Artwork dilemma

[snowgrouse]

I thought I'd turned all mushy what with all this romance I've been writing. But I feel all normal now because I rediscovered a stash of bad romance novel covers I had amassed at some point to make crackshops for B7 and Who. Oh god, NO. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. *sobs* If I see one more contorted couple in period costume with atrociously modern hairdos

Comments

[cavefelem]

This whole muscle thing baffles me a bit, to be honest. I guess you think of me as an example of someone with a supposedly mainstream taste in men, but it seems like you're the one who's occupied with muscles or the lack of them! I've never seen that as THE defining characteristic in a guy, and for that reason would probably never refer to someone as "that guy with the muscles" or "that skinny guy". It's more a specific kind of overall demeanor that appeals, and for some reason that tends to be equated with "chunky and square-jawed" in the popular imagination. Which, of course, is limited and annoying. As if you can't be dominant, stable and courageous without looking like Fabio!

[snowgrouse]

MJÖLNIR. I'm not oppressing you. Just so you know. I can hear you thinking right there, and was actually worried that's *exactly* what you'd think, but MJÖLNIR. SHH. No oppressing or caricaturing of you as The Sort Of Chick Who Likes X and therefore Y stuff. I wish I didn't even have to say this, TBH

[cavefelem]

No worries, I'm trying to say I agree with you even as a person who doesn't mind some beefiness. The male imagery women are supposed to be attracted to is really limited, and that sucks. That goes for inner qualities too, but that's my own pet peeve and a rant for another day. There needs to be so much more variety!

[snowgrouse]

When I was going through those covers I was also thinking that the monotonously similar guys made no sense, because it's a huge big thing that women aren't as fussy about guys' looks and often even a guy who looks like a cave troll will find a woman who only cares for what he's like on the inside. Although that also makes me wonder whether that isn't the exact reason that the romantic heroes *are* handsome as hell, because maybe the women who mass-consume them are married to cave trolls? Just like Mary Sues look how the writer/reader would want to look like.

And IDK, today my fetish for a skinny, wrinkly guy with crooked teeth and a pencil moustache would seem weird but women were crazy about Jaffar when the film came out. It really is about the way a person carries themselves, and he's probably a good example of how immensely majestic and dominant a guy can appear even if he's thin as hell and femme.