Superhero Costumes

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Superhero Costumes

Post by Coito ergo sum » Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:50 pm

There has been a lot of discussion around the 'net as to whether female superhero costumes are inappropriate, and the question is often raised as to what it would be like if male superhero costumes were designed like female superhero costumes.

Obviously,if you put a musclebound male into a woman's outfit, it invariably looks fun to us (culturally conditioned to find men wearing traditionally women's clothing as funny looking). It looks awkward and silly. men tend to be hairy and we don't have the same shape, so putting us in bikinis and shorts and tops and such designed for women is like putting square pegs into round holes.

It seemed to me that that the portrayal of male superheroes is not characteristically different than the portrayal of female superheroes. Males are generally superior physical specimens, with virtually no body fat. Unnatural musculature -- overly broad shoulders - huge chests, v-shapes to an exaggeratedly narrow waist, etc. No man can "measure up" to the superhero standard.

Then, they wear tights -- it's almost as if the outfits are painted on, we can see the abs, biceps, etc. bulging out. If we weren't used to seeing superheroes, we would think that they look absolutely ridiculous.

And, put a woman in the male costumes, and they would, I suspect, look about as ridiculous as the males in the female costumes.

Is there really an inequity here? I submit that I don't think there is.

Is this any more realistic or less objectifying than a female superhero? Image

Or this -- Image

Here are the super friends:

The wonder twins are dress about the same. Wonder woman doesn't seem all that strangely dressed compared to the men. Look at Robin. He has only a speedo.

Yes, the men would look ridiculous wearing wonder woman's clothes, but isn't that more because they are shaped completely different than Wonder woman?

I think there is room here for Thunderf00t to do one of his masterful debunkings. I think if we really examine superheroes, we won't find the inequity that is often complained of. See, eg - http://reelgirl.com/2011/08/if-male-sup ... der-woman/ and http://www.uproxx.com/gammasquad/2012/0 ... es/#page/1 among many others.

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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:29 pm

Robin was wearing tights.
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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by Coito ergo sum » Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:43 pm

Meanwhile, in the Kent household, Clark gets a talking to from Diana Prince-Kent.

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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by rachelbean » Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:45 pm

They're all objectified and unreal, that's why they're superheroes :dunno:
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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by Coito ergo sum » Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:52 pm

rachelbean wrote:They're all objectified and unreal, that's why they're superheroes :dunno:
I agree. But, there is this meme going around the internet about "what if male superheroes wore female superheroes' clothes?"

It's supposed to illustrate that the women are objectified and sexualized unfairly because if you put the women's outfits on the male heroes the males would look ridiculous. Apparently, this is some sort of profound and ironclad proof of the patriarchy infiltrating comic books and discriminating against women.

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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:54 pm

rachelbean wrote:They're all objectified and unreal, that's why they're superheroes :dunno:
But only Superman is unique. According to Acuna Bill, anyway. :prof:
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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by rachelbean » Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:59 pm

Coito ergo sum wrote:
rachelbean wrote:They're all objectified and unreal, that's why they're superheroes :dunno:
I agree. But, there is this meme going around the internet about "what if male superheroes wore female superheroes' clothes?"

It's supposed to illustrate that the women are objectified and sexualized unfairly because if you put the women's outfits on the male heroes the males would look ridiculous. Apparently, this is some sort of profound and ironclad proof of the patriarchy infiltrating comic books and discriminating against women.
Well yeah, I agree that's silly. Men look silly in women's clothes most the time...I'm not sure what that proves, but it doesn't say anything about superheroes. Most guys would look ridiculous in most super-hero costumes anyway :ask:
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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:01 pm

rachelbean wrote:Men look silly in women's clothes most the time...:
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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by Xamonas Chegwé » Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:03 pm

rachelbean wrote: Most guys would look ridiculous in most super-hero costumes anyway :ask:
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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:05 pm

rachelbean wrote: Most guys would look ridiculous in most super-hero costumes anyway :ask:
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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by Coito ergo sum » Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:29 pm

rachelbean wrote:
Coito ergo sum wrote:
rachelbean wrote:They're all objectified and unreal, that's why they're superheroes :dunno:
I agree. But, there is this meme going around the internet about "what if male superheroes wore female superheroes' clothes?"

It's supposed to illustrate that the women are objectified and sexualized unfairly because if you put the women's outfits on the male heroes the males would look ridiculous. Apparently, this is some sort of profound and ironclad proof of the patriarchy infiltrating comic books and discriminating against women.
Well yeah, I agree that's silly. Men look silly in women's clothes most the time...I'm not sure what that proves, but it doesn't say anything about superheroes. Most guys would look ridiculous in most super-hero costumes anyway :ask:

LOL -- if I put on spandex or tights, I'd look like the Michelin Man, I think.

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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by Azathoth » Wed Apr 03, 2013 7:38 pm

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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by charlou » Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:48 am

no fences

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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by hadespussercats » Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:29 am

Yeah, I think male superheroes are every bit as objectified as female ones.
It's all about body fantasy, dreams of perfection, seeing muscles in motion and strong legs kicking.

But, they are objects. They're fantasy creations. They aren't even human, in most cases-- or at least, not really, or not anymore.
Which is why real people generally need a lot of padding and corseting and 6-packed armor and fancy lighting to come close to looking like superheroes in costume (and by normal, in this case I'm talking about Hollywood stars, who are generally as close to super in appearance as humans get.)

Besides, girls and women participate in comics culture, both as audience and, more and more, as creators of it themselves. Superheroes are for everyone.
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Re: Superhero Costumes

Post by SteveB » Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:49 am

Never mind body image, what about this dead women in a fridge trope in comics? I'm concerned about it. :coffee:

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