I suppose I should no longer be surprised when DC Comics or DC Licensing does something idiotic.
I have disappointed lately in the comics and in the movies. So why not the toys?
And so I provide this link to The Outhousers and there story covering a new look at the Super Best Friends Forever: http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/news/123360-dc-shocker-wb-merchandising-ruins-super-best-friends-forever.html
And the above picture is that new promotion for the characters.
The horror. The horror.
Did we really need to morph the BFFs into Bratz-style girls? Giant eyes. Microscopic waists. Smothered in pink. Donna's jumpsuit becomes a mini-dress.And Batgirl looks like she is leaning against a stripper pole.
It is the most generic and most depressing interpretation there could be.
What is this for? Dolls? Party favors? A new cartoon series (shudder).
I hope they aren't calling them the Super Best Friends Forever. Because this look is about as far away from that interpretation of the characters as possible.
It just doesn't make sense.
Especially when Lauren Faust's real Super Best Friends Forever is out there. It was wildly popular. People are clamoring for more. And we have a variety of body types and not a drop of pink. It has a more classic interpretation of the characters' costumes.
And we have seen these characters in stories. In five brief shorts, we got to know their personalities.
Why not leverage the popularity of this existing interpretation? It is beloved.
You wouldn't be happy seeing that first picture either!
I actually thought SG looked a little chubby in the SBFF animated shorts...but could overlook that since the cartoons themselves were so droll. But this redesign is appalling....Kara is a girlie girl, but that doesn't mean she is mark for the color pink. And Donna (who prides herself on her bralwing skills) in a skirt? Ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteGood lord but I am sick of Bad Supergirl News....
JF
...the hell?
ReplyDeleteGene
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ReplyDeleteO...M...F...G...!
ReplyDeleteI thought Supergirl was the right size in SBFF ... loved her big and bold and larger than life.
ReplyDeleteBut this version is awful.
This so AWFUL. I wonder what these people where on when they came up with this. Dopey dust?
ReplyDeleteI think we need to stop overanalyzing everything that has to do with how women appear in comics. Sure some things are over the top and need to be scaled back a bit but in situations like this it's not necessary.
ReplyDeleteLet's play a little Devil's Advocate. Let's pretend that Lauren Faust's image was THE only representation for SBFF. I would imagine your rant would look something like this...
You have a curvy Supergirl wearing a skirt that barely covers her. She flies. Shouldn't she wear something a little more concealing as she passes over those below her? I would never let my daughter wear a skirt that short. Since (as this article implies) girls are so impressionable that they'd seek to imitate these characters, she will probably think a skirt that short is cool. No thank you.
You complain of the new SBFF Batgirl standing like she's up against a stripper pole but you're okay with this image of her spreading her legs and exposing her crotch to the world? How is this pose any more exceptable?
Then you have the skinny twig that is Donna (also thrusting her hips out), no girl could possibly aspire to achieve that figure without throwing up a meal or two.
Now, does that seem like a fair assessment?
I don't know if it is fair.
ReplyDeleteTrust me when I say I don't mind beautiful women in comics. Just like I don't mind violence or anti-heroes in my comics.
What I also like is a broad spectrum in comics and their characters.
I don't want JUST violence or JUST anti-heroes.
And I don't want ads targeting young girls to JUST be like the top picture. Because they all look the same.
No one came out and complained about how skinny Donna was in SBFFs. Because she was surrounded by a medium Batgirl and a large Supergirl, a better and healthier look at the cross-section of the populace.
And I don't think your 'this is what you would say if ...' hypothetical works either. For one, I know what I think. Second, if I had those complaints about SBFF I would have complained about it regardless.
probably my biggest problem with this is that this is something targeted at kids.
Should I apologize that this ad campaign didn't work for me.
Stephen Mitchell that's not even a slightly fair assessment to make. To be honest, it reads completely like you've just come out of some sort of reddit thread about "does EVERYTHING have to be about FMEINIMSMfsmmsmfs NOW??!!!!!!!!" and are looking to Introduce Logic And Rationality to the issues, when actually you're just listing off the same tired 'arguments' that everyone who cares even slightly about these issues has heard a thousand times.
ReplyDeletelauren fausts SBFF design WAS the only one for a long time, and there was no rant, so you can't say "the rant would look something like this." Lauren Faust's designs are cartoonishly deformed and don't look perfect. Yeah, Wonder Girl's thin - but thin in a more funny way, and not in any remotely sexy way. Her face is a cartoon greek girl's face, not "generic sexy anime girl face". This is far different to "designed to sex appeal" costume.
Supergirl has curves??????? holy SHITtttt!!!! I have no idea where you got the impression the article says "if this goes on, girls will think skirts are cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" because that's not even slightly the issue.
And finally, for batgirl, the picture of her in the show is an animation still probably where she's going mid-pose, and the pose there is hardly intended to be vaguely sexual at all. Whereas the bratz doll version is all prettified and etc.
To be honest, I don't even know if you know *why* this is supposed to be important or you're supposed to care, otherwise you wouldn't be raising such dumb questions and points that everyone has heard before and knows aren't worth thinking about when they actually know something about the issue.
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i cannot stand your comment it's so bad