Arts & Entertainment
Lynda Carter slams James Cameron for ‘thuggish’ attacks on ‘Wonder Woman’
the ‘Avatar’ director has been dissing the film in recent interviews
Lynda Carter in her iconic role. (Photo courtesy of CBS)
Lynda Carter wants James Cameron to stop criticizing “Wonder Woman.”
Cameron has been making the rounds on the interview circuit and dissing the film directed by Patty Jenkins. Carter addressed Cameron’s comments on Facebook calling him a “poor soul” who is taking “thuggish jabs” at Jenkins.
“To James Cameron – STOP dissing WW”, Carter writes. “You poor soul. Perhaps you do not understand the character. I most certainly do. Like all women, we are more than the sum of our parts. Your thuggish jabs at a brilliant director, Patty Jenkins, are ill advised. This movie was spot on. Gal Gadot was great. I know, Mr. Cameron – because I have embodied this character for more than 40 years. So STOP IT.”
The “Avatar” director told The Guardian that he didn’t understand the hype around the 2017 “Wonder Woman” film.
“All of the self-congratulatory back-patting Hollywood’s been doing over ‘Wonder Woman’ has been so misguided,” Cameron says. “She’s an objectified icon, and it’s just male Hollywood doing the same old thing!”
Then he compared Diana to Sarah Connor, a character from his early “Terminator” films.
“I’m not saying I didn’t like the movie but, to me, it’s a step backwards,” Cameron says. “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.”
“Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins addressed Cameron’s comments by saying the male director doesn’t understand women.
“Women can and should be everything, just like male lead characters should be. There is no right and wrong kind of powerful woman,” Jenkins writes.
— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) August 25, 2017
Cameron continued with his comments in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter saying that Gal Gadot’s portrayal was more sexualized than Carter’s.
“Linda looked great, [but] she just wasn’t treated as a sex object,” Cameron says. “There was nothing sexual about her character. It was about angst, it was about will, it was about determination. She was crazy, she was complicated. She wasn’t there to be liked or ogled, but she was central, and the audience loved her by the end of the film.”
“So as much as I applaud Patty directing the film and Hollywood, uh, ‘letting’ a woman direct a major action franchise, I didn’t think there was anything groundbreaking in ‘Wonder Woman’,” he added.
Impulse Group DC held “10’s Across the Board: A Celebration of 10 Years” at Bravo Bravo (1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) on Sunday, Dec. 14. Impulse Group DC is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) and affinity group of AIDS Healthcare Foundation dedicated “to engaging, supporting, and connecting gay men” through culturally relevant health and advocacy work.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Rob Reiner, most known for directing untouchable classics like “The Princess Bride,” “Misery,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” and “Stand by Me,” died Dec. 14 alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles residence. While investigations are actively underway, sources have told PEOPLE Magazine that the pair’s son, Nick Reiner, killed his parents and has been taken into custody.
Reiner was a master of every genre, from the romantic comedy to the psychological thriller to the coming-of-age buddy movie. But in addition to his renowned work that made him a household name, Reiner is also remembered as a true advocate for the LGBTQ community. In 2009, Reiner and his wife co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, helping fight against California’s Prop 8 same-sex marriage ban. They were honored at the 2015 Human Rights Campaign Las Vegas Gala.
In a statement, HRC President Kelley Robinson said: “The entire HRC family is devastated by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner. Rob is nothing short of a legend — his television shows and films are a part of our American history and will continue to bring joy to millions of people across the world. Yet for all his accomplishments in Hollywood, Rob and Michele will most be remembered for their gigantic hearts, and their fierce support for the causes they believed in — including LGBTQ+ equality. So many in our movement remember how Rob and Michele organized their peers, brought strategists and lawyers together, and helped power landmark Supreme Court decisions that made marriage equality the law of the land — and they remained committed to the cause until their final days. The world is a darker place this morning without Rob and Michele — may they rest in power.”
Reiner’s frequent collaborators have also spoken out as the industry is in mourning, including figures like Ron Howard and John Cusack.
A joint statement from Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest (who starred in Reiner’s “This is Spinal Tap”) reads: “Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner and our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them. There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage, and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
While attending the 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner, Reiner spoke out about the need for equality: “We have to move past singling out transgender, LGBTQ, black, white, Jewish, Muslim, Latino. We have to get way past that and start accepting the idea that we’re all human beings. We’re all human beings, we all share the same planet, and we should all have the same rights, period. It’s no more complicated than that.”
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington perform “The Holiday Show” at Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.). Visit gmcw.org for tickets and showtimes.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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