It is a common and long held suspicion among most Americans that comic books fans are socially retarded juveniles, incapable of rising above indulging in their pubescent escape and empowerment fantasies. When comic book publishers are accused of exploiting the immature and dangerous fantasies of their primary demographic for quick profit, they are quick to defend themselves by claiming that they are simply satisfying a demand from their customers. Typically this defense is followed with the publisher demonstrating a nearly complete misunderstanding of both the issue and their audience.Claims that comic books don't contain any positive female role models are countered with a variety of super heroine examples. Each of them has some noble virtue or character trait, that is impossible to focus on when they're dressed in skin tight body suits that reveal proportions that aren't even possible with modern cosmetic surgery. For years comic books, primarily super hero comic books, have struggled to seduce that elusive young female market while still satisfying the carnal fantasies of those social retarded juveniles who grew up to be comic book publishers.
Marvel, always at the forefront of Just Not Getting It, has decided that the real reason they haven't been able to reach out to young girls, isn't the unrealistic and patronizing depiction of women in comic books, but rather, all those pesky super heroes. Their solution appears to be, remove the super heroes, but keep the unrealistic and patronizing depictions of women.
In August Marvel will release a mini-series titled Models, Inc. The book will follow the adventures (?) Mary Jane and Millicent Collins as they... model. Oh, and solve a crime. I mean, shit, why not? Since the Marvel universe appears to be entirely devoid of competent police, it's only natural that runway models would try to solve a murder. In order to prove that they were serious about making this series a positive and strong portrayal of women, Marvel released the covers for the first two issues, each of which is designed in a style that apes fashion magazines, complete with bulging cleavage and ridiculous cover lines.
"KA-POW! How to fight crime and fat!"
"MAKEUP MADNESS! Conceal your pores and your identity"
"616+ ways to make your costume look like more than just tights!"
Is there not a single woman on staff at Marvel? Isn't there anyone there who looked at these and thought, "Both of these women have gigantic firm breasts, the waists of teenage boys, and the frail undernourished arms of children fed only gruel and wet sand. Maybe we are promoting negative body images?"
I'd be more concerned, but I'm pretty sure no one is going to buy these.
Geek Chic | (Super) Models Meet Comics [NYTimes.com]
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10 comments:
The scary thing is that I think this actually will increase female readership... alas... it is not only Marvel that is in the forefront of Just Not Getting It, but a whole host of vulnerable teenage male and female minds who haven't yet securely formed their own opinions and identity.
Furthermore, not only are these covers promoting negative body images but they are also promoting bizarrely short and disorted forearms (see left forearm of Model Millie, sample cover 2).
Isn't this only going to increase readership in the Venn Diagram intersection of a) people who think "616" is a funny reference and b) people who want to read comic books about Millie the Model?
That seems like a vanishingly small increase.
This is ridiculous. These covers look exactly like what you'd see on Cosmo, Elle, Marie Claire, etc. And to my knowledge no men are picketing Cosmo's offices because of their convoluted views of men and masculinity. Let the fanboys have their fantasies. That's what comics are for. Jeez.
Way to miss the point completely, chemosaaby. ONOES WHAT ABOUT TEH MENZ?!?!!ONE?!
*sighs* When will boys realize that we're not all braindead bimbos?
Patriarchy schmatriarchy - my biggest problem is that since I read Ellenberger's comment, I can't take my eyes off Millie the Model's freaky left forearm.
I'm always a bit dubious of a series designed to attract a certain kind of reader, rather than simply tell a good story, but I kind of think the basic premise - Mary Jane Watson and Millie the Model team up to solve mysteries in the fashion world - sounds absurd certainly, but in a pretty fun way.
Yeah, I really wanna read about a couple of moronic women that are obviously dressed to seduce men.
Look at the text! If I'm not reading it in the jillions of fashion magazines already out there, why the heck am I going to start reading that trash? =/
A non-comic book reader sent me this page, warry that I might get offended. But actually, I think that your article is pretty accurate. That series is a really bad idea and, to be honest, the only reason I haven't been making more fun of it is because I've been pointing my finger at Marvel Divas, which's plot is basically Sex and the City but with superheroins. The only thing that I might not agree with in this page is all the insults directed at Mary Jane, she actually a really likable character
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