Patient Pepper

I know we talked about the myth of romantic love last week but I had an action film revelation this week.
I never would have analyzed an action film before taking this class. But as I sat through "Iron Man 2" I thought about two themes I probably would have missed before last week's lecture.
Even though Gwyneth Paltrow's character, Pepper Potts, becomes CEO of Stark Industries, she is no different from Belle of "Beauty and the Beast". She appears to be a woman in charge but throughout the film we see she really has no impact on important decisions at all. She patiently stands by this narcissistic robot, when he is out of control, secretive, brushes her off, and even when her life is in danger, only to fall helplessly into his arms at the end of it all, because he becomes a new, self-realized man.
The second theme that I observed while watching the film was the significance of the "armor" the men wear. In one scene, two of the main male characters pause in a moment of intense defensive combat to tell each other how they appreciate each other. To me the metal suits symbolize the role many men are taught to play growing up. The scene is awkward and the men have a hard time expressing their feelings to each other. It is all done with a quick slap on the back as they get back to the fighting. This role of women holding all of the emotional cards and the inability of men to show their feelings continues to be played, even though it is so old-fashioned.
"Iron Man 2" wears a contemporary mask of new-age technology and female leaders, but it's just a disguise for another typical testosterone-driven action flick.

{photo found here}