Ahead of its June release, the movie “Wonder Woman” is generating controversy because of a publicity photo of actress Gal Gadot, who portrays the superheroine, in which her Armpit Hair was edited out. Critics accuse the producer of the film of conforming to patriarchal and unrealistic standards of beauty.
Pro-hair columnists
The criticisms were the result of the release of another trailer of “Wonder Woman” last week when movie columnists scored the digital manipulation that resulted in Gal Gadot’s armpit hair edited out, National Review reported.
Among the columnists who were not in favor of the Photoshop work done on the Israeli actress were Susannah Breslin of Forbes and Shannon Carlin of Refinery 29.
On one hand, Susannah Breslin hoped for the day when the image of Wonder Woman that young girls would be exposed to is different from Gal Gadot’s. She said it should be a woman who does not shave and does not hide anything. On the other hand, Shannon Carlin was incredulous that the superheroine, who lives on an island full of strong women her whole life “is worried about waxing and then bleaching her pits to make sure there isn’t a hair left on those babies.”
Movie plot
The 2017 version of “Wonder Woman” – which was portrayed by American actress Lynda Carter in a long-running TV series – sticks close to the superheroine’s original story with minor changes from the comic book version.
Diana, the alter ego of the heroine, lives in a tropical isle populated only by Amazons. Steve Trevor, a World War II pilot, was washed ashore and Diana falls in love with him.
After Greek gods gave Diana agility and super strength, she leaves the island and follows Steve Trevor while fighting evil as Wonder Woman. Her weapons include a shield, sword, magic lasso that forces anyone who is ensnared to tell the truth, and magic bracelets.
Actress is a real soldier
The role of Wonder Woman fits Gal Gadot to a T because during her time in the Israeli Defense Force, the actress was a combat trainer. In real life, she is an “action heroine who really can handle herself in a real life dangerous situation.” She ignores the Twitter hate over her being a Jew and would likely also not lose sleep over the hairless armpit controversy caused by digital manipulation.
