Review of Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) by Bitmouse — 07 Jul 2018

I actually really liked it. However, I think it is a great example of male oppression and toxic meritocracy. Paul Rudd's character is talked down to the whole movie. This supposed inferiority is due to his being labelled a, "criminal," and sentanced to jail time for righting a wrong committed by a former employer. His further, "wrong doing," SPOILER ALERT was going to join the fight in Civil War, without letting his girlfriend know.

While I can see why should would be upset, it doesn't seem worthy of this sort of total rejection of him. For some reason anytime his character does anything anyone questions he is treated as the total failure and f***up, supposedly because of his prior, "criminal," act. However, all of his actions were in essence heroic. He is a clearly loving, engaged, and arguably ethically ideal role model to his daughter, and always makes the right heroic choices in his film. Still he is treated as less-than.

To me it is sad that this sort of treatment goes unquestioned in our society. It seems to reflect the truth that father's are generally treated as comedic relief in pop culture and scapegoats.

While men headline Marvel movies, for the most part they are emblematic of problems that are at least equal to women in fiction if not worse for the fact they go unrecognized. It is sad that often times people laugh at the concept of a Men's Movement or the need to examine gender norms and expectations as applied to men in our country. It is fairly obvious that our culture has a tremendous problem with, "men.