Kink, Canon, Fanfic, and Double Standards

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For anyone on my f-list who may have wondered what the heck I was on about in this comment on liviapenn's recent post about the egregiously-inappropriately-rated "Heroes for Hire" comic cover, I've clarified further in these two comments to hth_the_first's thoughtful response:

Kink, Canon, Fanfic, and Roller-Coasters [Hornblower fans will no doubt be utterly mystified

Comments

Bare Torsos, Fanboys, etc.

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[...and part two, in which I attempt to reply to more than a single sentence of your comment. *g*]

I'd immediately thought of Clark writhing under the influence of Kryptonite, and LJ-based discussions around a Slate article reviewing Casino Royale had me pondering objectification of men last winter (my conclusion: in television, they're all for it if some bare torsos will bring in the female viewers. Smallville, Fastlane, and loads of others that I of course cannot remember now when I need them, have shown that over the past several years).

Yes, I think the bare-male-torso-as-fanservice has become more and more established in recent years. I have a mixed reaction to it, because, one the one hand, if you're going to have your female characters walking around in bathing suits, etc., then by all means, let's balance that situation out...but, on the other hand, I think it's often offered in place of narrative or character developments that I personally (and I realize other female viewers may differ in this) would find much sexier, even if the characters involved were covered from head to toe...and in that sense, I feel like I'm being thrown a bone that the producers just assume I'll enjoy rather than being offered a complete meal which is actually to my taste.

The comics fanboy reaction to objections being raised about the Mary Jane statue disturbed me greatly, so I'm wondering if we aren't seeing dual (or triple or quadruple) tracked trends here, where on the one hand you have the misogynistic ire bubbling up to the surface, while on another you have women claiming the power of viewing men in sexual lights that I'd argue are much tamer and less exploitive than what you find in Hustler magazine.

It's got to be so frustrating for female comics fans, knowing that TPTB for this genre they enjoy are that willing to dismiss them as a demographic. It's such horrible customer service, it's clear that they just don't value their business at all--or, for that matter, the business of those male fans who were equally put off by that cover.

(Given that, from a more mainstream POV, male comics fans are themselves regarded as socially marginalized, it's kind of ironic to see them so fiercely excluding from their sandbox those women who are actually interested in playing there...although, of course, it's not ironic in that it does go a long way towards justifying the stereotype.)

I truly believe that women in the developed world have it a lot better than women in the developing world.

Yes, I think Joss Whedon's recent heartbreaking rant reminded us all quite sharply of that.

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Re: Bare Torsos, Fanboys, etc.

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Oops, meant to say "put off by that statue and that cover."

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