essay:
For many years the idea of a knight in shining armor coming in to swoop the "sad helpless girl" off her feet and out of her sad, sad life has been romanticized to the extent that is offensive to women everywhere and is one idea that has made a great imprint on the media world. It is commonly known as the famous (or infamous, as many would argue) "damsel in distress" trope and is seen in many films, especially before the 2010s. The damsel in distress trope is defined as a young woman in trouble awaiting rescue from the handsome young man. The trope has shaped many films into what they are today, but I believe it is one that these movies would have been better off without. This trope can be found in many tv shows such as "Game of Thrones”, "The 100” and my personal favorite and rather not a television series, Spiderman. In this submission, I will be exploring the differences between Sam Raimi's 2002 adaptation of Spiderman's very own Mary Jane Watson vs Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 2017 adaptation of MJW. The purpose of this comparison is to show the progression in media when it comes to portraying helpless leading women with being the love interest as their only contribution to the film.
It is general superhero knowledge that a love interest distracts the hero in question and gives them something to lose, which can be seen as a weakness or a fault. However, some would say it makes the storyline more interesting, adding more to the stakes of the battle between the villain and superhero. This is where Mary Jane comes in, with her striking personality and undeniable attractive physical appearance- a requirement to be able to play the part of the damsel in distress. To begin with, Sam Raimi's Mary Jane is a beautiful, fiery character that always seems to put herself in situations where she would need Spiderman to rescue her. She is mainly used as the bait to capture the attention of Spiderman, as she gets kidnapped in every single remake of Spiderman. In the comics, Mary Jane is always there for Peter Parker, never failing to be a shoulder to cry on when fighting crime becomes surprisingly unbearable for a high schooler. This elucidates the idea that this is her sole purpose in the storyline, as she is seen to have no superpower and shows no skills that could aid Spiderman in his battles. Now, in comparing the two MJ's, it is important to note the very prominent changes the Marvel Cinematic Universe has made to the character. First off, in the MCU, Mary Jane Watson is no more, and Michele Jones is born. This fresh take and rebranding of MJ have arguably made her the best MJ in the cinematic universe to date, as the noticeable power and self-reliance she holds is undeniable. In fact, Michele Jones is so different from the Mary Janes of the past that fans do not even realize she is the new MJ until the very last second of the "Homecoming" adaptation.
Now, in "Spiderman: Homecoming" she is interesting enough not even the damsel in distress, which gives her character more significance and a more powerful presence. In the DC tour scene, Liz Allan, Spiderman's then crush, finds herself holding on to an elevator rope, and quite literally, dear life, as Spiderman saves her from falling in the elevator shaft. And where was good old MJ? watching from the comfort of the sidelines with her snarky comebacks to save her from harm's way. It is interesting that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s adaptation, MJ is not Spiderman's immediate love interest. She is seen as an atypical leading lady, not dressing or acting for the male gaze. This is not the case for his first love interest, Liz Allan. She is an exceptional representation of the "girl next door"- pretty, polite, perfect. All these aspects make her the perfect candidate to play the love interest, and many were confused when they realized she is not actually MJ. She has barely any dialogue and does not seem to attribute much to the storyline, that is of course until her big damsel in distress moment. Moving back to MJ, her character transformation from Mary Jane to Michele Jones has paved the way for future representation of feminism in media as her character goes against the norms, rules, and regulations of what a supporting female character should look and act like. From her snarky comments to her wild hair, Michele Jones truly is the best and most empowering of the MJs.
To conclude, the progression of female representation in film has transformed over the years for the better. From perfectly adjusted ladies that speak just the right amount, and present themselves just right enough for their character to be validated to a woman that takes charge, speaks when she wants, and dresses as she pleases- Michele Jones truly is the peak of feminism in cinema.
WORD COUNT: 835 words
