I've been reading a lot of blogs that find Iron Man to be sexist (at best) or downright misogynist (at worst).

What say you all?

Well, the gratuitous focus on the flight attendants doing their stripper pole routines didn't make me think the movie was entirely free of gender issues.

There was also the reporter who apparently compensated for her incendiary interview technique by wearing short skirts and putting out for the interview subject. Yes, Pepper called her on it but she was still given favor over all the professional journalists that hadn't slept with Stark at the subsequent press conference, implying that being a spokesmodel that sleeps her way into scoops is a surer way to success in that field than professionalism and journalistic integrity.

So, basically every woman except the female lead was presented as little more than a sex object. But Pepper, who represented about 80% of total female screen time in the movie, was handled in a respectable enough manner.

Interesting -- but VERY CHARACTER-SPOILERY -- article about how part of The Dark Knight was filmed: [link]

ick yeah, I forgot about the stripper pole.

edit: but Tony Stark would have a stripper pole in his private jet.

ick yeah, I forgot about the stripper pole.

Okay, but -- Stark banging the reporter, and having sexy stripper flight attendants is (1) totally in character, and (b) kind of a heavy-handed way to emphasize his Dissolute Ways From Which He Departs After Seeing The Light In Afghanistan.

Plus, I don't actually find the reporter to be a mark in the sexism column. Yes, she sleeps with Stark (but hell, I would, too), but she's also got the connections and the balls to get the pictures that she shows to Tony at the shindig, she's not hesitant to give him well-deserved shit about what Stark Industries has wrought, and she's clearly intelligent.

Just because she fucks a hotass multimillionaire does not make her a character who reinforces sexism.

I didn't think I could get more excited about DK. I was wrong.

I didn't think I could get more excited about DK. I was wrong.

I KNOW!!!!!!!!

Ahem.

Fuck yeah!

The reporter may have pinged me because she didn't strike me as behaving in a professional manner at any point. More like one of the tabloid reporters on Dirt. Not unintelligent, but trying to drum up controversy in yellow journalism fashion rather than keeping her objectivity and clearly using her appearance as a lure to get noticed.

she's also got the connections and the balls to get the pictures that she shows to Tony at the shindig, she's not hesitant to give him well-deserved shit about what Stark Industries has wrought, and she's clearly intelligent.

I completely agree with this.

I didn't think I could get more excited about DK. I was wrong.

Okay, now I want to read the article. But:

VERY CHARACTER-SPOILERY

Tep, does the title of the article in the URL comprise the brunt of the spoileriness? That is, it implies that Harvey Dent does become Two-Face in this movie. If I've gathered that much, is it safe to read?

If you've gathered that much, you're good; the article is mostly about the techniques they used to make it so.

I'm pretty sure the trailer gives away what you spoiler-fonted P-C. There's a clip of Harvey Dent on the ground with half his face in a puddle of liquid that gave me the impression it was about to go up in flames.