(Untitled)

[rebecacaca]

Anyone who doesn't think that women are objectified should look at this. Its quite brilliant.

Comments

[bazzalisk]

So yeah, women are objectified, men are also, everyone is -- that's how the human brain works, and sexual objectification is a big part of that because sex is a driving factor in human psychology.

Fact is men have higher levels of testosterone than women, and testosterone weirds thought patterns in a non-trivial manner -- as a result depicting sexually objectified women triggers certain reactions from the mostly straight male population, hence it sells comics.

We aren't going to produce a happy equal and enlightened society by pretending it doesn't happen, we need to face up to the fact that our brains (especially male brains, but women do it too) act that way. Once we accept that and take it into account when dealing with other people things tend to be better (I think).

(For the record I found the Frank Miller cover and the covers shown on the entry equally hilarious)

[rebecacaca]

I'm not denying that men also are. However objectifying men is not done in such a way as it imply that it is acceptable to use them purely for sex, regardless of the consequences.

I don't think its going to stop, however a lot of men don't even believe it exists, even when they see it every day. If people are aware that it exists, and notice when they do it, thats less of a problem.

[stagknight]

however a lot of men don't even believe it exists,

A lot of women, too. And a lot of people do realise, and see it as a way to make some easy money. Also:

if people are aware that it exists

Any plan or contingency that is reliant on the public being aware is doomed to failure.

I wrote a big comment about comic-specific issues, but I realised it was mostly irrelevant. :(

[david_bartram]

Well, All-Star Batman and Robin is pretty much a train crash anyway. (see 'Are you retarded or something? I'm the goddamn Batman.')

By this point, I'd hardly be surprised if the latest issue cover was the head of a Nun on a spike next to Poison Ivy making out with Harlequin while the Joker wears a skintight PVC suit and whips them with a riding crop.

-Dave

[rebecacaca]

Yes, but its not just All-Star Batman and Robin. Most western culture is based around using women as sex objects, and a lot of men I know (not you as far as I know) don't believe it is as widespread as it is.

Anyway, I'm less crazily feminist this week (sorry about last Tuesday...) so I'll not get into a big rant about this.

[david_bartram]

Agreed, in the main. I have some quite specific and detailed opinions on the concept of sexual objectification which it isn't worth spewing about here.

Just wanted to point out that the cover in question is the result of a particularly bad combination of author and title. It's pretty damn rare* to see a cover that focusses in on sexual characteristics to the extent that the character as a whole isn't actually bloody visible!

*I mean within the mainstream of Batman/Supes/Spidey et al. I'm certain there are niche markets within comics for which this wouldn't be unusual.

[rebecacaca]

I'm not going to argue with the fact that that's an exceptionally bad case. However when female are shown, it is generally in a way that shows off sexual characteristics in a way that generally isn't done for the male characters.