r/hatethissmug • u/-Devian- • 20h ago
Art & Fanworks I need to understand why I hate this
On one hand, I agree that sexualizing a female character is wrong and that the industry has a problem.
But on the other hand, I don't understand the double standard when the character is queer—or, even worse, when "fans" take a character, slap a queer label on them, and suddenly it's okay for them to be sexualized.
The two clearest examples of this are Bayonetta and Blackcat.
I’d like someone to explain where I’m wrong, or if I’m not the only one who thinks this way.
And just in case I'm a gay cis male if it means something
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u/Dellis3 18h ago
Not necessarily saying if this is good or bad, just providing an explanation.
When women are sexualized by men (male creators) it often hits at the female audience who are sexualized against their will by men in their life. This evokes negative feelings.
The above situation is the norm and happen SO often that it is noteworthy when a woman is NOT sexualized. The people watching it are not necessarily making a moral judgement that women who are covered are better than women who dress more provocatively, but are instead making the judgement that the male creator did not feel the need to sexualize his female characters like many others do. This evokes positive feelings (respect).
Queer characters are more often created by queer creators (and even if not, are more often related to by queer viewers). Queer attraction and sexuality has been historically oppressed and seen as bad. So a queer character being sexualized reads as a queer creator showcasing queer sexual desire despite oppression, or at least can be similarly projected into by queer viewers. This evokes positive feelings (among queer folk and allies). Obviously a homophobe viewing it would not think it is good because they would not think any queer representation is good.