Squinting at screens scanning for an alternative to CNN and MSNBC at the gym recently, I caught a bit of a 2017 film iteration of Wonder Woman. It was fun—I hadn’t even thought about Wonder Woman since my mid-80s childhood when, like millions of other girls, I pined for her Marvel-themed Underoos and placed her action figure in a cherished top-floor spot in my Barbie house. Gazing in mild amusement at the fantastical scenes depicting mythological beauty and feminine power, I was reminded of late summer’s viral video of 33-year-old Hannah Neeleman. The glowing mother of seven children was crowned Mrs. American in Las Vegas on August 25, 2023. Questioned on stage about when she had felt most empowered, Hannah responded: “I have felt this feeling seven times now as I bring these sacred souls to the earth. After I hold that newborn baby in my arms, the feeling of motherhood and bringing them to the earth is the most empowering feeling I have ever felt.” It was a fair answer, and her pageant-win means that it resonated with the judges. If women have a superpower, that’s got to be it—bringing new people into the world.
But around the country her answer probably inspired more curiosity than admiration. … continue reading here.