Sex and Gender in the Avengers Society and culture has an enormous impact upon the actions, beliefs

and behaviours of the individual. Through exposure to the external norms and values of the society these structured understandings of acceptable behaviour become internal frameworks for individual actions ( eiten, !"#"$. %ne of the most influential ways in which culture affects the identity of the individual is through the establishment of gendered norms and roles. Gender roles can be understood as &shared expectations that apply to individuals on the basis of their socially identified sex' ((agly, ood ) *iekman cited in +lakemore, +erenbaum and ,iben, !""-, p.$. These &socially encouraged patterns of behaviour' are exhibited throughout various levels of society / including within the media (Stainton 0ogers ) Stainton 0ogers, !""#, p1#$. %ne of the most successful movies released in !"#! was 2arvel Studio3s The Avengers ( ellard, !"#!$. The movie centered on a team of superheroes who were assembled to stave off an alien invasion that threatened the safety of the entire (arth ( ellard, !"#!$. The movie is culturally significant because it involves a collaboration between the heroes in some of the most successful superhero franchises in existence4 including 5ron 2an, Thor, The 6ulk, 7aptain America, 6awkeye and +lack idow ( ellard, !"#!$. The Avengers grossed over #8"" million dollars in worldwide box offices and was nominated for an %scar ( ellard, !"#!$. ithin the movie there is a blatant tendency to subscribe to the hegemonic masculine ideal. 6egemonic masculinity is established within a culture through a process of consensual negotiation or as a result of &power and achievement' (+eynon, !""!, p.#9$. These hegemonic ideals are embedded within societal structures (+eynon, !""!$. As a result of this, the version of masculinity that occupies the dominant position becomes ingrained in the social consciousness / even if it is not consistent with the practices of most men (+eynon, !""!$. 2en who do not fit the hegemonic ideal are subordinated and portrayed as being weaker (+eynon, !""!$. The hegemonic male is generally understood to be white, heterosexual, physically powerful, successful and, most notably, dominant (+eynon, !""!$. 5n terms of personality traits, hegemonic masculinity is generally associated with being &rational, practical and naturally aggressive' (+eynon, !""!, p.89$. ithin The Avengers there are multiple examples of the perpetuation of the hegemonic masculine ideal. All of the :superhero3 characters display characteristics that are consistent with the masculine stereotype idealised by estern society. Tony Stark (5ron 2an$ is a white, incredibly wealthy, intelligent businessman who moonlights as a metal soldier that kills terrorists / he describes himself as &a genius, billionaire playboy' ( hedon, !"#!$. +ruce +anner (The 6ulk$ has a doctorate in

particle physics as well as the ability to turn into a &giant green rage monster' ( hedon, !"#!$. Thor / who has been lifted from ;ordic mythology / is described as literally being a :god3 ( hedon, !"#!$. +oth 7lint +arton (6awkeye$ and Steve 0ogers (7aptain America$ are white, male, skilled former soldiers with exemplary records of military service ( hedon, !"#!$. All of the central characters display characteristics that are consistent with the idealised version of hegemonic masculinity. ,inked to the idea of hegemonic masculinity are conceptions regarding the male body and the importance of its physical superiority (+eynon, !""!$. ithin estern society there exists a cultural idealisation of physical strength (+eynon, !""!$. 2en3s bodies are represented as being symbolic of strength, virility and prowess and are strongly linked to ideas of dominance (+eynon, !""!$. The male body has connotations of power and strength (+eynon, !""!$. 6owever, it is not male bodies in general that are perceived as being desirable and dominant but a particular version of the male body that occupies this position. &2en have long held muscles, especially of the biceps, neck and shoulders, to be signifiers of proper masculinity' (+eynon, !""!, p.8#$. ithin The Avengers the male characters all fit this masculine ideal of physical strength. The imagery associated with and portrayal of its heroes involve emphasis on their muscles and physical prowess. hen the character of Steve 0ogers (7aptain America$ is first introduced, he is boxing / engaging in a physical activity designed to improve and emphasise his superior physi<ue ( hedon, !"#!$. +oth 7lint +arton (6awkeye$ and Thor3s signature outfit is designed to display his sculpted biceps and muscular torso to the greatest advantage ( hedon, !"#!$. +ruce +anner (The 6ulk$3s alternative form consists of an impossibly large, masculine form with enormous muscles and exaggerated physical features ( hedon, !"#!$. This serves to link the dominant position that these men occupy in the masculine hierarchy with an idealised image of the male body. 2en3s bodies also have cultural and societal connotations with activity and movement (+oyle, !""8$. 2ale characters are active participants and the behaviour of the male body serves a &clear, narrative purpose' (+oyle, !""8, p.#1=$. 5n this way, the male body is linked to an idea of active, agentic participation which is directly contrasted with cultural notions of female passivity (+oyle, !""8$. This stereotype is also perpetuated within The Avengers. The male characters all participate in physical activities / fighting, attacking and exerting physical strength. (ach of the heroes has a particular physical skill associated with their character / 6awkeye is an archer, Thor has an incredibly heavy hammer that he uses as a weapon and the 6ulk possesses immense physical

strength. 5n this way, the male body is associated with physical action and active participation in the narrative (+eynon, !""8$. hilst, The Avengers conforms to an almost textbook definition of hegemonic masculinity it appears to eschew some of the generalised stereotypes of femininity. >(A0$. ithin estern society, hegemonic femininity is associated with being attractive, passive, kind and maternal (+lakemore, omen are generally cast in the role of &homemaker' as opposed to that of &economic provider' (+lakemore, +erenbaum and ,iben, !""-, p..$. 7haracteristics such as aggression and competence are associated with the masculine ideal (+lakemore, +erenbaum and ,iben, !""-$. There are two notable female characters within The Avengers. The viewer encounters the first, ?epper ?otts, in a scene where she is instructing Tony Stark in the performance of a particular task ( hedon, !"#!$. She is represented as occupying a dominant position / giving orders to a hegemonic male. She is also the 7(% of a large, successful corporation and is generally depicted as being intelligent and competent ( hedon, !"#!$. The second female character, ;atasha 0omanoff (+lack idow$ displays characteristics generally

associated with hegemonic masculinity. She is an integral member of the Avengers team with valuable physical skills and intellectual abilities ( hedon, !"#!$. 5n her first scene, she overpowers a group of men using physical skill ( hedon, !"#!$. 6er former occupation was that of an assassin which is completely at odds with the stereotypical notions of women being &friendly, warm and nurturing' (+lakemore, +erenbaum and ,iben, !""-, p..$. +oth of these female characters appear to transgress ideals of femininity / empowering female viewers to adopt alternative understandings of the female gender role (6ansen/2iller ) Gill, !"##$. ?epper ?otts and ;atasha 0omanoff perform stereotypically masculine tasks and roles within the movie without apparent retribution or discrimination. +y depicting :powerful3 female figures within movies, the stereotype of the traditional female is challenged which creates a space for the formation of new norms and gender roles (6ansen/2iller ) Gill, !"##$. 6owever, this same flexibility is not accorded to men. There are no male characters who display stereotypically feminine traits or behaviours. All of the male characters ascribe rigidly to the ideals of stereotypical hegemonic masculinity. This serves to reinforce existing stratification within ideals of masculine gender roles (Staiger, !"##$. +y casting male characters who behave in a way that is consistent with current ideals of hegemonic masculinity, the stereotype is perpetuated and strengthened (Staiger, !"##$. This serves to empower men whose masculinities and performance of

gender roles are consistent with norm as well as solidifying the subordinate position of males whose masculinity does not (Staiger, !"##$. hilst the representation of females within The Avengers does subvert the some ideals of femininity by avoiding the depiction of women as submissive, maternal and compassionate, it still subscribes to the portrayal of women as sexualised ob@ects within the media ( hedon, !"#!$. +oth ?epper ?otts and ;atasha 0omanoff are highly sexualised / 0omanoff in particular. (ven though ?otts is introduced in her role as a 7(%, she is dressed in a stereotypically feminine way with particularly revealing shorts ( hedon, !"#!$. 0omanoff3s signature outfit is a skintight leather suit that serves to accentuate her breasts ( hedon, !"#!$. (ven though these women are depicted as being powerful and dominant, their most notably feature is their physical attractiveness. 5n this way, The Avengers perpetuates the social phenomenon of ob@ectifying women and evaluating them based upon their physical attractiveness (7ahill, !""-$. This is also problematised through their position as powerful, successful women / their physical attractiveness is then portrayed as part of this position (7ahill, !""-$. 5n this way, desirability and sexuality becomes a re<uirement for a woman to occupy a dominant position (7ahill, !""-$. The female characters are also all linked to men. 0omanoff operates with 6awkeye as part of a tactical team / this undermines her ability to be powerful as an individual ( hedon, !"#!$. ?epper ?otts is a 7(% of Stark 5ndustries / a company which belongs to Tony Stark (5ron 2an$, with whom she is romantically involved. 5n this way, her credibility as a successful businesswoman is undermined by her romantic connection ( hitehead, !""!$. This is a phenomenon that is apparent throughout history ( hitehead, !""!$. The control and management of an empire is a role very strongly associated with hegemonic masculinity / empire/builders have historically been men ( hitehead, !""!$. omen who have occupied this position have been scrutinised in terms of the stereotypes of their gender ( hitehead, !""!$. 7atherine the Great was plagued by rumours regarding her &carnality' and 7leopatra has been the sub@ect of a great amount of historical criticism as a result of her sexual practices ( hitehead, !""!, p.#!#$. This tendency to undermine women by connecting their success to their sexuality again reveals itself through ?epper ?otts3 success which may be interpreted as being predicated upon her sexual relationship with Tony Stark ( hedon, !"#!$.

Gender issues also seem to arise within the division of skilled knowledge and labour within The Avengers. %f the three characters within the movie to be identified as having doctorates, all three of them are male / this supports the stereotypical ideal of men being more knowledgeable and capable than women (+eynon, !""!$. Speciality knowledge and skills are also divided along traditional gender roles (+eynon, !""!$. Tony Stark displays specialised knowledge of engineering, +ruce +anner is re<uired because of his advanced education is science and Steve 0ogers is continually praised for his abilities in leadership ( hedon, !"#!$. 6owever, ;atasha 0omanoff displays specialised skills when using emotional blackmail to interrogate a prisoner / this conforms to the stereotypical notion that women have more skill and understanding with regards to emotion (+eynon, !""!$. The notions of gender and masculine hegemony extend into ideas of gendered violence. The male characters / embodying stereotypical ideals of masculinity / are uniformly observed to perpetrate violence without any negative repercussions ( hedon, !"#!$. 5n fact, they receive praise and admiration for their violent behaviour ( hedon, !"#!$. 5n this way, violence / which represents &the dark side of masculine role performance' / is glorified and linked to dominant male behaviour ( hitehead, !""!, p.=8$. There is also a large amount of antagonistic behaviour that occurs within the male characters. They are routinely seen to mock each other / especially for deviating from the masculine norm ( hedon, !"#!$. Steve 0ogers, in particular, suffers under ridicule from Tony Stark for his &spangly outfit' ( hedon, !"#!$. The villain / ,oki / is also taunted for his observed concern for his &perfect hair' and is mocked for being &scared' ( hedon, !"#!$. Through this, a culture of bullying is created where it becomes acceptable / and desirable / to mock male figures who do not conform to the masculine norms (7ollins, !"#!$. Thus, violent behaviour gains positive connotations and is linked / through approval / with desired masculine norms and a dominant status (7ollins, !"#!$. The glorification of violence present within The Avengers becomes especially problematic when it is linked to the sexuality of empowered female figures. ;atasha 0omanoff3s moniker / +lack idow / explicitly does this. The +lack idow spider is known for its tendency to kill its mate after sexual intercourse (+reene ) Sweet, #-.8$. 5n her introductory scene, ;atasha uses her physical attractiveness / her sexuality / to lure her captor into a vulnerable position and then uses violence to overpower him ( hedon, !"#!$. This results in the representation of her sexuality as a haAard which, in turn, can serve to motivate male violence (+oyle, !""8$. The linking of female sexuality and violence can lead dominant male figures to view female sexuality as dangerous

(+oyle, !""8$. This, in turn, can result in a desire to &punish... the feminine threat' out of a need to preserve their dominant position (+oyle, !""8, p.#1=$. 5n my opinion, the strong association between masculine hegemony and violence is a dangerous one . The glorification of violence and its link to dominance and supremacy reinforces notions of aggression as a re<uirement of masculinity (+eynon, !""!$. The inclusion of male characters who receive social approval whilst displaying stereotypically feminine characteristics / or even who achieve success without the use of violence / could serve to counteract the glorification of violence that is present within The Avengers. The movie attempts to circumscribe the stereotypical representations of femininity that are present within movies / especially action movies / but still perpetuates idealised notion of the female gender role. The link between attractiveness and success that is established within the movie is particularly worrisome and has potentially far/reaching societal conse<uences. The use of sexuality as a weapon by the +lack idow character can also serve to perpetuate motivations underlying gender violence (+oyle, !""8$ 2ovie makers have a responsibility to analyse the content of their movies for possible negative effects / especially in terms of gender roles and norms. hilst the movie, The Avengers, does manage to largely eschew stereotypical ideals surrounding feminine gender roles it does subscribe to and perpetuate the norms of hegemonic masculinity ( hedon, !"#!$. +y doing this it serves to strengthen the existing social hierarchies surrounding gender roles / which in turn leads to the perpetuation of gender based violences (+eynon, !""8$. The media has an enormous impact upon societal understandings of gender roles and norms / the stereotypes portrayed within the movie can serve to strengthen or undermine the audience3s frameworks regarding sex and gender (+eynon, !""8$.

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