Last week was quite hectic for me. I had three presentations due which included three papers and two PowerPoint slideshows to design (I don’t settle for the typical background images, I spend a lot of time downloading templates, editing them in Photoshop, and then inserting them in the slides). On Monday, I had two presentations due: a commemorative speech on the legendary Muslim leader Salah Al-Din, and then a PowerPoint presentation on “The Images and Roles of Women in Graphic Novels.” Finally, my last presentation was on Thursday which was on a new device called the “Alzheimer’s Helmet” which attempts to cure the memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease.
To be honest, the last week really had a positive effect on me. It helped me get things off my mind and it also gave me a sense of accomplishment. I felt proud of my work and enjoyed the opportunity to share important information that (hopefully) inspires changes in perspective. Doing something productive and feeling a sense of accomplishment really boosts my morale and insha’Allah, I hope to keep at it. I apologize to those who I have not responded to yet. I have been really busy, but alhamdullilah, the healing process is going much better than I thought it would.
I thought it would be interesting to share one of my presentations here on my blog. The images of women in creative communication (film, television, advertisements, etc.) are well-known for presenting super thin models, but there isn’t much focus on how women are portrayed in graphic novels/comic books. I find this issue really important not only because there is little research on it, but also because the comic book industry is becoming increasingly popular (see Hollywood) and the images that are being presented says a lot about the medium’s attitude towards women.
I used to read comic books on an almost religious basis. I even wanted to become an artist/writer for graphic novels myself. I still have my own comic books that I drew in elementary school, junior high, and high school! I noticed the objectification of women for obvious reasons and I actually think that part of the reason why I didn’t pursue comic books was because of the way women were “supposed” to be drawn. It’s interesting now to look at the world of super-heroes and super-heroines and understand the underlying messages that exist within the character depictions. Anyway, I hope you find the following “analysis” useful and helpful, especially if you’re a writer (of any medium) and/or artist:
Introduction
A handsome intelligence officer of the United States Army, Colonel Steve Trevor, crashes his plane on “Paradise Island” (an island full of Amazon women, what else would it be called, right?). Trevor is found by a beautiful Amazon Princess named Diana, who nurses him and subsequently falls in Love with him. When she learns about the war against the Nazis, she dons a costume of America’s red, white, and blue, and departs for the “Man’s World.” She is Wonder Woman — “beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, stronger than Hercules, and swifter than Mercury”. She can fly like Superman, she can hurl heavy objects like the Hulk, and if you really make her mad, she’ll crack out her golden lasso and tie you up (especially if you’re male).
At first glance, she may look like an empowered, kick-butt, feminist super-heroine amidst a realm dominated by male super-heros. But is Wonder Woman really empowered? Is she really the icon of feminism in graphic novels? Is her message really all about defending sisterhood, freedom, and democracy? Rather than paste my entire paper here to answer these questions, I decided to focus on some of the key points.
1. The Damsel in Distress
Originally, women played a very small role in comic books. In the late 1930’s, super powered heroes like Superman and Captain Marvel dominated the stage while women scarcely made any presence. Specifically, they were were depicted as dependent and “damsels in distress” – victims that needed to be rescued by the male protagonist; a prize that needed to be won by either the male villain or hero. For example, in the first issue of Superman, news reporter and future love interest, Lois Lane, is kidnapped by criminals and eventually rescued by Superman. No relationship gets developed and nothing else is learned about who Lois is – Superman simply saves her, flies her to safety, and then flies away. Women were also portrayed as the “girl-Friday…seductive vamp, or perhaps, the long-suffering girlfriend” (Lavin, 1998). The stereotypical gender roles were quite obvious: men alone are capable of succeeding independently and being courageous, while women are subordinate figures in the background. These early attitudes towards women in comic books are implicative of common gender role stereotypes where women are thought to be less intelligent than men and only have a place in the house as a caretaker and/or source of emotional support. As New York cartoonist Jules Feiffer states, “the ideal of masculine strength, whether Gary Cooper’s, Lil Abner’s, or Superman’s, was for one to be so virile and handsome, to be in such a position of strength, that he need never go near girls. Except to help them.”
2. Women as Sex Objects
The role of women changed dramatically during World War II when patriotic characters emerged and surprisingly attracted the interest of new readers, who were both males and females. Arguably, the most noteworthy character was Wonder Woman. As mentioned above, she possesses enormous super-human strength, has the ability to fly, and can overcome any obstacle that comes in her way. . Even more interesting is how her love interest, Colonel Trevor, is constantly being rescued by her, as if he is the male version of the aforementioned Lois Lane. Rather than the male rescuing the female all the time, it is reversed in the Wonder Woman comics. In the following years, other strong and super heroine characters surfaced like Miss America – the female version of Captain America – Mary Marvel, Super Girl, She-Hulk, and many others. They carried the symbolic message that “girls could do anything boys could do, and often better, especially if they stuck together” (Robbins, 2002).
However, despite these new portrayals of strong and powerful female characters like Wonder Woman, something else was occurring: they were being depicted as sex objects. As stated by Michael Lavin, “powerful super-heroines like DC’s Wonder Woman or Marvel’s She-Hulk may easily overcome the most overwhelming threats and obstacles, but they are invariably depicted as alluring objects of desire, wearing the scantiest of costumes.” The images of women with large bust sizes, slim figure, bare legs, and half-naked appearance became enormously popular after the success of Wonder Woman. Believe it or not, comic books were filled with so many sexual images of women that they were known as “headlight comic books” — a crude and stereotypical reference to the female anatomy. Comic book historian Ron Goulart writes: “In the days before the advent of Playboy and Penthouse, comic books offered one way to girl watch” (1986). A prime example of “headlight comics” was in Bill Ward’s “Torchy,” a series that ran from 1946 to 1950. The comic books contained dull and uninteresting storylines where the scriptwriters were merely making an excuse to draw Torchy as a tall, bare legged blond, who walked around in her underwear.
The escalating amount of sex and violence in comic books eventually led to complaints, particularly by psychologist Fredric Wertham who held a symposium in 1948 on the “Psychopathology of Comic Books.” He also wrote a book, Seduction of the Innocent, which correlated a connection between “juvenile delinquency and comic book reading” (Lavin, 1998). As a result, the Comics Code Authority established a written code which set the guidelines for comic book publishing. During this time, the comic book industry took a remarkable new turn where the constant objectification of women was seized. But this period where comic books were geared more towards girls and teenagers wouldn’t last long. Super-heros reemerged in the late 1960’s, along with their scantily-clad super-heroines and damsels in distress. Women were drawn in the same stereotypical fashion, but this time, the artists took it one step further on the skimpy scale. Consider the White Queen, a female villain that appeared in the X-Men comics during the 1980’s. She was “the stuff of male sexual fantasy: a push-up bustier, panties, and high-heel boots, all in white” (Lavin, 1998). Observe the image below and judge for yourself:
Today, women are becoming more and more sexualized. As described by Jones and Jacobs (2005): “Females, perpetually bending over, arching their backs, and heaving their anti-gravity breasts into readers’ faces, defied all laws of physics… the Victoria’s Secret catalogue became the Bible of every super-hero artist, an endless source of stilted poses ripe for swiping by boys who wanted their fantasies of women far removed from any human reality.
One study conducted by Jessica H. Zellers shows an examination of how women are depicted in eighteen graphic novels. She finds that “of the suggestively clad, partially clad, or naked individuals, about three times as many were women (296) than men (107).” From the graphic novel sample where there were 1,768 male characters and 786 female characters, only 6% of all males were suggestively clad, partially clad, or naked; while of all the females, 38% were suggestively clad, partially clad, or naked. Additionally, of all males, 2% were naked, while of all females, 24% were naked. Zellers writes: “It is incredible that almost one out of every four females was, at some point, depicted in the nude” (2005).
3. Exploitation and Sexism
While some comic book artists argue that drawing women voluptuously and provocatively is a symbol of their strength and power, there are other points that can be emphasized upon to argue that women are being exploited. Consider the creator of Wonder Woman: a psychologist named William Moulton Marston (pen name: “Charles Moulton”) who also invented the lie detector. Revealing Marston’s intentions and goals on the character of Wonder Woman sheds light upon new attitudes towards women in the world of graphic novels. The fact that Wonder Woman comes from a matriarchal “Paradise Island” is enough to indicate male fantasy, but Marston also states, “give [men] an alluring woman stronger than themselves to submit to, and they’ll be proud to become her willing slaves.” Though Wonder Woman is not subordinate or weaker than her surrounding male characters in terms of strength and powers, she is being exoticized and idolized by her male creator. Her weapon is a golden lasso, which critics have called an erotic symbol of sexual control since she uses it to make her adversaries obey her commands. Marston has been criticized for his bonding fixations — a recurring theme of Wonder Women tying up both men and women. It was so prevalent that the editor of DC comics, Sheldon Mayer, was so uncomfortable with it and tried to tone it down (but was unsuccessful). In one 1948 story of Wonder Woman, there are no fewer than 75 panels of Wonder Woman tying up men or women in ropes.
One may also find sexist undertones in how many other female characters have abilities and superpowers ranging from being skilling in mundane arts like gymnastics and mind control (Maher, 2005). Female characters like Madame Mirage, White Queen, and Malice have the ability to use mind control to manipulate their opponents, mostly men! White Queen specifically uses her powers of mind control to manipulate and deceive men in order to gain wealth and power (Lavin, 1998). Yes, typical woman! The voluptuous Catwoman uses her beauty to manipulate Batman, Poison Ivy uses her seductive and deadly love potions to gain what she wants, and Malice is able to control the emotional centers of the brain. Hmm, what’s next? A female character that marries a rich old man only to have him killed off just to inherit the wealth and property? Wait, they already have a character like that: White Rabbit from the Spider-man comics!
Ah, Frank Miller. The comic book writer/artist who is notoriously known for his racist (see “300″) and sexist undertones. The hatred for women in his comic books are too obvious to be missed. Elektra (pictured above), for example, is a troubled female Assassin and anti-heroine. Miller named her after the Greek mythological character of the same name. Like the myth, Elektra’s character develops a sexual attraction to her father (which is the symptom of the “Electra Complex” in psychology). Early in her life, her Elektra complex is strengthened when her father rapes her, but then she is told that it never really happened. “It was only a fantasy… and she wanted it to happen. Her belief in her desire for the father grow, but her father dies before she can resolve the Electra complex” (Baughman, 1990). Frank Miller has also subjected other female characters to subordinate positions, such as Ava Lord in his series “Sin City.” Ava Lord says to a male character: “You’re right about me! I’m nothing but a selfish slut who threw away the only man she ever loved . . . I’m such a fool. Such a selfish stupid slut” (Maher, 2005). Another character he sexualizes incredibly is Vicki Vale in his new Batman All-Stars graphic novels. She is drawn in her pink bras and panties while thinking about her upcoming date with Bruce Wayne (aka Batman). On one panel, she is sucking her finger while showing her entire figure, and on the bottom panel, there is a shameless close-up of her buttocks. Below is an image from the comic book; the caption is from Frank Miller’s script for artist Jim Lee. It speaks for itself:
As analyzed by a feminist comic book reader, Vicki Vale’s character is there to “reassure the readership of their hetereo-masculinity.” She is quintessentially “watched by male watchers: the writer/director (Frank), his artist, and the presumed male audience that buys the book” (Finally, A Feminism Blog, 2006, para 7).
4. The Male Gaze
One could argue that what is in work here is the concept of the “male gaze”. This feminist theory was first introduced in the essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” by film theorist Laura Mulvey in 1975. Male gaze is described as “the concept of the gaze as a symptom of power asymmetry”. A defining characteristic of male gaze was how the heterosexual male lets the camera “linger on the curves of the female body”. The male gaze “denies women agency, relegating them to the status of objects.” When applied to comic books, what we see presented is through the gaze of the male . The women are presented as men would want to see them. These same images are presented to women as something they should aspire to be if they want to be with a man. In other words, the power and control that characters like Wonder Woman have may be perceived as a woman’s control or power over a man, but it is in fact fake control. The male writers can take it away at will. Consider the following “adjustments” made by male writers on the storylines of female characters: “Batwoman is killed, Batgirl is paralysed, Mirage is raped, while Black Canary is tortured, made infertile, and de-powered!” (Maher, 2005). In other words, femininity has no control at all, as long as male writers and artists persist with these depictions and attitudes.
I found countless images of female characters in extremely provocative poses; bending over, arching their heads back, tossing their hair, fighting in the rain, etc. Even the popular characters like Wonder Woman, Storm, Super-Girl, and Jean Grey were not spared. This image of Wonder Woman in her traditional Amazon attire, for example, is especially crude and repulsive:
What is the Future for Women in Comic Books?
The comic book industry is by far a male dominated industry. Just go to a comic book convention where fans are “treated to the sight of several scantily clad professional models dressed in th costumes of popular comic book babes. These models are hired by the comics companies to promote the publisher’s wares. For a small fee, any fan can immortalize the fantasy by having his picture taken with one of the role-playing women” (Lavin, 1998).
This is not to say that there are no female comic book readers — there certainly are — but one may argue that as sexualization of women continues, the rate of female readers will decrease significantly. According to Trina Robbins, a female comic book artist, “Women just don’t go into comic-book stores… A woman gets as far as the door, and after the cardboard life-size cut-out of a babe with giant breasts in a little thong bikini and spike-heel boots, the next thing that hits her is the smell. It smells like unwashed teenage boys, and it has this real porn-store atmosphere.” Just by looking at the covers of comic books like Wonder Woman or Catwoman today, it seems like the artists and writers are more concerned with how the characters are depicted than with storyline.
Look at films like “Batman Begins,” “X-Men,” “Superman Returns,” and the “Spider-man” films. They are all not only successful, but critically acclaimed as well. Is there a Wonder Woman film? There have been two films in the past five years with a female protagonist: “Catwoman” and “Elektra”. But these films bombed in the box-office. They’re so bad that they’re laughable. They’re not taken seriously like the aforementioned comic book movies. They were just poor excuses to get Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner to dress in tight and skimpy costumes.
And even if there was a Wonder Woman movie, is she really a complex and three-dimensional character like Batman or Spider-Man? Spider-Man, for example, is filled with so much depth — in the first film, we see him as a nerdy high school student who gets picked on by bullies, in the second film, we see him conflicted with keeping a job, paying his rent on time, and most importantly: he is torn between his obligation of being Spider-Man and his Love for Mary Jane Watson. Should he give up being a super-hero and live a normal life where he can be with Mary Jane? These kind of challenges, dilemmas, and choices are what make characters like Spider-Man so interesting and three-dimensional. How can young girls relate to Wonder Woman? She is an exotic beauty from the land of the Amazons. She is more of a mythological Greek goddess than a human being. Where are her character flaws? What are her dilemmas and inner struggles? Besides, do we really want young girls to have Wonder Woman shirts or backpacks after we’ve learned that she is a product of a male fantasy?
The X-Men include powerful female characters who can move things with their minds, control the weather, run through walls, among other things, but the male characters are at the center of the stage. Also, let’s look at characters like Super Girl, Bat Girl, and Spider Girl. What do they all have in common? They would not have existed if it were not for the original male characters. Superman tells Super Girl that he will take care over her like a “big brother,” but if Super Girl is the cousin of Superman, then why in the world would she need to be looked after? This is an example of how male dependency is prevalent in comic books, both implicitly and explicitly.
As I said earlier, the sexist undertones and stereotypical images are getting worse and increasingly sleazier. Graphic novels have a unique blend of complex narratives and visual art which is what makes it a very popular and appealing form of art, but stereotypes about women are being reinforced – stereotypes about the “ideal” feminine body image: large breasts, thin waists, toned buttocks, long legs. These stereotypes are misleading because they are setting a standard for beauty in women, and now that superhero characters are being portrayed in Hollywood films, more readers are being attracted to graphic novels. We need new interpretations of female comic book characters ; just like how their wardrobes have been reinterpreted in the X-Men films directed by Bryan Singer. Instead of wearing tight leather or spandex, the characters are wearing less provocative clothing (see Anna Paquin’s Rogue). Elektra’s character and her Elektra complex was removed; Catwoman was once a prostitute, but that was changed – and for the better. More realistic, three dimensional, and complex female characters are desperately needed; characters that can we can relate to and we can learn from.
Some admirable efforts include comic book writer, Chris Claremont, who introduced “a string of independent, strong-willed, and generally admirable heroines” in the mid 70’s (Lavin, 1998). 14-year old Kitty Pryde (or “Shadowcat”) of the X-Men was an excellent example of a realistic, complex, and 3-dimensional female character. She is a teenager who suffers from anxiety, peer pressure, loneliness, and she has a longing to be treated as an adult. Instead of being drawn as an exotic, large breasted, and bare legged Amazon like Wonder Woman, she is drawn “slim, coltish, and flat-chested.” Another positive female character is also from the X-Men: Jubilee.
More female writers and artists are needed to help make this medium a stronger and meaningful form of storytelling. At the same time, the male writers and artists need to stop objectifying women! Otherwise, if images of women in comic books persist in sexualization, then the great storylines will fade away, just like it did in the late 1940’s during the “headlight comic books.” They will be nothing short than meaningless.
Thanks for reading
~ Broken Mystic~
Shawna said,
May 7, 2008 at 2:54 pm
i tagged you
Chickadee said,
May 10, 2008 at 10:44 pm
GREAT ANALYSIS!
I still nurse a tiny bit of affection for Cat Woman. She was the first female super/anti hero I’d ever seen, and she kicked Batman’s ass (Comic Book Nerds: I am referring to a specific episode of Batman: the Animated Series, so don’t jump down my throat quoting comic book series numbers). I liked the comic book version because she was a bitch and she had dark curly hair (like someone I know, wink). I didn’t know she was a hooker. (shrug)
I agree that we need new ladies for comic book devotees to look up to.
Question: Is it better to have these ass-kicking women as role models or Barbie?
brokenmystic said,
May 10, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Thanks Chickadee!
Yeah, Catwoman was a prostitute in Frank Miller’s famous “Batman: Year One” comics. It’s no surprise since Miller has a reputation for objectifying women and making them prostitutes (see “Sin City”). Her role in “Batman: Year One” is pretty insignificant too. She is with a client when Bruce Wayne is fighting some thugs in an alley. She leaps from the balcony and throws a couple of punches and kicks at Bruce, but then gets back-handed to the ground.
I think she gets objectified in comic books. In my presentation, I showed one cover image from a “Catwoman” comic and she is fighting a snake while her purple rubber suit is all torn apart. There is nothing wrong with a strong and powerful crime-fighting female character. I think those kind of characters could serve as great role models because they break certain stereotypes, but when they’re cheaply characterized and depicted as sex objects, then we need to call for new interpretations.
When Bruce Wayne gets traumatized by eye-witnessing the death of his parents as a child, he becomes a crime fighter later in life. With all the rage and vengeance inside of him, he doesn’t kill anyone. But when female characters like Elektra experience traumatic events (her father was killed), she becomes an assassin.
So many comic books are being turned into movies, but most of them revovle around male characters. The female characters are either in the background or dressed up in tight leather to appeal to the fanboys. I like characters like Rogue (in the “X-Men” films, not the comics) and Jubilee. Another character I like is Trinity from “The Matrix.” Yes, I know it’s not a comic book, but its sci-fi and very comic book-esque, so I think it would be fair to include her. She’s not depicted as a sex object (at least not in the first movie), she’s not a “Barbie” character, and she’s not the stereotypical female character. All three are empowered, but most importantly, they’re three-dimensional too. I think characters like Catwoman and Wonder Woman can be reinterpreted so that they’re not objectified and exploited.
Those are my thoughts
Irving said,
May 11, 2008 at 1:34 am
Excellent analysis
I used to love comic books too 
Ya Haqq!
biz said,
May 11, 2008 at 2:06 am
Whoa, you said “Graphic Novels”….
All I see being mentioned are the monthly adventure comic book heroes.
A non-stop continuing soap opera style serial is not a novel.
brokenmystic said,
May 11, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Hi Biz,
The term “graphic novel” didn’t appear until Will Eisner’s 178-page “Contract with God”, which was published in 1978 and considered to be “more substantial than typical comic books”.
Typically, at the end of a specific series, they will get compiled in one book, which is what we call a “Graphic Novel.” Think of a television series and how, at the end of the season, all the episodes get complied in a DVD set.
raire said,
May 11, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Hello!
I just want to say, bravo! I loved reading this and correlating it with what I have seen so far, partly because I have taken to haunting feminist comic reader blogs for a year now.
I’d like to add a request. I am writing a paper, an Extended Essay, which is a requirement for me to graduate from high school. It’s basically, like a high school thesis, in the system I study in (International Baccalaureate, complicated story, just treat is as an international standard of education), and we have to finish it on some topic of our choice. Because I might study Art, and because I had decided I didn’t want to talk about sexism in advertisement in Peru (too many headaches, and I doubt advertisement is where I will wander…) I chose sexism against women in comics.
I’d like the permission to quote and/or cite you and your observations in the paper please. I would be using MLA format, and you know I will credit you, because we fail the year if we plagiarize, even if accidentally.
And, basically, thank you for putting this up!
*bookmark*
links for 2008-05-12 at Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture said,
May 12, 2008 at 10:38 am
[...] The Objectification of Women in Graphic Novels « Broken Mystic “If images of women in comic books persist in sexualization, then the great storylines will fade away, just like it did in the late 1940’s during the “headlight comic books.” They will be nothing short than meaningless.” (tags: via:whenfangirlsattack comics sexism) [...]
Barbara said,
May 12, 2008 at 2:29 pm
I notice that we’re primarily talking about the heavy-hitter, mainstream stuff, primarily DC and Marvel. OK, and I agree with most of the points presented (Kitty Pryde, whoo-hoo!), but there’s more to the comic book industry than this. DC’s Vertigo line has done a better job with presenting kick-ass female characters without objectifying them. Tulip O’Hare from Preacher is a favorite of mine; so are any created by Neil Gaiman. Also, Fables by Bill Willingham has a cast that’s about half female, and I really can’t think of any objectification/hypersexualization there. And Brian K. Vaughn’s Y: The Last Man has strong female characters (although you have to wonder: All the men on the planet are dead and the one guy left still gets to be the center of attention!). Still, Allison Mann and Agent 355 are awesome. His Ex Machina isn’t too bad, either.
From Marvel, the best character I can think of is Jessica Jones from Brian Bendis’ Alias, but her series is defunct and she’s a minor character now. Oh, and Judd Winnick tends to write strong female characters; his run on the Exiles was fantastic, and even though there were some cheesecake shots in that series, he poked fun at them appropriately.
But isn’t that part of the problem, every writer I’ve named is a man. And I really can’t think of any female-starring series. Women tend to get good play when they’re part of an ensemble cast. And I know the argument: Male characters are center because men are the primary readers. And the idea that women don’t walk into comic book shops because they’re turned off by the Victoria’s Secret-type cutouts? Bull. Quite honestly, I’ve stopped going into comic shops lately because there are only about six comics I’ve even vaguely interested in at the moment, and since comix publishers have gone to the trade paperback format, it’s just as easy to save my money and buy at the collected runs at the bookstore. As for the rest of the comics: Bad writing, bad writing, bad art and bad writing. When the writing is good, when the art is good, you don’t have to worry so much about these problems, they take care of themselves.
But yes, we do need more comics with strong, non-objectified women in starring roles, and we need more women writers, too. But if we want that, then we need to step up and do something about it. If you see one, BUY IT. Write and ask for it. Although it doesn’t seem like the comic publishing industry is smart enough to actually listen to their consumers …
Jack D. said,
May 12, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Diamond releases its monthly Direct Market Sales Charts and Market Share each month. These are some figures from February: http://www.newsarama.com/marketreport/Feb08sales.html Gives a useful snapshot of what people are buying, and a good reminder (for people making broad generalizations) that the Big Two aren’t the only producers of comic book materials, and that on any particular Wednesday — new comic book day! — the mix is more heavily weighted to have female characters who *aren’t* on sexual display.
Ultimate Spider-Man comes to mind immediately as mainstream superhero fare; this teenage fantasy is filled with strong, capable females (fully clothed, no less). Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the adaptation of original TV material (and movie before that), is almost entirely about a young woman who doesn’t need no help from no man. Oracle, nee Barbara Gordon, formerly Batgirl, may have been a Batman-ripoff years ago, but she’s evolved so far beyond that there’s no comparison. The Fantastic Four in all their incarnations have long expressed the belief that Invisible Woman is probably the strongest character of the bunch in terms of power and characterization.
And as has been noted earlier, the indies and alternate imprints (i.e. Vertigo) are rife with non-objectified females.
Finally, one need only look consider the current X-Men roster to appreciate that the female-biased objectification premise might not be as strong as it was many years ago. Male superheroes have *always* been portrayed with rippling muscles, machismo-inspiring stances and viciously aggressive attitudes — is that not objectification as well? Colossus’ costume is normally very spare so that we can appreciate the gleaming (metal) bod that no young boy will ever be able to attain. Wolverine is a bloody idol of brute violence (and his muscles regenerate themselves instantly besides). Even Cyclops’ own full-body costume leaves little to the imagination, and he’s on the lower range of buff studs. Finally, there’s Beast, Nightcrawler (and recently, Pixie) — their nonbaseline body types, when contrasted with Emma Frost’s own physique, should drive home the point: Superheroes, male AND female, of this age are a mix of ridiculously fantastic visual elements, sexual and otherwise.
Could the market do better? Yes, in terms of product and consumer choice. But it’s not nearly as bad as one might first assume.
Amber said,
May 12, 2008 at 8:21 pm
As an avid comic book reader and angry feminist, I’ll admit that you have a lot of good points. However, I’d like to point out that I think there are a lot to good things going on in the comic book world. You don’t have to look any further than X men to find some pretty kick ass ladies all over the place. Academy X had some awesome new women who were equally represented, multi racial and ethnic, given complex back stories, and great leadership roles. They even have great (non-traditionally feminine) powers like control over electricity, super strength, and claws.
There are a lot of problems feminists can have with the comic book world, stemming from, I believe, the serious lack of female writers and illustrators. That said there is a to look forward too. Ms. Marvel, Storm, and Kitty Pride all have important roles in the Marvel Universe (I don’t really read DC so I can’t give any of those examples) and like others have said, there are all kinds of great female characters in Vertigo, Image, dark horse, and titles like Buffy, fables, and Y-man. Yes, Wonderwoman IS one dimensional, but I feel the same way about Superman. They were the first, and consequently, the simplest and most boring.
My point is we should be rewarding these companies for the steps they are taking toward representing female, ethnic, and non-hetero normative characters (young avengers, the runaways, and new x men have gay characters!). And NEVER read Frank Miller.
brokenmystic said,
May 13, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Barbara — Thanks for your comments
You’re right, I’m focusing mostly on the popular female characters. I *do* appreciate the positive female characters such as the ones you mentioned, especially Jessica Jones. Although I still have some minor complaints about them, I didn’t mean to single out these characters in my paper. There are some great characters like Kitty Pryde, Jubilee, Storm, and others in the X-Men universe, but even these characters have been drawn in the stereotypical fashion (as presented in the images above).
The quote about women not wanting to go to comic book stores because of the “real porn-store atmosphere” was a remark made by Trina Robbins. One of my classmates read that quote too and he got a little defensive about it. I wouldn’t want to be in a comic book store and then have a woman perceive me the way Robbins described it, lol, but I think she was just over-exaggerating. I don’t believe she believes this is the ONLY reason why women don’t go to comic book stores.
You make a great point when you mention bad writing. In my opinion, bad writing plagues the entire entertainment industry (just look at what’s playing in the theaters these days, we hardly see anything original anymore). You’re right, people need to step up and do something about it. I enjoy creative writing and filmmaking, and I’m always mindful of my female characters. There is so much potential for women in these kind of industries and I really believe they can make a difference and break stereotypes.
brokenmystic said,
May 13, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Raire — I think your paper sounds fantastic! Feel free to cite me. I’m glad you found this worth reading and informative. I sent you an e-mail as well!
Jack D. — You make some good points, especially about how you mentioned the evolution of Bat-girl. That is precisely what I mean — we need new interpretations of female characters. I don’t know about Invisible Woman since she’s so objectified in the “Fantastic Four” films. I remember when the first movie was released, guys in my class would talk about how they want to see Jessica Alba in her tight blue suit. There are scenes in both films where she’s stripped of her clothing. Does Invisible Woman really need to be naked in order to be Invisible?
Men are objectified too, but NO WHERE NEAR as much as females are. Most of the comic book writers and artists are male; they’re in control. Sure, Batman is all muscular and perfectly toned and everything, but does he have sexual fantasies about his mother (like Elektra has fantasies about her father)? Does Bruce get raped? Does he have to rely on a woman for anything? Also, as I mentioned above, from the study of Jessica H. Zellers, we see that only 2% of men were depicted in the nude, while of all the females, 24% were naked (from the sample of 18 graphic novels).
Not all of the popular male characters are “attractive” either. Take “The Hulk” for example. He doesn’t need to be handsome when he’s all green and muscular to be appealing. But look at most of the depictions of She-Hulk. Her features are toned down and she is drawn as the typical attractive female. I remember talking to a friend of mine and she said, “I would Love to act, but I can’t.” I ask, “why not?” She replied, “Because I don’t have the looks.” Do all the female characters need to be “attractive” and thin?
There are sexual elements in the male characters, but one could argue that this is yet another way to control the female. They’re drawn the way that men want to see them. In the new Frank Miller “Batman All-Stars,” Black Canary calls Batman “hot” after he brutally beats up a group of thugs. Then he pretty much nails her to the ground. Sure, Batman is drawn with the “ideal” male body, but who is in control? Black Canary is the one who is treated like an object, not Batman.
Bottom line, men are in control — they are not only at center stage, but they’re behind the scenes too. I think the market is pretty bad. It’s like racism — people think it’s gone because it’s not as overt anymore, but it definitely still exists. Women have been empowered in comic books, but the objectification and sexism is still very present. Look at the Top Cow comics, like Witchblade and Madame Mirage. Look at comics like Danger Girl. And like I said above, we don’t see any female characters taking center stage like Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man.
brokenmystic said,
May 13, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Amber — Thanks for visiting and commenting! Like I said to Barbara, I didn’t mean to neglect the positive things going on in the comic book industry. I really think the X-Men have great, interesting, and three-dimensional characters. It’s a great story just in general — people being discriminated against for being “mutant” or “different.” With a concept like that, there is surely a lot of potential for female characters, and they already have a lot.
However, the appearance of these characters are still stereotypical. Again, do all female characters need to be “attractive” and have large bust sizes? Do they always need to be pushed to the sidelines or pushed in the background while the male characters are the center of it all?
I agree with you about Wonder Woman and Superman, but I think Superman has come a long way. A lot of people say Superman is dull and boring because he has all the powers you could think of, but I actually argue that he has evolved into something more than just a man flying around and saving people. He is the ultimate outsider. An immigrant, if you will. He has come from another planet and he struggles with fitting in. I can hear Marlon Brando’s “you are not one of them” quote. He falls in Love with an Earthling and that creates more internal conflict for him. I believe Wonder Woman can be reinterpreted too; writers can make room for character flaws and inner conflict.
I appreciate the new changes that are being made for women in the comic book world, and hopefully we can see more of that. “Iron Man” just got released, and “The Dark Knight” is on its way, which I’m sure will be amazing! Will we see a promising comic book film with a realistic, 3-dimensional female protagonist some time soon though?
Teresa said,
May 17, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Wow. That was impressive. Great read. This is the first time I’ve seen your blog and it seems really interesting. I will explore more.
Willow said,
June 23, 2008 at 2:46 am
Ame(e)n to that! Great analysis. I totally agree with you re: increasing sleaze/sexism in OGNs, and I think it’s due to a misguided attempt to “push the envelope”. Creators up the sleaze factor when they have nothing new or dynamic to say.
Female, Muslim, and Mutant: A Critique of Muslim Women in Comic Books – Part 1 of 2 « Broken Mystic said,
July 7, 2008 at 6:49 am
[...] in play here and that’s male dependency, something that I discussed in a previous essay of mine, “The Objectification of Women in Graphic Novels.” Although one could argue that Wolverine is practically an indestructible character with his [...]
» Linkfest: 2008-07-08 >>Nostalgia For Infinity: Literature, Gaming, Punk Rock (and all that) said,
July 8, 2008 at 9:31 pm
[...] – The Objectification of Women in Graphic Novels « Broken Mystic A superb analysis and critique of the ways in which women are objectified and sexualised in comics. [...]
thirst for knowlege said,
July 9, 2008 at 12:19 am
Having just watched Bravo’s presentaions 1. SuperHeroes 2. SuperVillians (each list featuring the top twenty men) and then followed by the SuperVixens wherein the women, heroes and villians were mixed together and considered based on their “sexiness”, this post is like water to my soul.
Sad but True said,
July 9, 2008 at 2:02 am
Hi,
There not only WAS a Wonder Woman movie in 1974 (she was tiny and blonde…) but they are coming out with one in 2009. l hope it’s not going to be another Catwoman
This is a very good piece, thank you for writing it.
brokenmystic said,
July 10, 2008 at 7:01 am
Thirst for knowledge — thanks so much for visiting and commenting! I can’t believe they are called Super Vixens and rated on their “sexiness.” Unfortunately, it seems most don’t take female comic book characters seriously.
Sad but True — Thanks! I’ve been hearing about the new Wonder Woman movie for a long time now. Did they cast someone to play her yet? I really hope it won’t be like Catwoman either. I wonder who is going to direct it…
Angie Hendrickson said,
August 4, 2008 at 7:07 pm
I’ve been dating a guy who is comic artist, a talented one at that.. But this is his only desire… to see women bending over, in thongs, in skimpy prostitute like clothing, etc.. It’s ruined our relationship. I have continuously tried to help him understand why it’s so (in all reality) psychologically damaging to your psyche and your ability to look at the world in a healthy, normal fashion that treats women as anything other than unrealistic, sick sex objects. It’s just a sick industry and I’ve no clue how I’ve managed to stay with this person for as long as I have (going on two years). I’ve sent him this article, but likely, he will read no more than a few paragraphs and pass it off as ‘feminist hippy bullshit’. I just wanted to say, thanks for getting the truth out there about the problem with Women in Comic books today. I’m sorry people have become so desensitized to female anatomy, sex, and bodies in general. It’s just… horrifyingly depressing and dating someone who’s life revolves around this sort of stuff has really taken a tole on my spirit. I’m glad to have found this article and to have realized other people out there truly understand the problem and sickness in this industry.
saira said,
August 24, 2008 at 5:16 am
LOVED this.
I assume you’ve seen this, but in case you haven’t: Women in Refrigerators is a site cataloging all the ways our brave comic book heroines… uh… suffered. It’s interesting to see people’s reactions to the list…
http://unheardtaunts.com/wir/index.html
Alex Swindle said,
August 29, 2008 at 4:13 am
I posted this on http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy/?p=875#comment-3906, where I originally saw this article.
While the points made in this article are certainly well-made and many of them valid, I have a few problems with it.
First of all, they’re comic books. Not graphic novels. Comics have a bad reputation in part because any somewhat-decent comics are called “graphic novels” in order to remove the stigma associated with “comics.”
Secondly, and far more importantly, this article completely fails to touch upon any comics that aren’t from the Big Two (Marvel and DC). Yes, there are many examples of women being exploited and objectified throughout superhero comics, but even one step removed such as DC’s Vertigo imprint finds a different story. Books such as DMZ, Ex Machina, Fables, or Y: The Last Man offer realistic, 3-dimensional female characters that are nothing like the big-breasted bimbos of superhero comics.
And even among the superheroes, female characters are being treated with more dignity. While there are still an embarrassing number of panty shots in any given comic involving Wonder Woman, her series is finally being written by a woman; further, there are some characters such as Renee Montoya who is both a strong female character and one of the best examples of a lesbian character one could find. Rather than having her character be defined by her sexual orientation, Renee Montoya is a layered character who just happens to be a lesbian, something that would not ordinarily be expected from superhero comics.
Oracle, the former Batgirl who was, as mentioned, paralyzed by the Joker, has also become one of the most influential characters in the DC Universe, serving as the central information center and coordinator for all of the superheroes.
Something that also needs to be addressed is the issue of audience. I do agree that superhero comics are sexist, though they are improving. However, that’s partly due to market forces. If adolescent males are the dominant demographic to whom the comic companies are selling, gratuitous female sexuality is understandable. While that’s no excuse, it is a factor that should be taken into consideration.
Finally, a few nitpicks about the article that seemed to me to demonstrate a distinct lack of connection with comics in general and therefore caused me to doubt the piece as a whole. Not all comic shops are creepy dens infested with perverts; that’s an ignorant and, frankly, insulting statement. Some certainly are, but that is a gross overgeneralization. The title is All-Star Batman and Robin, not Batman All-Stars. And most importantly, Chris Claremont is NOT a good choice when looking for writers who don’t objectify women. While he may have introduced Kitty Pryde (undeniably one of the best female characters in superhero comics today), he was also responsible for the White Queen who was derided earlier in the comic. Further, while he is best known as being one of the greatest X-Men writers of all time, he is also notorious for his obsession with lesbians and bondage, exhibited especially in his X-Treme X-Men series. One arc has Storm and several other female X-Men forced to be gladiators in chains.
Frank Miller is also a poor choice if one wants to view comics as a whole. All-Star Batman and Robin is considered by many comics aficionados to be one of the worst interpretations of the character and his world in history. Batman kidnaps a young traumatized Dick Grayson and calls Grayson “retarded” and himself “the Goddamn Batman,” actions that are not at all fitting with Batman’s character.
Again, I agree for the most part with the article; women are certainly treated poorly and usually serve as little more than sex objects. But comics are getting better, and it’s important not to overlook the progress that’s been made. From Gail Simone’s current run on Wonder Woman to the plethora of strong women found outside the DC and Marvel publishing schedule to the increasing number of realistic female superheroes, progress is being made. Comics have a ways to go, but not all of them are the problem and the ones that are do show improvement.
Female, Muslim, and Mutant: A Critique of Muslim Women in Comic Books « Cosmo said,
December 8, 2008 at 4:49 pm
[...] in play here and that’s male dependency, something that I discussed in a previous essay of mine, “The Objectification of Women in Graphic Novels.” Although one could argue that Wolverine is practically an indestructible character with his [...]
Dreamchain said,
February 9, 2009 at 7:12 pm
To Alex Swindle: I think you’re being pretty blatantly unfair to Claremont. Yes, the White Queen dresses in lingerie. So? Some women do, and the vast majority of his female characters (Moira MacTaggert, Carol Danvers, Illyana Rasputin, Xi’an Coy Manh, Dani Moonstar, and on and on) do not. As far as a “lesbian bondage fetish” I haven’t read anything out of Marvel since the 90s. But I can think of no fewer than two arcs in the New Mutants, during the 80s, where main characters were forced to fight in gladitorial arenas. The first time was two male characters; the second time a male and a female. It wasn’t sexualized. They were chained to a wall or sent out to brutally kill each other under duress. By your logic, should only male characters be put in gladiator storylines, so as to avoid appearing sexist? This reminds me of the news media going on about how Biden would have to give Sarah Palin special treatment so as to avoid “offending” women–ie, she calls him Joe, but he calls her Governor Palin, and on and on.
To address the main article, I don’t think there’s a problem with SOME women dressing this way. Hell, at certain ages it’s downright endemic. The problem is that nearly ALL women are depicted this way. By the way, check out the Woman in Red, apparently the first costumed female superhero http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_in_Red_(Nedor) . Art from the 30s aside, she wore a costume that obscured her entire body and face, which always seemed to me what heroes with secret identities should be doing anyway.
…Of course in the modern revision of her she’s in a bathing suit. Sigh.
Anyway, I’m much more concerned with how women are WRITTEN than how they are dressed, but I think the latter is a fairly serious problem as well, since art is part of the storytelling in a visual medium. Are there any ugly characters? The only one I can think of is Callisto (also a Claremont creation, take that). I’ve also noticed even characters who start out with small busts always seem to be gigantic 8 or 12 artists later…
XYZ-Anonymous. said,
March 2, 2009 at 1:25 am
Excellent work
David said,
March 19, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Intresting article.
What is your opinion about Modesty Blaise?
nightsavior said,
April 28, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I will not argue one iota women are objectified but men are objectified too. Have you ever seen many super hero guys not built like athletes or without spandex suits so tight they look as if they were painted on?
The truth is both genders objectify each other. It is true women are put in revealing clothing but men are taught if they are not finacially successful or do not have a nice car they are not going to be able to earn the affections of an attractive girl friend.
Now days the most attractive fictional male characters are either Gothic pretty boys(Sephiroth,Dante) or buffed out mercenaries(Chris Redfield, Nick Fury). Granted I threw in some video game examples but you get my point.
However all this is supposed to be “fantasy” to begin with. Comic books have never clung to realism so arguing they should be more “realistic” kind of defeats the point. (Which is pleasant escapism)
Bottom line human beings are sexual creatures so at times those desires are going to come out through what writers and artists create. That is why White Queen is dressed like a Dominatrix and Wolverine is portrayed as the bad-boy loner rebel with perfect pecs and enough sexual magnetism to sell his own male cologne.
I know you mean well in this article but every time I hear this rant it seems as if people forget men are portrayed just as unrealistically in comic books as women. But if you really want to see Super Man flying around in nothing but underwear I think that is fair so long as we can still have our Cat woman, Elektra, and Wonder woman eye candy unchanged.
brokenmystic said,
April 28, 2009 at 10:44 pm
@ nightsavior,
Thanks for your comment. I think it’s really important to understand that this supposed “objectification of men” is NOT the same as objectification of women. There is an immense difference between how men and women are sexualized in comic books (and all forms of media). When muscles and “perfect” physical features are enhanced for male characters, it displays and symbolizes their power and strength. Women, on the other hand, are drawn with large breasts and voluptuous bodies for sex. It’s less about superpowers. Just look at the images I posted in this blog entry and you’ll see how suggestive the poses are, some of them pornographic. Completely different than how men are depicted.
The reason why you probably don’t understand this “rant” is because you make the mistake of thinking that sexism against men is *equal* to sexism against women. This whole notion of “reverse sexism” is incredibly flawed because it overlooks many of the challenges that women face in society as a result of misogyny and sexism — challenges that men don’t have to worry about. It’s feminism 101.
When women are objectified and sexualized in the media, they are being taught that their empowerment comes through their physical appearance and how they use their body (and of course, they’re using their bodies for sex). There is NO WAY a woman can look like these images because they’re drawn so out of proportion. According to a couple of researchers: “…a young woman between the ages of 18-34 has a 7% chance of being as slim as a catwalk model and a 1% chance of being as thin as a supermodel.”
Even images of women in popular magazines, posters, and billboards, are altered in order to make her look more “sexy” or “beautiful.” Making these alterations says a lot about what certain body types that our society values. Look at Maxim magazine, it’s about *getting* sex, while Cosmopolitan magazine is about *giving* sex.
Psychological studies have also shown that women had lower self-evaluations when they were shown slides of thin models. People who were shown images of average and oversized models on the other hand had better self-evaluations. According to one source: 75% of “normal” weight women think they are overweight and 90% of women overestimate their body size. And what mental disorder has the highest mortality rate in the United States? Eating disorders. And who does it affect more? Women. To ignore these facts is a simple matter of male privilege.
Men are not expected or pressured to look like Superman or Batman or even Wolverine. A male superhero can be ugly (see Hulk) and still be admired. If you look at the film industry, you have many male actors who don’t have to rely on their physical features to play big roles in movies. Sean Connery still made action movies when he passed the age of 60. You couldn’t see a woman do that. After she passes a certain age, her roles get limited to moms, step-moms, grandmoms, aunts, mother-in-laws, and so on.
We don’t forget that men are portrayed unrealistically. We just point out how objectification of women degrades them into sex objects and reinforces the stereotype that women have to look a certain way in order to be accepted in society and/or wanted by a man. Don’t forget that these images cater to heterosexual male readers (who represent the MAJORITY of comic book readers).
This particular post of mine was also published on “Fantasy Magazine” and someone left a really brilliant comment that addresses this issue of male characters being objectified. I suggest you check it out:
http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy/?p=875#comment-9711
nightsavior said,
April 29, 2009 at 8:06 am
Yes but being objectified in a different way is still being objectified. Men with “perfect physiques” do not just symbolize power but they symbolize being attractive to women as well. Vigilantes like “Batman” also touch on the fantasy of women being drawn to rich and powerful play boys. We do not just see Bruce Wayne in the mask. We see him out in the open as well. He always looks like a cross between Tom Cruise and James Bond. (As a matter of fact the only realistic run down older version of Brucey was done by Frank Miller.)
Many young girls are just as shallow. They want their forever young pretty boy vampire hero cliches or their muscular athletic jock cliches. If you do not believe me look at the movie “Twilight” or the fact Orlando Bloom (Legolas) was the 1# rated male character in the Lord of the Rings movie based entirely on his looks. (Though he was in fact a good actor too.)
I will level with you in comic books and other entertainment media females are almost always portrayed as beautiful. That said most of them kick just as much butt as their male counter parts. Elektra was Dare Devil’s equal, Mrs. Marvel could knock out even Super Man, and Storm of the X-men was the team leader at certain points + her power over the weather makes her very formible. Lastly look at the epicness of Jean Grey as “The Dark Pheonix”. It took the Shiar Empire working with the X-men to stop her and many of the more powerful characters died in that fight.
Yes, there are ugly guy heroes like The Hulk (Though David Banner still looks well built and handsome when not embodied as his mean green alter ego) or an even better example would be Spawn. (At least after he gets burnt up. Before that he was a special forces mercenary with the body of a Chip N Dale Dancer) However those portrayals are still rarer than the heroes that look like Cyclops, Captain America, Super Man, The Flash, or Spider man.
The genders also vary in what they find appealing so of course nice breasts are put on female characters whereas guy characters (Even The Hulk) have well defined muscles and six pac stomachs.
Alot of girl geeks like Bishonen(men with female features) and Yaio (romantic stories about Bishonens in gay relationships) which likewise raise the bar on lofty expectations for men to live up to. Most of us cannot pull off being Bishi anime influenced bad boys like Sephiroth. Atop that you cannot slam men for lesbian fantasies when many women have guy on guy fantasies.
It’s great you got published but that does not make you any more right or wrong. I recently read a “published article” of an IGN writer trashing Sheva Alomar from Resident Evil 5 for being a crappy heroine. He did not even bring up valid points but yet he made front page.
In closing I would encourage you to be “an equalist” instead of a “feminist”. Defend not just the rights of women but those of men too. Not to mention sometimes it’s gratifying and even healthy to be seen as a sex object. Yes, it can be taken too far, but who does not want to be percieved as desirable? By all means “objectify me!” I would love for females to percieve me as a piece of hunky man meat every once in awhile. I will even wear revealing skimpy under wear and a ball gag on a date if it spices things up and makes me feel good as well as the woman sexing me up!
brokenmystic said,
April 29, 2009 at 3:32 pm
@ Nightsavior,
You seem to be missing the point. Men being objectified in a different way doesn’t mean that their equally objectified as women. If comic books play into the “fantasies” of “many young women” as you claim, then why are the majority of comic book readers heterosexual males? Like I said before, women are conditioned by these pattern of images (which can be seen in all forms of media) and taught that their empowerment comes through their appearance and how they use their body for sex. When that happens, society no longer treats women as human beings, but rather as sex objects.
You talk about Elektra and Mrs. Marvel, but don’t seem to realize that films about female superheroes have flopped big time. Remember “Elektra” and “Catwoman”? Compare their box office numbers with the box office success of films like “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man,” and “Spider-man” — comic book films that have male protagonists. Why hasn’t there been a “Wonder Woman” movie yet? And if there is one, how successful will it be? “Elektra” and “Catwoman” had to rely on the sexualization of the respective actresses, Jennifer Garner and Halle Berry. The films about Batman, Iron Man, and Spider-man didn’t have to sexualize their male protagonists in order to sell the movie.
Of course there are women who read comic books, but it doesn’t mean sexism is non-existent. Like I mentioned before, you don’t see men in sexual or pornographic poses. They’re only objectified in the sense of their muscles and good looks. The female characters, on the other hand, look like they’re in a Victoria’s Secret catalog. I’m sure when you go into the comic book shop, you notice that on the cover images of comic books.
You’re male privilege is showing when you ignored the statistics I presented. You seem to speaking about attractiveness and fan boy/fan girl stuff, which is not what this post is about. This post is about how sexualized and misogynistic images of women in comic books perpetuate the sexism in our society. When you say “objectify me,” you ignore the issue of people struggling with their body image. You also ignore how society tends to mistreat women if they don’t look a certain or behave a certain way.
Your comment about feminism speaks volumes because it shows you perceive feminism in a negative light. It’s an example of how our society has conditioned us to think that feminists are not how women should be. You’d be surprised to learn that feminism is about equality for BOTH men and women — that’s all it means. The reality that you need to understand is that we *do* live in a misogynistic world and in order to understand the struggles of women, you need to be aware of your male privileges.
I didn’t share my published post with you to validate my points, I simply shared the link so that you could read the other comments that people shared.
And by the way, I am a heterosexual male.
nightsavior said,
April 29, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Mystic y’know not everyone thinks like you. Some women have the fantasies of being submissive or of wearing lingerie. Other women have fantasies of being in power. It doesn’t matter if you are a heterosexual male or not. Your point is one sided.
You are trying to argue about a bacon sandwich yet only talking about the bread and not the bacon.
Sure women feel bad sometimes if they see they cannot live up to looking like their fantasy counterparts. But many guys feel just as pressured when they do not look Bishonen (pretty boy) or realize no matter how much time they spend in the gym they’re not going to be built like modern day super heroes UNLESS they take steroids atop all that.
How are men objectified? Take your pick. In wrestling they are paid to get hurt for our entertainment. Sure, sometimes it’s fake, but mistakes happen and wrestlers still get bashed up bad during more extreme cage matches. In porn a guy’s torso and phallus are seen more than his face making him nothing more than a piece of furniture used for pleasure. His identity is often of far less importance than that of his female partner. Besides all that women who are strippers or porn starlets make that choice. They are not forced into it.
Super heroes are often good looking or rich. You are going to say “But that’s empowering!” however those are actually expectations society pushes onto us. We are expected to this very day to often be the “great providers”. Tell me have you EVER been on a date in which the woman you were with picked up the tab? Yes it may happen but is it a common courtesy? Wouldn’t it be better if both people paid an equal amount down the middle? Certainly not all females expect us to be a fountain of money but sadly there are many that STILL have that mentality.
Most females in comic books dress in kinky clothing but they are also very powerful (like their male counter parts) and sometimes as wealthy (Emma Frost is kind of like Marvel’s equivalent of Paris Hilton).
I admit like you I want to see more emphasis on different types of females. My how to draw books always disappointed me in that they didn’t show me the anatomy for bigger voloptous girls.(My first GF was socially considered on the “Big side” but she was extremely attractive all the same.) However, they did not teach me much on drawing non bishonen and non muscle bound male characters either.
I actually admire you for your points but I think you are attacking the wrong issue. If you truly want equality for woman perhaps you should crusade against how certain females are treated in other countries in which they have far less civil rights than their sisters in more tolerable parts of the world.
I’m not saying comic books do not need a bit of growth and change but at least graphic novels do not directly rape or enslave women. A fantasy is harmless for most of us but you always have wackos out there that take anything too far. Yet should we all suffer because of those few crazies? I think not. Besides though it is tempting to blame our actions on videogames, music, dungeons and dragons, or even comic books in the end it is always OUR CHOICE. The divine (Aka God if you are Christain) gave us free will in most scenarios and chances are the truly disturbed would have done the same atrocities even if they had not listened to Marilyn Mason’s newest cd.
Do not take back anything you said. I do agree with much of it, however I find it odd you believe men are not challenged or objectified as badly as women in different areas. Regardless the gender being human has always been a hard road to walk.
nightsavior said,
April 29, 2009 at 10:02 pm
I normally do not double post but I realized you are Muslim and Pakistani. Knowing that I understand more how you feel about women being objectified. You have actually made me hopeful that you feel this way. You might have seen women truly put into compromising situations more often than myself thus your anger and hunger for justice are sincere.
The only thing I can say is comic books come from America. As you likely know we use “sex” to sell everything and our cultural differences are apparent.
Being American to me “scantily clad women” are not that shocking but if I was born in Pakistan I know I would feel differently.
To many of us comic books are “fantasy fulfillment” thus we like the fact fictional women are sexy. Many of our women believe “sex” is even empowering however when taken too far this can be bad especially when a society believes appearance is everything.
Like you I’d want to see different body types used more often and writers adding more depth behind certain women heroines + villians. Couldn’t hurt right?
Oh and you are right about Miller’s 300. It was a pretty bad movie and seemed to breed its’ own kind of “elitism” and “bigotry”. I liked some of his work such as Dark Knight returns but sometimes he hits the ball alittle too far into left field even for my tastes.
brokenmystic said,
April 30, 2009 at 1:37 am
@ Nightsavior,
Your most recent comment came off sounding a bit awkward. Yes, I am Muslim and Pakistani, but I am also an American like you. I grew up in the United States, this is where I live, and this is my home. Many of my best friends are White non-Muslims since I grew up in a predominately White non-Muslim area.
To be honest, I didn’t think too much about my ethnic or religious identity when I wrote this piece. Sure, on a spiritual level, I believe we should respect all human beings, but I don’t think it’s fair to judge my post based upon my ethnicity and/or religion. When a White male feminist (director of “Generation M: Misogyny in Media and Culture”) discusses this very same issue, are you going to look at his ethnic background or religion? I wouldn’t want stereotypical perceptions of Islam make someone view my post in a negative light — as if I’m saying women *should* “cover up” (or whatever stereotype one may have about Muslim men).
Since I grew up here, I have many friends who are White non-Muslim women too. In fact, I made a presentation on the media’s influence on gender roles with a White non-Muslim female friend. She, and other female friends of mine, would disagree with what you’re saying here. You don’t need to split us into a dichotomy by saying “to many of us” or “our women believe sex is even empowering.” That’s generalizing about all Western White non-Muslims (both men and women).
I was in Pakistan in early 2004 and I saw women wearing tank tops and jeans. Most women don’t wear headscarfs of the burqah. There are nightclubs in Pakistan, people celebrate Valentine’s Day, there are concerts, you’ll see people dating, it’s very different than what you hear on the news (because on the news, you hear about only one portion of Pakistan; it’s like reporting only the bad parts of cities in the United States).
Have you seen South Asian or Middle-Eastern music videos? They’re just as scantily clad and sexy (if not more) as American music videos. Sex doesn’t only sell in the Western non-Muslim world. I wrote a piece on comic books in the Muslim world too (it’s on my blog) and they’re drawn in the same manner as Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Elektra, and so on.
Anyway, my point is I am not just Pakistani and Muslim. I am a Pakistani-American Muslim
Although multicultural awareness is important to understand (especially when it comes to feminism), I admit that I wasn’t thinking so much about my ethnicity and religion while writing this. I was more concerned with how comic books are another factor that shape society’s perception of women in general.
I understand what you’re saying about how men are pressured to be certain ways in society, this is true. There are socialized gender roles that are assigned to us right when we’re born. Boys are given blue colored clothing, girls get pink. Boys play with action figures, girls play with dolls. Boys are adventurous, girls stay at home and play house. You get the idea.
This is all socialized. I know a lot of girls who read comic books, but they end up telling me that they’re sick of how the women are drawn with huge boobs and impossibly perfect figures. Scroll up and read comment # 22. Read what she wrote. It’s really sad that we ignore and don’t listen to those voices. There is nothing innate about women that turn them off to comic books. It’s how comic books are targeted towards hetereosexual males like you and me. Let’s be honest, we straight guys notice the way the girls are depicted. Recently, I had my guy friends come over (both Muslim and Christian) and we played Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe on Playstation 3. What did my guy friends say when they scrolled over the female characters? “Whoa, she’s got big boobs” and a whole bunch of other objectifying comments. It’s OBVIOUS that it’s all targeted towards us heterosexual males.
Before I opened my mind up to feminism, I thought the same way you did. I would argue that there is sexism against men too. I had a very negative perception of feminism, but then I LISTENED and threw my prejudices out. I gave it a shot and learned so much (mostly from my Muslim feminist friends). Yes, we have our own problems as men, but let’s not forget about our privileges. Women are still discriminated in the workplace, A LOT more than men are, and the statistics show that. Women suffer A LOT MORE than men do from eating disorders. Women are degraded into “sluts” and “whores,” if they have multiple sex partners, while men are called “players” and “pimps” which have positive connotations thanks to pop culture. That’s a sexual double standard right there. Society is harsher towards women.
Why are homosexual men hated more than homosexual women? Because society expects men to be very masculine, tough, manly, strong, and unemotional. If a guy is too emotional, feminine, and weak, what is he called? “Gay,” “sissy,” “wimp,” “p***y.” Why? Because since society is male-dominated, it has a very hostile attitude towards men who act FEMININE and “girly.” But it’s okay for girls to be Lesbians, right? Why? Because many straight guys find it “hot.” It caters to the heterosexual male gaze that is so prevalent in our society.
I don’t believe comic books *actively* enslave women and I don’t believe we can say video games *cause* violence. However, there are plenty of psychological research studies that have found strong *correlations* between violent behavior and video games. There are studies that reveal exposure to stereotypical images of gender and sexual content in music videos increase older adolescents’ acceptance of non-marital sexual behavior and interpersonal violence. We cannot say they *cause* it, but we cannot ignore the *influence* media has on shaping our thoughts, views, ideas, and perceptions of one another.
I believe we need to see more three-dimensional female characters in comic books, film, television, etc. When women suffer from eating disorders as a result of poor body image, it’s not “fantasy” anymore. The media should be encouraging women to appreciate themselves for who they are rather than throwing out all these images that tell women how they *should* be in order to feel accepted and beautiful.
Hamilton said,
October 15, 2009 at 10:26 pm
There’s nothing wrong with these characters. You’re just jealous because they’re hot and you’re not, so take your pety feminist opinions somewhere else and stop trying to make us fanboys look bad.
brokenmystic said,
October 16, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Wow, yeah! I’m jealous that comic book images drawn by heterosexual men are hotter than me.
By the way, I’m a guy.