Entry tags:

character: natasha romanov, fandom: avengers, meta: feminism

Internets, I am ANNOYED, because there are people out there having Wrong Opinions about Black Widow and it is gross and sexist and damaging my calm.

There seems to be this attitude that Black Widow's entire purpose in the Avengers film is to be a sex object. Now, even if the only thing she did in the film *was* stand around and look pretty, that is still a gross thing to say. People are people, not objects, and when you start reducing them to body parts the way that this comic does or this tumblr post does, you are Doing It Wrong. (That second link starts out with the premise that wouldn't it be great if Rhodey got to be in the film as War Machine, because he's a great character and also it would help further break up the overwhelming whiteness of the film. Which yes, yes it would! But, er, we shouldn't achieve that by getting rid of the only woman, and if you're going to saying something like "Why are our funds more wisely spent on a redhead with D-cups then another invincible robot man?" then that is saying a hell of a lot more about how you see women than it is about Natasha's role in the film.

The less said about that comic in the first link, the better. D:

So as a matter of fact, no, the purpose of all women everywhere is not to stand around daring to have breasts and therefore be sexually distracting (because having breasts in public makes you a sex object) and otherwise pointless, could everyone who thinks that kindly find the nearest exit to your left.

And besides, Natasha Romanov is in fact 100% fabulous, wtf is wrong with people.

As a quick list of her accomplishments, Natasha is absolutely crucial to the success of the Avengers Initiative because she:

+ Brings Bruce into the fold.
+ Brings Clint back from the dark side.
+ Tricks Loki (the freaking TRICKSTER GOD, GUYS) into revealing part of his plans.
+ Gets to Stark Tower in time to figure out a way to close the portal and prevent the city getting nuked.

She's absolutely indispensable as a member of the team. In addition to the above, other really fucking cool things she does include:

+ Plays her interrogators at the beginning of the film like fiddles, before beating them all up while being tied to a chair.
+ Flies awesome super stealth planes around the place.
+ Survives the Hulk to his darndest to annihilate her.
+ Absolutely holds her own in the final battle despite having the least weaponry or protection, before flinging herself up off Cap's shield to land on one of the alien speeders like a badass.

Not to mention all of the other ways in which she delights me in my heart! The loyal operative with a dark past, the deadpan, wry sense of humour, the camaraderie with Clint, the moments when she's frightened but puts it aside to get the job done anyway, and sheesh, if people can't see any of that and want to let their own misogyny reduce her to 'eye candy' then I'm really sorry about their lives.

Natasha Forever, guys. *_*

And joy of joys, someone's already made a fantastic Natasha vid from cam footage - In The Bullpen by genusshrike, spoilers for the whole film, absolutely fantastic.