate to her because she's bi, and you can't enjoy her because that one little detail doesn't reflect your experience then that's not a "Diana" problem, that's a "you" problem. If you look at this immortal goddess-princess from a magic island full of warrior philosophers who hangs out with gods from ancient myth nobody believes in anymore.....and you draw the line at her being bisexual....then I daresay this isn't about Diana being relatable at all.
Should Batwoman be made straight too? Because "more people would relate to her?"
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One thing I been thinking about is sex pirates sidestory. Would it have been batter for the Banas to have that or a certain group of Amazons onParadiseIsland?
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[QUOTE=Ascended;5017517]Pretty much. Who is to say what a person will find "relatable?"
I can't relate to Peter Parker. At all. My life experience is nothing like his and I find him a pretty awful person. But a whole lot of people out there relate to him. But then, I was never a 98 pound weakling nerd who got picked on by bullies. Does that mean Parker should be changed so he reflects me more?
And I can't relate to Batman at all either. Wouldn't want to; he's the poster boy for asshole entitlement. But a lot of people say they can relate to him....I guess we have more control freak, emotionally stunted billionaires in the world than I realized. Does that mean Bruce should lose his money, his cars, and his entitled attitude so he's more like me?
There's a whole community out there who already relate to and support Diana. And the queer subtext has been there from the start, even if it wasn't explicit. If you can't relate to her because she's bi, and you can't enjoy her because that one little detail doesn't reflect your experience then that's not a "Diana" problem, that's a "you" problem. If you look at this immortal goddess-princess from a magic island full of warrior philosophers who hangs out with gods from ancient myth nobody believes in anymore.....and you draw the line at her being bisexual....then I daresay this isn't about Diana being relatable at all.
Should Batwoman be made straight too? Because "more people would relate to her?"[/QUOTE]
I agree entirely. It always fascinates me where people draw the line on superhero characters, and it speaks volumes on them in reflection.
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[QUOTE=AmiMizuno;5017593]One thing I been thinking about is sex pirates sidestory. Would it have been batter for the Banas to have that or a certain group of Amazons onParadiseIsland?[/QUOTE]
Push a stake through that idea and bury it. Salt the earth. Then pour lime over it. And nuke it from orbit.
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[QUOTE=AmiMizuno;5017593]One thing I been thinking about is sex pirates sidestory. Would it have been batter for the Banas to have that or a certain group of Amazons onParadiseIsland?[/QUOTE]
The Bana-Midghall already kind have a lot of problematic tropes associated with them that it' probably be best to leave the sex-pirates as a relic of the New 52 era.
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I definitely don't see how WW being queer makes her less relatable. I mean, I'm sure a lot of us here are men, and that hasn't stopped us from being able to identify with her to at least some degree, I hope at least:p
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A few deletions and edits - let's leave the Batman discussions for the Batman forum :)
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The recent issue of Wonder Woman: Dead Earth is a good example that not all Elseworlds have to be a shared universe.