Men’s anger over women-only Wonder Woman screening sends Twitter into tizzy

Of the 360 Hollywood films that have had budgets of over $100 million, 13 were released in 2017. Of all these movies, the recent Wonder Woman is the only one to have been directed by a woman—Patty Jenkins. This is one standout factor about the movie, the other being that the iconic superheroine is the first comic book-inspired film to feature a solo woman lead since Jennifer Garner’s 2005 film Elektra.

But right now, Wonder Woman is in the news for the wrong reasons. A popular Texas theatre, Alamo Drafthouse, already known for its out-of-the-box ideas, is facing accusations of reverse sexism and widespread backlash for announcing a women-only screening of the movie in June. Previously, for a horror movie screening, it had given its patrons gas masks and taken them out into the woods on a school bus. It had a showing of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales for which attendees were required to be dressed as pirates. It has also hosted screenings exclusively for veterans and active military. So, in keeping with tradition, Alamo Drafthouse decided to hold a special Wonder Woman screening on June 6 with a single rule: "No boys allowed."

A post on Alamo’s Facebook page stated:

"The most iconic superheroine in comic book history finally has her own movie, and what better way to celebrate than with an all-female screening?

Apologies, gentlemen, but we're embracing our girl power and saying 'No Guys Allowed' for one special night at the Alamo Ritz. And when we say 'People Who Identify As Women Only,' we mean it. Everyone working at this screening —venue staff, projectionist, and culinary team—will be female.

So, lasso your geeky girlfriends together and grab your tickets to this celebration of one of the most enduring and inspiring characters ever created.”

The promotion worked and the screening sold out in a little over two hours, with female fans rushing to buy tickets. While the idea drew praise from some men, it also provoked an outpouring of anger from others who flooded the theatre's Facebook page to label the plan "sexist."

"Very tacky, Alamo," a man named Allan Dale wrote on Facebook, "I'm all for equality and having a screening specifically stating it is not inclusive to everyone, is against equality. I'm not saying Alamo did this intentionally, but it is still just wrong."

"It's sexist and bigoted," one Evan Johnson commented, though many others made fun of his over-the-top reaction.

"This has zip to do with equality," the theatre's team responded. "This is a celebration of a character that's meant a great deal to many women since 1940."

Some suggested suing Alamo Drafthouse for discrimination. Others asked for men-only screenings of upcoming movies like Thor: Ragnarok, which stars a male lead. Many are calling it a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Others pointed out how it's a bad argument to make because these few women-only screenings of the movie are not the only screenings in existence. Ironically Wonder Woman is Amazon Princess Diana, who hails from the women-only island of Themyscira.

Sample the tweets below.

For their part, Alamo Drafthouse's social media employees are handling the controversy especially well and replying to unsavoury comments with politeness and a sense of humour.