Women, half of the worlds population but but only half as represented in the media. For decades in the media, women have, sadly, fallen into the same shallow tropes and cliches. In films and television and even in advertising, they are fitted into such roles as the domestic housewife, damsel in distress or love interest, positions, of which, leave them instead as objects of desire, love and a need for protection instead of being given and depth or motivation other than to conform to a man's needs and pursuits.
An example of this is the character of Lois Lane, here seen played by Margot Kidder. Probably the most memorable damsel in distress, Lois Lane is the pushy, determined and resilient journalist that was often depicted as intellectually equal to Clark Kent, despite this, gender norms from the 40s right through to the her story lines in the early 80s saw her be no more than a love interest of Superman (often competing for him with her romantic rival Lana Lang) and getting herself into trouble and requiring the king of comics to whisk her away to safety. This showcases how female characters with plenty of potential remained as shallow, unexplored plot devices with little depth in their story arcs.
Wonder Woman 2017 is seen as a milestone in gender representations, being the first female superhero movie released for well over a decade and also having a female director, the film demolishes the traditional gender representations of women. The Amazonian princess comes from a long line of female descendants of Athena, living on an island of badass female warriors who remain hidden from the world, and storms her way through WW1 in order to take down Ares and stop the conflict before he succeeds in ending the world. Her accomplish Steve Trevor (portrayed by Chris Pine) acts as her romantic interest, flipping the conservative stereotype of heroic male lead and the female damsel in distress as well as plenty of fast paced action sequences.
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