“SNL”: The Black Widow Skit

I’m going to say this right off the bat:  One of the reasons I have always liked Marvel comics is because they do not TRY to cater to women with fluff pieces and stupid additions.  They do not change stories and characters because they think women will like them better, they know the majority of Marvel fans only care if it’s written well.

The example I will use most recently (even though it’s not Marvel related, but it’s also owned by Disney, so you could argue they ARE related) is the outcry of complaint when the first cast list for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released.  “BUT IT’S ONLY ONE NEW GIRL!  HOW DARE THEY!  WHAT ABOUT EQUALITY?!”  Ok, yes, that’s totally fine and YOUR prerogative, but what about a well-writen well-rounded character who isn’t just thrown into a story because it “needs girls”?  Princess Leia is one of the strongest ladies in Science Fiction Cinema other than Ripley.  Why?  Because she isn’t JUST there as a damsel in distress, or a romantic conveyance, or as a momvan driver (like Black Widow is in Ultron).

SNL (Saturday Night Live) decided to make light of this fact by producing this short on their episode last night, which Scarlett Johansson was hosting.  I love parodies, I love BAD parodies and humor that isn’t always the popular joke.  I’ve been a supporter of SNL for the majority of my adult life, and many of my younger years (which I probably shouldn’t have been watching the comedies I did, but whatever).  I UNDERSTAND what they were trying to get across with this skit, but it was really REALLY bad because it’s mostly true:

There have always been female Marvel fans, this idea that we have magically appeared since the beginning of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) is wrong and offensive.  Yes, this is parody, yes, this is making fun of the new storyline for Widow that starts in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but as with the best parody comedy, there is a sting of truth.  Maybe the joke was just too easy to make, or the result wasn’t funny enough.  It left me shaking my head and cursing at the screen rather than laughing and appreciating the humor.

The episode itself was really painful to watch, ScarJo isn’t the best at quick recitations, her blatant reading from the cue cards was really disappointing.   Oh well, right?  I’m just waiting for the Scarlet Witch and her battery operated boyfriend Vision skit to happen.  THAT’LL be good.

Be sure to also check out the Black Widow and Hawkeye cocktails from Secret of the Booze