17% Hugh. 100% Hefner. (or is that 83%?)
Nov. 21st, 2006 05:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thehefnerAn old man called up the comic store today and asked me for recommendations for something Superman-related for his six-year-old grandson. I recommended the Showcase Superman collection of reprints from the 50's, classic fun all-ages stuff.
"It's all right for him, right?" He asked. "It's not like all other comics today, filled with pornography and violence and sadism?"
And of course even though I said yes, I thought about what he said all day. I mean, on the pornography front, I can just discount that as crotchety old man thinking. I remember one old woman referred to the Authority's Engineer as a "pornographic" image. Hell, far as I'm concerned, the only pornographic comics are things like LOST GIRLS, and even that failed as pornography from what I understand. One person's sexy is another person's pornography. Like, I consider Playboy a nudie mag, not pornography, but there are many who disagree with me. So I can discount his thoughts there just fine.
But I was just about to do the same on the violence and sadism part, and what immediately came to mind was all the head-punching, brain-blowing, neck-snapping, Dr. Rapey shock value in superhero comics over the past few years. Crotchety Old Man may be looking at it from a out-of-touch perspective ("Besleeve yourself, strumpet!"), but the kicker is, he's not entirely wrong.
Not that I don't love a good bloodbath, nor do I think superhero comics should be entirely sanitized for all-ages. I like adult (or at least, PG-13) sensibilities in superhero stories, but I also love stories that are a bit more light and fun. The only thing that's a bigger shame than the fact that there are pitifully few superhero comics for kids is the fact that there are pitifully few kids who even read comics anymore, much less superhero comics.
I do sometimes wonder who the next generation of superhero comic readers will be. If there even will be one at all.
Oh, and a quiz meme:
I've never really listened to any Morrissey, but based on what little I know about him, I'm going to assume this is sadly accurate enough in the eyes of many. At least I'm tied with Dante and Jung, although I can't quite say if it would be more honorable to be either of them.
Honestly, the only reason I took the quiz is to find out what percentage Hugh Hefner I am. And look at that, a full 17%!
It makes me wonder if Hugh will be remembered hundreds of years from now. I don't quite know how to feel about that. Does that mean I'll still exist far in the future as a footnote in the studies of biographers and Playboy Philosophers? Hey, some people are lucky enough just to be footnotes. Still, it makes me wonder.
Whenever I see something about Hugh, it always puts me in an existential frame of mind.
"It's all right for him, right?" He asked. "It's not like all other comics today, filled with pornography and violence and sadism?"
And of course even though I said yes, I thought about what he said all day. I mean, on the pornography front, I can just discount that as crotchety old man thinking. I remember one old woman referred to the Authority's Engineer as a "pornographic" image. Hell, far as I'm concerned, the only pornographic comics are things like LOST GIRLS, and even that failed as pornography from what I understand. One person's sexy is another person's pornography. Like, I consider Playboy a nudie mag, not pornography, but there are many who disagree with me. So I can discount his thoughts there just fine.
But I was just about to do the same on the violence and sadism part, and what immediately came to mind was all the head-punching, brain-blowing, neck-snapping, Dr. Rapey shock value in superhero comics over the past few years. Crotchety Old Man may be looking at it from a out-of-touch perspective ("Besleeve yourself, strumpet!"), but the kicker is, he's not entirely wrong.
Not that I don't love a good bloodbath, nor do I think superhero comics should be entirely sanitized for all-ages. I like adult (or at least, PG-13) sensibilities in superhero stories, but I also love stories that are a bit more light and fun. The only thing that's a bigger shame than the fact that there are pitifully few superhero comics for kids is the fact that there are pitifully few kids who even read comics anymore, much less superhero comics.
I do sometimes wonder who the next generation of superhero comic readers will be. If there even will be one at all.
Oh, and a quiz meme:
 | You scored as Steven Morrissey. You're Morrissey, that's pethetic.
What Pseudo Historical Figure Best Suits You? created with QuizFarm.com |
I've never really listened to any Morrissey, but based on what little I know about him, I'm going to assume this is sadly accurate enough in the eyes of many. At least I'm tied with Dante and Jung, although I can't quite say if it would be more honorable to be either of them.
Honestly, the only reason I took the quiz is to find out what percentage Hugh Hefner I am. And look at that, a full 17%!
It makes me wonder if Hugh will be remembered hundreds of years from now. I don't quite know how to feel about that. Does that mean I'll still exist far in the future as a footnote in the studies of biographers and Playboy Philosophers? Hey, some people are lucky enough just to be footnotes. Still, it makes me wonder.
Whenever I see something about Hugh, it always puts me in an existential frame of mind.
