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Mutatis Mutandis

The Gender Politics of X-Men: First Class

by Susana Polo | 12:01 pm, May 31st

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I think there’s definitely an element of 60s sexism, which is supposed to be not-a-good-thing, running through the movie, though unfortunately sometimes, when a film is edited you end up with a thread seeming that you’re not following all elements of all threads. There was much more of story about Moira being oppressed.

I think what was originally there is that Moira [MacTaggert, Professor X's love interest] was a woman, so in the minority in the CIA, and in that sense was an outcast in her own way, just as all the mutants are. She was a victim of prejudice. That story line was supposed to reflect what was echoing and reverberating throughout the film, including with Raven [Mystique]. – Jane Goldman, co-writer of X-Men: First Class, on X-Men: First Class.

I’ll admit that I don’t know enough about X-Men canon to judge for myself whether Emma Frost is a strong enough character to make up for the so in-your-face as to be farcical odor of fan-service that her costume exudes, and the sheer amount of physics defying boobage that artists have created because of her over the years (case in point). But it’s nice to see someone acknowledging and thinking about presenting the historical place of women in a period film and the struggle of the female characters against it, especially in a genre movie where it would probably go largely un-missed if overlooked.

(via Bleeding Cool.)

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  • http://zadl.org ZADL

    Here’s a summary of her first appearance, and you will notice that her outfit used to be a little less fan-servicey. Slightly. But that was the 80′s….

    http://stormantic.com/2816/comics/white-queen-wednesday-fabulous-first

  • Anonymous

    Am I the only one about, who thinks that the women characters chosen as a “first class” (or original crew, or whatnot), generally override any lip service given in the movie to the plight of women at that time period (or even today, can’t imagine the CIA much improved for instance)?  I mean, Emma Frost, Mystique, and a character with dragonfly wings (henceforth Dragonfly) I’ve never heard of, before looking her up due to this movie.  Mystique’s story may actually have been done rather nicely from what clips I’ve seen; they may actually have given her some humanity, but I’ve only seen Dragonfly while mini-skirted or naked from the waist up.  And Emma Frost’s costume.  Campy in a bad way.  For a supposedly “serious” Marvel movie, that costume ruins it.  Emma Frost could have been done really, really well.  She’s got a long story in the comics, switches sides a few times, definitely has her own motives and drives, and she’s strong-willed and powerful.  I really, really hope she’s done well, and she may be.  But until I’ve seen the movie (and I certainly will), from the women mutants they chose for this movie, I’m apprehensive that this movie does much to give the women their own humanity, or did a dern thing to try to counteract the usual male gaze in comics.

  • Anonymous

    tinyurl.com/297sxrk

  • Anonymous

    When I saw Emma Frost’s costume, my first thought was disbelief that they could make her outfit skimpier than it was in the comic.  I remember it covering more up top and less on the bottom, but then again I know her best as the White Queen of the Hellfire Club.

    I’m a bit worried about seeing Raven Darkholme here.  Her background always seemed a question mark, not as large a one as Wolverine’s, but just as not-there, you know?  Part of me wants to slap the writer’s hands away from her backstory with a firm NO, even though I know there was probably something in the comics that have already covered it and I’m missing a chunk of info.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/BS5JJNGNKPOBWXQYU45PS26TCE Peru

    again, watch the movie before commenting. “women don’t belong in the CIA” was one of lines said in the movie.