Thread by @AnneComics, Look, there is a real conversation that we need to have about [...]

Look, there is a real conversation that we need to have about hyper-sexualization in comics but before we do people have to understand something.

No one’s mad at you for finding a piece of art sexy, we’re mad because you keep making it impossible for valid criticism to be heard.

Whenever someone, especially a woman, points out a piece of art makes them uncomfortable I do not and will never understand the desire to come out and then say “Well *I* see nothing wrong with it.”

That’s great, good for you.

Stop using that to invalidate others

We have to get past this notion of “Just because I like something means that nobody else could possibly be hurt by it”

Normalize changing your opinion, listening to others, and understanding that someone having a problem with something you like isn’t a personal attack on you

This goes double if you’re a man, and you’re telling a woman that her opinions on how women are depicted are invalid.

The only thoughts that are of no concern here are, frankly, yours. It’s not your place to tell a woman how she should feel about how women are portrayed—

—because it’s a different lived experience that you probably don’t understand, and you will never understand if, instead of opening honest and empathetic conversations, you shut women down because you’re afraid to feel guilt over horniness, we have to move past that.

I shouldn’t have to explain this, but if any minority group tells you “Hey, this isn’t ok, this actually makes us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome” then it’s not your place to disagree, because it’s not YOUR experience.

It’s your job to listen, support, and to help fix it

It’s something that feels ridiculous that I have to say, but holy shit, y’all. I’ve seen so much of it in my time here. I saw so much of it in my time before here. There’s a reason why these same points, these same artists, keep coming up and it’s because no one is listening!

We have to keep mentioning this because it keeps happening because of egos and hurt feelings and of shame and guilt and pure stubbornness and it needs to change.

I don’t know what else to say, to be honest. Because holy shit—it’s really exhausting.

I also don’t think you understand, I’m an account with almost 6k followers, and yet I STILL am almost afraid to post this. Because despite my size I’ve seen what happens whenever anyone voices their opinions about this. Dog piling and targeting are real and they’re horrible

I like to think that with the size I’ve attained, with the community we built, we can have genuine conversations but there are some topics that terrify me. This is one of them. I’ve only had to private my profile TWICE before...and both times it’s because I spoke out about this.

And that’s something that should speak volumes. Why is this an issue that makes so many people upset? What is the trigger here? What are people fighting for? If it’s something you’re fighting for have you ever stopped to ask yourself why? And to ask if it’s even worth it?

Because, hell, to have people on a daily basis tell you “I don’t like this because it’s objectifying, it’s dehumanizing, it makes me feel unwelcome in the space, it enforces archaic real-world beliefs” and yet you still keep going with it—do you think people are lying to you?

Because why am I fighting against it? Because I don’t know how to explain to you that seeing women depicted in certain ways sends very clear messages that We are NOT the audience for this book and they do NOT care if that character is treated like a person.

It’s exhausting

It’s exhausting to have stories that are more difficult to enjoy because even as a reader you feel excluded. The characters you’re supposed to relate to and find yourself in are treated like objects and that’s not fun. Some people like it, but it’s very very clear that many don’t

Like it just blows my mind.

The community is frustrated, because it’s always been frustrated, because this same stupid conversation has to keep happening.

Because it’s always been a one-way conversation.

Change it.

And also, for the one person I KNOW is gonna show up and say “Well I LIKE my comics sexy!”

YEAH, SPOILER-ALERT FOR YOU! So do I!!!

Sexy is fine, sexy is GREAT!

You can do SEXY while still treating characters and the readers with respect.

Sexy =\\= Objectification

One treats a character like a character, the other treats them like an object.

“Where’s the line?”

Well the line is exactly what we’ve been trying to talk about since FOREVER but the conversation never gets passed step ONE

It’s a complicated issue, and to be honest if you want to talk to me about it or you want me to elaborate, my DMs are open. I’m keeping this conversation to mutuals only because it’s late, I’m going to bed, and I don’t feel like waking up to random CG-level be in my mentions

That’s my rant for the day, I might have more to say about it later.

I’m tired of this running around in circles and seeing the same people coming out to defend it every time.

And it’s sucks that I have to talk about it, but if I don’t—what changes? You know?

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