Popular Culture Review 29.2
While children ’ s Saturday morning cartoons at the time were full of superheroes ( Marguiles ), there was also a great deal of anti-superhero sentiment ( Cleghorn ; Beck 24 July 1978 ; Dunkley ; O ’ Connor : 25 Jan . 1976 , 4 Nov . 1977 , 31 Mar . 1978 , 17 Dec . 1978 ). Tom Shales of the Washington Post wrote about a recent trend of “ dumb ” television , categorizing Wonder Woman as a “ strictly nonthink ” show part of a dominance of “ foolish , proudly witless escapism ” ( A4 ). Violence in television was under fire , and Wonder Woman repeatedly ranked on lists of violent programs ( Associated Press “ ABC Ranked ”; Associated Press “ Group Says ” National Citizens Committee for Broadcasting ; UPI ).
Although Variety saw superhero shows as superficial entertainment , it framed the camp , gadgets , and sets of Batman in positive language ; it actually became involved in the sets , “ scientific hocus-pocus ,” and performances of The Incredible Hulk ; and it wrote about The Amazing Spider-Man that “ Comic books provide perfect kid-vid-action shows , and the 90-minute ‘ Spiderman ’ [ sic ] pilot was a good example of the genre … generally treating the story with professional respect ,” complimenting the physical appearance of the male lead ( Demp 42 ; Mick 62 ; Pit 47 ). Wonder Woman was part of the zeitgeist , frequently referenced with other superheroes such as Superman , the Hulk , and Spider-Man ( Buck ; “ Names and Faces ;” “ The State Pride ”), and was considered one of “ the top trio in comics ” (“ Comic-Book Heroes ” B1 ). Several articles communicated the character ’ s identity in clear and objective ways (“ ABC Slates ;” “ Comic Book Heroine Lives !” & “ Gangly Girl ”).
Yet critics seemed to be as shocked by Wonder Woman as the crowd in the pilot which follows her as she first walks down an American city street in full costume . While Variety complimented Carter ’ s earnestness in the second season ’ s premiere
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