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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

pfb or can i be offended by this?

61 replies

PeekABored · 08/10/2013 21:47

soooo, my ds, 4, showed me the colouring in he did today at school. He then asked if Spider Woman was naked, and wasn't that a bit silly.

I was really quite shocked. This is the image.

What's the MN consensus? Is that just the deal with superheros (women, but also men) that they have exaggerated bodies? Or is it totally outrageous that my son spent the afternoon colouring in the giant bazongas of what he thought was a naked woman.

OP posts:
drawsofdrawers · 08/10/2013 23:56

I get a bit fed up of women moaning about women being portrayed as overtly sexual (sorry should they wear sacks so you feel better about yourself?) and then calling women 'fake' and judging their bodies, saying they aren't real, suggesting where their breasts should 'actually' be. You ladies are the most judgmental women of all and I am sick of your hypocritical bollox.

And yes I know it's a cartoon! Grin

G'night.

TigOldBitties · 08/10/2013 23:56

Is this the day I find out that I've lived my entire life as some sort of monster without realising.

Where on earth should her boobs be, if not where they are?

Also, its a picture, none of its real.

She has a regular body type, in the sense that there are probably thousands of women with such a shape in the world.

PeppiNephrine · 08/10/2013 23:59

Its not about telling women the aren't real, its about saying that not real women actually couldn't be human, most of the time. You know, like how Barbie would be 7ft tall but be unable to support her own head or walk on her spindly ankles.
I'm surprised this is controversial rather than totally fucking obvious

Up to you if you want your children to normalise women as sexualised characters designed to appeal to mens fantasies. none of my business.

TigOldBitties · 09/10/2013 00:05

Yes Barbie couldn't be human, but that woman could, there is nothing dramatically unrealistic about her.

She looks in good proportion. Your argument doesn't stand up in regards to that picture.

unfortunatedischarge · 09/10/2013 00:09

Comic book character representations of women are almost always inappropriate.

PuddingAndHotMilk · 09/10/2013 00:21

YANBU it's overtly sexualised and unnecessary. I notice no one has mentioned the domain: 'deviantart' not 'entirelyappropriayeschoolprojectart' Says it all IMHO

WorraLiberty · 09/10/2013 00:25

Oh dear god

She has an athletic body as you might imagine a superhero would need what with all the energetic stuff they are portrayed as doing.

So she's got a decent rack too

Well so did some of the athletes in the 2012 Olympics and I'm quite sure everyone's over it.

TheInquisitor · 09/10/2013 00:29

Ookkkay, am I the only person thinking "where does that picture automatically point towards bazongas?!" Confused
I see a cartoon character. That has to be coloured in. In my mind it's a leotard that has to be coloured in.
If your mind took you some place else, then that's your problem!
If my 6 year old coloured that in tomorrow I couldn't find it within myself to get outraged. As there's nothing to get outraged FOR.

YoniHuman · 09/10/2013 00:33

I agree with pudding ^^ YANBU,
I print out colouring sheets for various ages at work (public library) and would never use one like that. (Btw I am a geek and love superheroes)

WorraLiberty · 09/10/2013 00:41

Yoni would she be more acceptable if she lost a bra size?

I mean is it just her breasts you find unacceptable or is it something else?

And why is no-one 'outraged' at the fit, athletic looking bodies of the male superheroes?

YoniHuman · 09/10/2013 00:43

FWIW, my reasoning behind not using such an image would be that this it is a typical Graphic Novel piece of artwork. Graphic Novels are shelved in the adult library - not the Children's.

YoniHuman · 09/10/2013 00:53

No, it is the nature of the poses they put the female characters in, have a look at the very good thehawkeyeinitiative.com/ to see what I mean.

NoComet · 09/10/2013 00:53

Generally I'm not bothered by this sort of stuff, but that illustration, like some my DD's have found of mermaids to colour in, is distinctly unclear as to where the clothes go.

WorraLiberty · 09/10/2013 00:57

Perhaps 'Frump Woman' and 'Beer belly man' is the way forward Grin

ScarletLady02 · 09/10/2013 01:09

To be fair (and I have a "how to draw Marvel comics" book) ALL the super-heroes are over-exaggerated. It shows you how to take a man and woman and make them look "super". Do all men look like Superman? Of course not.

YoniHuman · 09/10/2013 01:11

My son did a project on Superheroes in Reception. For homework he had to ask about my favourite Superhero. We did a page about Wonder Woman. I used images from the 70's children's annuals and the TV series as they were more age appropriate for a 4yo than Graphic Novel Images.

unfortunatedischarge · 09/10/2013 01:14

Is superman ever drawn with his ass and cock on display at the same time?

ScarletLady02 · 09/10/2013 01:19

I don't get your point?? She's not naked. Some male superheroes are very scantily clad.

They're "superheroes" they're supposed to be over the top. Look at He-man! Running around in nowt but some furry pants.

ScarletLady02 · 09/10/2013 01:26

I'd just like to raise a glass to the ultimate female comic book character...

tankgirl.wikia.com/wiki/Tank_Girl

meganorks · 09/10/2013 04:42

Of course comic book women have over exaggerated bodies. They are drawn by and for men who are unlikely to have any really contact with women due to their love of comic books. No idea why they would be colouring them at school though. Probably in the interests of equality do not just male superheros (no idea why they would be colouring those either!)

PlatinumStart · 09/10/2013 04:56

catgirl - love that first link. worra have you seen it? I think it illustrates the issues of over sexualisation of female superhero squire nicely. It's really not just about depicting breasts, it's about making them the focal part of the image.

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 09/10/2013 06:06

Worra

She's is posing in a sexually provocative way.

drawsofdrawers · 09/10/2013 08:03

'Posing in a sexually provocative way.'

Hahaha.

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 09/10/2013 08:22

hahaha yourself

Original poster
PeekABored · 09/10/2013 08:43

Thank you CatGirl love those. Reminded me of one of my favourites this one.

for what its worth, it was my DS who thought she was naked. I explained she was wearing lycra, like some sports people do so she can do her superhero stuff.

To the people who say her figure is realistic, then sure, yes, I suppose some women do have figures like that. They'd also probably want to wear a sports bra if they were out doing their superhero thing. Not something that lifts and seperates.

And while I recognise (as I said in my OP) that male superhero have exaggerated bodies, pics of them don't emphasise their, erm, manhood as wearing coloured lycra would. And they arne't posed in the same ways as the female superheros. (I think my link above and CatGirl's makes this case pretty well clear).

Also, power differentials in society are such that it doesn't matter in the same way. Emphasising a man's body and strength and emphasising a woman's body in strength and sexualaity really aren't comprable.

I have to talk to the TA about something else so I might bring it up then. I'm not OUTRAGED or anything but I'm a but Hmm. I'll try to see if I can find a better source so I can be helpful rather than whiney (though I get that she may just think I'm whiney regardless...)

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