Eye of the Beholder

[qos]

I've been thinking a lot about my own reaction to the statue I posted about last night. The fact is, I have plenty of sexual images in my own collection -- including one small statue of a scantily dressed female pirate -- which many people would find as offensive (if not moreso) as the Mary Jane statue.

So what is is about *this* statue that bugs me? And what does the answer say about me? And why am I disgusted by bent-over MJ when I have far more explicit images that I enjoy?

I'm still working on good answers to these questions, but I intend to post about it when I do. There will be images involved, so it will be posted under my General Sexuality filter.

Just wanted everyone to know this topic is not yet closed for me.

Comments

[crownofviolets.livejournal.com]

I agree, not all heroes and women are treated the same - but I feel its the primary vein that was carried over and over-sexualized and idealized continues to be the main image. Obviously because comic books were pure fantasy. Changes are happening, definitely, but the majority of their heavy hitters continue to portray this idea. They're the ones that have been around the longest, they're well-loved and while their characters and story lines can be updated to make them less fantasy and more diverse, they still carry the fantasies of the past in their physical appearances. It's still quintessential in my mind. It may even be because of how long I've been reading comics that it's going to take more than the recent changes to dislodge what I think about them and their art.

I'm not morally offended, condemning the statue or the industry. It bugs me, because this is the majority of what I see as I flip through Previews magazine and look at the covers, toys, and other merchandise for various comic series. Some of the stuff is very cool, some of it is really interesting, some of it is completely different - but this statue still reminds me of the majority of what I see. The type of comics I prefer are those that use the medium as another art form or story telling form, so that might be another reason why I personally want more than idealized fantasy from my comics and merchandise. Personal preference. For me, it is a commentary on a crucial part of the industry that I would like to take a back seat to more innovative stories and storytelling. Maybe that's just *my* fantasy ;)

While it does bug me, like I said, I'm not too upset about it. They are fantasy, I don't take them too seriously, and while I wish there was more to most comics than there is, I generally just shrug it off after my initial sigh. I kind of wonder about this, because if I were more passionate, more upset, maybe I'd take the intiative to do something different. ;)

[a-belletrist.livejournal.com]

You're absolutely right. Over-sexualized and idealized is still the norm. Like you, I prefer the medium when it is used for other types of innovative storytelling, and that's what I gravitate toward when I browse the stacks these days. Happily, there have been some amazing uses of the medium in the last twenty years, and hopefully there will be much more to come.

To be honest, I see the comic industry writing for the same demographic that the majority of RPGs are created for. I wonder if they realize how much money there is to be made selling something beyond romance to women. Most of the women I know would love some non-sexist portrayals of heroines in butt-kicking situations. After all, we love to save the world just as much as the men do. :)