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Wonder Woman to be named Honorary UN Ambassador
- Thread starter LordOfLore
- Start date
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ClosingADoor
Member
Why? Celebrities and pop culture are used all the time to draw attention towards good causes.
It's not like they are putting a cartoon character on the Security Council with this.
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
Yeah, it's quite silly using UN as marketing tool.
Discotheque
Banned
it's just an honorary thing for the anniversary of the character. if no movie was coming out next year this still would have happened.
TipsyArchmage
Neo Member
Well firstly there are a huge amount of real life woman who could have been used for this role which would probably sent a better message than using wonder woman
Also sure pop culture is used a lot to raise awareness for issues but this is too close to the WW film to be anything but blatant advertising
And the US government, and.. Fox films?. WB going all in.
I dunno, I can get why they do a recognition to the character for being the first real progressive one in the 20th century and having endured through the years, but honorary embassador does sound like a bit too much.
Whatever, fun allowed, you go UN-DC.
Can't wait for embassador Joker too.
ClosingADoor
Member
Does it really matter if it gets people talking and looking at this?
broncobuster
Banned
UN is supposed to represent all 193 members, I don't think WW is a universal symbol. Not to mention the unfortunate connection with the upcoming movie.
Talking is great. Emma Watson has been doing that for a long time. Choosing a fictional character that companies are currently making money on as an international symbol is a bit different.
Wonder Woman and the empowerment of women and girls are universal......
Fictional characters are picked as honorary ambassadors all the time. This is literally a non-issue.
JonnyDBrit
Member
I think they looked at Japan making Godzilla a citizen and decided to take some inspiration.
Edit: Huh, so they do this regularly?
Edit: Huh, so they do this regularly?
jacob armitage
Banned
Strange, but honestly, pretty awesome.
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
Sellouts.
ClosingADoor
Member
Wonder Woman is a pretty well known character around the world.
And they are also using it the other way around. "Hey there is a Wonder Woman movie coming out. I know Wonder Woman. What is up with her at the UN they are talking about. Let's have a look." Those things go both ways.
Wonder Woman has been a pop-culture icon of feminism for decades.
TatteredHat
Member
This is silly.
Langdon Alger
Banned
That's sad on like a hundred different levels.
Not all that known outside the US, certainly not enough to be called a universal symbol.
Come on, you know that ain't true. I could ask a hundred people on the street here in Germany and I'm not sure if I'd find someone who knew her.
I really don't think that's the case at all, she's not exactly Superman or Batman. That's likely to change with the movie though, just like the Marvel movie franchise introduced Thor, Iron Man etc to a large portion of the world.
My mom who grew up in Pakistan knew of Wonder Woman when she was young...
broncobuster
Banned
I'm honestly surprised to see some disagreeing with the notion Wonder Woman is well known globally. It's true her origin, stories, and villains aren't. But nearly everyone knows the name, look, and significance of the character.
TipsyArchmage
Neo Member
That might have been true 10 years ago but there is no way she is more well known than iron man or even thor after they became huge movie franchises
ClosingADoor
Member
You can make the same arguments for pretty much anyone. I'm sure I can show pictures of a lot of female celebrities around the world and a lot of people won't know them. Doesn't mean they are unknown to a large portion also.
And seriously, people in Germany don't know Wonder Woman? Maybe they haven't read her comics (I haven't also) but the name is pretty well known I think.
broncobuster
Banned
Anecdotally, my cousin grew up in Düsseldorf and she was a big Wonder Woman fan. And Sailor Moon. Way too much Sailor Moon.
Almost completely unknown, as in "I have never heard of that". I'm sure things are different in the age of the internet (including the upcoming movie), but by and large I think it is a fair assessment of the character's popularity in Germany. From what I can tell the comic first appeared in Germany under the name 'Wundergirl' in the 70s (including a big 'Superman presents' banner) until the 80s (after which things changed) and the TV show only had its initial run here in 1993. I don't think the character was ever much of a symbol over here, probably in no small part due to Germans and their attitude towards comics/TV/superheroes.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
It's sad that a character who was literally created to empower women and spread equal rights is finally getting recognized? Your comment makes no sense.
Fictional characters can transcend into real life. Seems like that's something some people can't wrap their head around at.
evil solrac v3.0
Member
the movie is 8, EIGHT months away from releasing.
Iran already did that in the 80s.
you people need to read up a little more, wonder woman is 75 years old and is far far far more popular than those two characters. she's a symbol for women's rights and feminism (somewhat) what's iron man got? a popular movie?
Indulge us by naming four.
TatteredHat
Member
Yes, regardless of what Wonder Woman symbolizes it is still silly.
I also happen to think that the Angry Bird UN Ambassador nomination was silly, this is the exact same thing. Just another case of the UN making a fool of themselves.
andythinkpad
Member
What the hell UN. This retroactively makes Emma Watson's UN duty less important to me.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
Wonder Woman isn't Angry Birds. You've never read a WW comic have you?
Since you read so much more, feel free to give me a link to an article about Wonder Woman and her (mainstream) influence and popularity outside the US with more than anecdotes. Surely that should be an easy feat.
Apparently, given your post, she is big in Germany and I never knew it? Man, I'd love to read that article.
TipsyArchmage
Neo Member
A HUGELY popular movie franchise and is arguably on the same level as Batman to a whole generation of kids growing up now
There is no way wonder woman is more popular than them, she was once but not anymore. This is a campaign aimed at empowering younger women and wonder woman simply isn't as well known to them, most people I know can recognise her but that's it.
But considering their isn't really female superhero at that level who is child appropriate,.how about we all shut the fuck up and allow this.
At some level who gives a shit about if she's as popular as iron man if this is aimed at young women and giving them superhero characters they can identify, even if part of it is marketing.
TatteredHat
Member
They're both fictional and they both got a honorary UN ambassador title awarded to them, if you want to make some personal distinction between the two based on your own preferences that's on you but that's not what the UN is doing here.
This is really shitty, not that a fictional character is taking the spot but that no one woman character have the same reach as, for example, Batman or Superman.
And for people seriously thinking the UN is bad. Go fuck yourself. Yes it's a huge mess of Vogon bureaucracy, the armed forced doesn't have the same clout as it did 20-60 years ago. But their refugee agency, while the same Vogon bureaucracy hampers and many people use it as a tool to feel good for themselves, they do a lot of good. A lot of work which would make any veteran cry.
And for people seriously thinking the UN is bad. Go fuck yourself. Yes it's a huge mess of Vogon bureaucracy, the armed forced doesn't have the same clout as it did 20-60 years ago. But their refugee agency, while the same Vogon bureaucracy hampers and many people use it as a tool to feel good for themselves, they do a lot of good. A lot of work which would make any veteran cry.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
Wonder Woman and Angry Birds aren't competing against each other for Women's Rights.
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