Archetypes In Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman herself, although portrayed as the epitome of strength and power, is an example of why the heroic archetype is still largely biased in favour of the male. Although the comic book heroine bravely rescues men from danger and defeats villainous evildoers, she is still created in the image of a perfect woman and it is clear that the male gaze came into play during the creation of her hourglass figure and her impossibly tight costume. She is a creature of the male fantasy, and supports the dominant order of things rather than threatens it. She is more of a sexual fantasy than a role model for women and girls, and therefore does not truly embody the true heroic archetype. This idea is echoed in The Tomb Raider video game series. Lara

Croft is a fantasy disguised as a hero, and is probably one of the best-known examples of over-sexualisation in the video gaming world. She became one of the most prominent sex symbols in visual media, and as the games progressed from the original, published in 1996 to the latest version, released in 2013, she has become increasingly sexualised, especially as video game graphics and technology has progressed. Her clothes are tight and revealing and serve no practical purpose, and it is clear that the game was marketed towards predominantly male audiences. Unfortunately, Lara Croft only marked the beginning of the blatant sexualisation of female heroes in video games and it is something that has continued and worsened over the years.

In video games particularly, it is clear that a huge amount of gender bias exists, with male protagonists appearing 23% more than female protagonists, while only 9% of games feature an exclusively playable female characters. The gaming industry, much like the film industry, is evidently unbalanced in favour of the male hero. The advertising industry has not been exempt from the grasp of gender bias either. Advertisers have long used heroic archetypes to sell products and services, using the model of the dashing, handsome hero-type to appeal to the masses and to call on the human need for protection. The Old Spice guy is a typical example of this, or the famous Volvo ad in which Jean-Claude Van Damme balances on two reversing trucks. Women, on the other hand, are far more likely to be shown in traditional and stereotypical roles, such as in the home, doing laundry or cooking, or as victims who cannot protect themselves, and it is evident that this is a theme that carries through to all forms of visual media. The heroic archetype is rarely embodied by

females.
The release of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy in recent years, a story that depicted a truly heroic female protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, has raised the question: Has the era of the true female hero finally arrived?