I (and many others in North America) first encountered Gal Gadot in 2009’s Fast & Furious, the fourth movie of that action-packed, very silly series. It had a budget of 85 million U.S. dollars. I expected ghetto fabulous girls at the starting line wearing hot pants and hair extensions, and Paul Walker delivering overly dramatic lines while staring out at the horizon with steely blue eyes – but I somehow was taken by surprise by the presence of the young Gadot, now insanely famous for her role as Wonder Woman.

As a young woman myself, I think I actually remember being a bit bothered. Yes, I know that I’m the one who was sitting in a theater watching a big-budget American action movie, but I still felt a little weird about the way her main involvement in the plot was to wear a teeny, tiny bikini with her butt hanging out.

Maybe you could see this as her – and her character in that movie – taking charge of her own sexuality.

Or maybe you could see it as setting up strange ideals for women and girls the world over. That much we will have to leave up to the viewer.

When a woman gets paid to wear barely anything on camera – or voluntarily shares partly naked photos of herself – is it something to be ashamed of and hidden, or is it empowerment?

Whatever your thoughts on the topic, here are 21 pics of Gal Gadot that it could be argued she might want to hide from her two young daughters, Maya and Alma.

21 A Day At The Beach

Some might see this as just another day at the beach. Where I’m from, this is a pretty standard outfit.

Others, though, might note that the bikini bottoms are sitting so very low that the, um, pubic region is just barely concealed by the small bit of fabric that is there.

It’s pretty much more of the same with the chest up top, with a strapless bandeau covering the nipples and little more.

You know what I think? I bet she’s trying to avoid having issue with tan lines. It’s her job to look flawless in print and on the big screen – in high definition – and a larger suit with more straps might create the appearance of distracting or strange tan lines with some of the outfits she’s required to wear.

20 A Mom In Mesh

In a mesh bodysuit, with her butt almost completely exposed, and high black studded heels, Gal sits perched on the edge of red leather chair, legs jutting out and opened wide.

Sex sells, to type another terrible cliché.

Clearly, many would argue that many things about this image could be considered quite pornographic. This is not attire worn to go out in the world. It’s not even a swimsuit for hitting up the pool or enjoying a dip and some sun at the beach.

It’s lingerie, to be sure. These clothes are intended for seduction.

In attracting attention this way, she is promoting herself. Being known and loved by more and more people surely helps models and actresses to be cast more and more often. I suppose from that point forward, they can achieve more of whatever it is their true goal to achieve…

19 Babe In Black

In a black triangle bikini with a sheer (and wide open) black sequined cover-up, Gal poses sensually, lips parted, with what some would call that “come hither” look in her eyes.

There’s heavy makeup, damp hair, and an oiled or sweaty look to the skin from head to toe.

What message is this trying to send? Is it maybe sort of clear?

Again, it just depends who you are what your reaction is to this. When women pose seductively wearing little clothing – and get paid for it – is that okay? Is it empowering to them – and to other women? Or is harmful in some way to women both current and of future generations?

There is surely a lot to be said about this topic, and it’s an evolving and ongoing discussion. I mean, just try defining “feminism” these days. It’s a bit more nuanced and complicated, perhaps, than it once was.

18 Getting Wet

Heads up: There are many images out there of Gal Gadot posing in tiny bikinis of various styles and colors, many of them including her also being damp or drenched in water.

Here’s one now. Her hair is slicked back, and full makeup is worn, but she’s dripping wet and sporting a colorful hipster bikini with a triangle top. A patchwork-style belt on the bottom portion ties in with the trim and tie of the matching top.

The background looks to be an interior. This is a very posed shot – a photo shoot, in which every detail was carefully considered.

Ms. Gadot is not wearing this ensemble in order to enjoy water sports or outdoor recreation, in any case.

She’s wearing it to showcase her slender form, and possibly how good it’s possible to make that particular bikini look.

17 Lady In Lingerie

Some see images of nearly naked women and think it’s quite fine to be exposing a fit and beautiful body to the world. And being fit and beautiful is certainly not a bad thing! That’s one lesson that a mom very well might try very hard to pass onto her girls. Loving your body, having confidence, feeling healthy: Without these things, life can be very, very hard.

But then, this is also not the type of image that all moms would describe as healthy and inspirational. It’s a woman posing seductively in panties and a bra.

Some would say this attire might be best reserved for the one you love, in the privacy of your own home. Sex is a natural thing, to be sure, but some feel it’s something that should be about love, intimacy, and privacy.

16 Virginal Whites

Again, we have a shot meant to look like it’s in a bedroom. The young and pretty Gal has carefully styled hair, natural-looking makeup, and a dreamy look in her brown eyes as she rests on a white bed.

She wears only a white and lacy slip, a nighty that some would say is intended to be worn to entice a mate.

It’s the stuff of wedding nights, special anniversaries, romance, and privacy.

And of course some models find that they are asked, as part of their jobs, to wear it in images that will then be shown to the entire world. How do we feel about this? What’s considered okay and appropriate for all viewers – and what should be reserved for adult eyes only? Though there is no actual nakedness here, the implications of the bed and lingerie and pose are pretty clear.

15 Should Fast Women Incite Fury?

There’s one point I kind of want to remember to bring up before we get too far into our little list here today. Not all actresses and models choose to take on work that involves being mostly or entirely naked.

Though some consider this type of work to be artistic, necessary, not a big deal, or you name it, there are certainly very famous and very professional women out there who are pretty much always seen wearing clothes. And it’s not because they don’t have beautiful bodies that could earn them money and praise if shared with eager fans – it’s because they choose not to do it.

I’m not at all saying that one way is right and the other is wrong – I’m not frankly sure that there is such a thing. Good and bad, right and wrong… nothing is ever so clear in real life, is it?

But it is clear that Gal was memorable in her Fast & Furious bikini scene.

14 Back In Black

Gal sports a naturally naked look here. What I mean is that makeup is minimal and done in natural tones, and even the nails of the hands and feet are bare or polished only in clear coats or skin tones.

It’s most likely meant to look natural and intimate, and to highlight that this beauty needs very little adornment – she is gorgeous just as she is.

Black panties with a lacy waistband and a black lingerie-style bra are all that she wears.

It’s pretty easy to find images of this gal (he he) wearing nothing but panties or a bikini, actually. And for someone doing all she could to have a successful modeling and acting career, I suppose that kind of makes sense, or at least certainly isn’t out of the ordinary.

So maybe this is a discussion more of whether what’s come to be accepted as normal in our society is okay.

13 Windswept Wonder

So many celebrities seem to have that drive to post pictures of themselves that are a bit more real – in which they are not glammed up, dressed up, or styled carefully.

Here, Gal has wildly windswept hair, and she poses with one leg in front of the other on the beach.

A somewhat dark and hazy filter seems to have been applied, adding a romantic and retro mood to the feeling of the shot.

And so this brings us to another point. You may or may not have a strong opinion about mothers or women in general getting paid to pose or act with very little clothing on. What, though, is your opinion about women and girls posting images of themselves wearing nothing or very little free of charge?

If we do this as mothers, must we be okay with our daughters doing the same?

12 Back In The Day

I could be mistaken, but I believe this shot is more from the era of Gal’s Miss Israel days, nearer to the turn of the millennium.

I had no idea that this was part of her career, but apparently it is fairly widely known that beauty pageants were an important part of this Wonder Woman’s start in The Biz.

Here she poses in natural daylight with an entirely white ensemble.

A textured white bikini is covered only by a completely sheer and lacy white wrap that in this case is tied around her hips, accentuation her feminine curves even as the barely there bathing suit displays her very slender form.

A messy up-do hairstyle makes this look like real life, perhaps taken to pass on to potential casting professionals, but before steady work and spreads in popular magazines were the norm.

11 Flashing More Than Red Shoe Soles

For many years know, fashionistas across the globe have associated the flash of those red shoe soles with one thing: fancy-pants high-end heels by Christian Louboutin.

Here, a very slender Gadot flashes a bit more than that as she strikes a sensual pose.

Her hair is styled in long, loose curls with a side part. Her makeup, as so often, is done in natural hues to highlight her natural beauty, simply drawing out features like the pink lips, cheekbones, and brown eyes.

But what is probably most attention grabbing about this shot is not her shoes, nor her hair, nor her makeup or pose. It’s her miniscule black crochet bikini. It barely covers the breasts, and by some act of magic (airbrushing??) seems to cover up just the nipples. Draped in a sheer robe, sort of, Gal doesn’t leave much to the imagination in this shot.

10 Dripping Dame

Quite honestly – and maybe this is just the mom in me talking – she looks kind of cold!

Usually in these shots, it seems that the wet and mostly naked girl appears comfortable (very comfortable) and warm, perhaps glistening with drops of water or sweat as she strikes a sensual pose. So I’m just saying, isn’t it a bit different that Gal looks a bit huddled and chilly here? It’s more like a rainy day than a warm day spent frolicking on a tropical beach, that’s all.

Anyway, clearly a certain look is supposed to be achieved here. A tiny triangle bikini (from a while back, from the looks of the pattern and style) is worn as arms are pressed in just so, perhaps to perk up the breasts, which have little other padding or support.

9 A Statement Of Slenderness

This shot seems supposed to look more artistic and fashionable than obviously the stuff that teenage boys pin up on their bedroom walls or in their lockers – but it still showcases a mostly naked frame, very slender, with the thinness and length of the thighs highlighted by the cross-legged pose Gal Gadot strikes perched high atop that stool, as well as the angle from which the picture was taken.

Just a strapless bra and high-wasted old-fashioned panties are worn in dark black with lace accents.

With her hair pulled back in a messy bun, her head tilted back, and her limbs somewhat limp, this seems to be a showcase of how incredibly tall and thin this model and actress appears.

Who knows? Maybe it accompanied an interview trying to showcase that she also has things to say and a brain.

8 Mesh On The Mind

Here we get a full-frontal view of the tall and slender Gal wearing nothing a black bodysuit in a sheer mesh with a tiny under-layer of either panties and bra or triangle-top bikini and briefs. It’s a bit unclear.

The dark mesh adds shadows and highlights the contours of the model’s feminine hips and abs.

It’s one of those poses that some people joke shows off the armpits. The arms are stretched and bent above the head as Gal looks sideways with parted lips right at the camera.

Fair skin and a slender frame are showcased to the extreme in this straight-on shot, with one leg jutting outward to reveal the inner thigh and even a peekaboo of the buttock.

A lot is on display in this portrait of an actress as a young model.

7 Thin Cotton And Bedroom Eyes

Here she is shown in a different light – and in black-and-white.

Simple white cotton panties and a wife-beater-style tank top are all that she wears.

Her repeating look of bare nails and minimal makeup in natural hues is repeated.

This shot seems to try to create a sense of nakedness, naturalness, and intimacy with the viewer.

And in this one, Gal Gadot looks quite different than in some of her more prevalent shots, as she looks sleepily at the camera with tussled hair and a big smile.

The models, um, private region is covered up by the cotton panties but also sort of on full view, directly exposed to the low camera.

A beauty she is, to be sure, with her form on full display. A relaxed manner and ease captured here convey some new level of comfort and confidence.

6 Here She Is…

Let’s take it waaaay back, folks.

People feel many different things about the beauty pageant. Where I grew up, we made fun of it: the wide-eyed emptied stares as the pretty and overly made-up contestants answered simple questions with dumb and cliché answers such as “I wish for world peace” (not that this is a bad thing to wish for, just, it’s that classic joke of a beauty queen having set answers for everything that she can bust out without having to actually think about anything).

The ridiculous music and cheesy announcers alone were enough to make it the stuff of comedy in my family. It was looked down upon. In a family and community seeming to quite strongly value feminism, progress, and education, beauty queens were things of the patriarchal past.

What statement do you think she makes, belly button piercing, sash, bikini, gelled hair, and all?

5 Daisy Dukes On Display

So, this was on Pinterest from some user with the text “Gal Gadot is my thinspiration.”

To many women’s minds these days, there are so many things wrong with so many aspects of this.

Is it bad to be fit and thin? Of course not. Is it bad to promote it as the ideal – the path to fame and fortune and success? This is of course up for debate.

Was this shot intended to encourage young women to value their bodies and live healthy and active lifestyles, the better to survive and thrive in this life? Hmmm. Not sure about that.

Was it intended to look sexy?

She wears only a tiny cotton triangle bra and matching panties. She tugs down at her itty-bitty jean shorts and grabs at her neck, turned to the side with lips parted and eyes shut.

4 A Drop In The Bucket

Here we have another shot of the dripping wet model, and what exactly do you think that this image is trying to convey?

Is it a portrait of a young woman? Is it telling her story, capturing the artistry of her form?

Is it making her into an object – a dripping wet and mostly naked young woman, with gaping mouth and heavily made-up, partially closed eyes?

The arms again press against the chest just so in order to push up the breasts. Perhaps she was encouraged at some point to assume this pose in order to highlight – or enhance – certain features.

She’s not out enjoying recreation, swimming, or doing any of the more practical things women might be most comfortable doing in a bikini. Nope, she’s posed, on a set, with water being poured over her.

3 Simply A Shirt

Whites, blacks, and neutrals: These shades seem to be so often favored to bring the attention away from the clothing and onto the face and rather exposed form of the actress and model.

Here, fringed bangs hang almost over the eyes, and Gal looks fiercely up from beneath them and straight out at the camera.

One hip pops out to the side, and the Oxford shirt is worn almost completely unbuttoned to expose the upper abdomen and much of the chest.

What is the purpose of a picture like this? Is it to tease, to entice, to create a sensual allure?

And is there any problem with that? That’s up to the beholder, I suppose. In a world where sex sells, how much responsibility is on each of us when we participate in that system?

2 Feeling Free

Again with the lingerie. Again with the little mesh cover-up that doesn’t really cover anything up. And here we have platform sling-back stilettos, to boot.

What might be of note here is something written in Spanish to the right of the actress on the spread. It appears to be a pull quote, and though my Spanish is very rusty, I think there is some discussion here of someone talking about whether or not Gal Gadot’s breasts were too small to play Wonder Woman.

And so maybe this is a woman empowered – taking control of what she does with her own body, her own talent, and her own life.

In a world where women (and people in general) are sometimes objectified and taken advantage of, can an enlightened and empowered individual capitalize on that – and be a mother to girls – without it being a bad thing? Good question.

May our daughters be, see, feel, think, and do whatever it is that they want to do, however they want to do it.