010: yesterday a hurricane had blown away my long red cape
Rather than add to the volume of posts bemoaning whatever unfortunate circumstances I may personally anticipate in regards to the assignment at the front of everyone's consciousness, I would like to examine the idea of costumes. There have been numerous studies on the sociological impact of costumed vigilantism, and anyone who's grown up in Neopolis should at least be aware of the basics of costume theory -- I know we did a unit on Ulrich Ubermensch in Gen. Ed. at Olympia, and I'm sure other institutions might have covered similar topics.

At any rate, it's not something I feel a particular need to discuss, as there's little I can say that those who care to hear won't already know. What I would, however, like to discuss is the open secret of the difference between women's and men's super-apparel. I'm sure most can agree that female supers are, by and large, expected to dress more provocatively than men. While spandex spans both genders, women often seem to be wearing less spandex. As such, I'm surprised at the dearth of formal research on women's super-costumes, as well as the sociological implications and results of the difference between their costumes and men's. I would say the most recent and prominent examination of female sexuality in costumed vigilantism would be the Watchmen movie, and that hardly counts for academic purposes.

It may seem strange that I, as a male, would be the first to post this, but I am of the opinion that this is a subject that ought to be addressed. First, I would like to question the societal factors that would drive a woman to make such a choice, as opposed to men, whose costumes tend to be a touch more practical. Secondly, I would like to examine the effects of wearing -- does it allow a woman the desired influence over male opponents (or, I suppose, any opponent attracted to women, regardless of gender)? What bearing does sexually provocative apparel have on potential sexual harassment? What effect does, say, objectification of a female superhero have on her ability to seem "tough" in fighting crime? There are scores of questions to be asked on the topic, and so few concrete answers.

However, I'm afraid we can't always do as we like, and the demands of this project -- as well as those of my other classes -- supercede any interest I may have in the examination of these questions.