Female Statues: A plea to Sideshow Collectibles

[jabbahey]

I'm new to the forum, but let me try to come at this from a different angle. My Wife and I decided to join a gym about 10 years ago. We both love the time together and it is great to blow off a little steam after work. My Wife evetually started entering fitness competitions and has a great, muscular but lean figure. Too lean around competition time in my opinion, but that is what the judges look for. She wears spandex leggings around the neighborhood and bikinis to the neighborhood pool. They aren't tiny little thong bikinis, but her body is just sexy (As Jessica Rabbit said, "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way"). This is where our 6 year-old daughter comes into the picture. She has always grown up with a Mom that has the body type of a character from a comic book. Larger chest, very thin waist and nice tight round little bottom. This what my daughter considers normal. So now she has started questioning why other Moms don't look like her Mom. She finds the other Moms out of the norm. So what is my wife supposed to do? Add 50 lbs and stop exercising so she can make the other Moms feel better about themselves and make my daughter decide that a out of shape, less healthy way of life is ok also. Or should she continue to do what makes her happy and promote a healthy way of living for our Daughter? I guess what I'm saying is that not all women look alike. Some women really do have the physical characteristics of the women in comics. Some women do wear sexy clothes or at least make those clothes look sexier than most. There is afeminist blog out there that make jokes about the way female characters are drawn (I'm guessing some of you know what I'm talking about). They say the characters are not realistic because their waists are to thin, chests are to big or that they can't bend or twist in a certain way. Perhaps if they would quit bitching on their blog, drop that doughnut and pick up a weight they would discover that there are women out there in the world that do look, bend and twist in that way. My wife has to do it in every competition she enters and practices it almost daily. And her competition suit is a lot smaller than anything Vampirella ever put on. None of this is directed at the original thread author, but I guess it's directed at all the changes Marvel and DC has made to costumes in recent times (Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman, etc.). Political correctness is trying to teach everyone that mediocracy is the norm and that the overachievers are the ones outside the mainstream. We are talking about fictional super heroes here. That in itself by definition implies fit, muscular and sexy bodies for both male and female characters. And just like you see everyday in the grocery store, at the beach and around neighborhood pool...women wear tighter clothing and smaller swimwear than men. They always show off their bodies more than men. Why would a comic character be any different? You can't tell me that a woman wears 6" tall heels to go shopping because they are the most "realistic" choice for the day. I don't want my Daughter to have any body issue problems in the future either, so I will continue to raise her eating healthy and promoting fitness, not hiding her eyes from a little bit of cleavage and a little booty hanging out of a fictional characters costume. Guess I didn't blow enough steam off at the gym today, so I'm doing it here. Like I said, I'm not here to put the thread author down and I understand his situation. He needs to make the best choice for him and his family. Like someone said previously, why not just buy male characters, his wife seems to have no problem with muscular and "sexy" male statues around the house (double standard? LOL). But I don't want to censor a beautiful, fit and healthy woman in real life or in comics down to a Nun or stuff her in a burqa just to make a few feminists and insecure women feel better about themselves. I know Marvel and DC are doing it in hopes that more women will start purchasing comics while their male fans will stay loyal and buy despite the change. Just give it a few years. I think things, like they always do, will swing back in the other direction. Holy crap, that wasn't a response, it was more like a manifesto. Sorry about that. Now Sideshow, where is that Premium Format Dejah Thoris that I've always dreamed about?

 

[AZMike]

I didn't mention it in my original post because I just assume no one will believe me, but my wife (the conservative one) is ACE certified and has also trained and competed in figure competitions.
I also am very fitness oriented. I work out 5 days a week, ride mountain bikes on weekends, golf, hike ect. Were a very health conscious family. I am 100% with you on the idea of political correctness being a pervasive and negative part of our day to day. However, my original intention is not a condemnation on the incredible female figure, but what it can represent unintentionally when over exposed for the wrong reasons. Does Widow need to have her breasts hanging out while on a mission? There are countless examples of this so i won't list them all. The reason why they are drawn that way is because SEX SELLS. Duh. The fundamental problem with raising this point on a public worldwide forum is that inevitably there can be no consensus because everyone has a unique world view, especially on sex & modesty. Ive realized (to be honest i already knew so I'm not sure why i kicked the hornets nest) that my point of view is not the norm these days, but I figured the discussion might be interesting. Ive already acknowledged that my original post title was misguided and misleading & for that i apologize. The reality is that I have a choice on the statues I choose to buy or not and I understand that. Do I think my wife is overreacting slightly, maybe. Do I think her intentions are good, absolutely.

 

[jabbahey]

I didn't mention it in my original post because I just assume no one will believe me, but my wife (the conservative one) is ACE certified and has also trained and competed in figure competitions.
I also am very fitness oriented. I work out 5 days a week, ride mountain bikes on weekends, golf, hike ect. Were a very health conscious family. I am 100% with you on the idea of political correctness being a pervasive and negative part of our day to day. However, my original intention is not a condemnation on the incredible female figure, but what it can represent unintentionally when over exposed for the wrong reasons. Does Widow need to have her breasts hanging out while on a mission? There are countless examples of this so i won't list them all. The reason why they are drawn that way is because SEX SELLS. Duh. The fundamental problem with raising this point on a public worldwide forum is that inevitably there can be no consensus because everyone has a unique world view, especially on sex & modesty. Ive realized (to be honest i already knew so I'm not sure why i kicked the hornets nest) that my point of view is not the norm these days, but I figured the discussion might be interesting. Ive already acknowledged that my original post title was misguided and misleading & for that i apologize. The reality is that I have a choice on the statues I choose to buy or not and I understand that. Do I think my wife is overreacting slightly, maybe. Do I think her intentions are good, absolutely.

It just sounds like you and I live in the same situation, but my wife is a little less conservative on the way she looks at what is too sexually gratuitous. I guess I should have mentioned that my wife is from South America originally. So that has a huge difference on the way she looks at what a female should and should not wear. She came to the United States at 20 years old and had never even owned a bikini top. And she spent most of her days at the beach. So I guess I'm not going to shock her if I buy a statue with a little cleavage. I never meant to imply that your wife was jealous or wasn't a attractive woman. That was a shot at the PC types. I'm sure her intentions are good also. My wife has no problem with clothed statues, even if they may be on risque side. But she would definately have a problem with a topless statue or even a Playboy magazine in the house. Trust me I get what you are saying. I think that your thread title struck a wrong chord with a lot of people. And only because Marvel and DC have been taking that sexiness out of classic characters for a while now and it sounded like you wanted Sideshow to make it even worse. I can see not having the Vampirella PF in the house maybe, but I really like the looks of the new Wonder Woman PF. It's basically her classic costume. Would your wife have a problem with that statue?

 

[AZMike]

No she likes the Wonder Woman PF. That piece doesn't emphasize her breasts as a selling point. That sculpt is a celebration of a strong female which she likes. I understand it's splitting hairs, but there is a difference between looking beautiful or sexy in a functional way vs. dressing sexy strictly to titillate. I get that there are many here who just want sexy looking statues because they like sexy women. I'm saying I like my comic characters for who they are, the stories they tell, & worlds they occupy. My wife isn't into comics, but she respects the joy I get from them for those reasons. I get its fantasy, but for me that fantasy doesn't need to be sexy. Once again, this is not me on some moral high horse, just my own personal beliefs & I in no way would attempt to force them on others. I'm just trying to come from a different perspective that I think gets overlooked & is evident by some of the costumes on female sideshow statues. There is no judgment here, simply observation and personal preference.


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[Golden_Boy]

You guys need to hit enter every so often

 

[AZMike]

lol. forum newbs. my bad.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Paragraphs are your friend.

 

[jabbahey]

Wow! Everyone complains about everything around here.

(New Paragraph)

If feel like I'm back in grade school! Of course that was only like my 5th post. So technically I'm like a first grader in the forum.

(New Paragraph)

By the way Golden _Boy, there should be a period at the end of your comment. We want things done correctly. Sorry I just type and really pay no attention to the enter key. I will try to do better.

 

[j97e1]

No need to get defensive...
I did stop reading your post 3 lines in, but some peeps do read most of what being posted, so why not make it easier on them..?


PS - I vote for nipples on every statue/figure/maquette/painting/whatever.

 

[jabbahey]

No need to get defensive...
I did stop reading your post 3 lines in, but some peeps do read most of what being posted, so why not make it easier on them..?


PS - I vote for nipples on every statue/figure/maquette/painting/whatever.

Not defensive, just joking around with them about their comments.

 

[gunm]

Statues have glorified the human body for as long as human beings have been carving them. While some characters like Poison Ivy have an air of sensuality that is part of their character, I don't recall any of the SSC super heroine statues having any sexually suggestive poses that would be inappropriate for children.

 

[AZMike]

Example: There is nothing "sexually suggestive" about Widows pose. However, the fact her over sized breast are literally the first thing every one mentions when they walk in my office and sees her says enough.

It's a matter of what is exploitation & going over the top to get "men" (& some women) excited vs. making a great statue that best represents the character. I'd say that that particular statue would have been just as effective with her suit fully zipped up. It's only one example, but it makes my point.

This is and never was an assault on the art of the human form. It's simply acknowledging that some people may see things differently but ultimately appreciate those same things.


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[GeneralZodLives]

Still not attacking you but I'm just curious at what the acceptable limits are with art in general. In other words, I was wondering if this applies to just comic book character statues or all art. Can you take your wife and kids to a museum in which there are nude or partially nude statues? One of my favorite statues is Cupid and Psyche which I was lucky enough to see in person at the Louvre in Paris (along with about a thousand other amazing works of art that have boobs and butts exposed). Is something like this ok because it's not a depiction of a superhero or is it still unacceptable?

Spoiler

 

[Golden_Boy]

Spoiler

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[GeneralZodLives]

 

[j97e1]

This thread is full of silly... It's like arguing how much is too hot, if something is too sweet, if bees are scary, etc.
1000 people = 2000 opinions.

I'd better stay away from here before it's too late and my sarcasm blaster is fully loaded....

Ta-da, have fun beating this horse.

 

[AZMike]

Its all context right? As I mentioned earlier, I have no problem with the human body or artistic expressions of it. My challenge is to why these heroes have to be depicted in a sexual way that makes no sense outside of the "CUZ THATS THE WAY ITS ALWAYS BEEN!" or " I like looking at sexy women" argument. Using classic works of art to counter my point my (or mostly my wifes) is apple and oranges. These comic characters were never created to be sex symbols. Did some of them become that over time with different artists interpretations, yes, but they were intended to be fictional heroes that inspired & entertained kids and occasionally adults.
I think that statue is incredible btw, and Im jealous you have been able to enjoy it in person.

 

[AZMike]

Im sorry it devolved to this. Ive learned that posting anything after a few glasses of wine is not wise. My apologies for wasting your time.

 

[GeneralZodLives]

I don't think the thread has been a waste of time. It's an interesting topic IMO.

Female superheroes haven't always been depicted with monster cleavage or as being overly sexy but they've always been feminine--that definition has just evolved. Golden Age female characters were typically dressed in what society thought was appropriate at the time. As women began to get more equality/independence and society's expectations of what a woman was supposed to be changed, so did their clothing. In general this meant tighter clothing, mini-skirts, etc. and some costumes began to reflect that. However, some of them really haven't had drastic changes to the costumes over the years. I'm just using Supergirl as an example because she's an older character that's had quite a few costume changes. The Supergirl costume starts out with a short skirt (for the time) and no cleavage. Over the years her costume still shows a lot of leg but her cleavage has come and gone a few times. When you look at them altogether they're really not that different--and this shows decades of changes.



Some characters were created to be sexy and deadly. Black Widow is one of them. She's a spy that wears a tight bodysuit and uses whatever resources available to get the job done, which includes her sexuality. She hasn't always had her zipper pulled down to show cleavage (though that's been prominent for a loong time for the character) but she's always been depicted as sexy.

Wonder Woman wasn't really depicted as a tough warrior woman when she was introduced. She had soft features and her comics had bondage undertones. She's evolved into the strong character we know today but her main costume hasn't really changed either.

I've typed a lot of stuff here but I suppose the only real way for you to get the answer you want is to read up on the progression of female independence throughout the decades. Comic books are really only portraying female characters as the "ideal woman" as seen in society today. A Rubenesque body style used to be highly desired. Marilyn Monroe was the epitome of sexy and she wasn't a small girl. At one point Kate Moss was it. In 10 years it will be something different. The good news for you is that there are more chaste statues out there. Granted, Sideshow isn't producing any of them but at least there are other options to be found.

 

[AZMike]

No doubt. Thanks for your input and thoughtful replies.