Episode 284: You Can Run…
Dave Barrack‘s stint as guest comic-maker continues… Is there any way Gyno-Star can shield herself from the seemingly-inescapable MALE GAZE?
Don’t forget to use your male or female gaze (as the case may be) to check out Dave’s awesome webcomic “Grrl Power.” Also you should follow him on Twitter and like his page on Facebook and stuff.
Discussion (42) ¬
Love the “work it” sound effect XD.
Also, i keep thinking Halo/Sydney is gonna pop out of nowhere and spaz out and use her patented Molestorb on Alpha Man/Objectifier 😛
I am certainly enjoying this since it is all-too reminiscent of the comics in the 90s…and even anime/manga are being spoofed, too. For some reason, RuPaul popped into mind with the “work it” sound effect. Well done, Mr. Barrack!
Xenau, Halo/Sydney chose to call it Lighthook, but is not too pleased with it:
http://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1224
It doesn’t matter what anyone says. It will always be known as the Molestorb.
Yes! A dominatrix could put him ‘in his place’.
I can’t help but think this supervillin would be better left to Wonderella. Wondereta spacificly!
Concidering Sydney’s issues and complaints about her own figure in comparison to the other female superheros on her team, I wouldn’t be surprised if she spent a couple of seconds wondering if maybe getting hit wouldn’t be bad.
Then she’d probably kick his ass because he’s LIFIELDIAN with his work. Which is a true crime against humanity.
Oh man Sydney would be so perfect
love the last panel! oh no!
These guest strips are hilarious!
Oh man. Funny!
I wonder what would happen if I got hit by a male gaze beam? Would I turn blonde and get paler skin? Or would I go the other way and turn full video vixen?
The things that keep me up at night.
You know, this whole ‘male gaze’ thing is a pile of steaming bullshit. Just because A) I’m male and B) I choose to admire an attractive woman when I see her, it doesn’t then follow that I’m some sort of drooling deviant or pervert or that I’ve somehow “impinged on a woman’s sexuality” simply by looking at her.
I followed a link on Grrlpower and got to these guest strips and was amused by Dave’s art…I’m a huge Grrlpower fan. Then I started going through the archives of this comic…I couldn’t make it through even a couple dozen of them before the reverse stereotyping, man bashing, and strawman ‘feminism’ got me so mad I had to quit reading.
I’m a man. I make no apologies for it. Do I drool over woman, leer at them as they walk down the road, or slap their asses just to get a rise out of them? Or course not! Do I appreciate an attractive woman and admire her as she walks by…of course I do…I’m practically genetically programmed to do so. And do I also hold the door for her as she gets into/out of a car or walks into/out of a room…or course I do! I’m a man…it’s what respectful men do. I also say please, thank you, and yes/no ma’am.
Maybe I’m missing some subtle point of them comic, or maybe there’s more to it than meets the eye, but I just cant get past all of the above irritants to find out…which is too bad, as the art is pretty good and from what little I’ve been able to choke down, the artist seems to have a good sense of humor and an ability to write. I just wish the man bashing wasn’t taken up to 11.
Ark
Congratulations on not understanding what “male gaze” refers to. Here’s a helpful resource for anyone interested in the meaning & origin of the term:
http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2007/08/26/faq-what-is-the-%E2%80%9Cmale-gaze%E2%80%9D/
R. Cohen: Thanks for the link…skimmed the article and will read it fully when I have more time. I do actually understand where the term Male Gaze originates though, but like many other pop culture references, it’s made it’s way into our daily vocabulary and has mutated somewhat. I was commenting on the fact that it’s been extrapolated lately to mean ‘any man looking at a woman’s jiggly bits’, regardless of setting. Still…thanks for the snarky tone of your response and for not actually addressing my points. Kudos. 🙂
Kyrion: Yeah, he’s definitely satirizing the 90’s era of comics (up to the present) where women’s anatomy has reached ridiculous proportions and everything is about teh sexxy, but that’s not what my point was about. I’d just come over from an outside link, gotten a chuckle at the present comic, then started reading the archives. And I was pretty much smacked in the face with some pretty over the top pop-culture ‘feminism’ and male bashing and it irritated me to the point of needing to post. Guess I should have remembered my self imposed rule about arguing politics (even the gender kind) online. 🙂 Regardless, thanks for the reply. 🙂
Remember, Arklytte, the Objectifier ISN’T a man like you are. He’s a fictional representation of a foolish, self-involved adolescent, bitter and ticked off at being ignored by women (especially gorgeous women). He’s also taken a potion that has radically altered his physiognomy and likely had a terrible effect on his mentality. It’s not feminism to despise what he and his ilk represents; it’s simply human decency.
Look, I’m sorry for the snarky tone, but why should I address any of your “points?” You’re responding to a bunch of opinions I don’t hold and assertions I’ve never made. You brought up the idea of strawmen, yet you’re defending yourself against one. There’s nothing in my comics which expresses the ideas you’re talking about.
If indeed you’re familiar with the origin and meaning of the phrase “male gaze,” then it should be abundantly clear to you that I am too. I don’t know these people you’re talking about who use it incorrectly, but I’m mystified as to why you’ve decided to hold me accountable for their ideas.
Lots of people don’t like my comic, and that’s fine. My point-of-view and my sense of humor aren’t for everybody. And I don’t mind hearing what critics have to say. But when you come into my comments section and leave a long post railing against ideas I never espoused, don’t expect much in response beyond snark and a link to a feminism 101 blog.
Hell, lots of feminists don’t like your comic. “Look at this bad thing! It is bad!” is really rather obnoxious to a lot of us. But whatever, that’s why I don’t read it (except when Dave Barrack’s around, apparently)
Somehow I’m getting a strong read-the-headline-and-first-few-sentences-then-decided-to-comment-without-reading-the-rest-vibe. But whatever! Thanks for letting me know some people don’t like my comic. Hadn’t been aware. :p
Well, yeah, I suppose that’s a fair assumption (I did mention that I only read a little way into the archives). Based on some of the other comments in this thread, as well as your (polite, despite me being somewhat curmudgeon-y) responses, I’ll go back and read more of them and try to keep an open mind. Then, if I still hate it/feel irritated, at least I’ll have given it a fair shake. 🙂
Also…your last line…ROTFLMAO! 😀 I have to say, I do appreciate good snark. 🙂
Arklytte: I admit that when I began reading the comic I got some of the same feelings as you. I continued reading and realized that the comic isn’t anti-male but just making fun of all kinds of stereotypes, especially gender stereotypes, using strong parody. There is quite a bit more to laugh about than to get mad about.
There’s nothing wrong with how I act! And I can’t help it!
Although, seriously, I’m a straight guy too, and I don’t think that’s what The Objectifier is satirizing. (Some other stuff I do, probably.) It mainly seems to be mocking the eye candy in some comics, cartoons and video games.
Speaking as a straight, hot-blooded, manly-manly-manly man… what man bashing? I’ve been reading this comic for a while now, and absolutely no man bashing is coming to mind. Criticism of particular attitudes? Sure… but men are not particular attitudes – they are human beings who may or may not hold various attitudes, some of which are worthy of criticism. Do you have any examples of this man bashing of which you speak?
You’re right about the way that MRAs and the like have extrapolated the male gaze to just looking at a woman and finding her attractive, though – that is a nonsensical misrepresentation of what it means. That being the case, I’m not sure why you’d feel the need to refuse to apologise for being male, or deny that your being attracted to a woman is impinging on her sexuality when you already recognise that it’s a nonsensical misrepresentation of the majority of feminist thought. It’s kinda confusing.
That sign… hmm… that bar’s a front for the Hive Vagina, isn’t it? Feminist safehouses – hidden in plain view!
Hive Vagina! Hahaha!
Hive Vagina? Is that some comic book subject of which I know nothing or did you make up that phrase? o.O
I’m not sure of its origin, but it’s a term used fairly often among the feminist groups I spend time with. It’s a play on hive mind, obviously, except women’s minds are irrelevant, and all feminists are women (true story).
It’s like when you’re given that quotemine by Dworkin about how all sex is hate, extrapolated through therefore men are evil, into therefore all feminists hate men, and you’re expected to defend yourself for holding that stance, because you totally do, because of the hive vagina. So it’s kind of a joke about the compound ignorance of most anti-feminist arguments.
The hell?
The tl;dr version is that it’s a cute jab at ignorant misogynists.
You know… as opposed to all of those enlightened and thoughtful misogynists that you hear about.
Dave Barrack is the master of meta-sound effects! I used to know a few people in the comics industry in the 90’s, and apparently many artists favored Hustler magazine as a reference source for drawing female characters. In that case, this story thread isn’t even a joke, it’s merely an accurate accurate rendition of history. @Ikiryo: Haha, Liefeldian! What a great adjective!
I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but Greg Land did write a chapter of a how-to-draw book about tracing women from “reference,” and you can google the phrase Greg Land traces.
Just waiting until that rapist gets his just desserts (in jail, from a guy named George who literally broke his last cell-mates pelvis and internal organs)
Surely you don’t expect us to take such obvious troll-bait?
Someone who forces themselves (or their beliefs) on to another, makes them do/think things they don’t want to, and says that if they just stop struggling and fighting it and give up their free will and individuality they will enjoy it…
Hmmm, you are right, that’s not a rapist, thats a dictator (and we all know what happens to them… 4 more years in office)
The Objectifier doesn’t have that kind of time. His organs are due for massive failure, according to the girl with the glasses. (Wonder where she went?) I guess the purple guy forgot that he’s no longer a musclebound alpha male and another victim of the Objectifier. When he remembers, he might want to re-think his role as passive, drooling bystander.
See? Men need feminism, too.
I am thinking that if Little Sappho got hit with the Man Gaze, she would end up looking like the porn industry’s idea of a lesbian: big breasts, hyper-sexualized and wanting to kiss (and more) every woman around, which, like all his other victims, is nothing close to reality.
I am thinking that his female friend is going to figure out how to stop him. She is the only one that he did not zap against her will. When he wakes up from the cure, he finds himself surrounded by Gynostar (back to normal, well normal for her), Maxima, Superbitch, Mindmistress and Allison Green (former MegaGirl), all glaring down at him. He has the attention of some pretty (powerful) women now!
Just want to point out: you have linked Maxi with Mindmistress 😛
Shiny, strong, strong willed, etc. Easy to mix the two up (especially when copying and pasting URL’s). For a link to Maxima, take a look at Grrl Power (see the beginning of the comments).
I have to say that Dave is perfectly suited to this story arc. An unmitigated case of talent matching content. And that costume? Horrifically, nightmarishly wonderful.
I agree!