Popular Culture Review 29.2
superhero . The most overt situation is in the second season when she resists the advances of an evil robot Steve Jr ., with the implication being that the real Steve would never do that . Critics made the series sound like the famous beach-running sequences on Baywatch , but when the Amazons compete in the pilot , the frame focuses on their athletic feats . One writer interviewed in an article offered seemingly fair criticisms that the series had “ no characterization ” and “ no personality ” ( Associated Press “ Read It ” A6 ), but for a series under so much cultural pressure , this could hardly be a surprise .
Behind the scenes , producer Douglas S . Cramer has said that he connected to Wonder Woman through the work of Gloria Steinem , whom he considered to have defined the character as much as Marston and created “ a challenge and a reason to do this show ” ( Carter and Cramer ). “[ I ] nfluenced by Batman and its success ,” Cramer wanted to utilize humor to make the series more fun than other real-life adventures on television , and in a direct step from the 1960s Batman series , he hired Batman writer Stanley Ralph Ross to develop the pilot ( Carter and Cramer ; FoundationINTERVIEWS ; “ Stanley Ralph Ross ”). Carter bought everything she could on Wonder Woman , and said that she chose “ to play her absolutely for real ... and [ Diana ] wasn ’ t very impressed with her own abilities because all of her sisters on Paradise Island could do the same thing ” ( Carter and Cramer ; Beauty , Brawn , and Bulletproof Bracelets ). Carter stated that “ I wanted to approach this character in a way that women in particular ... were never threatened by her , by her body , what she was wearing or not wearing ” ( Wonder Woman : The Ultimate Feminist Icon ). There was an element of intended sex appeal� although Cramer thought the flash of light used for Diana ’ s transformation later in the series was more effective , he also called the original transformation spin a “ striptease ,” and
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