I Wanna Be Wonder Woman
by Amy Kenneley

A few days ago, the United Nations selected Wonder Woman to be the Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls on the 75th birthday of her creation as a comic book character. Immediately, protestors gathered, demanding that a "real woman" should have been chosen for the honor, not "….a fictitious comic book character wearing ..what looks like a Playboy-type bunny outfit .." (a quote taken from The Associated Press release)

SO...Pick Me! I am a real person, and I LOVED Wonder Woman, so what better combination could they have to be that Honorary Ambassador?

Here's why:

I read every Wonder Woman comic book from age 8 to ---well, until I began to read Mad Magazine. (Going from fantasy to farce was an easy segue).

What young girl couldn't relate to Wonder Woman, whose secret Identity was Princess Diana from Paradise Island? Even before she was a part of the Justice League, she was a power all on her own. She had lots of gear! She had a magic tiara she could fling, the Indestructible Bracelets to ward off bullets or bad stuff flung her way. She had the famous Lasso of Truth, to throw over someone, making them confess to whatever she needed to know.

But best of all, she had the wonderful Invisible Plane. Now that was Great Gear. She could fly off to places fast, and no one could see where the plane was, so she could observe and then act without being detected. Wow.

As time went on, the plane was given the ability to morph into a jet, create other needed implements from its own Invisible Plane parts, and much later, even learn to speak and converse with Diana. Well, that part was just dumb-a plane can't talk!

Where was that Lasso of Truth when I asked, "Okay, whose idea was it to throw this party while we were gone overnight?"

But most of all, I could certainly have used an Invisible Plane to get around. Ferrying kids from practices to lessons to games in a car without a viable gas gauge was not something Wonder Woman would have had to do.

Why can't we girls (oops! women) have some fun as well? Why can't we dream of fighting crime alongside superpower guys (yeah, some cute hunks there!)

Why can't we have our own AWESOME modes of transportation, deflect objects, force the truth to come out, and dress in good old Red, White and Blue?

So I think Wonder Woman was the perfect selection by the United Nations. And contrary to that critic, her costume is not like a Playboy bunny's AT ALL! There is no fluffy tail.

And so, pick ME to be the "real life" Wonder Woman ! I'll take the tiara, bracelets and lasso...but I don't think the clothes are gonna work anymore.