I think the main reason why Joss Whedon is famous as a “feminist” and Zack Snyder is not is because the differences when it comes to how they’re promoting their ideals both in movies and in real life. in Joss Whedon’s movies women are the same troubled side characters with little distinction included in few minutes of badass fight scenes to make them noticeable & appealing to the general audience. In Zack Snyder films, women have real personalities; they can be vulnerable but fight ferociously to protect their loved ones, they can be feeble on the outside but strong on the inside, and most importantly they have proper character development. Lois Lane in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman is more than a great example.
In real life, too; Joss Whedon is really outspoken about how he thinks he empowers women in his films. On the other hand, Zack Snyder doesn’t lash out at critics even when they get the message he’s trying to send completely wrong, like about how women fight back against their abusers in Sucker Punch. He quietly but boldly and properly depicts women equally in his films and it’s understandable how sometimes people misinterpret his intentions.
Zack Snyder proves he is a feminist without bragging about it. Joss Whedon brags he is a feminist without proving it.
not to mention zack somehow manages keep from objectifying women even with minimal clothing because he focuses on character and storytelling visuals (check this video of: sucker punch), which is something he ALSO does to the men, and he equally portrays them as both strong and vulnerable (mos/ bvs/300)
whedon on the other hand does EVERYTHING in his power to remind us that women have boobs and asses, with shots focused on said body parts, but the men only get to punch people, and the men aren’t allowed to be seen as vulnerable as the women (compare the nightmare sequences of the male avengers and black widow)
the biggest difference is that zack shows men and women in the same light, equally powerful and vulnerable, whedon does not but it’s OKAY cause all you need for empowerment is a girl punching people!
This is all interesting but I fucking HATED 300 because the only women in it were a drugged out sex slave of the temple and the heroes wife, who had to be raped on screen. For like, no fucking reason at all. Just, a guy is talking at her, and then rapes her. Later she calls him a coward and he is shamed or died or whatever–but nothing else mattered? Of ALL the protagonists in 300, the woman was the only person who surrendered. They each had their “battles”, and she surrendered and was invaded. The only fucking Spartan in the whole movie who actually surrendered (IN A MOVIE ABOUT NEVER GIVING UP) was the woman, and rape was the mode of her surrender.
A guy who makes that movie is not promoting woman-friendly perspectives on screen. And he made fucking SUCKER PUNCH which 100% gross male gaze of women fighting sexily.
It’s possible that there are TWO men in Hollywood who are used to relying on problematic sexist storytelling. In fact, there’s a lot more than two.
Let’s not give accolades for meeting the bare minimum of “make Lois Lane a person”. Directors have managed that for decades. That’s not accolade worthy, and in other movies he doesn’t even manage that much.
girl please seek professional help. your fake outrage is unsettling.
