T-shirts inspired by DC Comics superheroes recently drew heat for their sexist messages. The controversy may bring changes for DC Entertainment's future consumer products.
One t-shirt showed Superman holding Wonder Woman in his arms with the caption "Score! Superman does it again!" Another shirt read, "Training to be Batman's wife," in purple lettering with a purple Batman logo. DC Comics licensed both items.
"DC Comics is home to many of the greatest male and female Super Heroes in the world. All our fans are incredibly important to us, and we understand that the messages on certain t-shirts are offensive. We agree," DC Entertainment said in a statement to Comic Book Resources. "Our company is committed to empowering boys and girls, men and women, through our characters and stories."
DC Women Kicking A** first reported on the misogynistic Wonder Woman t-shirt for men.
"That 'score' that Superman is doing 'it again' is, of course, Wonder Woman. Who is not in any way being boiled down to the (non-feminist of course) girlfriend of Superman," the blog site wrote.
Comic Book Resources contributor Brett White also responded to the sexist messages on both the Wonder Woman and the Batman t-shirts on the Robot 6 website.
"The former positions the most prominent female superhero as a prize to be won, stripping away the character's 75 years of nuance and feminist themes," White wrote.
"The latter would be perfectly acceptable if it had only stopped before that final word; the assumption that the goal of any woman's training would be to become someone's wife is antiquated at best."
Rival Marvel has also mishandled merchandise marketed for its female audience. A t-shirt with the Avengers characters on it read "I Need A Hero." Another t-shirt aimed at boys taught them "How To Be A Hero."
"These shirts are problematic because they presume that women need men - either to save them or marry them - in order to get them interested in superheroes," White wrote.
DC Entertainment will reevaluate its licensing and product design to make sure its merchandise reflects the company's "core values and philosophy," according to its statement.
