In response to Cameron's criticism, Jenkins says that women don't 'have to always be hard, tough and troubled to be strong,' adding, 'There is no right and wrong kind of powerful woman.'
- Aug 25, 2017
AceShowbiz - Patty Jenkins has responded to James Cameron's remark after he said he believes "Wonder Woman" is a "step backwards" for female representation on screen and went so far as to call the character "an objectified icon." The female filmmaker took to her Twitter account on Thursday, August 24 to address the matter.
"James Cameron's inability to understand what Wonder Woman is, or stands for, to women all over the world is unsurprising as, though he is a great filmmaker, he is not a woman," Jenkins wrote. "Strong women are great. His praise for my film 'Monster', and our portrayal of a strong yet damaged woman was so appreciated."
The 46-year-old director went on to counter Cameron's suggestion that "Terminator" female lead Sarah Connor was the ideal female protagonist. In his interview with The Guardian, Cameron said of the character played by his ex-wife Linda Hamilton, "She was strong, she was troubled, she was a terrible mother, and she earned the respect of the audience through pure grit."
Jenkins noted in her tweet that women don't "have to always be hard, tough and troubled to be strong, and we aren't free to be multidimensional or celebrate an icon of women everywhere because she is attractive and loving, then we haven't come very far have we."
She continued, "I believe women can and should be EVERYTHING just like male lead characters should be." She added that "there is no right and wrong kind of powerful woman. And the massive female audience who made the film a hit it is, can surely choose and judge their own icons of progress."
— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) August 25, 2017
In the interview published earlier Thursday, Cameron said, "All of the self-congratulatory back-patting Hollywood's been doing over 'Wonder Woman' has been so misguided. She's an objectified icon, and it's just male Hollywood doing the same old thing!" He went on saying that he's "not saying I didn't like the movie but, to me, it's a step backwards."
He went on saying, "['Terminator' character] Sarah Connor was not a beauty icon. She was strong, she was troubled, she was a terrible mother, and she earned the respect of the audience through pure grit." The Oscar-winning helmer added that to him, "[the benefit of characters like Sarah] is so obvious. I mean, half the audience is female!"
