As many predicted, the media—particularly the far-left, New York Times—has attempted to attribute the unfortunate box office failure of “Supergirl” to a supposed “Disdain for women.”
Analysts noted an uncomfortable reality over the weekend: female-led superhero films have generally faced significant rejection in recent years, likely indicating a troubling trend of misogyny among their mainly male audience. Leading up to its release, “Supergirl” faced a wave of online harassment, with certain fans criticizing Millie Alcock’s casting and looks. Warner Bros. executives expressed surprise at the scale and intensity of the backlash, believing the cultural landscape had improved in light of such issues.
Some points of contention…
First of all, looking at “the past five years” as a metric for assessing misogyny is problematic. Just eight years ago, Wonder Woman made $400 million domestically. And only seven years back, Captain Marvel surpassed $1 billion globally. To recall, numerous films like The Hunger Games, Atomic Blonde, and Mad Max: Fury Road, all featuring female heroes, were box office hits, not that long ago.
Secondly, the narrative that leftist critics can be dismissed as toxic fans isn’t accurate. Many were eager to support Supergirl—and they simply didn’t.
The third point pertains to the audience. Those who chose to watch Supergirl weren’t the so-called harmful fanboys and still rated it poorly with a B- on CinemaScore.
Finally, the accusation suggesting that “fanboys” started attacking Millie Alcock solely due to her gender doesn’t hold up.
Actually, she ignited the controversy back in March. After mocking reactions from some Americans, she doubled down with jabs at “Christian Dad” and announced the Supergirl character’s bisexuality.
With her outspoken stance, Alcock seemed keen to marginalize and confront the superhero fandom, which predominantly consists of males.
Additionally, she might not have been the best casting choice. Her physicality and presence didn’t resonate as heroic, and it’s vital to be able to voice such opinions in the industry that has long prided itself on sex appeal.
Moreover, the notion of “superhero fatigue” is challenged by recent successes; for instance, Spider-Man: Brand New Day opened strongly and is projected to do well. The difference lies in how franchises, like Spider-Man, cater to their audiences without antagonizing them. It’s not a complex issue, Hollywood.
Retard.
