21 pop culture moments in 2017 that spoke to the zeitgeist

Wonder Woman

Historically, superheroes wore politics on their sleeves. Originating in the late 1930s, when the United States stood on the cusp of World War II, they were models of patriotism, with their combination of physical prowess and moral fortitude. The first Captain America comic featured the star-spangled soldier punching Hitler on its cover; Superman fought for “truth, justice, and the American Way”, whatever that entailed.

Fast-forward to the 21^st century, and costumed crusaders practically run the world. On the silver screen, though, they feel as remote from our world as Asgard. With a few exceptions (most notably, The Dark Knight), modern superhero movies treat politics like window-dressing: a front for gratuitous explosions and glib one-liners. They want credit for being smart and relevant, but not the responsibility or risk.

Can you blame people, then, for bursting into tears at the sight of Gal Gadot charging across No Man’s Land? Yes, Patty Jenkins’s Wonder Woman smashed box office records partly due to the sheer novelty of being a female-led and directed action tentpole. But it left a lasting impression because it has something to say; there’s substance to its thrills. For starters, not since Mad Max: Fury Road has a big-budget film addressed sexism so openly. Between battles, Diana deals with culture shock, as she leaves Themyscira, an island populated entirely by warrior women, for the patriarchal society of WWI-era England. The gender dynamics at work are simple, yet effective. Like all myths, superhero stories distill complicated ideas into comprehensible language.

Even as it shows her lifting tanks and stopping bullets with magic bracelets, Wonder Woman lets its heroine’s complexity shine through. Over the course of the film, Diana realizes that humans are neither noble nor innocent, and her righteousness falters. She faces a choice that is familiar to all of us (too familiar lately): succumb to cynicism, or keep hoping and fighting. The true fantasy of Wonder Woman is that the latter wins out. It imagines that a powerful being might choose to help the less powerful instead of asserting dominance — and, perhaps more radically, it dares us to believe we’re worth helping. Wonder Woman isn’t just the hero we wanted; she is the hero we need right now.