Mr. R's Art Blog - Comics Project

An inquiry into how popular images might effect our perceptions of things.


Write an argument supporting or refuting the statement below.



The comic book heroines shown above are drawn in such a way, with their revealing costumes and unrealistic proportions, that they become nothing more than images of adolescent sexual fantasies. By portraying women in this way it helps to form the idea that a woman is merely an object whose value lies in her ability to attract and please men. These images help to form the ideas of both young male and female readers towards women and contribute to the view that women are inferior to men and therefore deserve a seondary status in society.

Make sure your argument is organized and is supported by a logical stream of thought. In your opening paragraph outline your position, in the second one support your position, and in the third convince us why you are right! Find an image from the internet to use as visual evidence in support of your argument.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Just Giant Breasts or a Representation of an Ideal World for Comic Artist

I believe that comics are pieces of art that represent what the artist’s most ideal impression of the world is. I think that artist use comics to show the world what they really wish the world and every one in it would be like. Let us begin with the female anatomy in the average comic. The women are abnormally thin and yet they still have giant breasts. I think that this is a representation of what the artist is looking for. The comic world is like a perfect world where everyone looks the way they want or the way they think they are.
I wouldnt say that comics are intending to imply that women are the weaker of the two sexes. They are not trying to suggest that woman are only items for leisure. I think that the artists try to create the perfect woman who all men would want. I guess you can say that the giant breasts are just what sell comics. Its not only the woman who are awkwardly proportunate. evan Superman and Batman have muscles that no man will ever be able to match. I think that in this quest to create something pleasing to the eye the story is a little lost. Say for example Superman. he isnt suposed to look abnormaly strong. he was just born on Krypton a planet where the gravitational pulls and atmospheric presures are much greater then that on earth. He isnt supposed to be extremly big looking he just should find it easier to move thing (including himself). Now i think that is something to debate. Weather the commercial side of comics is starting to negativly effect the story behind the pages.
But thats not the point i think it is clear that Comic heroines are not degrading to woman in anyway. and if woman do get offended by giant breats then they must explain why what the comic buying population wants is so bad. Its nothing that is trying to offend anyone. Sure maybe there could be a few more inches of clothing on some of the heroines to make things more approptriate for youger minds but other wise i think things in the comic buissnes are fine
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1 comment:

Lomitus said...

I think this is a subject that a person is going to read whatever they wish into it. In the world of "comics" things are of course portrayed in less than a realistic way...that is the very nature of comics and perhaps even fiction itself. Yes, one could certainly view this as nothing more than an artists attempt to portray women (and their breasts) as nothing more than "play things". On the other hand it can also easily be said that it also puts women on the same level as men....strong, powerful and in control. Let's be honest here, has a male "super hero" such as Superman or Batman for example ever been typically portrayed as some ugly geek? Ok, there's Peter Parker aka Spiderman who is more of the "common guy" but as Spiderman, even with the mask he is portrayed as being desirable to women is he not? Certainly the villains of these stories are often portrayed as "less than desirable" often being somehow deformed as well as demented and certainly not attractive male characters. But the male heros? Sorry but Captain America really set the tone for that! LOL! Big, strong, rippling with muscles and always in control. So if men are portrayed in this way, why then is it so wrong to portray women in a similar way?

From Wonder Woman to more recently with characters such as Xena, yes, certainly the super heroine is portrayed as "sexy" and something beyond the ordinary woman...that's the point. Would men (or women) find Wonder Woman or Xena remotely appealing if they were skinny, flat chested, zit faced little girls who were always getting their own butts kicked? What would be the point of any such fiction? While certainly many extremists could see all of this as nothing more than being degrading to women, many more...including many little girls...see characters such as this as very positive role models, certainly more so than any typical fashion model.

I don't think the issue here is a matter of young women trying to aspire to unrealistic goals such is often the case with glamor models, as much as simply showing young women that they -can- be more. With the possible exception of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", most super heroines are not only tough and quite able to take care of themselves, they are also typically very smart. At the risk of being a little insulting here, most super heroines are not going to be able to successfully do combat with a super villain if they are nothing more than a super busty dumb blonde! LOL! What's she doing to do...smother the bad guy into submission until the cops arrive?

The comics are what they are...and that never was intended to be any kind of reflection of reality. It's about fantasy...and fantasy -is- a healthy thing for most people. If you are reading more into than that, then you are reading the wrong thing with the wrong intentions.

March 5, 2009 at 6:58 AM

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