Spidey (Non)Sense

With Spiderman 3's success, Marvel licensed a statuette of Mary Jane Parker wearing tight, ripped -- note that strategic rip right below her butt -- jeans so low her thongs are peeking out and a tight midriff baring shirt that hardly contains her bountiful chest while she suggestingly bends over doing Spidey's laundry. By hand. All in a pose that says feast your eyes on this.

Gahd, where to even begin? I suppose we should be thankful she's not a.) totally naked or b.) barefoot and pregnant.

Discussions have been going on about this on the internets for a week now, both pro and con. There's even a Bingo Card of reasons why women supposedly shouldn't be upset, but none of them cut it in my book. If anyone seeing this is totally incapable of understanding why it's sexist and demeaning, nothing would convince them otherwise.

Fortunately, others do get it, like this guy:

"Um. Is this the only statue they have of her?"

"Yep."

"Er. Excessively pointed at men. And Mary Jane doesn't dress like that."

"So, do you think she'd be washing Spiderman's uniform?"

"No. Mary Jane is a very important woman. She doesn't have time to stay home and do laundry."

As he wandered away, he added, "Very unrealistic."

I guess it depends where Marvel and for that matter, DC, want to go: make a quick buck through juvenile titillation and sexual stereotyping, or grow up a little and appeal more to the thinking segment of its market. Considering how that market is shrinking, appealing to women instead of alienating them wouldn't hurt, either.

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