The love/hate divide over the new ‘Supergirl’ trailer

The new epic battle in the world of superhero fandom has arrived, only it’s not playing out on screen. 

The entire universe is apparently upset about the new trailer for Supergirl—either because they’re upset, or because they’re upset at other people being upset. Who knew DC was actually scooping Marvel and delivering Civil War ahead of schedule?

Perhaps as a way of keeping everyone from getting distracted by the, er, distracting aesthetics of the first upfront trailer, a second trailer, cut to actual trailer length and with the look and feel of a more typical superhero drama, has surfaced today:

But if CBS hoped to halt the impending Internet war over Supergirl, it’s already too late. It’s no secret that plenty of people adored the new trailer, with its cute, fun tone, its throwback to light ’90s workplace dramadies, and its unabashed feminism. But one woman’s treasure is another woman’s trash, apparently, and for every squeal of delight there have been plenty of groans of disgust—and a fair share of drama for everyone.

The First Battle: Ally McBeal Wears SNL

https://twitter.com/nkjemisin/status/598855648600817667

So Super Girl is actually the Black Widow sketch from SNL?

— Margaret Lyons (@margeincharge) May 13, 2015

SUPERGIRL like like a super fun DEVIL WEARS PRADA meets BUFFY shenanigans of wonder-nonsense. https://t.co/tEGrrKKQgs

— James Smythe (@jpsmythe) May 14, 2015

@abrahamjoseph So it's a trailer for a superhero show that…looks like a mediocre workplace comedy for the first third? Um.

— Tobias Carroll (@TobiasCarroll) May 13, 2015

https://twitter.com/ubeempress/status/598726411432529920

OK, yes, sure, last week’s SNL sketch parodying the cry for a Black Widow movie eerily predicted Supergirl‘s late ’90s “chick-lit,” Devil Wears Prada feel, with its focus on office life, fashion, and just girly things. Still, as many of its supporters have pointed out, while it’s clichéd, there’s nothing inherently wrong with any that—especially since Kara also gets to fight crime and fly and have superpowers. Is it really worth judging the book by its superficial trope cover?

Yes, most def, is the Internet’s apparent response.

The Second Battle: Who are you calling “girl”?

If you’re like me, you viewed Calista Flockhart’s speech to Melissa Benoist about not being ashamed to call herself a girl as an empowering, fully meta moment in which the character breaks the fourth wall in order to address geek culture’s longstanding disparagement of all things girly. By tackling this dismissive “fake geek girl” logic head-on, many of us felt the show was announcing its stance as a gives-no-fucks feminist vehicle, and essentially telling any haters in the audience to deal with it and move on.

There's nothing wrong with being a girl and if you see it as anything less than excellent, you might be the problem #Supergirl #boom

— Ana (@anamorrissey) May 14, 2015

https://twitter.com/thebatmanny/status/598886353988792321

https://twitter.com/marjoriemliu/status/598723650737590272

But not everyone saw this moment that way. Many fans reacted to the moment’s over-the-top nature. 

https://twitter.com/abrahamjoseph/status/598605291190669312

I sure hope the new Supergirl show is about meeting cute boys and frustrations with average girl problems.

— Wafflenator (@Wafflenator) May 14, 2015

Others read the dressing-down Flockhart’s character gives Kara when she asks why she can’t be called “Superwoman” as the show’s way of being condescending toward women who might not want to be belittled by being addressed as “girl.”

https://twitter.com/jennygadget/status/598860092159565824

@jennygadget bringing it up doesn't just undercut Kara (since she doesn't like it) but feels like a shot at perceived incoming feminist crit

— Ami Angelwings (@ami_angelwings) May 14, 2015

@jennygadget @ajaromano I thought it was about a particular style of girl. Inside patriarchy. Cosmo Girl. Barbie girls. Girlie girls.

— Adrian Turtle (@AdrianTurtle1) May 14, 2015

Yikes. I get why people are upset, but I’m pretty sure that divide-and-conquer wasn’t a part of the Supergirl writer’s room agenda when it built that speech into the pilot. Don’t get distracted, women, girls, ladies, and other non-dudes! Surely a three-dimensional female superhero with complexity and badass fighting ability is all to the greater good, regardless of whether we call her a girl or not, right?? Right??

This Means War

Whatever our feelings on the trailer, we each have an opinion about it. 

More to the point, we each have an opinion about other people’s opinions!

When people tweet at me passive-aggressive comments RE my thoughts on #Supergirl it makes me want to HULK SMASH TWITTER!!!!

— Bonnie Burton (@bonniegrrl) May 14, 2015

Do not come to me to complain about the "girl" thing. Look at my damn Twitter handle. Are you serious? #Supergirl pic.twitter.com/Z2TFlu10L2

— Fangirl Jeanne (@fangirlJeanne) May 14, 2015

https://twitter.com/fangirlJeanne/status/598867505755525122

https://twitter.com/kierongillen/status/598773005918015489

I have hopes for the SUPERGIRL show but can understand others not digging the trailer. People who aren't convinced aren't enemies.

— Alan Sizzler Kistler (@SizzlerKistler) May 14, 2015

https://twitter.com/insopherable/status/598814781122842624

"maybe we can agree to disagree on the supergirl trailer?"

the entire internet: "NO, THIS CAN ONLY BE SETTLED BY BLOODSHED."

— Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (@Hello_Tailor) May 14, 2015

The Winner? Marvel, as it watches the DC television universe slowly implode on itself

Aja Romano

Thank goodness we still have Agent Carter.

Screengrab via CBS/YouTube