Is There a Spell for Creating a Tempest in a Teacup?

I know that sexism remains a major problem in American society. I know that the way women are depicted in comics, sci-fi and fantasy literature is often demeaning at best. A lot of writers and artists have difficulty depicting women in a realistic manner. Piers Anthony is a name which comes to mind. Dave Sim, creator of Cerebus, is a complete and total wack-job in this regard.

Johanna at Comics Worth Reading submits as an example of sexist behavior, though clearly on the part of studio publicity photographers or magazine cover designers rather than the usual suspects, this week's set of three Harry Potter covers on Entertainment Weekly. It seems that this is an example of mistreatment of women because Harry and Ron are both brandishing their wands on their covers, while Hermione is wandless on hers.

Okay, I'll admit that it's a little odd, a little puzzling, perhaps, that the person shooting what seems to be meant as a matched set of publicity photos didn't give Hermione a wand, too. But to say that it's sexist seems odd and overly sensitive.

Isn't it safe to assume that anyone with even the slightest interest in the new Harry Potter movie already knows that Hermione's a total ass-kicker? Does she have to be shown with a wand because the boys have them? Moreover, doesn't complaining that she doesn't have a wand when the boys do go straight to some very silly, outdated and idiotic pseudo-Freudian territory? Everyone knows Hermione's smarter than the boys, and it's worth mentioning that in six books and four movies so far, she's the only one who's given Malfoy a richly deserved slug in the mouth. Complaining that she's not depicted in the exact same manner as the other two in one set of publicity photos is just strange.

Really, the only crime here is on the part of the magazine's cover designer, who apparently picked the three blandest photos he could find to create these covers. In a fictional universe as colorful as Harry Potter's, this is the best they could do?

Mostly, looking at those photos, I'm just glad that they've ditched the awful shaggy haircuts that Harry and Ron were both sporting in Goblet of Fire.