# Is that a sword in the back of your dress, or are you just happy to see me **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2017, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365 "2017-06-19T11:46:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/1 "2017-06-19T11:46:16Z")
The new meme – Swords (and things) stuck in the back of dresses: [Wonder Woman Inspires Crazy Sword-In-The-Dress Memes | HuffPost Women](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/wonder-woman-sword_us_5944af9ce4b0f15cd5bb8a20?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009)’ ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/2 "2017-06-19T12:53:20Z")
It seems to me that, if you’re the type of lady to own a sword, you’re probably already the type of lady to be favorably inclined to try sticking a sword down the back of your dress. A blunt/decorative sword of course and carefully. What we need now is a bunch of stories about how sword purchases are up 150%. Not to detract from those who enjoy trying this. Sword on, ladies. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/3 "2017-06-19T13:14:02Z")
How far down her back did the sword go? Unless it was curved to conform to her back, wouldn’t that look ridiculous IRL? Was the blade nestled between her butt cheeks? Sounds uncomfortable! So many questions… ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/4 "2017-06-19T13:30:19Z")
Judging from [this picture](http://media.comicbook.com/2017/05/wonder-woman-god-killer-sword-origin-999942-1280x0.jpg), if the blade starts just below her shoulder blades (heh) it must extend down past her buttocks. Of course, she was wearing her leather armor under the dress as well so that doesn’t mean that the sword was slicing her in the ass – presumably Diana is smart enough to understand “under the dress, over the leather skirt”. Still, she obviously wasn’t planning on doing any sitting during the gala. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/5 "2017-06-19T13:48:03Z")
I love the mother-and-daughter picture, where the little girl has a foam sword matching Mom’s. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/6 "2017-06-19T14:00:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I love the mother-and-daughter picture, where the little girl has a foam sword matching Mom’s. That one was cute, and I enjoyed the Harley Quinn mallet at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/7 "2017-06-19T15:19:26Z")
I grok that this is about melding femininity with bad-assery, and I can get behind that. However, the complete un-practicality of keeping a sword on your back parallel to your spine makes me eye-roll this a bit. Question: What kind of actual warrior would wear their sword that way? Answer: None. None kind of warrior. In a world where we are (rightfully) pointing out the sexualized and impractical ways female warriors are represented in fantasy, this momentary trend feels like a step in the wrong direction. Want to be a badass? Carry a sword in a way that allows you to actually bend your body, and to draw it cleanly/quickly, and _don’t_ commit to a fashion-first, function-second (or third or fourth) aesthetic. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/8 "2017-06-19T15:36:17Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > I grok that this is about melding femininity with bad-assery, and I can get behind that. However, the complete un-practicality of keeping a sword on your back parallel to your spine makes me eye-roll this a bit. Question: What kind of actual warrior would wear their sword that way? Answer: None. None kind of warrior. Eh, it still makes more sense than most movies where the hilt is located at head height. You’d need arms like an orangutang to be able to draw it clear of the scabbard that way. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/9 "2017-06-19T15:45:22Z")
Sneaking a sword somewhere is always going to be difficult, especially without a scabbard (which the one in WW didn’t have) and of any length. Heck, I’m having trouble coming up with any example other than Ehud, who had an 18" short sword he could conceal on the right thigh. Most everything else is some form of dagger. Frankly, I thought the scene looked rather ridiculous, and was surprised none of the attendees said anything. She really needed a better way to cover the hilt. And seriously, why did that sword not have a scabbard? How was she planning to carry it the whole time? And I made this my 11,000 post? What does that say about me? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/10 "2017-06-19T15:45:34Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Question: What kind of actual warrior would wear their sword that way? Answer: None. None kind of warrior. Answer: The kind of warrior smuggling a sword into a gala event while wearing an evening gown. The idea, in the film, wasn’t for Diana to spend her whole evening dancing the night away and eating dinner while wearing a sword down her back, she just wanted to get into the event and room without “Hey, that woman is holding a sword!” until she could find her target. If you have a better way to smuggle a sword into a fancy ball while wearing an evening gown, jot it down on a postcard and mail it to Wonder Woman for the next movie 😛 Edit: Also worth noting that it had to be _that sword_ for plot reasons so a dagger or other weapon would not have worked. And she carried it via a [leather strap](http://cdn1.sciencefiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/wonder-woman-sword-batman-vs-superman-image1.jpg) on her back when not in use. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/11 "2017-06-19T15:55:12Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > If you have a better way to smuggle a sword into a fancy ball while wearing an evening gown, jot it down on a postcard and mail it to Wonder Woman for the next movie 😛 She should have disguised it as an umbrella. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/12 "2017-06-19T17:02:59Z")
You know, people can do what they want. But this has a bit of a juvenile vibe to me. Maybe I should wear my Hopalong Cassidy cap guns and holster belt to my next evening affair? He always played the good guy. Er…maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/13 "2017-06-19T17:10:03Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > You know, people can do what they want. But this has a bit of a juvenile vibe to me. Maybe I should wear my Hopalong Cassidy cap guns and holster belt to my next evening affair? He always played the good guy. > > Er…maybe not. Well, they’re all obviously jokes. I don’t think anyone is seriously suggesting wearing a sword on their back in that straight-up fashion. (I observe, by the way, that the bridesmaids at least have their swords in scabbards). I await other variations – baseball bats (maybe with Harley Quinn designs, probably without barbed wire wrapped around them), slide rules for old-school nerds, yardsticks, long loaves of French bread, sex toys… ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/14 "2017-06-19T17:13:50Z")
I don’t think anyone is wearing them out to events (well, it’s a big world so don’t quote me) but rather a “Hey, I can do this!” fun thing copying a key moment of the film and its marketing. Of course it’s a little silly – you’re copying a superhero. But having a female superhero do something fun worth copying, even in play, has been a long time coming. I can’t think of anything iconic that Black Widow has done aside from sprawling [three-point landings](http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iron-man-2-black-widow-scarlett_848.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/15 "2017-06-19T17:26:53Z")
Yes, I get the meme and the fun aspect of it. And people are entitled to do what they wish. With all the powerful and independent women in real-life and as portrayed in recent fiction, both media and literature, I just hoped that there would be better choices for emulation. I have nothing at all against WW, but it DOES make me think more of Conan’s headband, James Bond’s Walther PPK, or the Wicked Witch’s broomstick. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/16 "2017-06-19T17:39:15Z")
I’d guess something more like Katniss’s bow or Hermione’s wand. Fun escapism and power fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/17 "2017-06-19T17:53:23Z")
As an addendum, I’ll note that WW has the advantage of being an adult unlike my examples. I can’t think of a recent pop culture female action icon who has the mixture of cultural penetration, adult status and general positive energy and role-model qualities that WW has. Plus it’s easier for your bridesmaids to slide a sword down their dress for a picture than to convince them to shave their heads and wear grease on their faces a la Furisosa. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/18 "2017-06-19T18:08:07Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I don’t think anyone is wearing them out to events (well, it’s a big world so don’t quote me) but rather a “Hey, I can do this!” fun thing copying a key moment of the film and its marketing. Of course it’s a little silly – you’re copying a superhero. But having a female superhero do something fun worth copying, even in play, has been a long time coming. I can’t think of anything iconic that Black Widow has done aside from sprawling [three-point landings](http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/iron-man-2-black-widow-scarlett_848.jpg). SUPERHERO LANDING! Ever since I saw Deadpool, I call that out every time I see one. Wonder Woman does it a few times in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/19 "2017-06-19T20:36:07Z")
Sounds like cultural appropriation. ---
**Author:** ![TYphoonSignal8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@TYphoonSignal8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TYphoonSignal8)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365/20 "2017-06-20T01:31:37Z")
Also, no gaffer tape in the 1910s. How did she get it to stick? Shoulders back, buttocks clenched? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-a-sword-in-the-back-of-your-dress-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/789365.md?page=2)