Comments on Buzzfeed's real women in comic book poses

[mad825]

This just in, humans recently discovered that works in fiction do not actually represent reality - in depth study has shown that artists exaggerate and often stylise the human body which has impeccable implications on the human psyche. Scientists around the world advise the public to look in the mirror once in a while and to lay off the drugs.

The U.N will address this issue at the assembly later on today and possibly impose sanctions against graphical media such as Marvel and trial the CEOs on the ground of crimes against humanity.


Sorry, I couldn't take this thread seriously.

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

This just in, humans recently discovered that works in fiction do not actually represent reality - in depth study has shown that artists exaggerate and often stylise the human body which has impeccable implications on the human psyche. Scientists around the world advise the public to look in the mirror once in a while and to lay off the drugs.

The U.N will address this issue at the assembly later on today and possibly impose sanctions against graphical media such as Marvel and trial the CEOs on the ground of crimes against humanity.


Sorry, I couldn't take this thread seriously.

You beat me to it. ^^

What a shocker. Drawn characters not looking exactly like photographs and in poses not doable by EVERYONE..EVER..
Stylized, supernatural, fit & muscly, crime-fighting heroes not Real? Really??
Oh, yeah, something something Achtung! Triggerz!
Heterosexual males find females attractive? SEXISM!!

Granted, spines should obey some form of internal law even in comic form.
Bad drawings are just that and not something else.
We should begin with recognizing that we probably live in the least sexist society ever and start from there.

Some people really make a Cock(-up) out of a feather, all for the drama and attention.
I blame Reality shows.

 

[Ten Foot Bunny]

The Wonder Woman image pisses me off. WE FLAT-CHESTED GIRLS NEED LOVE TOO!!!

 

[aba1]

XD classic buzzfeed I wouldn't expect anything less. There are tons of examples of insanely bad art from comics due to time restraints and release schedules.

D'you actually think that's why they chose the poses they did?

Of course they have to play up the feminist narrative like somehow a fictional character who isn't 100% realistic is hurting women. Can you imagine fiction not being totally realistic (gasp).

Well, of course fiction must be unrealistic, but it's more than noteworthy when it's far more frequently unrealistic in certain ways, and those ways happen to be both needless and sketchy.

I suppose I should have been clearer (my bad!) I was more alluding to that if the article was about unrealistic or even just bad poses comics had of female characters and that there is way better choices from panels that were rushed from time restraints that would have been far better examples... though we both know that's not what the articles actually about that. It is actually just a excuse for feminists to complain because they don't like people appreciating art they don't like.

I wouldn't say it is needless it is meant to appeal to their primary demographic hell for all we know the artists themselves might be just enjoying drawing it (which I suspect is the mostly likely answer since a good few images were just stylized) nothing wrong with that. I don't really see what makes it sketchy either.

 

[aba1]

Delete this post it was a duplicate.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

So what? I would also look ridiculous next to the Paco Rabanne guy.

The Paco Rabanne guy actually exists, so that's missing the point; that being to illustrate how impossible the poses are regardless of somebody's body type.

But they're cartoons - "humorous exaggerations", going by the dictionary. I might as well make side by side comparisons between real-life people and the Looney Tunes, and call it an outrage.

 

[Robert B. Marks]

Sorry, I couldn't take this thread seriously.

Seeing as I don't take this thread very seriously, and I started it, there's nothing wrong with that.

Honestly, if somebody can't take some joy from poking fun at something silly like ridiculous comic book poses, then they might want to take a step back, get some perspective and relax. Not everything is the grand arena with life-or-death consequences for the entire world, and while there's ridiculous oversexualization to be had in comic books, they're still just comic books.

And poses that evoke "SPINES DON'T WORK THAT WAY!" are pretty damn funny, all told.

 

[JimB]

But why does so much of the fantasy revolve around half-naked women contorted to show off their boobs and butts? It feels like a way to take away their power.

No, it's not. Look, you are allowed to dislike the way women are portrayed in comics. But the reason male readers like seeing sexy women isn't to "take away their power." It's because the readers like hot women. Really. That's it.

I have tried to look up porn of my favorite female characters on several occasions. I am shocked at how often that porn turns out to be those characters getting raped until they admit they wanted it.

This internet porn I describe is not the same thing as the art that gets published, so feel free to dismiss this anecdote on that basis. I won't be able to say in good conscience you have no grounds to do so. Nevertheless, my experience with the fantasies being put out on the internet and the comments surrounding those offerings has very much colored my perception of what the fandom considers a necessary part of being sexually attracted to a superhero.

 

[Godzillarich(aka tf2godz)]

Bad comic-book art is hilarious, especially when they try too hard to make women sexualized and instead it makes them look like weird snake people. I'm not sure if I would call it sexist but trying to hard yes.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Some of those look overly baggy though. I can't imagine Wonder Woman being able to fight too well when carrying around as many layers of clothing as an Assassin's Creed character. (Something that always kind of bothered me about those games in general.)

Eh, the only one I really question are Zatanna's pants legs as they look too long, like they hang past her shoes. Wonder woman's clothes only look baggy next to the standard superhero spandex, there always seems to be this misconception that clothes like that are hard to move in, they really aren't, a buddy of mine, who's a hell of a lot more athletic than me, does stylized Renaissance costumes that look like that and assassin's creed style outfits, they are surprisingly easy to move in, like I've seen him do backflips and cartwheels, if you've got the strength for it, you can do cartwheels in full plate armor too.

From what he's told me, one of the biggest inhibitors to moving around are things like long capes, that have enough cloth that the momentum can wrap them around your legs or torso while jumping around. In that way, if we are talking about "realistic" superhero costumes, we should probably follow The Incedibles advice about no capes.

Well, there's also the sense that it doesn't make them look powerful. A superhero's outfit should typically emphasize that character's prowess, which is why the spandex is the go-to, because it shows off all the muscles and such. The one in the red works well, and Zatanna actually looks fine to me, because she's going for a magician look. Super Girl, Wonder Woman, and Power Girl though look very weighed down. Power Girl especially looks like she's wearing an outfit that's 3 sizes too large. And I like large cuffed boots as much as the next guy, but on a superhero it looks too floppy.

This is probably also why whenever you see comic book or animated characters in full body armor, it fits the curves and shape of their body perfectly, be it man or woman. Because they want the audience to see what a physical specimen they are.

 

[Luminous_Umbra]

Every time I see that Spider-Woman pose used for an article, video, or whatever like this, it just makes me sigh. Not just because she's doing a pose that Spider-Man has also done on a cover, but the simple fact that Spider-Man has done tons of ridiculous poses, often highlighting his ass and crotch in comics.

I mean, yes, this is certainly an issue, but I would say that the Spider-_ are fairly equal in this regard.

 

[Bat Vader]

Funny thing is catchers do some of those as stretches in Baseball.

Spoiler

 

[Robert B. Marks]

Funny thing is catchers do some of those as stretches in Baseball.

Why do I get the feeling my bar for "SPINES DO NOT WORK THAT WAY!" just got a lot higher?

SPINES DO...um...not?...work that...way?

 

[Areloch]

Funny thing is catchers do some of those as stretches in Baseball.

Why do I get the feeling my bar for "SPINES DO NOT WORK THAT WAY!" just got a lot higher?

SPINES DO...um...not?...work that...way?

I mean, really, anyone pulling the 'Spines don't work that way' card clearly haven't seen Olympic gymnasts or contortionists. If the entire point of the various characters(especially the Spider-family characters and the like) that they're supposed to be at the threshold of human capability or even past it, then some better-than-usual flexibility is hardly mindblowing.

That said, it doesn't excuse lazy proportioning, but I'm willing to handwave that slightly because being perfectly on-model with weird, dynamic poses is bloody hard and you're bound to get too long of limbs or torso, weirdly bent necks, or the like.

At it's worst, the entire thing is an artist going "this pose looks cool/sexy, so I think I will draw them in that" and sometimes not doing that great of a job(see the aforementioned lazy proportioning). I think a lot of those poses don't look nearly as cool as the artist likely thinks they are, but I really doubt it's sexism in action so much as the artists' preference. Besides, the ever-excellent example of Spiderman constantly showing off what he's packing kinda plays to the other side of the issue a bit.

 

[the December King]

While I think the exercise is interesting, and does show how poses can be sexualized, I do not see it as disempowering in any way. Comic book art seems distinctly different from other illustration styles, favoring line work and form that imply action. I used to look to comic book art for inspiration when I was younger, but that was mainly because I had no access to living models for my fantasy art. I just get the sense that people want to pick on these comic artists, because a lot of these 'critiques' are rather hostile.