I fell on a funny article about the costumes of female superheroes.
They are hot, but they don't really look comfortable for fighting, do they?
Well... this are my thought about it.
This is a funny mental exercise, but you forgot the basics: superheroes are today's representation of the heroic fighters of the past, and these were only men. Big, strong, muscled men whose appearance both fit their needs for fighting AND made them look sexy and appealing (women like the big protective,even scarred guy).
The female characters in comics are always sidekicks or feminine 'translations' of their male counterparts and they need to look appealing like them to hook on the readers/watchers.
Only, for men 'appealing' is big and packed with muscles, comfortable for fighting, rough and tough looks proper to a warrior. For women 'appealing' translates in long, sleek non hairy legs, wasp waist, big breasts (good for baiting men,but uncomfortable for fighting), long shiny hair, long coloured nails and perfect night-out make-up, that MUST not drip or skid even in the harshest of fights or under dripping blood. Until recently, even high heels were nearly compulsory, before flats became fashionable (meaning sexy) again, recently.
None of the above is comfortable for fighting, but superheroes don't need to be credible: they need to be appealing, sexy, hot.
After all, capes are absolutely unfit for fight and for long they have been nearly compulsory for superheroes over all the flying ones: a cape might look like wings (while it would really hamper your aerodynamics).
So, stop the polemics about superhero clothes! These fictional characters only need to be appealing, sexy.
Men need to look like tough, protective warriors; even barbarians would do.
Women need to look like sexy, lusty strippers (Baywatch style) with as much boobs and legs and butt on display as legally possible.
These are our basic canons for male and female hotness, whether we admit it or not, whether we like it or not, whether we agree with them or not (and I personally don't agree).
We are talking about mainstream, public criteria for appeal, not philosophy, ethics or moral.
P.S.
It is not a macho point of view. It's the liberation of women that made us so: while physical strength has always been considered as an honourable tool for a man to prevail, NOWADAYS a woman can legitimately use her looks to bring the world down to her feet. She can expose cleavage, belly, legs to appeal men (and women) and that makes her look stronger, self-confident, powerful; not just easy and bitchy.
A huntress rather than a prey.
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