After fielding criticism for the oft-discussed twerking scene in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, a Marvel writer called out an Iron Man scene in rebuttal.
She-Hulk faced more than its fair share of criticism during its nine-week run on Disney+, having to deal with backlash for the special effects and some of the plot points that came through on screen. But almost none of those moments had fans coming at Marvel the way that one scene from Episode 3 did, as viewers saw the episode end with She-Hulk twerking in her office alongside real-world rap superstar Megan Thee Stallion.
While this served as a fun moment for star Tatiana Maslany to bust a move with one of the most popular musicians of this era, many fans didn’t exactly feel that this scene was in the best taste for an MCU project.
But for those upset with the controversial moment, one of Marvel’s top comic writers shared his passionate thoughts on the situation.
She-Hulk Writer Addresses Twerking Scene
She-Hulk comic writer Dan Slott took to Twitter to address fan complaints regarding the scene from She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 3 that featured Jennifer Walters twerking with Megan Thee Stallion.
Marvel Studios
Slott compared the sequence with the moment in Iron Man when Tony Stark had a stripper pole come out of the floor of his private jet as his flight attendants danced in front of him. He then compared the reaction to those two scenes, telling fans to “spare [him] this newfound outrage:”
“People upset over She-Hulk twerking for fun with a celebrity that *she* liked… …somehow have NO problem with Tony Stark having a stripper pole in his private jet in ‘IRON MAN 1’– with women Tony Stark was paying to dance for *his* pleasure. Spare me this newfound outrage.”
Marvel Studios
Responding to a fan who said that there was a big difference in the two MCU moments, Slott actually noted how the one in She-Hulk showed two women having fun while the women in Iron Man “were being paid” for a man’s entertainment:
“In one the female characters had agency and were doing it to have fun for themselves. In the other they were being paid to service a man’s wants/desires.”
Another fan called out the show, pointing to Megan Thee Stallion’s past music, leading Slott to call out how many “sketchy accounts” that user followed and how they tried to turn positive things “into fodder for made up ‘culture wars’:”
“Paul, you follow a lot of sketchy accounts that try to find ways to turn positive things in comics & comic related media, like inclusiveness and welcoming people from all corners of fandom, into fodder for made up ‘culture wars’. And they use your posts to further those agendas.”
He told that same user that he didn’t “really feel like [they’re] here to discuss anything in good faith,” even saying he was sorry as well.
Continuing the argument, Slott noted that this fan was “providing the exact fodder for the exact sites and accounts” that push those kinds of culture wars over “inclusivity and diversity:”
“You’re providing the exact fodder for the exact sites and accounts that like to promote fake culture wars and target people in my industry that promote inclusivity and diversity. You’ll find a number of people who follow those same accounts on this very thread.”
To conclude, the writer made it clear that this kind of chatter being used “to bolster those agendas and to punch down on certain groups” is wrong:
“When your work is being used by those followers to bolster those agendas and to punch down on certain groups, it’s a pretty good sign you might want to reevaluate why.”
Slott Defending Marvel’s Work on She-Hulk
Dan Slott has been one of She-Hulk‘s most consistent defenders since the show began its run, backing the series’ comic book inspirations and the portrayal of Jennifer Walters. And through this thread, he makes it clear that many fans have employed a certain double standard when comparing this character to some of the MCU’s most iconic heroes.
Specifically, Slott’s comments looking back on Iron Man’s past put She-Hulk’s dancing into perspective, especially considering that the scene he mentioned came in the MCU’s first movie.
And with Robert Downey Jr’s hero not receiving any backlash whatsoever for his dancing moments, more of which came in Iron Man 2, the She-Hulk writer doesn’t hide the fact that he sees some discrepancies in how fans view the different heroes in the story.
All nine episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law are now streaming on Disney+.
