California State University student Marina Hollon has published a thesis on the history of Wonder Woman and Supergirl and their objectification. From the thesis summary,
"This study argues that comic book publishers, editors, writers, artists,
and fans imposed multiple limitations on Wonder Woman’s and Supergirl’s
powers and independence. Although Wonder Woman and Supergirl embodied
significant liberated characteristics: superpowers, independent
lifestyles, higher education, white-collar careers, and financial
independence, they were most limited by advertisements aimed at males
and were also portrayed as unintelligent women, disempowered, and
objectified.
This study compares 242 of Wonder Woman’s and Supergirl’s comics from
1959 to 1984. The plots, images, and letter pages were analyzed in the
context of Second Wave Feminism and the Cold War era. This study
indicates a change over time from the superheroines’ portrayals of
liberation to sexual objectification and the editor’s, writer’s,
artist’s construction and fans’ reception of the women’s movement in
comic book culture. The present study enhances existing scholarship in
the fields of Women’s Studies, Media and Popular Culture Studies, and
Sociology challenging popular cultural images of empowered
superheroines. Although this study may seem of concern to only a small
group of scholars and comic book fans, it should in fact concern anyone
who cares about why gender inequity continues to exist. My original
contribution shows how the influences of fans’ letters in Wonder Woman
and Supergirl and the editors’ responses to the fans’ requests limited
the superheroines’ liberated powers and behaviors by encouraging a
sexualized style of superheroine art."
The full 163 page thesis can be read here.
