Monday, October 3, 2011

The Laura Hudson Sex/Sexism Kerfuffle: What Have We Learned?

So Laura Hudson, a very smart lady who writes very smart things about comics, posted something on Comics Alliance discussing how women are presented in superhero comics. (SPOILER ALERT: It’s not always in a good way.) Her article was based directly on two of DC Comics’ recent relaunched titles, Catwoman, and Red Hood and the Outlaws. If you haven’t already, read the article here. It’s very interesting, I think, and raises some damned good points.
The comics fan community on the internet, predictably, went apeshit. My favorite comment from the peanut gallery? “Hudson is the prime example as to why women shouldn't be able to access the Internet.” Charming.
Man, I struggled with this one. I have seriously been kicking this stupid blog around for almost 2 weeks, trying to figure out how to crystallize all of my thoughts on the topic into some coherent points. And I still don’t think I’ve managed that. Talking about this, in fact, might be the very definition of beating a dead horse.
But I’ve also kept my mouth shut after reading articles like this one on the SDCC “Oh You Sexy Geek” panel, and I had a very similar reaction to that article that I did to the Comics Alliance piece (and the almost immediate backlash). And I can't help but think about the criticism some women had for the "hentai" Heroes for Hire cover from a few years back, and how hostile a lot of the fan response was to those women. Again, my reaction was the same.
That reaction: Sometimes nerd culture is awfully mean to the ladies we say we love.
Look, I understand that processing criticism of comics you like and movies you dig (Sucker Punch, for a painfully obvious example), or video games you play, or whatnot can be a bit troublesome -  Especially when that criticism is that there is an inherently sexist or misogynistic streak running through your chosen entertainment. Nobody likes being told that they’re a creep. I get that. But here’s my point, if I have one at all. You don’t NEED to agree with Ms. Hudson’s article 100%. You don’t need to throw away your issues of Catwoman or Voodoo, or Red Hood. You don’t have to stop liking something you like. But you DO need to take a moment, and read the article carefully, and disengage your personal stake in the material from the criticism being leveled, and then acknowledge that – like it or not – SHE HAS A POINT.
Especially if you’re an aspiring comic creator.
I haven’t read any of the issues Hudson refers to. Not because of any specific issues with sex/sexism in these books, but just because they’re not my cup of tea, and that was made pretty clear to me before going into the relaunch. There’s other books in the DCnU that are tailor made for a reader like me, and those are the ones I sought out. So I can’t comment on the quality of these specific issues, nor would I, honestly, strictly as a matter of professional self-preservation. But what I DID do, is read the article and think about how I can maybe take some notes from it, as I try to build my career, as I try to tell my stories, and as I try to continue to grow recognition and appreciation of my personal favorite art-form.
And that’s all I think Hudson really wants. I don’t think she’s suggesting we march on the offices of DC with torches. I don’t see where she’s suggesting that everyone involved is a misogynist. I think, at most, she’s accusing the parties involved of being a bit careless, but that may be me reading into her words. At any rate, it’s the lesson I’m taking away: To remember to be careful. To remember that sex sells, but you have to know who’s buying it. To remember that if you want to write comics and stories that appeal to real women, you need to put some REAL women in there.  
Maybe it helps that I have so many women in my life that I love, respect, and (sometimes) fear. I think about how my Mom would react if she read a certain portrayal of a character. I think about the fact that I WANT to show my work to my wife and her amazing sisters. I think about how much I would love to be able to hand my younger female cousins some comics that speak to them without pandering to them, and that entertain them without insulting them. And I try to do my best, and I try to be CAREFUL.
I welcome discussion. Post your thoughts in the comments.
Hugs and kisses,
(The)Travis

5 comments:

  1. "But you DO need to take a moment, and read the article carefully, and disengage your personal stake in the material from the criticism being leveled...."

    Wait a minute. Wait. One. Minute. I know what this is - I've seen this before.

    What you're describing here is...is CRITICAL THINKING.

    Why do you hate America, Travis?! You know this isn't what we're about. This is some nonsense Commie claptrap, isn't it? Well, you won't sucker me into your web of terrorism, deceiver!

    In all seriousness (yeah, right), your point is well taken, but good luck getting it to land. I personally suspect that most comics fans are intelligent, thoughtful, and capable of the sort of introspection that is decidedly non-mainstream in their demographic. But when you start discussing this stuff on the internet (as opposed to at a booth at a non-SDCC comics convention, for instance), you diminish your chances of having a thoughtful conversation and run straight into the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory. ( http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/3/19/ ) The thoughtful comments are, by nature of the medium of the discussion, going to be drowned out by the obnoxious attention-seeking children who either aren't mature enough to really reflect on the issue at hand, or simply don't care to because they're too busy getting their lulz from their /b/tarded shenanigans.

    The flip side of this depressing observation, I suppose, is that there ARE plenty of comics enthusiasts who can understand the point that Hudson is making and are receptive to it. You have to do some digging to ferret them out, though. (I'm trying to make an analogy involving delicious truffles that are covered in filth, but it's not coming together. Pretend that it did though, and be impressed. Thanks!)

    And speaking as a writer, I think it's okay to explore edgy and possibly offensive attitudes and beliefs. That's part of the power of comics (and other forms of fiction). We can examine controversial ways of looking at the world through well-realized characters and their reactions to the situations portrayed in stories. But as you say, to pull this off without appearing to actually buy into the attitudes portrayed takes thoughtfulness and sensitivity to how those attitudes will be received by one's audience (and, it should probably be said, no small amount of skill and talent and experience). I think one of the best ways to really dig deeply into a controversial subject is to not shy away from its consequences.

    Which leads me to another thought that I had when I read Hudson's piece - I'm sympathetic to her message, but I wonder if it's not maybe jumping the gun a bit to draw conclusions based on the first issues of a new series. After all, one way to critically examine a controversial topic is to jump into it from the get go and then illustrate how it plays out as a storyline evolves. We can hope that the artists working on Catwoman and Red Hood have this in mind, but I guess only time will really tell. I don't want to be seen as an apologist or a perpetuator of the oppressive phallocentric testocracy or anything (I mean, I AM, that's just not how I want to be SEEN), but I can hold out hope that what was presented in these - emphasis added - first issues is merely the basis for some substantial character growth. But perhaps I'm setting my sights a little too high, the target audience being what I assume it to be and all.

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  2. Sweet Zombie Jesus, I think my response was longer than your post. Good God.

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  3. I don't disagree with anything you're saying, Jober. And I truly do hope that the comics Hudson brings up are leading to some truly great character moments down the road. But I won't be surprised if some people aren't still sticking around to see the payoff.

    Like the great man said, "every comic is somebody's first and somebody else's last". As a serialized medium, a writer needs to realize that if they're going to court controversy, they may also need to telegraph some of the payoff. It's not going to be the responsibility of the reader to stick around hoping that the stuff that they find offensive is going somewhere.

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  4. By the way, it took me five tries to post that reply. Each try was a little bit less intelligent than the one before. So just imagine how insanely brilliant my original thought was.

    Angels wept, I'm telling you.

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  5. Next blog you should argue the exact opposite position just for the sake of all the men that are unhappily living their lives trying to live up to the chiseled and ripped portrayal of men in comics.
    I get the argument that people are making here, and since I have only a very casual relationship with comics I will give only a casual response to the whole thing as I read both your blog and Hudson's piece.
    Ms. Hudson has a point, but it's not like she's bringing to light anything that any intelligent human being wouldn't notice after reading many different popular comics on the shelf. Sex sells, DC is in the business of selling comics. I found info on a reader study done by DC dated around 1995 that, although dated, might offer some insight. This comes from a post in a blog by Johanna Draper Carlson ( a former DC employee ), when I searched for "comic book demographic" I came up with this.
    Statistics:
    Customers buy an average of nearly 50 comic books a month.

    DC’s single-issue audience was more than 5.2 million. (I believe this incorporated a significant pass-along multiplier of at least three people assumed to read each comic.)

    92% of DC readers were male.

    80% of them were ages 18-39, with a median age of almost 29.

    Just over 70% attended college.

    Just over 60% were single (never married).

    37% spent $100 or more on comics in a month.

    Here's the link I thought the numbers were interesting but they're pretty old, either way I found it hard to find any facts for the current decade.
    http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/05/10/superhero-comic-reader-stats/

    If just the percentage of male readers was even in the ballpark I can see why the art might be viewed as a bit misogynistic. Is it right? No. Does it sell? Yes. It all comes down to your own personal judgement call, do you buy or support anything that offends you? Probably not. I'm rambling and not making a good point.

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