Someone Get This Lady a Turtleneck

Paltrow in Iron Man 3 fight scene.

     I am not a radical feminist or anything like that, but I saw something the other day that even got me to take a critical look at the gender inequality in our society. At the end of Iron Man 3 (don't worry there will be no spoilers) there is a big fight scene with a lot of combat, a good amount of explosions, oh and Gwyneth Paltrow dangling from a building in nothing but a bra and spandex pants. With the amount of money this film probably had for costumes it is safe to make the assumption that this clothing choice was done for entertainment and not expense issues.
     The most probable explanation is "eye candy." The viewers most likely to see this movie are men and I guess a fast paced action film is not enough to keep their attention because otherwise why would Paltrow be half naked?
     If the success of a movie now depends on the number "hot chicks" are in it then I wonder how far gender equality has come. It is very common to see women portrayed as sex objects in the media. Before the feminist movements women were just seen as household objects who were here to serve men. If the media continues to show women as sex symbols, how long until we as a gender start to only see ourselves like that? This would result in the same "mens' objects" mind set of the past.