Back when shag carpet covered foyers *and* chests

[feldman]

We rented Wonder Woman this weekend, and while it shouts, screams and pant-hoots "70's!" it's not as terrible as I'd expected, considering the track record of 'things I adored in kindergarten'.

One thing that struck me particularly* was how utterly unathletic Lynda Carter's WW moved.

*aside from the way the male characters kind of treat Diana Prince like a special prodigy little kid--encouraging and proud, but with little real sense of her being on peer footing. and the fact that WW knows their top sekrit gub'mint business and swoops in to help but no one ever thinks to question her motives or source of intel, because a woman's support is apparently as ubiquitous and benign as air. and that I'm old enough to at least partially understand now why Lyle Waggoner was considered studly. and yes, that does make me feel wrong inside. I blame the complete lack of chest hair on mainstream media men these days. ferfuxsake I can't even get more than a glimpse of Wolverine without the tank-top and you *know* if anyone's fuzzy it's Logan..

But I digress. I was speaking of the culture shock of an unathletic superhero.

Not the lack of muscle tone which one expects in a female leading role actor pre-Linda Hamilton (who felt a hero should look like she could actually save someone, bless her), but the absence of any believable physicality. Grace and poise yes, but no strength or agility, to the point where during some stunts I couldn't parse what she was trying to do until the "Well as you know, Bob, Wonder Woman is holding back that truck" dialogue.

I think she was half-paralyzed trying not to pop out of that damned costume. A woman needs something she can fight crime in, damnit.

So in related news I'm beginning to think like a physical therapist. Back on Themyscira I was totally distracted by Lynda Carter's flowing robes showing off her tendency to scapular winging, which totally syncs with the odd way her shoulders move even in the beginning animation where she breaks free from bondage and walks out of the cartoon--though truth be told I was looking for it, as the animation always looked kinda wrong to me as a kid.

Anyway, we watched a few eps and then returned it, unwilling to spend the extra effort of culture commentary for the kiddo. Also, after the ep where Carter wrestles Jessica Walter (Lucille Bluth) across a living room, it's likely downhill from there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kG-thkx6lw

Comments

[kernezelda]

Gosh, it's been ages since I've seen Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman, and though she is very pretty indeed, the difference between the heroine of then and the heroine of today is visibly vast. On the other hand, she has a magic golden lasso that compels truth, so bondage scenarios are not out of the question.