A column written by @BrianJPatterson that takes current issues in the zeitgeist of society and poses the question, “What Would Wonder Woman Do?”.Twitter:@AskWWWWDFacebook:@AskWWWWD Instagram:@AskWWWWDEmail: [email protected]
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Follow @reallyndacarter on Tumblr. She ALWAYS knows EXACTLY What #WonderWoman Would Do!
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WHAT WOULD WONDER WOMAN DO? - Gun Control In America Pt. 2 (Originally posted January 24, 2018)
[Editor’s Note: This article was originally planned for a different time, but after the tragic shooting in a Kentucky school yesterday, we agreed that this article is, sadly, always poignant in America. It is published here unaltered with respect to recent events.]
Just over two years ago on December 9, 2015, I wrote the inaugural “What Would Wonder Woman Do?” article, and it’s topic was Gun Control in America. In the opening of the article I explained just how delicate a topic it is, yet how nonchalant I seem to be about the issue, due to my upbringing; Being raised by two father figures which consisted of a life long police officer and a hunter, guns were merely an every day occurrence to me. I realize that I was and still am more than comfortable with them than most. I believe that to be due in much part to my understanding of them. Both my father & stepfather instilled the responsibility of gun handling at a young age, but it wasn’t until the day I fired a gun for the first time that I truly understood it’s power. Much like George Perez’s Diana of the early 80’s, after firing it I could feel alertness in every cell in my being. With wide eyes similar to those in Perez’s panels, I delicately put the gun down and said, “No one should have that much power.”
Photo excerpt from Wonder Woman #1 by George Perez, Courtesy DC Comics.
NO ONE SHOULD HAVE THAT MUCH POWER
That statement has stayed with me throughout my life. What I observed as a boy, is that essentially any random person was able to harness this extreme power over people; Boiled down to it’s core, it’s the power of life and death. As I dove into Diana’s mythology for the first WWWD about Gun Control, similar sentiments seemed to echo through the decades. Marston’s original Wonder Woman was a remedy to what was essentially an abuse of power happening in the 40’s. Hate, anger, and oppression of patriarchal society had truly reared it’s ugly head in less than admirable ways during WWII. What Dr. Marston observed was that the qualities needed to combat such hate and oppression, were those viewed to be ‘feminine’ and had become despised. It was there his solution was found. “Women’s strong qualities have been despised because of their weakness. The obvious remedy is to create a feminine character with all the strength of superman plus all of the allure of a good and beautiful woman.” And with that, Wonder Woman was born. We learned that her agendas of love and fair play, were probably her most powerful weapons.
1942 Wonder Woman excerpt courtesy DC Comics.
Throughout Dr. Marston’s adventures she constantly ministered messages of love and equality, and used her fabulous abilities as the defender of those who couldn’t defend themselves. One of her most memorable and popular abilities was deflecting bullets with her bracelets. In Marston’s comic it was her last and greatest test of readiness for her journey into Patriarchal society. Translation to me? The sheer power of masculine aggression and ego was represented by the most obvious representation of destructive power…a gun. I don’t believe this to be a mistake, and her ability to deflect that masculine energy with ‘feminine’ jewelry, in my opinion, wasn’t a mistake either. Therefore, I don’t think it’s difficult to surmise how Wonder Woman feels about guns, and even with the release of the 2017 Gal Gadot movie, it doesn’t seem that much has changed. But just in case you weren’t clear on that, I put together seven picture/video examples of Wonder Woman handling guns alongside some gun statistics from 2015 (when I wrote the first article) through 2017. Enjoy!
Dr. William Moulton Marston’s ‘Bullets and Bracelets’ test for Wonder Woman’s entry to patriarchal society.
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
Season 3, episode 12 – “Gault’s Brain” (1978) we see Lynda Carter’s Amazing Amazon asking to join a sporting round of shooting clay pigeons. After picking up the gun, she takes a beat and hands it back. Then proceeds to throw her ammo instead of shooting it from a gun. After hitting each of her targets she says, “It’s much more sporting that way!” There is a message in this scene…there is ALWAYS an alternative. With the Gun Violence Archive showing a steady rise in incidents each year, we would do good to follow her example for finding alternatives.
Wonder Woman screen shot courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Season 3, episode 9 – “The Deadly Dolphin” (1978), Wonder Woman stops a man who is impersonating a police officer. When he pulls a rifle on her, Diana exasperatedly bends the long barrel until it is actually pointing back at him; Almost pointing towards his feet. This imagery reminded me of the old adage, “shooting yourself in the foot”. I can only imagine that her message to him (and us) is that resorting to gun usage to settle issues, injures no one but ourselves. Seeing the Gun Violence Archive total number of injuries continue to increase since 2015, reminds me that we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot.
Wonder Woman screenshot courtesy Warner Bros Entertainment.
Season 2, episode 13 – “Death In Disguise” (1978), Wonder Woman bends an assailant’s gun and utilizes it to shackle the man who just shot at her. The symbolism here for me, was profound. As we continue to utilize this weapon with such ferocity, it enslaves us to our own aggression. Upon noticing the Gun Violence Archive statistics for defensive use continue to increase since 2015, I can’t help but think that even when attempting defense, we are enslaving ourselves to the Marstonian destructive power of guns.
Wonder Woman screen shot courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Wonder Woman (2017) – In the feature film’s No Man’s Land scene, we see Gal Gadot’s Diana taking on the full impact of gunfire from the opposing side. Patty Jenkins’ vision delivered to us a visual depiction of Marston’s original intention, which is that our beloved Diana fights on all of our behalves. As our champion, she shields us from the aggression, anger, and hate Marston seemed to associate with guns. Like a modern day centurion, she is our protector in almost the same way a police officer would be today; Only without guns. After seeing the Gun Violence Archive’s statistics on officer involved incidents where the subject was shot or killed, we would all be so glad to have a non-gun wielding advocate as she, on our side.
Wonder Woman film screenshot courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Wonder Woman has been known to show a little bit of frustration with guns now and then. Two specific modern day examples by Gal Gadot come to mind. In the movie, after enduring the onslaught of gunfire, she takes her shield and literally breaks the machine gun that had opened fire on her earlier, in half. Then, moments later, in hand to hand combat, Diana took the gun of someone who had attempted to shoot her, and broke it across her back. After being shot at so much, one could imagine how annoyed she might begin to feel with a continual onslaught of bullets. With the Gun Violence Archive showing that the number of deaths from guns are increasing annually, frustration is a feeling to which anyone can relate.
Wonder Woman film screen capture courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment.
The cartoon versions of Wonder Woman don’t seem to let up on these ideas, either. Shannon Farnon, Susan Eisenberg, Rachel Kimsey, and Keri Russel have all given voice to the Amazing Amazon, and have all played their virtual share of bullets and bracelets. Part of why so many women have had a chance to play her in cartoon, is because Wonder Woman is essential to young viewers. Not just because of her message of love and self-empowerment, but also her consistent visual critique of gun usage. Like both Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot’s live action examples, each Wonder Woman cartoon version produced has displayed a distaste for, alternatives to, and consequences of gun use. In the consequences department, one example always seems to catch my eye, and that’s when Keri Russel’s self titled 2009 film’s Wonder Woman deflects a bullet so that it injures one of her assailants. With Wonder Woman’s gun critique message so important to children of all ages, it was especially disheartening to see the Gun Violence Archive statistics slowly increase in the area of teens killed or injured by guns.
Wonder Woman (2009) screen capture courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment.
WHAT WONDER WOMAN WOULD DO
Like Dr. William Moulton Marston’s original Wonder Woman adventures depict, guns can be great at sport and preparing us for the challenges ahead. However, as the George Perez WW highlighted, that kind of power should only be wielded by those who truly understand the responsibility it carries. I was happy to see our most iconic Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot exemplify the importance of that idea. After writing many of these articles, I’ve come to view Marston’s psychological calling in society to be a healer. One which understood the incredible power of the mind. When we change our minds we can truly change the world. Anything is possible. And he gave us a phenomenal example and template for us to utilize: The example of Wonder Woman. Lynda Carter, Gal Gadot, Shannon Farnon, Susan Eisenberg, Rachel Kimsey, and Keri Russel have all contributed to Wonder Woman’s example. Through it, we are shown that we don’t need a gun to resolve issues or even defend ourselves. The true power is our ability to love. The hate, oppression, and masculine aggression and ego can be deflected with love. We can utilize our powers within to love each other and ourselves to ensure safety for all. So while she may not demand that we change our constitution, I believe What Wonder Woman Would Do is encourage us to live more responsibly for our fellow man and for ourselves. Taking away rights is never the Amazonian way. But coming together in a sense of community and deciding on ways we can legislate to ensure others behave responsibly is exactly what Wonder Woman would do about gun control in America. It’s Love and Fair Play all the way!
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WHAT WOULD WONDER WOMAN DO...about White Supremacy? (Originally posted August 28th, 2018)
This has probably been the most difficult What Would Wonder Woman Do that I’ve written to date, and after 6 drafts it ended much differently than when it began. Upon my initial observation of Friday, August 11th’s events at the University of Virginia where a group of approximately 215 white nationalists brandishing torches, chanting “Jews will not replace us” and “blood and soil”, encircled another group of around 30 counter protesting students, I must admit I was unaffected. Myself, having originated from a state (Pennsylvania) which is 70% caucasian, primarily Christian, for years held a top ten spot in the Southern Poverty Law Center’s ‘highest rate of hate groups per capita in the U.S.’, was the location for many of my memories where I was called the ’N word’ multiple times, and beat up for the way I looked, dressed, or merely the people with whom I associated during my childhood,...from my perspective this was merely business as usual in the United States, and I didn’t understand people’s frustration. ‘Move along! Nothing to see here!” were my thoughts and you really can’t blame me for my ambivalence. That is until the next day. On Saturday August 12th after a not so successful “Unite The Right” rally, where a man used a car to ram a crowd, killing one person (Heather Heyer) and injuring nineteen others. That’s when the ambivalence disappeared and I felt something raw. I was completely in shock, and all I could think is that this kind of anger signified to me, we were no longer dealing with a simple ‘cultural pride’ issue; This was hate, pure and simple.
For my fellow geeks out there, I equated it with Wonder Woman Vol. 2, issue #6 by George Perez when Ares the War God finally revealed to us his true face as the mastermind behind all which was plaguing the earth. The irony and parallel of people wearing swastikas, a symbol often associated with evil, but no longer feeling the need to wear white hoods, hence, doing their own kind of unmasking, was not lost on me. It was in that moment that I began writing. I was lost, upset, and in need of counsel. For me, the only way I could find it was searching, what some of my friends and I call the ‘scriptures’ of Diana and figuring out exactly What Wonder Woman Would Do. I frantically researched with precision and wrote with passion. I ended up putting together a long and articulate draft by the evening of Monday, August 14th, the same day when in a press conference our 45th President said, “We must love each other. We must rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that brings us together as Americans. Racism is evil, and those who cause violence in it’s name are criminals and thugs. Including the KKK, white supremacists, and neo-nazis, and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans. We are a nation founded on the truth that all of us are created equal.” There it was! I had the centerpiece for my article, and surprisingly it came from someone I knew to be foreign to oppression, and married to privilege. I began making updates and on the morning of Tuesday, August 15th I started polishing and preparing the article for a fantastically fabulous #WonderWomanWednesday run the next day. Then, at the drop of a hat, everything changed again. My phone alerts began buzzing with fury, because our 45th President had just gone on national television, and nullified everything he just said the day before with his “there were very fine people on both sides” comments. While I do not believe it was his intent, in that moment the country wide unification immediately disintegrated, and the nationwide polarization had been reignited with just a few of his words; The pen was truly mightier than the sword in this case. I truly believe that our President’s intent was to display and prove his potential fairness in judgment, and maybe even an ability to be objective...but it was so poorly articulated. Remember that desire to have a president that wasn’t so PC with what he said? Well, our current leader’s lack of articulation and inability to be ‘P.C.’ had just, for a countless time, restarted a conflict...nationwide! Not to mention, rendered my article was completely null and void. My initial WWWWD about his Inauguration had urged for compassion and openness to his presidency. But the nuances of representing such a diverse spectrum of race, religions, cultures, and creeds require precision. And after just over 7 months of continual inaccuracies, in- articulations (demonstrated in the accompanying links), and his follow up appearances and statements which continue to encourage and embolden white supremacists in America, I need to ask a new question. Since statistically it is on the rise, today, I’m going to ask What Would Wonder Woman Do about White Supremacy?
WE’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE:
The character was given life back in 1941’s World War II era, when the world was in a kind of turmoil. Keeping the socioeconomic context in mind, I truly believe that creator William Moulton Marston III, being an accomplished Ivy league graduate psychologist, had profound insight to what ailed humans psychologically, and also what was affecting the global consciousness politically. Specifically, he wanted to combat this ever present hate and oppression which existed in our patriarchal society, and offer some psychological healing. It’s all but spelled out for us in her origin when Aphrodite (love) tells Queen Hippolyte (Mother of Wonder Woman) how, “The gods have decreed that this American officer crash on Paradise Island. You must deliver him back to America – to help fight the forces of hate and oppression.” Right there, hate and oppression were called by name as that which she was fighting against. In a later origin, Marston also had Aphrodite (love) refer to what she was sent to fight as ‘war and evil’. Those names seemed to be synonymous with each other, and love (Aphrodite) was the primary deity sending her champion.
It’s most notable that World War II was the era of the Nazis, who are essentially white supremacists and the poster children for hate and oppression of the time. So, her conception was born out of an idea to combat these types of ideologies and those who would promote them. Wonder Woman literally fought Nazis and white supremacists nearly 76 years ago. Now the same ideologies are rearing their heads once again. Personally, I don’t believe that it’s a mistake that the world is seeing a resurgence of interest in Wonder Woman. We are craving her as a champion to our cause, and the box office sales are proof. We are also craving her message. The Wonder Woman movie (fantastically directed by Patty Jenkins) ended with her saying, “It’s not about deserve, it’s about what you believe. And I believe in love.” – Wonder Woman (2017) Wonder Woman was love’s messenger and champion before, and she is once again. The idea of love as a remedy to hate is needed to heal our world, and our current president, has actually admitted to it. But how do we do it? What can everyday people who aren’t in the throws of this struggle do? Well, unfortunately we are not Wonder Woman. The strength of Hercules has not been bestowed upon us, and we were not trained our entire lives by a group of warriors who spent 3,000 years honing their martial skills. We don’t have god- like powers, and are not the divinely ordained champions of fair play. The majority of people who I encounter on a daily basis don’t even know how to throw a proper punch. The responsibility of physical combat is something that is unavailable to many. While we don’t have divine powers, and for those who don’t have combat training, what you DO have available to you are other powers which were exemplified in the book. I took a look at some of the ways in which Wonder Woman would combat hate and oppression in her stories of the past, her most recent comic, and her movie, giving them present day application, with which we mortals could best relate. Here are three non- physical ways you can combat white supremacy in your every days lives, and fulfill what Wonder Woman would do!
ONE – STOP A WAR WITH LOVE:
Love is probably one of the most powerful themes in Wonder Woman. It’s practically an unavoidable topic when you bring her up in conversation. Especially, since one of the first things that people say when you talk about her is, “OMG I looooove Wonder Woman!” Three things about Diana’s relationship to Love in the original Marston stories:1) Aphrodite, the goddess of love was a supreme deity in the life of the Amazons and from whence life sprung for Princess Diana. 2) Wonder Woman’s power over people came out of her being in service to love (and wisdom), and 3) Wonder Woman’s ability to not let her extreme power corrupt her, was due to her submitting to love via her always wearing the bracelets of submission. These multiple occurrences pointing to the power of love are not coincidence. There was a clear and repeated message that being in service to love was a kind of access to true power. It’s the one power that we all have. The evidence of that power could be seen in the way she treated people. Boston Blake talks about one of these ways during his Wonder Woman talk entitled “Kink In The Golden Lasso”. He mentions that 1940s Diana was often seen engaging with many people, friends and enemies alike, in a “tell me your story” kind of manner.
Being present, listening, showing a desire to understand, openness, and desire to help are all things closely associated with someone who is considered loving. Lynda Carter was so good at this during her hit TV show in the 70s. She has been interviewed many times talking about how she just wanted to make Diana a relatable woman. This commitment to creating a Wonder Woman that seemed to line up and be reflective of Marston’s “feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman”, is what made Carter’s Diana so successful. Even when reprimanding her foes, you often saw Carter’s Wonder Woman consoling them or guiding them in a loving manner toward reform in the very same scene.
This “trusted soul” as Greg Rucka recently coined the term in his run, to me, was evidence of love in Wonder Woman and that same behavior can be evidence of love in us. Displaying these qualities can often make a difference between a blowout and a bear hug. Sometimes all we need to do is listen, have empathy, or even compassion for a person’s situation. In Wonder Woman #24, Cheetah, a deadly foe, is attacking another of Diana’s enemies named Veronica Cale. Diana defends Cale, and renders Cheetah unconscious so that Cale can be saved, and Wonder Woman can assist Cheetah in getting help towards reform. This reminds me of the Marston adventures and at one point Diana even says, “I understand that you see weakness in the places where I find strength”. Love and compassion is one of the qualities that makes Wonder Woman stronger. If we use her example, this is one way we can combat hate in our every day lives, and make ourselves and each other stronger in the process. A little love can go a long way. I saw proof of this in a recent documentary. In Vice’s ‘America’s Far White: HATE THY NEIGHBOR’, our host Jamali met with Daniel Burnside, Pennsylvania NSM’s state leader. The N.S.M. is the National Socialist Movement for white civil rights (Oddly enough, Mr. Burnside is a white nationalist leader in my home state that I mentioned earlier). In the documentary, they had a full day of open, honest conversation and sharing. Take note that their time together, which began with compassion and empathy, ended very differently than expected. The two while saying goodbye ended with an encouragement to stay in contact. Is this how your conversations end with those whom you have disagreements or differing points of view? They were proof to me that a little love, goes a long way. It truly is the remedy to all this hate.
TWO – MAKE A LIAR TELL THE TRUTH:
The first introduction of the magic lasso was in Sensation Comics #6 (1942). It’s important to note that after praying all night to Aphrodite and Athena, they awarded Wonder Woman this fantastic gift, to make people obey her. Although the magic lasso originally began as one of obedience in the 40s, it’s power has evolved to primarily being associated with truth, as it was often used to extract information like in . Not surprising since Dr. Marston was attributed as discovering the systolic blood pressure test, which was the predecessor to the lie detector test. In so many of Wonder Woman’s adventures, having truthful and factual information was essential to advancing her fight with hate and oppression. I believe that the same can be said for us today. Insisting on having truth when encountering these kinds of ideologies can be great groundwork and starting point. I was pleased to see this tradition, along with Marston’s idea of love and ‘tell me your story’, followed in the most recent story by Shea Fontana and illustrated by David Messina. In it Diana doesn’t lash out with all of her might or skill. In near Marstonian manner, she instead uses the truth/magic lasso to put her on the right path.
One immediate example that I can think of when facts were essential to combating an oppressive or racist misconception is how in February of 2015, Gene Alday insinuated that African Americans from his hometown are unemployed and on food stamps. The Huffington Post published an article a week later, citing the U.S. Department of agriculture statistics which show 40.2% of Caucasians and only 25.7% of African Americans were collecting food stamps in 2013. The idea was racist, and was disproven with facts. The truth was indeed illuminating in this case, as it not only disproved the assumption, but also shed light on the origins of his misconception. Insisting on facts and truthful information can be one of our greatest weapons upon which we can rely.
THREE – GRACE OF THE GODS
In the original Marston comic books, when Wonder Woman removed her ‘bracelets of submission’ she would go into a berserker rage and wouldn’t be able to control her power or emotions. The Amazons were required by Aphrodite to wear these bracelets, and it is yet a third time that love was the deity and access to one of Wonder Woman’s abilities. In this case, submission to love was actually required for Wonder Woman to be able to always show grace. But what does that look like? Webster’s dictionary defines grace as: a way of moving that is smooth and attractive...not stiff or awkward, b) a controlled polite, and pleasant way of behaving, c) skills that are needed for behaving in a polite way in social situations.
While wearing her bracelets, the symbol of Wonder Woman’s submission to love, she was able to harness her power and exhibit grace. In so many of Marston’s early adventures she seemed to see the challenges she faced as mere opportunities to do her best work, and was never easily ruffled. Even in the most difficult of situations she exhibited a kind of grace. That calm, smooth, pleasant demeanor often times enabled her to do things in places she might never have dreamt. I’ve seen that graceful confidence and ‘can-do’ attitude in many of the more modern writers and artists for the Princess of Peace: George Perez, Greg Rucka, Andrew Johnson, Nicola Scott, Gail Simone, Liam Sharp and David Messina to name a few. One in particular stands out to me, and it’s in Wonder Woman #170 by Phil Jimenez. Diana is challenged by someone with an opposing view, and she exhibits fantastic grace during the conversation. This third example leads me to believe that if we submit to love, we are always capable of showing grace. That ability to exhibit control in even the most tense of situations or confrontations could be (dare I say) our saving grace. One of the most applicable and relevant modern examples is the discussion that Richard Spencer had with Antifa member Lacy MacAuley vs. the discussion Richard Spenser had with Charles Barkley. One was heated with pointed accusations, potentially violent speak, and led to a closing down on both sides. While during the other, people were heard and ideas were exchanged. Exhibiting grace when encountering hateful rhetoric in your everyday life in person and online, can mean the difference of being able to exchange, and idea and never being heard. However, grace isn’t always possible when people aren’t willing to meet you half way. Sometimes the best grace you can have is acknowledging those times and have a qualified person speak on your behalf. Contacting your local political representative when you see non-factual, untruthful, and hateful/oppressive legislation introduced, can be a great way of showing grace and also having your voice heard and counted.
CONCLUSION
Superman and Wonder Woman were both a form of wish fulfillment in the 1940s, and each was an answer to combating the hate and oppression of the time, which was often represented and given tangibility with the image of Nazis, who became synonymous with said ideologies. Unfortunately, we were not given alien or divine powers. We can not lift buildings, deflect bullets, or fly, and we don’t have a magic lasso to wield. Personally, I come from a family of law enforcement. I have training in 4 different forms of martial arts, and I’ve had to defend myself once or twice. But, if you have gone through any kind of martial arts training, you know that it’s always Athena’s “wisdom before words” (Xena, Warrior Princess). I also know that most people don’t have the responsibility that comes with that kind of knowledge. So I’m hoping that this gives others some alternative ways to combat hate in their daily lives by using the Amazing Amazon’s cure. Wonder Woman’s cure for these dangerous ideologies of white supremacy was and is love. Even if you are equipped to join her with a sword, I urge you to also follow her example daily by first: leading with love in all you do, sticking to facts and truth when engaging, and emulating her grace in your conduct. It may not seem like much, but it is one of the things that Wonder Woman Would Do, and it just might just be our saving grace!
I close with a quote recently tweeted out from someone who always was immaculately articulate, brilliantly summed up this situation, and always led with love, truth, and grace:
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background or his religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love. For love comes more naturally to the human heart than it’s opposite.” – Nelson Mandella
Remember your power, everyone. Lead with love, truth, and grace. May the Glory of Gaea be with you, always.
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WHAT WOULD WONDER WOMAN DO about Depression? - Part Two (By Brian J. Patterson)
Empowering. That’s what the last month has felt like to me. If I could describe it, I would say that it was like being baptized and emerging from the water a new creature. A type of rebirth (pun intended, comic book readers); The phoenix rising from the ashes. This is the complete antithesis of May 2017, when I wrote about my experience in Part One of “What Would Wonder Woman Do about depression?”. And although, many of the circumstances which led to last year’s overwhelming depression haven’t really changed very much, there is one particular thing that did change, and seems to have had the most powerful effect on my life. I didn’t realize what it was until recently, but as soon as I made the discovery, nearly everything in my life began to transform. I discovered a key component of Wonder Woman’s character. One which is obvious, but the powerful and multifaceted concept behind this character trait isn’t always so obvious. I still can’t believe how long it eluded me. It wasn’t until I began the journey of asking “What Would Wonder Woman Do about depression?”, that these concepts arose to the surface and became blatantly obvious. To explain, let me take you on a journey of the last two years of my life.
THE JOURNEY
The starting point of my recent depression was somewhere around December of 2016. The theatre where I worked (and from where I derived nearly 70% of my annual income the previous six years) had some major budget cuts, and wouldn’t be hiring as many performers for a while. This included me, and was the first of my big disappointments. Next, roles on camera were coming to me with less frequency. Mostly because I had worked so diligently to get into the pool for the most competitive roles with the highest production value, in my region. Thereby limiting work opportunities for me on camera. This was my second big disappointment. To make matters worse, I began feeling my agency decrease the ferocity with which they approached getting me work. I would find out late 2017 that it was because after 32 years of business, my agency (with whom I had been for almost ten years), was closing their doors. This was my third and most powerful disappointment. A steep decline happened over the course of December 2016 through May of 2017. During which time, I had gone through most of my savings, exhausted many forms of assistance, and watched my career rapidly fade before my eyes. All of my hard work over the last decade was disappearing. The rug was being snatched from beneath me at every turn. If I could describe how it felt, it was almost as if I were watching each limb on my body slowly atrophy and succumb to paralysis, without being able to do anything about it.
Slowly, I became paralyzed with fear, and fell into one of the deepest and most difficult depressions I had experienced since high school. It forced me into a dark corner of my heart and mind where I saw only hopelessness. And In May of 2017, I called up my good friend Boston Blake, and began asking him some questions. “If anything happened to me, would you take care of my Wonder Woman collection?” Funny how that of all things was my main concern at the time. In my defense, I have a very large collection. Boston had been to my place many times, so he knew the magnitude of what I was asking. He assured me that although he really didn’t have the space, he would make certain that everything went to a very good home and landed with people who would care for of each item. He mentioned using many of the Wonder Woman Facebook groups, to which we both belonged, as a resource. I made some jokes and tried to move to the next topic, but he didn’t allow that.
“Brian, why are you asking me this?”, Boston said. I consider him a very good friend, and knowing Boston’s command of the ‘Lasso Of Truth’ I knew he would see right through me if I attempted to lie. So I was reluctantly honest with him. “Well,..” I paused. “I’ll tell you this, but I’d like it to stay completely between the two of us…I’m planning on ending my life.” Without any hesitation in his voice or skipping a beat, he said in a very upbeat manner, “Okay. Well, I’m not getting off the phone with you until we have resolved this.”
I think we talked for nearly an hour that day. We came to an understanding after Boston gave me some very sage advice. “Give it a year.” He went on to explain that life evolves dramatically in a year, and that a lot can change during that time. So I agreed to wait at least a year for what I hoped would be the inevitable change. It was at this time I wrote part One of WWWWD about depression, and very much like the Sensation Comics #8 story that I referenced, Boston was my Beth.
(Snippets from Sensation #8)
When May of 2018 came around, only one thing in my life had really changed; I had finally left my 13 year long toxic living situation, and landed in a friend’s place in LA. Why was my previous living situation so toxic, you ask? Well, besides being a wellspring of daily anger and negativity, the master tenant with whom I lived, was overheard in their bedroom sometime around 2013 on a phone call referring to me as, and I quote,
“…a ni&&er. He’s a fucking ni&&er!”. Need I say anymore? If you’re wondering why I didn’t leave, it’s because I didn’t think I could afford to at the time. Keep in mind that this is merely one out of many situations of this degree. But after said incident, I never confronted this person. I merely made sure that I rarely (if ever) ran into this person by shifting my schedule to be opposite of theirs. Leaving for work? Well, I’d just be waking up. Getting home? I’d be gone until what I knew was this person’s bedtime. It was brilliant, and worked as a perfect band aid for a near unfixable situation, which came to an end in December of 2017 when I was finally forced to leave that apartment where I had lived for 13 years.
I had run out of savings, exhausted all of the assistance available to me, and ran up all of my credit cards just trying to survive. I packed up all of my things and gave notice to my master tenant roommate (who of course retaliated with nothing but nastiness, and had no forethought or regard for what I might be experiencing), and placed everything in storage until I could figure out how to recover.
(Wonder Woman pendant which is part of my collection)
Finally, on one of my last nights in SF, I took what I thought was my final blow at the time. I was performing at a local theatre, and while backstage, with only 15 minutes before our performance began, I found out that one of my parents was not in good health. That was truly a devastating blow. I was truly a broken man, and am still unsure how I went on that night. After discussing it later with one of my costars (Nancy), she told me that she didn’t even notice a difference in my performance that night. I guess I had truly gotten very good at my job, because no one could see just how deeply destroyed I was feeling. It wasn’t until my good friend and spiritual brother Louis (along with his two roommates) took me in for a brief period starting in January 2018 that I was even able to begin my journey towards healing. After a few months there, I went and stayed with my ‘fairy godfathers’ (Mike & Joe) as I call them, starting in April 2018.
This brings us up to June of 2018. I was at the bottom of the barrel. I had experienced so much loss in my life that I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t even have a place of my own anymore. I just wanted to be happy about something. ANYTHING! Determined to create some happiness, I called up a friend and we went to LA Pride in West Hollywood together. We met up with two other people I knew...and within an hour all my friends disappeared, including the one person with whom I came to the event. What struck me the hardest, is that very last $20 I had to my name until my next payday, was spent on my friend who just left me. I remember sitting there at the Abbey surrounded by a virtual sea of loud, happy, intoxicated people, and I had never felt more sad, lonely, or pathetic in my life.
My attempt at happiness had failed once again, just like everything else in my life. After many moments of listening to the cacophony of failure echoing around my head in parallel to the sounds of merriment of LA Pride, I realized that just over a year had passed since Boston and I’s conversation. It was then that things went completely silent and numb. What I would call a truly ‘sobering’ moment. I arose from my chair, left my current location, and began to walk. I walked for miles in expressionless silence until I finally reached where I called home at the time. After a day of intense soul searching (at the apartment I was house sitting in Hollywood), I concluded that it was time. So I began making plans to wrap up the loose ends of my life, and started preparing for the afterlife.
(More from my collection)
One of my dearest friends named Ash, committed suicide just over ten years ago. It happened while I was rehearsing for a show called In Gabriel’s Kitchen. At the end of the show, my character (Marco) reveals to his mother (and the audience) that he was the one who found the body of his younger brother (Gabriel) who had committed suicide. Once performances of the show began, each tear that I shed on stage was not only real, but it became an outlet and coping strategy as I mourned for my friend Ash. I’ll never forget how each night after bows, I would leave both the stage and the cast to find a quiet corner to collect myself before returning to our group dressing room; I didn’t want my cast-mates to see my immense pain before collecting my things and leaving the theatre. However, during off time in between performances, I had the opportunity to do investigate, and become familiar with the process Ash went through before reaching his decision. I even had the opportunity to be the person to fulfill his final wish: Spread his ashes while skydiving. The most important thing that I would discover, si that I became very intimate with the clarity of his decision. But, I also knew all too well the pain and questions with which people were left.
Therefore, in June of 2018 as I began my own process toward committing suicide, I wanted to give people the opportunity to ask me any questions, get clarification, or closure while I was finishing the process of making my arrangements to depart. In mid to late June of 2018 I started calling a few of my ‘inner circle’ and began telling them the same (slightly more detailed) story which you just read above. This was so that they could prepare themselves and ask me any questions they might have. Most were stopped in their tracks and had questions, and a couple of them had some really refreshing and comedic perspectives. One of those people was a friend and coworker I made while performing in theatre over the previous six years.
After a few jokes, he finally told me that since I had my mind made up and had some time before the event was actually going to transpire, he had two final requests: 1-That I read a book, and 2-that I see a therapist. “What could it hurt?” He said. I pushed back because my mind was made up, and I didn’t see the need or value in it. I thought it was a waste of time, but he insisted. Besides, he told me I needed to honor his final wish. So I agreed. He sent me the book via iTunes a few moments later, and after hanging up the phone, I called the LGBT Center in LA and made an appointment for seeing a therapist. Initially, they told me that I would have to wait 4-6 weeks, but as the receptionist started checking, she noticed that there was a cancellation and one appointment was available the next day. This wasn’t something that I was keen on doing, so I wanted to get it out of the way quickly, and took the appointment.
(Diana/Wonder Woman asking Beth to ‘tell her about it’ in Sensation #8)
That night I began reading the book, and immediately noticed some clear parallels with my own personal journey/story. The next day when I spoke to the therapist, I was shocked at what happened. Due to my current state of mind, I was painstakingly honest, candid, and transparent about every minute detail of my life. Above all, I was laser sharp and direct. We discussed all the important points that led me to the decision, and the shocking part for me was this: Only 30 minutes into the appointment he was able to pinpoint exactly where my problem resided.
“Attitude is everything” he said, as he began into a short but direct monologue, which even included some sage career advice. He said that “…this book your friend suggested is the perfect place to begin”. The book was called, The Velvet Rage, and primarily discussed how shame keeps people from believing, achieving, and succeeding in feeling good about themselves. It was pretty eye opening. Especially, eye opening for my particular situation, since I’ve done so much research about the lack of diversity in entertainment, where there are many parallels. I began seeing the correlation of other areas in my life, immediately. It wasn’t new information or new connection, but for some reason it resonated so much clearer that day. It wasn’t completely apparent why, until he asked me the question,
“Do you struggle with anger?” I giggled and said, ‘no’. But then I stopped suddenly. Everything on my face went blank. I was having one of the most profound ‘Ah-Ha’ moment of my life. He was asking me if I struggled with anger because sadness can sometimes feel like anger. An irritable depression if you will. I immediately thought of my toxic roommate in SF, and realized they were probably dealing with many similar issues of shame and borderline self loathing. I had nothing but empathy and sadness. Thankfully, my answer to the therapists’ ‘anger’ question meant that I wasn’t anywhere near as advanced in this issue as my ex roommate, so I felt much hope. We continued talking and talking right up until the end of the session, and left things on a very positive note. I left the office feeling like a completely different person, thanks to one honest, candid, and completely transparent conversation. I think that it also helped that I got a much older and experienced therapist for that initial session. As I walked away from the center, I called my friend to share with him the incredible news. After I finished that conversation, I began calling all the other people back in my ‘inner circle’ and began focusing on changing my attitude, because like the therapist said, attitude really is everything. Now that I knew attitude (aka personal perception) was the problem, how do I change it? Naturally, I headed over to my personal icon for answers. I needed to see, ‘what Wonder Woman would do?’ about this.
THE CAN DO ATTITUDE When beginning research on any #AskWWWWD topic, I always believe in going to the source, or as close to the source as possible. So my primary focus today, will be on the original Golden Age Marston adventures and character. My third clue (yes, I’m going backwards) into this ‘attitude’ Wonder Woman toted, was on October 23rd, 2017 when I heard a podcast called Chew On This. The episode that day (#104) was with Christie Marston, granddaughter of Dr. William Moulton Marston III, who was the creator of Wonder Woman. During the interview, she talks about her ‘Gram’ (Elizabeth Marston) upon whom Wonder Woman was actually based. One thing in particular Christie mentions about her ’Gram’ is that she had a, “Super positive, go get em attitude. Never take no for an answer, always be cheerful, always be positive, and always get it done…that was Gram!” This was reflected in Wonder Woman’s early adventures. Diana, who Christy had referred to as Gram in the podcast, always seemed to find a way to get things done, and with a positive attitude. What was this? It immediately made me think of my first clue, which was something a friend said.
My second clue was from my buddy Boston Blake, who I mentioned earlier and with whom I often have what we call ‘Amazon Bible Study’. He gives an examination of Wonder Woman’s attitude in his live Wonder Woman Talks. He dubbed Diana’s super positive go get-em attitude the “Can-Do Attitude”. The first example he offers during a recent talk (where I had the opportunity to introduce him), is from Sensation Comics #3. Wonder Woman is attempting to save Steve Trevor and stop a Nazi mission. She takes an informant with her, and they have to dive into the Potomac River, because Steve Trevor is being held on a departing speed boat. As they swim toward the boat, Lila (informant) is hanging onto Wonder Woman’s belt and mentions, “The water is like ice!”. To which Wonder Woman replies, “Swim faster and warm yourself up!”. As they get closer, Lila sees that, “He’s starting the boat - We can’t make it!” To this Wonder Woman also replies “Can’t make what, excuses? Hold on tight!” Naturally, Wonder Woman speeds up and gets on board. This is just one of the really awesome examples that Boston uses to display Wonder Woman’s ‘Can-Do Attitude’.
An old boss of mine used to always say, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it” and I think that it’s very important to note that Wonder Woman was never mean. One of the first things that Christie said about Gram (Wonder Woman) was that she’s “Super Positive”. I believe this is why the Lynda Carter version worked so well and was so difficult to follow up with anything else. Diana is a really positive ‘go getter’ and since she was taught and comes from a place of love, her default should be kindness. You can see how well Lynda Carter exemplified this in nearly every single episode of the 70s television show. Cut to 2017 when she says, “…but, it’s what I’m going to do.” (Gal Gadot), and we see that ‘go getter’ kind of gal again without being nasty. A continual attitude of “Yes, I (We) Can!”. These video representations which were among the most popular ever, was my first and final clue. It was the mixture of these three clues which made me begin marinating on how I could create that for myself. I began asking myself this question: How do I transform depression and/or situations where I feel incapable, into empowerment and situations where I feel highly capable? That word was ‘transform’ really resonated with me, and as I zeroed in on those sound waves, I realized it was leading me towards one of Dr. Marston’s quotes.
MAKE A HAWK A DOVE Transformation is one of the sub-themes that are ingrained into Wonder Woman’s mythos. I could write an entire AskWWWWD on the topic alone, but for brevity's sake, I’ll just say that it is reflected in some of what she does: Diana transforms into Wonder Woman. In the original Marston adventures, one of the places in which transformation occurs is the when people (usually villains) are reformed with love. In addition, Diana uses love to transform hate and oppression in the world. Diana is an ‘agent of transformation’ because she inspires to use the power of love to transform us into our greatest selves. How do we do that, you ask? Marston practically spells it out to us in an enlightening quote, which began taking up semi-permanent residency in my mind over the past two months while writing this. He said that “Every crisis offers extra desired power”. I realize now that this was the core of Wonder Woman’s ‘Can-Do Attitude’ and fueled my search to find out how it worked so that I could understand how to get ‘extra desired power’ from my crisis. Unfortunately, at the time I felt like I had an onslaught of bad energy headed my way, and first I needed to find a way to deflect it all so that I could concentrate on making things better. As soon as I heard my inner self say the word ‘deflect’ the light bulb went off, and one of Wonder Woman’s most prominent weapons came to mind: The Bracelets!
THE BRACELETS
The bracelets originated as a tool of enslavement for the Amazons in ancient times. Aphrodite allowed the Amazons to free themselves from male domination, but there was one caveat: They had to wear the bracelets as a constant reminder of their folly. Brief cut to 1941, when women are dominated by men in Patriarchal society, and attitudes about women haven’t changed [SINCE APHRODITE'S TIME]. Bracelets are worn as jewelry and, in many ways, a societal tool to keep women enslaved to patriarchal domination - yet again. Before leaving the island, Diana had to prove that she was prepared for this new male dominated society and their updated weapons of enslavement. Her final and ultimate test was ‘Bullets And Bracelets’ which required our heroine to actually deflect bullets shot from a gun, with her bracelets.
Guns were symbolic in the comic. They were an expression of man’s destructive power, and the projectile energy which is hurled out (into the world) effects of which inlcude: pain, destruction, and even death. By the time she entered Patriarchal society, Wonder Woman had mastered the art of Bullets And Bracelets, and was easily deflecting the energy of hate and oppression with the bracelets, which were a gift from Aphrodite. Love granted Diana the ability to deflect destructive power with tools that were intended to oppress and enslave her. Marston gave us one of the most striking visual depictions of using the power of transformation for empowerment. Just like the transformation into Wonder Woman, the transformation of reformation, and the transformation of hate and oppression, there is one caveat: Love must be our guide.
This isn’t an uncommon theme. The Law of Attraction gives a near parallel theory as the bracelets, and constantly reinforces the idea that, with love at the helm, we can empower ourselves, and transform our world. But, it requires us to take a very good look at ourselves and how we bring things to fruition. I took some time to really do some self analysis and see how I was bringing a lot of the negative projectile energy to pass. I think that was the most important and difficult part of my process. Yet another topic upon which I could pontificate upon for days. Let me just say that it was not easy and took a lot of time. Wrapping myself in the fires of the lasso of truth took a lot of courage, which I didn’t think I had. But we all have a Wonder Woman inside us, and can all face it if we believe. I’m going to skip most of the self analysis I did, and cut to the chase. I found some ways to reinforce the ‘Can-Do Attitude’ for me, and I’m going to list them for you. These are only suggestions, and not the truth for everyone, but they are MY truth. You might find great use in one or you might find great use in them all. But there is one truth that I know will work for anyone: Just like the bracelets, with love as a guiding force we can also discover our ‘extra desired power’ and use it to take tools intended for our demise or oppression, and transform them into that which empowers us. Here are 7 ways I found where using love as a guide, can build and/or reinforce a ‘Can Do Attitude’.
1. LOVE FROM YOUR SAFE SPACE I have always considered wherever I live to be my ‘Themysciran Embassy’, and dubbed that name. To me, home is a kind of safe space. Like any embassy, mine is a ‘neutral territory’ and safety away from the rest of the world; Not just for myself, but also for others who might visit. No matter where I have resided, I always attempted to create an air of home where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and loved. For me, I have found that the key to creating a ‘Themysciran Embassy’ is being able to feel love reflected back at me from my space. Love has a rejuvenating, connective, life giving, and inspiring power. So after a long day of facing the draining obstacles of the world, love can replenish, revitalize, and refuel. In both the Marston adventures and the Lynda Carter TV show, Diana Prince’s apartment is seen as very quaint and homey. In future iterations, it is given an updated look to what her idea of homey could be, and often more reflects the majesty of Paradise Island from whence she came. After much experimentation on what resonated with me, I discovered 3 basic ways to ensure my ideas of love were reflected back at me while in my safe space. They are: Decorate to Love - I personally like pottery barn. Their furniture might be expensive, but after some bargain/sale hunting and a little saving, I purchased some solid pieces from them which reminded me of the kind of ‘down home loving family feeling’ around which I could reside long term; It’s even reflected in the warm earth tone colors that I choose. Everyone who would visit, always commented on how comfortable and ‘at home’ they felt, and that is my goal. To always feel nurtured & loved in and by my safe space. Love your intimate self - My bedroom is my most intimate and safest space of all, so it needs to address my most intimate self. Due to the topic and details of this article, I don’t think it’s any secret that depression and self confidence are probably my most powerful kryptonites. So, when I decorated my room, I kept that in mind and had some very tasteful imagery of an icon that empowers me (I’ll give you three guesses what icon that might be, and the first two don’t count). With that, I was Loving and nurturing my most intimate self. Master the Magic Of Tyding - In 2015, I read a book called “The Life Changing Magic Of Tyding Up” by Marie Kondo, and it opened up a new way of life for me. What I realized after reading it is that the care you give your space is a necessary part of the equation to ensuring that your space always reflecting love back at you. After reading the book, I got rid of any unnecessary items and found that cleaning regularly was no longer at task, but more like ritualized self care. Looking back, it was probably one of the catalysts for starting this column because it opened up more headspace for me to be creative. Imagine what tyding could open up for you! Having a clean, organized, well maintained space that is decorated with love and empowering, inspiring items or symbols is a great way to ensure that the love is reflected back to you in your safe space where you go to recuperate from the onslaught of obstacles in life. Once you come out, you’ll be rejuvenated and ready for the next challenge. This is just one of the ways in which I use love as a guide in keeping the ‘Can-Do Attitude’ alive in my heart.
2. LOVE OF FAMILY 25 years prior to the ‘Cosmic Channel Waves’ depicted in the advanced civilization of Wakanda (in Black Panther), there was another advanced radio wave transmission depicted on Paradise Island. In many of the Marston adventures, Diana is seen communicating with her family via Mental Radio (a kind of predecessor to ‘FaceTime’), and returning to her lush home to commune with her mother and sisters in person. This kind of ‘returning to the island’ or coming home comes up often in her early episodes. Seeing her continual returning to her roots and subsequent interaction with her current life, I can’t help but interpret it as a non-verbal message to it’s readers: Family is a source for Diana. It is the source for many of her own views on family, society, and religion. Her ability to connect with others and allow them to ’Tell Me Your Story’ must originate from the strong loving connections with her own family. I believe that Dr. Marston was making a clear statement about the importance of healthy roots and loving connections with family. Even more importantly, I believe that he was making a clear statement that as we progress in life, it is imperative we ‘return to the island’ of our own families for support and love as situations arise in life. As I began to search for answers of how to create the Can Do Attitude, I took the return to the island concept as a kind of “clue” and took the hint to begin getting in touch with my own family. I’ve (specifically) been getting much closer with my mother and my aunt Carlyn. I don’t find it to be any surprise that they are a kind of Wonder Women in their own right. Besides, Marston did believe that women were the wave of the future and that they were love leaders who when put in positions of power could unify. What does Boston say about Wonder Woman in his talk? “A kind of psychological propaganda of the kind of woman who should rule the world”? Reconnecting with family falls perfectly in line with my theory that it is another aspect of creating the Can Do Attitude, because love is at the source. The love of family. Opening up those Mental Radio waves with regularity, and returning to the island as often as possible is another way of creating and reinforcing the Can-Do Attitude! But what happens when you don’t have family or don’t have the kind of family with Themysciran values?
3. LOVE OF FRIENDS I know of many people who either don’t have family anymore, or don’t have access to them. Hence, they have had to create new family. I happen to be one of them. I moved approximately 3,000 miles away from my family 20 years ago, and haven’t had easy access to them since. So I ended up creating what I call ’surrogate’ families of my own on the West Coast. I couldn’t help but notice that in the Wonder Woman comic book, Diana seems to have a similar M.O. or behavior. After leaving her island home, she found comfort in good friends who made up a kind of second home. In her original adventures, she made good friends with the Holiday girls, who were nearly a direct reflection of her Amazonian sisters. The Holiday Girls were a sisterhood of women sworn to protect and love each other even tho they were not related by blood. Diana seemed to reciprocate the feeling. I consider Diana entrusting Etta with Amazonian technology (enabling them to be in contact nearly anytime), to be proof of this. In the Perez era, Julia & Vanessa Kapatelis (late 80s) were a small sisterhood/family who were also privy to Diana’s secrets. She shared with them some of her most private moments (like Vanessa Kapatelis catching Diana praying naked) and inner thoughts.
Later Helena & Cassie Sandsmark (90s/2000s) became an updated version of this; Both the Kapatelis’ and the Sandsmarks were people with whom Diana actually resided and made a literal second home. What was notable is that with all of these people who made up Diana’s ‘inner circle’ of friends, they all seemed to have similar values akin to her Theymysciran sisters. They understood the importance of love as a source. I found it to be no mistake that Steve Trevor’s band of merry men in the Wonder Woman (2017) film seemed to operate similarly. They created a small family that stood by each other in brotherhood. The key thing that struck out to me in the Patty Jenkins film, is that very much like the Holiday Girls of the 1940s, when Diana was in her darkest hour, they immediately came to fight by her side. No questions asked. These were qualities of true friends; They show up by your side even when it hasn’t been asked of them!
As I experienced my own adversity, I began to see parallels in my life, and noticed how having good friends and a great support system is a key component to ensuring of Diana’s “Can-Do Attitude”. I looked around and noticed that my own “Kapatelis” family existed in the VanDongens, Louis Trenta, Elijah Bland, and even my ‘Fairy Godfathers’ the Velez-Davis’. Some of the first telephone calls I made in June 2018, were to those listed on my ‘inner circle’ phone list like: Darchele Smith, Alan Cochran, Jase Peeples, Boston Blake, Nick Childress, Tony Patrick, etc. I realized that these were the people who would hold me to the values that I held dear, and constantly remind me to ‘remember your power’ as Diana said in the Perez era. I find true friends to be unconditional. They are there for you in low and in high times, but the only way they do so is by understanding the importance of love being the core, driving force. True friends might not be family by blood, and they may not even serve as a ‘new family’ for you, but they hold the values of sister/brother-hood, which is just as important. It’s easy to see why being in touch with my friends with regularity, became yet another behavior that to me, is a way to reinforce the Can-Do Attitude.
4. LOVE THE SITUATION
No matter what situation in which Diana found herself during the Golden Age adventures, she eventually seemed to find the proper approach to and outlook on it. Notice that I said she would ‘FIND’ the proper approach or outlook. Her ‘finding’ is what resonated for me as both relatable and amazing. This is because we are all finding our way through life situations. Marston never seems to deny her the journey, nor the fact that she is a human being. One with human emotions, who wasn’t afraid to feel or have them at any given point, about any given situation, very much the way that we all do. This made her relatable to me. After reading many of her adventures, her internal vulnerability turns out to be a strength, because it leads her toward answers, and personal edification. This is the part which I saw as amazing, because she was actually letting her vulnerability, guide her. A quality to which we can all aspire. Case in point, in this (depicted) adventure from 1943, Wonder Woman lost her power and was so upset she began to weep. It was in this emotional and vulnerable moment that she realized she must rely more on her wits than her strength to maneuver herself out of the situation. Decades later, in issue #259 (1970s) WW finds herself in a situation where her bracelets were removed, thereby releasing her berserker rage. It was during her time of extreme anger that WW realized getting more in touch with love could be a guide to dominate and release the angry state.
Then a few more decades later during Rucka’s first WW run, she became blind. It was during this time that she learned to rely heavier on her smarts and other senses. Diana wouldn’t have been able to do any of these things had she not been able to accept her situation. Once she was able to show an acceptance (or love) for her situation, it was only then that she was able to find the right approach toward a proper solution, and the solution always varied. No matter if she was temporarily complying with her captors, dominating her anger with love, or submitting to being blind, by being in touch with her emotions and being vulnerable, she always found a way towards an optimal solution. I believe that this quality of WW was and is a direct reflection of Marston’s theory of DISC (Domination, Inducement, Submission, & Compliance), and his message seemed to be that discovering who we needed to be in any given situation, would point us to the proper actions needed for optimum results. In Diana’s case, it came when she would be present to and accept the situation in which she found herself. I found that the more I began to show a kind of love or acceptance for my personal situations, the better I was able to call upon my inner DISC to navigate them. Loving of situation became yet another way I found to build Wonder Woman’s ‘Can Do Attitude’.
5. LOVE THE JOURNEY My mother was one of the last people with whom I discussed my severe depression. But when I finally did, she reminded me that after [Delete moving past] accepting the journey, an important [PART OF THE ] Odyssean-like path or [THE] ‘Hero’s Journey’: [THIS SENTENCE NEEDS TO BE REWORDED OR PRUNED DOWN FOR CLARITY Pruning. I found this very interesting and almost immediately retorted that evidence of this can be seen in nearly every incarnation of Diana’s origin, and it also continues to happen to her at almost every level.] She is constantly pruned growth. When Diana originally left the island in 1941’s Golden Age adventure, she had to give up many things so that she could learn how to maneuver through Patriarch’s world and fulfill her mission. Some of those things included her safe space, family, friends, and stable situation. During many of her later adventures in Man’s world, she lost or sacrificed many of the same things to prepare her for newer paths ahead. I began to see a true parallel in my own life as well. I observed the constant state of growth and pruning for my next adventures. My mother mentioned how maintaining a perspective of joy and wonder can be the key to persevering during these times of pruning. I translated this as loving the journey, and as soon as I did, I realized that Wonder Woman’s joy and wonder in many of her most famous journeys was a key component to her ‘Can Do Attitude’.
The way in which I beheld Wonder Woman when reading the book as a child, was always full of joy and Wonder. I have found that some of the best tellings of Diana’s adventures seem to incorporate those two qualities into her personality and view of the world and life. I can point to countless examples of this. During Diana’s initial Golden Age adventures, she would often approach the new world around her with questions or comments finding parallels to home: Why would they do that?, or ‘Oh, how nice to play bullets and bracelets again’. She was filled with wonder and joy as she discovered more about this new patriarchal world she was encountering. A kind of youthful exuberance, if you will. During the Dick Giordano era in the 70s, she was taken with small inventions like fabric softener. Later in the Perez era, there was extra special attention given to how Diana physically expressed the joy and wonder she was experiencing (Hat tip to Perez!), so that it resonated with audiences on multiple levels. No matter where she may have found herself, there was always time to find wonder and joy in her journey. Wonder and Joy keeps us on a moving path instead of stuck in one place. They are qualities we often lose when facing adversity, but if we remind ourselves they can open up possibilities for enriching experiences. By refusing to feel stuck or down, and showing love for our journey, the road, it’s sights, and experiences, through joy and wonder, we can ensure yet another avenue toward experiencing the ‘Can Do Attitude’
6. LOVE THE TRUTH “Loving submission can be intimidating. So can the truth…they BOTH make us stronger.” This quote from WW #55 by Steve Orlando couldn’t be any more on target. Humans by nature are inauthentic beings. We tell white lies and hide what we think or how we feel about much in life. We lie not just to others, but to ourselves. Yet, somehow it rarely produces our desired outcome. It seems to be involuntary. As Orlando’s Wonder Woman said, truth is intimidating. But it is important to remember that truth is a requirement for producing healthy relationships with both ourselves and others. When feeling depressed or down, our defenses are often up and we forget to engage that muscle of authenticity, and they atrophy. What we also forget is that truth is an empowering compass toward health. By having a love for the truth, we can re-engage that muscle which guides us to continue down the path of overall connection, and in turn harnessing the ‘Can Do Attitude’.
When discussing truth in the Wonder Woman realm, we almost always go back to the magic lasso. I’m going to briefly steer away from the Golden Age adventures for a bit, because the most powerful example for this, of which I can think, is by Phil Jimenez. At the end of Wonder Woman #170, Diana says to Lois Lane, “With this lasso bound to my side, I cannot evade. I cannot lie. Every day I wrap myself in the fires of Hestia, and I ask myself for the truth”. Diana’s love for the truth ends up bonding the two women, and they create a strong rapport and respect for each other. Because that is what truth and authenticity are; They’re bonding. Stronger than any bond you can imagine, because the bond is fueled by love. Later in Wonder Woman Rebirth (Greg Rucka/Nicola Scott), Diana meets with Superman and Batman and shares openly what is in her heart via the Magic Lasso. Once again truth becomes an access to connection.
Depression or sadness can be a very tender time where we are feeling extra vulnerable to hurt. Our defenses can be much stronger than usual, and we often forget that being on a path of discovering or sharing truths can produce great strength. We just have to get into the habit of exercising the muscle of authenticity. Since we are often unaware of our own inauthenticities, developing truth within ourselves is a great way to start exercising that muscle. Research to find ways in which you can develop your own personal consciousness and discover your own truths. When I wrote “What Would Wonder Woman Do about the lack of truth in society?”, I was in the final stages of my path away from depression. I knew that I couldn’t begin to do some really transformative work until I got very honest with myself. So I started researching more on truth. In the article, I mention how we all have many subconscious influences on our experiences. Uncovering those subconscious messages or ideas which cloud our experiences can empower our journeys.
It was during that time that I discovered one of my own personal subconscious messages. After leaving the master tenant roommate of 13 years who referred to me in racial slur, and who was a daily wellspring of negativity, I noticed that a giant burden had been lifted from my shoulders. Instead of walking on eggshells (in my own home, mind you), I was living amongst people with whom I could laugh, share, and speak authentically (Louis, his roommates, and the Velez-Davis’). These experiences were the complete antithesis of my 13 year living situation in SF. I began to seriously question why I would stay in that kind of relationship so long. After much soul searching, I realized that subconsciously I didn’t think I deserved anything better, and began to see that I stayed in relationships similar to it, because I had a lack of love for myself. My love for the truth became yet another avenue toward experiencing the Can Do Attitude. It was also a brilliant compass toward empowering insight. My personal insight put me a powerful path which also makes up my final and most poignant Can Do Attitude reinforcer.
7. LOVE OF SELF “If you can’t love yourself, how the HELL you gonna love someone else…can I get an A-Men?” This is how RuPaul ends every episode of DragRace. Metabolizing the message and concept behind that quote is something that would elude me for most of my adult life. Primarily because I didn’t know how to love myself. For me, loving myself was the most difficult kind of love to embrace. I’m kind of embarrassed to admit it, because In retrospect I can see it as one of Wonder Woman’s most prominent messages. Dr. Marston made sure that this ‘Law Of Attraction-esque’ message flooded her pages. At one point during her Golden Age adventures, Wonder Woman is in a theatre speaking to an audience and admits that she is “often asked the secret of Amazon strength”, and reveals that “The human brain contains enough energy to blow up mountains. Amazon girls are trained to direct their brain power into their muscles”. Proof of this is seen in other stories like the one where she is depicted lifting a boulder saying to surrounding women, “You see, girls, there’s nothing to it - All you have to do is have confidence in your own strength!”. More evidence is in the panels where after requesting to be bound as tight as possible with the biggest ropes and chains by more surrounding women, Diana breaks our of them saying, “You see, girls. It’s easy to break bonds if you know you can!”. All of which was done with a smile on her face. She was able to share easily, inspire others, and perform great feats with a positive attitude. It was clear that Marston was continually reinforcing a message of self love and confidence as the core or strength, connection, and achievement. But she mentioned that it was through training she was able to achieve this state. It was clear to me that I needed to train myself for self love.
There are two people in particular whom I owe a debt of gratitude for proactively helping to steer me in the direction of self love: My friends Justin Stumvol and Dan Howard. Self love was a completely foreign language to me. Like the majority of Americans who travel to other countries, I expected everyone to speak the language to which I had grown accustomed. It was Justin and Dan’s influence on my life that introduced me to a new language and that was self love. Justin was a coach and specialist on the topic, and Dan was a walking, breathing, living example of self love. Both of them were phenomenal consultants on the topic, and it is thanks to them their contributions that when this transformation began over the last two years, I was prepared to begin my training. That training is called Self Care. I began cultivating better habits for self care. I had always been able to create physical self care habits, but it was the internal where I was lacking. It was the ability to direct that brain power on which Wonder Woman spoke. I started looking at ritualizing meditations, readings, mantras, drawing, alone time, proper sleep, working out regularly, etc., etc.
I realized that if I put half as much energy that I put in other areas of my life, into my internal experience, I would be great. I had hired a personal trainer before when I wanted to achieve new goals, so why not hire a personal trainer for my heart and mind? I began going to therapy regularly so that I could reach this new level, and it was one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made. I’m now finally understanding the message that RuPaul says at the end of his show. It’s a message that Marston totes all through the pages of Wonder Woman. It’s that with self confidence and self love, we can be vulnerable and share, we can connect with and inspire others, and most of all we can be strong enough to achieve and perform great feats. All we need is a little Amazon training called good self care habits the ensure Wonder Woman’s “Can Do Attitude”. I encourage and invite everyone to go find the self care habits that are best for you. This can be your most powerful weapon in battling depression…it definitely was for me.
STOP A WAR WITH LOVE Depression can seem like a war within ourselves. In her initial origin which took place during World War II, Wonder Woman’s mission was to leave the island and help fight the forces of hate and oppression in an effort to win the physical war. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that, “…hate cannot drive out hate; Only love can do that”. It is no mistake that during this incredibly fractured and divisive time, we have seen a resurgence of Wonder Woman’s love leading message. Only love can win the war in our physical inter-personal experiences, and only love can win the war in our internal personal experiences as well. This was a lesson that took me a very long time to learn and actually put into action. Like all change and transformation, it takes time. It took the last two years of my life to really metabolize the seven previously mentioned ways that I can use the power of love, to transform depression into Wonder Woman’s “Can Do Attitude”. I’m happy to say that in the short time that I’ve been in Los Angeles, I finally achieved a huge goal. I booked the most prestigious project of my career thus far; a SAG/AFTRA national commercial opposite THREE major celebrities! Like the example of the bracelets, I was able to transform what was once my weakness into my strength, hereby preparing me for the road ahead. I can confidently say this is all a direct result of the birth of my new ‘Can Do Attitude’. I may have lost nearly everything, but I am now confident and on the road to getting it all back and more. Thanks to the ‘Agent Of Transformation’ who reminded me that “Every crisis offers extra desired power”. Now I’m very clear on What Wonder Woman Would Do about depression.
This article was very long. You literally read a chapter from my life. One which took me a long time to live and to write. Remember that writing your own chapter may take long as well. You may find that you need your own kind of training, and it may take you time to even realize what that training is. Have patience, fellow Amazons. Amazon training, like any kind of basic training, isn’t easy. But it prepares you for the challenges on the road ahead. I believe that you and everyone who ever reads this can begin to transform the way that I did. I owe so much of this to to Wonder Woman. Yes, she is a fictional character, but she is a great and inspiring example for us all. She has become an inspiration on a global scale. Wonder Woman inspires so many of us to be the best that we can be, and her message of love gives us the power to combat anything that might arise in our life; Including depression. I’m so thankful that Dr. Marston shared her with us. Christie’s ‘Gram’ has become like family to the world. And what better way to honor ‘Gram’’s memory than to go out there and develop your own ‘Can Do Attitude’? Cultivate Love in your safe space, cultivate Love with your family, cultivate Love with your friends, cultivate a Love and appreciation for whatever situation in which you might find yourself, cultivate a Love for your journey, cultivate a Love for the truth, but most of all cultivate a true Love with and for yourself. These are the things that I know are What Wonder Woman Would Do. She would always lead with Love, compassion, and ‘Can Do’! So, as you go out into your day “remember your power”. Your superpower of love. Remember to let it guide everything you do. Remember that you ‘Can Do’ anything. But most of all, remember that “In a world of ordinary mortals, you are a Wonder Woman!”
“Only love can truly save the world.” - Wonder Woman (played by Gal Gadot)
If you or anyone you know is suffering from depression, please know that you aren’t alone. Reach out. Get help. Feel and share love.
“So long as life remains, there is always hope, and so long as there is hope there can be victory!” - Wonder Woman (a la George Perez)
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
#wonder woman#self help#self love#love#fair play#equality#themyscira#gal gadot#lynda carter#tv#television#home#self care#family#friends#safe space#confidence#journey#truth#situation#power#strength#amazon#amazons#suicide#lgbt#lgbtq#inclusion#slur
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WHAT WOULD WONDER WOMAN DO?...about the lack of truth in society? (Originally published March 1, 2018)
Christie Marston, granddaughter of Wonder Woman creator is quoted saying that, “Wonder Woman is about two things: Love and Fair Play”. Last year I wrote a “WWWWD about the Inauguration of Donald J. Trump” article which weighed extra heavy on one of her primary messages: Love. It’s been just over a year since his inauguration, and after a cyclone of events, I have no choice but to now focus on her secondary message: Fair Play. Why, you ask? Because over the last 60 weeks there has been a barrage of behaviors encouraging inequality which has included (but is not limited to): name calling, bullying, taunting, intimidation, misinformation, misrepresentation, and just plain ole’ lying coming from the current Executive Branch of this White House administration. It has has both disappointed me and hurt me in multiple ways. I am disappointed because I initially embraced with a open heart, gave the benefit of the doubt, and based my stance on Wonder Woman’s first message (love). As as minority, it has hurt me to see an attempt to retract civil rights, religious groups overtly legally assaulted, and minorities (including many of my own) vilified (often via dog whistle politics). Yet, of all the behaviors, it’s the blatant lying and endorsement of easily provable lies, which has stood out to me as the most problematic.
Truth is a through line which operates as a foundation that unites us. It’s a cohesive material for societal unity and productivity, but over the last 2 years the idea of truth has been corroded, and incendiary behavior has been glorified. At this very moment someone is reading this and pontificating how invalid it is to claim that anyone in power has purported lies, even as evidence exists proving that lies have been purported. Truth plays one of the most important parts in the equation for ensuring fair play. “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal.” Yet, as we know, all men are not treated equally, and this unequal treatment is reinforced. Since the birth of our great nation, we can trace how the inequalities to which we give merit are often based on misconception, perception, assumption, and preconceived notions; A lack of facts and/or truth.
Seeing this happen with such alarming frequency over the last year, and seeing an entire branch of the Government in support of it, has created an internal conflict for me. I want to support and I want to walk the path of love, but I am torn. Why does history keep repeating itself? What can I do to help in the efforts to ensure Fair Play for all? And how can I walk the path of the warrior of peace? Today, I plan on taking a very good look at why we as humans operate on perception, assumption, and preconceived notions, and how we can correct it by asking what, for me, has become ‘the age old question’. It’s time for me to ask, ‘What Would Wonder Woman Do’ about the lack of truth in American society?
NO ONE CAN RESIST THE GOLDEN LASSO
First off, let me address what many who are reading this column for the first or second time might be thinking, which is that Wonder Woman and politics don’t mix. This is false. The truth is that Wonder Woman was born out of politics. She was conceived in 1941 during World War II as a piece of psychological propaganda to assist humanity in course correcting from the atrocious hate and oppression of the time, and was even based off many of the inequalities of the time; Specifically those suffered by women. Love and Fair Play were the messages Wonder Woman brought forth as a necessary antidote needed back then. It would seem they are needed again, and more than ever before. The division in culture and polarization of sides, has required her equally binary message. A vital and absolutely necessary element for us to again course correct in our current era. But how do we include them? Well, we must first have truth. As the bible says, “...you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32). Truth and authenticity are a catalyst. An access to power, if you will, which seems to also be a biblical idea, and has transcended the centuries.
As a psychologist, Dr. William Moulton Marston must have been tapped into this idea, as the Amazing Amazon seemed to often utilize truth as a kind of weapon in her fight against hate and oppression during the Marston adventures; Mostly retrieving essential information during brief interrogation to aid her in apprehending villains. As a graduate student at Harvard, he began introducing some of his theory about truth, and became the forefather of the lie detector. So, it’s not surprising that many of Diana’s stories included this and sometimes visually reflected the process used in his systolic blood pressure test machine. I can only guess all of the aforementioned is why the lasso’s power, which was originally that of compulsion, was naturally associated with and evolved to also be a lasso of truth.
There really is something spiritually foundational to the human experience about truth as an access to power. I’ve been so happy to bear witness to so many Wonder Woman writers and artists explore this idea. George Perez , Phil Jimenez, Gail Simone, and Greg Rucka are those that immediately come to mind. In Rucka’s run, aptly titled “Lies & the Truth”, there are two scenes that perfectly illustrate this. The first is a scene drawn by Nicola Scott where the truth was a basic and there was actually space and room for compassion and fairness. This is an immaculate depiction of the exact representation our heroine brings forth. It’s what Wonder Woman is about. It is her message. It is who she is as a character. Her ability to use truth as a tool for love’s healing, unification, communion, and ability to open the door for providing fairness. It’s power is unmistakable and it’s concept has always been an essential component of the Wonder Woman mythos. But how do we emulate her example?
LASSO THE TRUTH
There is one truth to which I’m very present, and it is that lying originates from one place: us. Due to human nature, we as individuals are the author of lies. The genesis of a lie is on the individual level. However, they become potent on the collective level. It’s through the process of agreement reality which spreads lies in virus-like fashion, and gives them the power of creating chaos, division, and inequality. Therefore, I believe that if we can learn to correct a lie at it’s inception, which is on the individual level, we will almost self-innoculate. My theory is that this is cone by following Wonder Woman’s child-like inquisitional example of ‘Lassoing The Truth’ in ourselves.
In similar fashion that Phil Jimenez’s Wonder Woman was forced to be authentic while wearing the lasso, we must develop ways to detect the lies within ourselves. Lie detection seemed to be one of Dr. Marston’s specialties, as some of his most popular professional psychological work revolved around the topic. I think that it’s important to note that WMM III observed that lying puts stress on the body. So it would be easy to conclude that being truthful was healthier. Since Marston began his work as a Harvard graduate, I thought it might be interesting to look at another Harvard graduate’s work, who’s work paralleled his, focusing on how humans “short circuit” reality based on the assumptions and beliefs we develop; Basically how we create lies. I’m talking about Chris Argyris’s Ladder Of Inference. The Ladder consists of seven steps which may happen thousands of times a day, and examines how we (in the blink of an eye) process experiences. I’ve ordered the seven steps into 3 sections with corresponding advice on how we might follow Wonder Woman’s example and lasso the truth in ourselves. I hope you enjoy!
FACTS:
STEP ONE in the Ladder of Inference is where we first take in the facts of a situation. It’s where we get the raw data and observations of our experiences. I put this step in a category all by itself because it’s after this first step that we begin to veer off course. However, if we had not abandoned facts in the first place, which are the foundation of truth, then we probably would not need to move to the next step.
Truth, like love, can be a powerful weapon and force, which can even turn the tide of a war. Screen capture from Wonder Woman courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment.
In her early adventures, Wonder Woman’s need for authentic and accurate information in her fight against hate and oppression was invaluable, and we saw in the Wonder Woman movie starring Gal Gadot that this idea hasn’t changed. Yet acquiring factual information is not often an easy task. Being in a brand new and strange patriarchal society, I am sure Diana would often want to reject the atrocities she perceived around her. Yet she continually chooses to understand and accept what is going on around her. She stays true to the circumstances. If she didn’t then she wouldn’t be able to properly affect change. Staying true to the circumstances is not an easy task, but it is one that we can replicate even without gods given powers. Therefore, to me this reminds us that we must follow in her footsteps of ALWAYS sticking to the truth.
FABRICATION OF FICTION:
Next four steps in the Ladder Of Inference (2, 3, 4, & 5) are the parts where we begin to filter and fabricate from the experiences that we have. STEP TWO (Ffiltering) is where we, based on our preferences, tendencies, and many other aspects that we believe are important, we filter specific information and details from our experiences. In STEP THREE (Assign Meaning) is where we begin interpreting what our information is telling us, and assign meaning to the information that we have filtered through. STEP FOUR (Assumptions) is where we blur the distinction between what is fact and what is story and develop presumptions. In STEP THREE (Conclusions) is where we have emotional reactions due to the conclusions we have developed based on our assumptions.
Since all of these steps have to do with bias, I clumped them all together. During the early Marston adventures, the golden lasso was often utilized to get people to obey commands in an effort to help them become better. In Sensation Comics #19, Wonder Woman herself falls off course and is prey to falling off course. The magic lasso is used to bring her back to her senses and get her back on track. To me, this illustrated how we as humans can do our own course correcting. ‘Habitualizing’ following the path of truth, can help us bypass the human need to (often inaccurately) assign meaning, make assumptions, and draw conclusions. Therefore, I see the second lesson is that we must learn objectivity.
FOLLOW BLINDLY:
The last two steps (6 and 7) in the ladder have to do with how we exist in the world around us. In STEP SIX we (including the person or people involved in our current experience) adjust our beliefs about the world around us. Then in STEP SEVEN (take action) based on our adjusted beliefs, we take actions.
If you haven’t based things on fact, and aren’t objective, then these two last steps can have the consequences which lead to us acting upon our personal assumptions and conclusions, or following blindly without the truth. During many of her early adventures, Wonder Woman is seen questioning people in
counseling (‘tell me your story’), investigatory, and interrogatory fashions. Following others blindly didn’t seem to be how she operated. I believe this is because she had a strong core and center. Matter of fact, she even reveals at one very early point that the secret to her strength lies in her confidence. Christianity refers to truth as piece of the Armor of God, sometimes called The belt of Truth, in Ephesians 6:10-18. I find it to be no coincidence that, in the New Testament, truth is depicted as a belt which girds your center, or ‘hara’ as it is called in some Martial Arts, the cradle of the Soul. It is the intersection of mind and body. Therefore, I believe that this brings us to our last and final lesson. In order to have confidence, we must truly Know ourselves.
CHANGE OUR MINDS, CHANGE THE WORLD
Over the past year and a half, I have seen many in society willfully ignoring facts, and still presenting them as a true story. This is what lying is, and It leaves us powerless, creates conflict, and corrodes the cohesive material needed to unify us, which is truth. After reaching into Wonder Woman’s mythology, I found her golden lasso to be a metaphor for how to emulate her example. We must follow in her footsteps and lasso The Truth, specifically in ourselves, because that is the birthplace of all lies. Each one of us are a part of the global society, and share the responsibility of adhering to the ideal of truth. Therefore, Wonder woman’s example can only exult and heal us.
Lassoing the truth in ourselves can be difficult, because it requires a level of vulnerability. But as Marston observed, lying actually puts stress on the body, while being vulnerable, truthful, and authentic allows us to operate in better health, and is an access to incredible power. In a sense, learning this tool is a kind of rigorous Amazon training. Work and training is not an easy path, but the rewards are well worth it. If we practice always sticking to the truth,
practice learning objectivity, and practice knowing ourselves, we will be lassoing the truth in no time! Additionally, the faster that we as a society learn being truthful, the sooner we will see our collective consciousness unify and grow along with our increased productivity. So go out and develop your own practices for sticking to the truth, being objective, and knowing yourself. Share your practices with your friends. It’s how you will lasso the truth, and I truly believe it’s what Wonder Woman would do. And as George Perez’s Diana said, “Remember your power!”. With it, we truly can change the world.
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WHAT WOULD WONDER WOMAN DO?...about the Westboro Baptist Church (Originally posted Feb. 11, 2016)
The vitriol with which they spew their venomous zealotry has made them a national household name, and rightfully so. That’s right, the Westboro Baptist Church is at it again. They claimed to be going to San Francisco last weekend, for the 50th annual SuperBowl, and pledged to picket last Saturday morning’s book signing of Square Zair Pair, A new children’s book by Journalist of The Year award winner Jase Peeples. The writer received multiple threats of picket. However, one can’t help but wonder...Why a children’s book? Well, I think it is pretty clear that the ‘Church,’ which has been deemed a hate group by both the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center, has proven that they are not above much in this world. Founder Fred Phelps was first brought national attention in 1998 during his picket of the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a Wyoming man who was killed for being gay. The church’s fire and brimstone antics have continued even after Fred Phelps’ excommunication and subsequent death. Matter of fact, their picketing of funerals and LGBTQ events has become happenstance in America. Sadly, they vowed to turn their attention to children last weekend. Mostly because Peeples’ Zair Square Pair delivers a message about the importance of acceptance and diversity, and that is a message, in the words of the WBC, that “God Hates.” I personally come from a strict Pentecostal Christian upbringing. So, the group has both fascinated and confounded me for a very long time. As with everything in life that confounds me, I continue to pose the same question. Today I ask, in the case of the Westboro Baptist Church: What Would Wonder Woman Do?
Both are creatures of myth and story (yes, I said it). Both are products of divine birth. Both were gifted with divine powers. Both charged by the almighty(s) to show the world a better way. If you’re wondering who I’m talking about it’s Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ) and Diana of Themyscira (aka Wonder Woman). Many aren’t aware of the clear and direct Messiah-like parallels of her story, but I’m here to tell you that they are there. Or at least they were there for the character’s first 70 or so years prior to DC Comics’ ‘New 52’ revamp...
Dr. William Moulton Marston III’s depiction of Wonder Woman’s divine birth, but that’s fodder for another article. Today I’m going to concentrate on the character’s first 70 years with an emphasis on Dr. Marston’s original creation. Because ultimately, that’s the source material and what I believe for what Wonder Woman was intended. In my humble opinion, the ideals of Jesus Christ and Wonder Woman are complimentary and very near to be equally parallel. Since the WBC has claimed to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, I figured I would take their most popular three word slogan “GOD HATES FAGS” and utilize it as a template, to compare: a) their Lord and savior’s message, b) Wonder Woman’s message and c) how the church falls in line with said doctrine. All in an effort to lead me to an answer of ‘what Wonder Woman would do’. Okay,...here we go!
FIRST WORD: ‘GOD’ – Who is this God in the bible that the Westboro Church follows? The Christian faith says that God is three in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So, when referring to Jesus Christ we are also referring to God. Well, the bible also gave a very clear and direct definition of who God is. In 1 John 4:8 says that “...God is Love.” (Siri, create a Reminder for me to thank John for being so thoughtful and breaking it down for us). Ok, so how does the bible actually define love? 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says that, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” By these definitions, God is love and love is exhibiting goodness and kindness...Seems pretty simple to me, right? Dr. Marston also seemed to have similar views.
In the previous photo, Marston’s Wonder Woman proved to the personifications of Love and Wisdom (Aphrodite & Athena), that she was worthy to have people obey her, due to her mastery of love and wisdom. Essentially, in one panel, Marston made a clear statement that Diana being of service to love and wisdom was the prerequisite for her to lead. His character was literally governed by the two ideals, and was commanded to lead with love and wisdom. Seeing this panel really blew my mind on so many levels. Those who I personally consider to be some of the greatest and most memorable writers of Wonder Woman (Perez, Jimenez, Rucka, Simone, Badower, etc.) continued to expand upon Marston’s idea of Wonder Woman being a creature governed by love and wisdom. It’s very clear, to me and in my opinion, that both God and Wonder Woman have love as their foundation. I have yet to see a display of that kind of love (patience, kindness, etc.) from the Westboro Baptist Church. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure if they are aware, but the Westboro Baptist Church has exhibited the equal and exact opposite of every single description Corinthians gave of what love is supposed to be. Especially with the word ‘hate’ being at the nexus of their most popular slogan. Which brings me to the next word in today’s template for examination...
SECOND WORD: ‘HATES’ – I can’t blame the Westboro Baptist Church for concentrating on this particular word. Hate is actually mentioned often in the bible, and they do a very great job of listing many of the mentions of hate in the good book. There is a definite through line of ideas about hate weaved through the holy text. Though ultimately, if you ‘hate’ and claim to be a follower of Christ then you, “...shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 50: 20-21. This passage is conveniently left out of the Westboro Baptist Church’s list of hate mentions. God (Jesus) also told us himself (directly) that one of the greatest commandments was to love our neighbor as ourselves, and John 3:14- 15 says that, “...Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart.” And aren’t we all brothers and sisters in the Lord? So, if I’m correct, God pretty much sees hate as a sin, because “Vengance is MINE sayeth the Lord.” Romans 12:19.
It seems to me that Wonder Woman continues to reflect similar principles of loving everyone regardless. Marston exemplified his intention with Wonder Woman when he has her saying things like, “...keep your hands extended to all in friendliness but never holding the gun of persecution and intolerance.” I personally don’t see any kind of ambivalence there. It’s very cut and dry; always be friendly and don’t persecute or be intolerant. Three words sum it up for me: Don’t hate people. That’s were Wonder Woman seemed to stand in my eyes. It’s a stance that once again parallels what I’ve garnered to be the bible’s. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the interpretation of the Westboro Baptist Church with their “God Hates Everyone” slogans. Moving on...
FAGS – This is not a word I would use in mixed company. I believe it to be common knowledge that usage of the word ‘fag’ is clearly one meant to be derogatory towards homosexuals. Since today I’m comparing Jesus Christ and Wonder Woman (a comparison I know for which I’m probably going to catch a little heat), I’ll defer to what each of them has said in their books. Because I feel it is always better to get information ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’. Otherwise, you run the risk of playing the telephone game. First, let’s look at Diana. She was always an advocate for all people. In the previous panel she talked about learning love and respect for human rights. Since Marston did spend some time as a Hollywood writer of sorts, and he was consistently liberal with his views (especially on relationships...*cough-cough*), I can only speculate that he was in support of LGBTQ rights. Some of the greats expanded upon this idea as well. Perez introduced a gay couple with whom Diana spent time, Jimenez reinforced this, and Rucka eluded to a possible gay relationship. But it was Jason Badower who had Diana come right out and say the obvious. In Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman issue #48, she says to Superman, “Clark, my country is all women. To us, it’s not ‘gay’ marriage...Its just marriage.” Jesus Christ was also very good at articulating his stance on gays. He said....oh wait. That’s right. He didn’t say anything at all. Well, I guess that’s that.
I can’t help but notice that the WBC continually puts special emphasis on the word ‘fag’ and systematically adds it to the majority of their phrases describing sinners. Again, just to clarify, they do not attribute this singularly as a derogatory adjective describing gays, but to most things describing sin... curious. My guess is that if I had the magic lasso and wrapped it around Shirley Phelps, she would reveal that my longtime theory is true. My theory is that Fred Phelps was actually a closet homosexual, who in the last year of his life started coming to terms with how harmful it is to hang on to hate. Then when he decided a love based approached was more appropriate, and revealed this new discovery and updated philosophy to Shirley Phelps she excommunicated him from the church in August of 2013. I can just see the knee jerk reaction someone would have when being on the receiving end of that information. I can only imagine how painful it would be to have the foundation of your entire value system be pulled out from beneath you in one fail swoop. Denial via excommunication would be a totally logical and instinctual action in these circumstances. Yes, this is probably the most obvious answer, because it has been proven time and time again, that those who dig in their heels the deepest, and are the strongest advocates against homosexuality; it is those are who are usually struggling with it the most. So, yeah I think that the Westboro Baptist Church is based on the beliefs of a closet homosexual. Why else would “the lady doeth protest too much?” But again, it is just a theory and I could be way off here. Regardless, it’s plain to see that once again, the ideals of Jesus Christ and Wonder Woman appear to line up almost perfectly. While the Westboro Baptist Church’s do not.
So what I’ve learned here today is that in my eyes, the Westboro Baptist Church doesn’t seem to line up with the principles of Jesus Christ. Yet, they are principles Wonder Woman seems to continually parallel. I find that it is unfortunate that a pagan seems to embrace and uphold the principles of Jesus Christ better than a group that claims to serve him. We have seen the group behave unapologetically offensive, express hate, and insight anger and discord in people. So, what would Wonder Woman do? In the previous, we saw that Wonder Woman is of service to love and wisdom via her greatest weapon: truth. I realize that we don’t all serve the same God, but something tells me that isn’t the case in this situation and that there is a clear and identifiable inauthenticity going on here. I think that Wonder Woman, although always prepared for battle and having the power to do what is necessary, would see through the veil of inauthenticity and would first extend her hand in friendliness. Gail Simone had a fantastic quote coming straight from Wonder Woman’s mouth that exemplified this: “Don’t kill if you can wound, Don’t wound if you can subdue, Don’t subdue if you can pacify, and don’t raise your hand at all until you’ve first extended it.” I think that Wonder Woman would always look for truth in the situation. That she would inspire conversation and debate, very much the way that Rucka depicted her in her Reflections book tour. I think that Wonder Woman would see through this hate, and would use Aikido like principles via her greatest weapon of truth to redirect this hate into love. But do not ever take Diana’s mastery of love and wisdom to be a sign of weakness. Love is never weakness, it is strength and power personified that always wins over hate and war. The Westboro Baptist church proved that when they didn’t show last Saturday to Jase Peeples’ book signing, as reported by theHuffington Post. Jase had organized an anti-Hate rally to combat the ‘church’s message of hate with one of love and acceptance. Peeples wrote on his invitation that he wanted to combat their message of hate with one of acceptance and love, and was prepared to engage in actual open conversation. The church of hate knew what was in store for them. They knew this was a loosing battle because like each and every time #LoveWins!
You can check out and purchase Peeples’ book on Amazon and a big thanks to the Westboro Baptist Church for giving the publicity to the book and helping to spread the message of diversity, acceptance, and love.
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WHAT WOULD WONDER WOMAN DO? - Gun Control In America (aka Pt. 1 - Originally Published December 9, 2015)
Gun control. It’s a major hot topic in our society today. If you haven’t heard anything about it, then you need to crawl out from under that sub-aquatic Atlantean rock your hiding, and join us surface dwellers. The arguments both for and against gun control have galvanized our country on both sides. Personally, I’m probably not the best person to ask about gun control. You see, my father was a life-long police officer (he retired as captain of the state police), and my step-father is a hunter. So, guns weren’t a big deal for me growing up. I pretty much equate them with the way that knives are kept in any household; They’re kept in a certain place, have a specific function, and are only brought out when needed. My view is based on my upbringing. So, I think it best that I defer to someone who can quell the opposing sides, and maybe offer us a more tranquil solution. But who would that be? Gail Simone had an idea. She was once quoted as saying, “When you need to stop an asteroid you get Superman. When you need to solve a mystery, you call Batman...But when you need to end a war, you get Wonder Woman!” So, today when I ponder gun control, I ask the age old question...What Would Wonder Woman Do?
Wonder Woman was conceived in World War II by psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston III. Her first comic book appearance was December 1941. That’s the same month which marked the end of America’s isolation from World War II; aka the attack on Pearl Harbor. She was a direct response to war and a time of crisis for not just America, but for the world. Dr. Marston took a psychological approach to addressing this crisis. He looked at the nature of man and theorized that many of the roots of anger, hate, combat, and things that caused war, were in masculine aggression. Like any good psychologist, Dr. Marston knew that in order to shift this occurrence, the root of the problem would need to be addressed. He theorized that a race of women, whose natures were more nurturing, would minister to this global issue of masculine aggression. He chose them to be Amazons. These Amazons would choose the best and brightest of their race, and send her to our patriarchal society in messiah-like fashion, to heal us and lead us to a better way. This choice would be made by a series of tests of skill. Now, Wonder Woman had numerous messages throughout her book on the topics of: philosophy, religion, society, psychology, truth, love, power, the environment, and health. However, it’s the 21st and final test she was required to take to prove herself as emissary to America, which I believe has the most blatant and powerful message on gun control.
In Wonder Woman’s first origin story she receives the hero call to action in the form of a contest. This contest, per Aphrodite’s decree, would prove who would be the Amazon to accompany an American Army Officer back to the US and in the Goddess of Love’s words would, “...help fight the forces of hate and oppression.” The ‘final and greatest test of all’ in the contest would be the deciding factor to identify who would best represent the Amazon nation in patriarchal society. This test was called ‘bullets and bracelets’. Basically, a gun would be shot at you, and you’d have to catch or ‘deflect’ the bullets with your bracelets. First off, let’s just note that this is the first and only time guns are really seen on Paradise Island in Marston’s writings. That in itself is clear and direct message about the control of guns. One can only assume that guns had a time and a place on Paradise Island, and that place was NOT in everyday society. I mean, you didn’t see these women running around with guns at their sides. It just wasn’t necessary. One can infer that in Marston’s original writings guns were kept in the confines of the sporting arena where the contest took place. My mom has a great saying about this which she derives from the bible. ‘There is a time and place for everything!” Dr. Marston’s Amazons clearly knew the time and the place.
Second, let’s touch upon the fact that bullets and bracelets was the ‘final and greatest’ test to traveling to what the Amazon’s called patriarch’s world. There was a clear emphasis on guns being a representation of the male dominated society. Simultaneously, guns were a reflection of the war transpiring in the world outside of Paradise Island. An item being the amalgamation of war in a male dominated society points to one thing: Guns represented the ultimate expression and physical manifestation of masculine aggression. What was most fascinating is that the game of ‘bullets and bracelets’ utilizes an article of feminine jewelry to combat and DEFLECT this energy. Coincidence? I think not. Her people were given a decree by Aphrodite, the personification of love, to find said emissary. And her (Wonder Woman’s) final test of competency against war is to literally take aggressive energy and refocus or redirect it. Take a moment and marinate on that.
I’m not going to go on and on pontificating on this topic. I think it’s pretty clear where Marston’s Wonder Woman would stand on the topic of gun control in society. Her final and greatest test was to understand how to redirect the aggressive energy, and guns were considered the physical manifestation of it. The messages of peace, equality, and truth were clearly the foundation of the character, and are found throughout his scripts. Wonder Woman’s greatest weapon on her mission of love was truth (aka her magic lasso), and I feel that we could all use a dose of truth these days. The truth is that in nearly 75 years after her creation, not much has changed with hate, oppression, and violent aggression. And not much has changed regarding guns. So, What Would Wonder Woman Do on the topic of gun control? Well, I think she would be for it. Not because I, you, or anyone else really wants it....but because we need it.
“Stop a bullet cold. Make the Axis fold. Change their minds, and change the world!” – Lyrics to 1st season 1970s Wonder Woman theme song.
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