 Representation is important. Sometimes it's a reflection of the way you see yourself and others like you. Representation produces the largest effects on the youth. Seeing others like you is incredibly important because oftentimes it provides inspiration and empowerment for one's self, which in turn can lead to people being self-confident about what they can do and more importantly self-confident about who they are. Unfortunately some people like myself had to grow up without that representation. First let me give you a little scenario. You are a black girl, about five years of age, dark skin, natural hair and your local toy store. You're looking for a doll to play with. You see white, white, oh more white. There's maybe one at the next store, if you look hard enough. Imagine seeing this every day in your life. Those days become months and then years. Across those aisles of that store, on TV, in movies and comic books, this is what a lack of representation is. This is symbolic annihilation. Symbolic annihilation is the idea that if you don't see people like you in the media that you consume, you must somehow be unimportant. So with that said, let's play with some numbers. From the Center for the Study of Woman in Television and Film, As of 2016, females make up 29% of protagonist's characters, Asian females make up 6% black females make up 14%, Latina females make up 3% and 1% of other races. 76% of these females were white. Women represented behind the scenes, 4% of directors, 11% of writers, 3% of cinematographers, 19% of producers and 14% of editors. Women also make up 27% of critics. In ABC Television Studios, it has 7.3% of television characters who identify as LGBTQ and Fox has 6%. To move on to superheroes, they represent inner strength, reassurance, and for some, they represent hard work. For most superheroes, a common theme reoccurs and that's also being a regular person like you and I. When a superhero can relate to what you as the audience is dealing with, or even resembles your everyday life, it makes you feel a lot better. It makes you believe that you can be a superhero too, but for those who are not represented as much, that feeling goes away quickly, or is never even awakened at all. So let's get some more numbers in. Batman's Movie Count, 8, Superman, 10, Wonder Woman, 0 Batman's TV Show Count, 1, Superman, 3, Wonder Woman, 1 Batman's Animated Movies, 12, Superman, 6, Wonder Woman, 1 Batman's Animated TV Shows, 7, Superman, 3, Wonder Woman, 0 Batman's Video Games, 25, Superman's Video Games, 9, Wonder Woman, 0 This movie is important because Wonder Woman represents the reality of women that current movies often forget. Wonder Woman represents feminism, truth, justice, and peace, and it's not only her, it's her entire supporting cast of women on her home island of Themyscira, and the Greek goddesses that supply her and her sisters with abilities and love. These women are intelligent like a scene in Hippolyta, yet loving and caring like Aphrodite and Hera, and most importantly, they are strong, both physically and mentally. Like in the real world. To continue with representation, Gal Gadot's movie portrayal of Wonder Woman is realistic representation. If we take some of Wonder Woman's comic book appearances for example, she's over sexualized. The overly large breasts, slim waist, skinny arms and legs, flat stomach, as well as awkward and uncomfortable boobs and butt poses. These are features that are not realistic in every single woman. Of course there are some that are skinnier such as Supergirl and others that are larger, like Powergirl, but not every single woman is like this. Wonder Woman is an Amazon, she's known to be tall, lean, but very fit. She's muscular and has spent the majority of her life training, thus being stronger and more physically fit than most beings on the planet. But her not having any muscle mass on her body is simply an unrealistic representation. Realistic portrayals matter. This means giving Wonder Woman an accent, because English is not her native tongue. Moving back to representation, people are willing to see these movies because they can relate, because it represents them. If we take Gadot as an example, a low budget movie, it took 4.5 million dollars to make, it's now grossing with 241 million. I went to go see that movie because I finally got to see a horror movie from my perspective, and not dying first, always. I got to see a movie that depicted someone like me as the main character, in a situation that I could just as well be in. Moonlight, an all black cast, and an LGBT film as well. It ended up winning the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture, alongside having Joy McMillan, the first black woman to be nominated for an editing Oscar, and Mahershala Ali, the first Muslim to win an acting Oscar. We are willing to spend this money to see movies that represent us, because it doesn't happen often. And even that in itself is sad. It's the same thing for Wonder Woman, women want to see how they will be represented, I want to see how they will be represented, and not only that DC has been slacking a little bit lately on their movies, and I know that Wonder Woman will kill two birds with one stone by representing women in this genre well, and by bringing DC comics out of the slump. Representation matters because it allows you to be yourself as important and wanted. It serves as empowerment, and it provides recognition and self-confidence that everybody needs. Representation offers validation as a human being. The Wonder Woman movie will begin the big screen representation for women in the superhero genre. Yes, there was Electra and Catwoman, but they weren't very good. The reason this movie is important is because it's breaking a barrier in another movie genre, and making representation the norm in movies. Star Wars had Rey and Jenaerso, and now it's time for Wonder Woman to finally make her grand entrance. This movie is important for his impact that it will have on younger children in society. Maybe the world wasn't ready for what Wonder Woman represents. But it couldn't have come at a better time, nor could a movie like this begin with a better hero than Diana Prince. Why? Because Princess Diana of Themyscira isn't held up by any character tropes or stereotypes. Diana isn't a damsel in distress, but a powerful, caring and passionate person, as well as my favorite hero. Because she is a warrior of truth and justice for everyone, regardless of gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation.