Female Only Screenings of Wonder Woman - Sexist?

[Lemon Merchant]

I have to admit that I try to see things from all sides as much as I can, but this really disturbs me. A couple of theaters in the US are planning on showing Wonder Woman at special "female only" screenings, specifically, no men let through the doors.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/art...ngs-planned-for-wonder-woman/article35142009/

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/26/entertainment/wonder-woman-women-only/

While I understand the sentiment behind this, I don't think this is very fair to men. Some men are unhappy about this and are complaining on social media - and being shamed for it. (Of course they are. This is the age of shaming for stupid reasons.)

It just strikes me as rather sexist to have these types of screenings, and that bothers me a lot. We need dialogue to bring the genders together, not things like this that drive them apart. If the shoe was on the other foot and there was a men's only screening of some movie... (Not a movie like Wonder Woman where the lead is a sexy woman, but something that would appeal to more traditionally male tastes, like oh, say a car racing movie, or a war movie. Something that more men than women would typically be interested in.)... women's groups would be having a crap hemorrhage over the male only screening, in a true demonstration of a double standard at work.

I will be seeing Wonder Woman (Gal Godot makes me funny in the knees), but I will be damned if I will see it at a female only night. I'm taking a male friend. It's only right, and I'm tired of sexism and double standards.

Discuss?

 

[BvBPL]

Sure, it is sexist. However, the unfairness is very low as anyone can go out and buy a ticket to the movie at some other showing. A movie showing is not something that anyone should hang their principals upon. There are a hell of a lot more important things about which you should be bothered; who can see some dumb movie at a particular theater at a particular time ain’t one of them.

 

[Akka]

You pretty much covered everything I would have to say, so hard to discuss ^^
Except the point that I'll probably won't see the movie, but just because I don't consider it worth the price

Sure, it is sexist. However, the unfairness is very low as anyone can go out and buy a ticket to the movie at some other showing. A movie showing is not something that anyone should hang their principals upon. There are a hell of a lot more important things about which you should be bothered; who can see some dumb movie at a particular theater at a particular time ain’t one of them.

As you say, the unfairness is low. But what she pointed, and with which I agree, is the double standard.

 

[civver_764]

I think they should be allowed to do this, but it's important to note that everyone would lose it if this was a "male-only" showing. Such are the double standards we live under.

 

[Kozmos]

I wish I was barred from seeing this. It was a Marvel movie in disguise, and bad for all the reasons their movies are bad. Messy plot, one-dimensional supporting cast, CGI overload, predictable tropes, pointless Saturday morning cartoon villainy. If this wasn't WW I'm fairly certain it would be sitting at about half it's review score, but maybe not, considering Marvel movies get praised to high heavens regardless of how they're all the same movies.

 

[Ryika]

I don't think the word "sexist" even makes sense in this context, the real question is whether it's discriminatory. I personally don't think so, male-only and female-only occasions should be perfectly fine in my opinion. Of course society at large disagrees with me , so it's pretty hypocritical that in certain circles this is even treated as a "progressive" thing, not very surprising though, given that even support for racial segregation, and not just for one event, gains traffic - and not among white supremacy groups.

On its own though, without trying to give it greater symbolic meaning, I think such an event "makes sense" in a way, having a female-only screening of a character that symbolizes female empowerment, undoubtedly creates a very unique atmosphere that you simply could not achieve without making it female-only. If that's what the visitors want, then great for them. It's thematic, and therefor, I find it to be perfectly acceptable.

I wouldn't be surprised if they get trolled by men who just claim to self-identify as female just to annoy them though, and their reaction to that would likely be hilarious to watch.

Also fun to watch would be if some avenue held a "men only"-screening of some upcoming action film. Of course the same "progressives" who are applauding this would do a 180 if the sexes were swapped.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Considering that one of the top stories on CBC.ca is about how a bunch of backward Conservative senators in Canada are doing everything they can to kill the gender-neutrality revision of "O Canada" that was sponsored by the late Mauril Belanger (a Liberal MP who died last year of ALS), I can't get too worked up about a movie I will never see unless it's on Netflix and I'm too bored to watch anything else.

Maybe these screenings are partly for the benefit of women who would rather not hear a bunch of comments over Wonder Woman's "assets"?

I have no idea. When the TV series was on, this was one of my grandfather's favorites, and he'd talk to the TV screen, telling Diana Prince, "Come on, turn around!" when he thought she should change into Wonder Woman. So yeah, I've watched it with someone who was obviously quite taken with Lynda Carter.

It's a silly thing to get worked up about, considering that it's not the only restricted movies or activities that are for some people but not for others.

 

[danjuno]

I think they should be allowed to do this, but it's important to note that everyone would lose it if this was a "male-only" showing. Such are the double standards we live under.

Yeah, more or less. Obviously it's not the most pressing social issue facing America, but it is stupid.

 

[Tahuti]

I think they should be allowed to do this, but it's important to note that everyone would lose it if this was a "male-only" showing. Such are the double standards we live under.

Yes and no. There is still a horsehockey-load of historical baggage surrounding 'male-only' everything, at least in the West. Doesn't change the calculus for individuals who happen to be male like us, though I do understand the 'double standard'. Western women may feel resentment and want their payback. And that's quite understandable.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

It is the most normal thing in the world to want to only hang out with your own gender on some occasions. It just has a different dynamic and feel to it and carries a unique value. Since, you know, gender does matter, in some ways.

 

[Ryika]

Western women want their payback and that's quite understandable.

Don't say "women" as if we as a group stand behind this nonsensical idea of "payback". There are SOME women who want payback, any they're idiots for indulging in the us-vs-them mentality.

 

[Tahuti]

Don't say "women" as if we as a group stand behind this nonsensical idea of "payback". There are SOME women who want payback, any they're idiots for indulging in the us-vs-them mentality.

Ok, clarified that for you.

Still, MRA's are bigger loonies than 3rd wave feminists: They cannot understand that the very things they blame feminists and women in general for often originated out of sexism favouring males.

 

[civver_764]

Any movement that is about "payback" is pretty much toxic, imo.

They cannot understand that the very things they blame feminists and women in general for often originated out of sexism favouring males.

Yeah, things that disadvantage men are actually things that favor men.

 

[Fippy]

lol if it's only a couple theatres, why not..can you really take that serious, i could not.
tbh the really disturbing thing for me are social media, most things in the past would have been taken with smiles or "good joke", but every little unimportant topic now gets hyped up for nothing on Twitter & the other nonsense medias.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I think the only thing sillier than female only screenings is the number of dingbats who will be screaming "reverse sexism by evil feminists is running rampant" over it.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

Anyone who thinks it's actual sexism wouldn't call it "reverse sexism". I think we can all agree that reverse sexism isn't a thing, just we won't all mean the same thing by that.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

Good thing there aren't any male only screenings for health care

Spoiler :

Oh wait.

 

[Tahuti]

Any movement that is about "payback" is pretty much toxic, imo.

Depends. Humanity is a fickle species and gynocentrism may work more favourable in our survival of our species with our current level of development.

Yeah, things that disadvantage men are actually things that favor men.

Well, where do alimony laws unfavourable to poor divorced men come from? From the mistaken belief that men are naturally better money earners.

So ideas that mark women as inferior can harm men still. That's why all the reasonable MRA (a.k.a. masculinists) merged with feminists long ago.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

My local theater is run by evil ageists! They offer these senior discounts all the time!

 

[civver_764]

Depends. Humanity is a fickle species and gynocentrism may work more favourable in our survival of our species with our current level of development.

Not really sure how this relates to what you quoted...

Well, where do alimony laws unfavourable to poor divorced men come from? From the mistaken belief that men are naturally better money earners.

Alimony came about so that husbands couldn't just divorce their wives and leave them without any money. This seems to be purely advantageous for the woman, so calling this "sexism against women" is just inaccurate.

Plus if this were the case why don't we see feminists fighting against alimony? Why do we see stuff like this instead?