Very long uncommon rant ahead with no cuts, because I don't want to cut this. There shouldn't be any triggers here, but if there are, let me know and I will edit the entry and do a cut
( Read more... )
I'd like to think the cartoonist is perhaps making double-commentary... My Middle and High School years were none too happy... There was a time when i came upon a male classmate of mine harassing a female classmate... I threatened him away from her, and his retort to me was that I was so disgusting that he wouldn't even think of raping me... And at the time, I was so lacking in self-esteem, I was devastated by that remark... Of course, I took it as "too disgusting to even think about sexually", totally missing the implied violence in his statement... But I wonder if that's not what the cartoonist is thinking... That "back then", not only were larger women seen as beautiful, and worthy of painting, but they were also objects of lust and sexual violence... Because they were considered sexy... As much as it is a disgusting and disturbing part of our national rape culture, We have the term in popular culture "rape worthy", meaning a female that is so sexy that men go crazy and are driven to rape because they are
( ... )
I was thinking that the woman looking wistfully at the painting might just be thinking, "wouldn't it be nice to have men going crazy over me for once..."
Threat of rape aside, I have to say that when you are used to getting messages from random strangers that you are disgusting and people hate looking at you and would rather you not exist, it's pretty damned appealing to think of walking into a room of men and have them all looking at you in lust, as compared to disgust...
Excellent points about both sides of the body hate thing. I've been seeing a lot of posts about rape culture, and noticed quite a bit of drunken male asshattery going on at the convention I'd gone to this weekend. Thank Gods for the safe spaces and a heightened awareness of the issue.
Anyway, as I was reading this, I kept wondering if the artist chose that picture because it was perhaps popular in museums or something. I have no idea, though, since I don't frequent art museums. The painter was rather prolific in his work, so I still wouldn't have clue one of the cartoonist's motives behind choosing that particular piece of work.
I noticed, however, that the men he painted were pretty much always chiseled warriors, which is a bit of an interesting comment on the whole male side of body image. Although the ideal female body has changed over the years, and is still changing, the ideal male body has more or less stayed the same.
Comments 4
I'd like to think the cartoonist is perhaps making double-commentary... My Middle and High School years were none too happy... There was a time when i came upon a male classmate of mine harassing a female classmate... I threatened him away from her, and his retort to me was that I was so disgusting that he wouldn't even think of raping me... And at the time, I was so lacking in self-esteem, I was devastated by that remark... Of course, I took it as "too disgusting to even think about sexually", totally missing the implied violence in his statement... But I wonder if that's not what the cartoonist is thinking... That "back then", not only were larger women seen as beautiful, and worthy of painting, but they were also objects of lust and sexual violence... Because they were considered sexy... As much as it is a disgusting and disturbing part of our national rape culture, We have the term in popular culture "rape worthy", meaning a female that is so sexy that men go crazy and are driven to rape because they are ( ... )
Reply
I was thinking that the woman looking wistfully at the painting might just be thinking, "wouldn't it be nice to have men going crazy over me for once..."
Threat of rape aside, I have to say that when you are used to getting messages from random strangers that you are disgusting and people hate looking at you and would rather you not exist, it's pretty damned appealing to think of walking into a room of men and have them all looking at you in lust, as compared to disgust...
Reply
Reply
Anyway, as I was reading this, I kept wondering if the artist chose that picture because it was perhaps popular in museums or something. I have no idea, though, since I don't frequent art museums. The painter was rather prolific in his work, so I still wouldn't have clue one of the cartoonist's motives behind choosing that particular piece of work.
I noticed, however, that the men he painted were pretty much always chiseled warriors, which is a bit of an interesting comment on the whole male side of body image. Although the ideal female body has changed over the years, and is still changing, the ideal male body has more or less stayed the same.
Reply
Leave a comment