This has been on my mind for a while... and I can't help but scoff at this subject as it's something everyone goes on and on about. When is "going too far" in a story "too far" and what is "going too far" and why stop at one place or another in terms of content?
It's fairly obivious to me that the reasons for going too far has to do with audience. However, I find a lot of comics, stories, movies, tv shows, books, whatever, tend to have no idea what they're doing in this context. What do I mean? Well, and I find manga and comics are more guilty of this than anyone, content which is really sexual and aimed towards a group that is obvious of mature age (though I don't believe in censorship honestly but regardless of that), seems to stop at the point of showing any sexual content or nudity beyond a point basically of showing it directly to their viewers. I've seen this a lot in DC, marvel, what have you, independent comics for sure, webcomics, tons and tons of manga, and to be honest it's so silly it's fairly ridiculous.
What is the point of having that content if no one is willing to actually utilize it? Why have a story about couples and sex but not have no sexual content or nudity within it? Okay, for example. Take Chugworth Academy. This particular webcomic was basically a webcomic about high school girls or something like that and had all kinds of sultry jokes along with other things. Though it was fairly bad in general already, why did the author seem so opposed to putting any nudity of any kind within the comic? It wouldn't be the first thing too have content with nude teenagers since there is tons of movies like that already, but it really reduce his comic itself to a "cock tease". Which is funny considering the author now draws guro and charges people money for it. So he's either seen the light or a hypercrite. I'd like to think he's a hypercrite for various reasons relating to women's rights and the over all tone of that comic. (FYI if you do go looking for it through google don't come crying to me about how disgusting it is, hm, maybe this is me hiding behind the line?)
And it isn't the first to do this, manga and anime do this a lot, "oh, wanna see nudity? look a hotspring! tee hee! just kidding, that's a 'forbidden fruit!'" Tee hee, we won't show nipples on our women because that's going too far. Tee hee, I'm not going to show nudity in my comic because that's "crossing the line". Even though my audience is mostly over 18 and adult. Even though my story has a lot of sexual content and humor to begin with.
This sorta thing was seen a lot in Love Hina, which I guess you could probably know I was referencing, which also, wasn't very good. We could've said "okay it's kind of a dumb story, half the female characters aren't likable and the males were all fairly forgettable, but atleast it wasn't afraid to express itself. Atleast it had nudity in a mature setting." No it didn't. But it did, because the women had no clothes and still didn't have nipples. And this isn't something that happens once and a while it happens all the time in anime and it's getting progressively worse, (probably because of the new stupid law that was passed causing companies to 'over react' in terms of controlling their content, but that's a topic for another time..)
I still don't feel as if I really answered why though, people avoid nudity or violence within their creations. Is it because they don't want to be "that author" and is labeled a "porn artist" or something? Is it because they're afraid they'll upset someone? I get the feeling nobody would give a ratass about if they draw nudity or not. I never got any complaints about any of the nudity in my works that offended people honestly, I assume that people would just move on or don't care. So what is the point?
I think that, it seems to me, they really don't want to be called a "porn artist". Which is nonsense. I don't think half the people who actually talk about porn know what porn is or ever watched it for it's intended purpose. For example, one does not watch porn for the story, just for the sex scenes, and if that's what your comic is about that's fine by me, I don't care and neither should you or anyone. But the people who believe they'll be called a "porn artist" or what have you have clearly a skewed vision of what porn is (probably not enough to draw content or nudity though), so are they worried about bending over for the masses and being "whores"? I just don't really get it, I don't get why people are afraid to take that step.
Though, it can't be their worried about being labeled a "pervert", can it? If someone is writing a story that is full of fetish nuances, and full of things about cross dressing guys or double entendre jokes, are they really worried if they put nudity or sex scenes within that they'll actually be called "perverted" for doing that? If that's what they're worried about the boat's already sailed on that one, so I would like to think they know about it already. But being a pervert in that sense isn't bad if you enjoy writing about it. If you like writing about girls in bikinis playing volleyball, and you use glib sexual references and all, and if it has a compelling story, and content, then why would someone care one way or another if they're seen as a pervert? Maybe I'm looking at it too much from a writer's stand-point rather than an artist's standpoint...
It's fairly obivious to me that the reasons for going too far has to do with audience. However, I find a lot of comics, stories, movies, tv shows, books, whatever, tend to have no idea what they're doing in this context. What do I mean? Well, and I find manga and comics are more guilty of this than anyone, content which is really sexual and aimed towards a group that is obvious of mature age (though I don't believe in censorship honestly but regardless of that), seems to stop at the point of showing any sexual content or nudity beyond a point basically of showing it directly to their viewers. I've seen this a lot in DC, marvel, what have you, independent comics for sure, webcomics, tons and tons of manga, and to be honest it's so silly it's fairly ridiculous.
What is the point of having that content if no one is willing to actually utilize it? Why have a story about couples and sex but not have no sexual content or nudity within it? Okay, for example. Take Chugworth Academy. This particular webcomic was basically a webcomic about high school girls or something like that and had all kinds of sultry jokes along with other things. Though it was fairly bad in general already, why did the author seem so opposed to putting any nudity of any kind within the comic? It wouldn't be the first thing too have content with nude teenagers since there is tons of movies like that already, but it really reduce his comic itself to a "cock tease". Which is funny considering the author now draws guro and charges people money for it. So he's either seen the light or a hypercrite. I'd like to think he's a hypercrite for various reasons relating to women's rights and the over all tone of that comic. (FYI if you do go looking for it through google don't come crying to me about how disgusting it is, hm, maybe this is me hiding behind the line?)
And it isn't the first to do this, manga and anime do this a lot, "oh, wanna see nudity? look a hotspring! tee hee! just kidding, that's a 'forbidden fruit!'" Tee hee, we won't show nipples on our women because that's going too far. Tee hee, I'm not going to show nudity in my comic because that's "crossing the line". Even though my audience is mostly over 18 and adult. Even though my story has a lot of sexual content and humor to begin with.
This sorta thing was seen a lot in Love Hina, which I guess you could probably know I was referencing, which also, wasn't very good. We could've said "okay it's kind of a dumb story, half the female characters aren't likable and the males were all fairly forgettable, but atleast it wasn't afraid to express itself. Atleast it had nudity in a mature setting." No it didn't. But it did, because the women had no clothes and still didn't have nipples. And this isn't something that happens once and a while it happens all the time in anime and it's getting progressively worse, (probably because of the new stupid law that was passed causing companies to 'over react' in terms of controlling their content, but that's a topic for another time..)
I still don't feel as if I really answered why though, people avoid nudity or violence within their creations. Is it because they don't want to be "that author" and is labeled a "porn artist" or something? Is it because they're afraid they'll upset someone? I get the feeling nobody would give a ratass about if they draw nudity or not. I never got any complaints about any of the nudity in my works that offended people honestly, I assume that people would just move on or don't care. So what is the point?
I think that, it seems to me, they really don't want to be called a "porn artist". Which is nonsense. I don't think half the people who actually talk about porn know what porn is or ever watched it for it's intended purpose. For example, one does not watch porn for the story, just for the sex scenes, and if that's what your comic is about that's fine by me, I don't care and neither should you or anyone. But the people who believe they'll be called a "porn artist" or what have you have clearly a skewed vision of what porn is (probably not enough to draw content or nudity though), so are they worried about bending over for the masses and being "whores"? I just don't really get it, I don't get why people are afraid to take that step.
Though, it can't be their worried about being labeled a "pervert", can it? If someone is writing a story that is full of fetish nuances, and full of things about cross dressing guys or double entendre jokes, are they really worried if they put nudity or sex scenes within that they'll actually be called "perverted" for doing that? If that's what they're worried about the boat's already sailed on that one, so I would like to think they know about it already. But being a pervert in that sense isn't bad if you enjoy writing about it. If you like writing about girls in bikinis playing volleyball, and you use glib sexual references and all, and if it has a compelling story, and content, then why would someone care one way or another if they're seen as a pervert? Maybe I'm looking at it too much from a writer's stand-point rather than an artist's standpoint...
So maybe if they give in to their audience they see themselves as "whores", or if they do anything for popularity for the common denominator. Everyone does have to make money as long as they like what they're doing. Even whores like their job that's what makes them whores. But if the message is sent that only a comprise is made for money purely, not because of the fact the author likes what he's doing, but it's actually objectionable to their morals or whatever, and they still do it, because they want money.
Not because like their life is on the line, they just want money. Does that make them worse than a whore? If they don't even really need the money? If there is a better way of making it? Interesting thoughts. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. Because I don't care about selling sex for money, if someone does anything for money not based on survival or based on the fact they feel they like what they're doing what does that make them? Does that make them greedy? Hm, and if so is that worse? Well we're only human (well I'm not sure about me but I digress) so everyone is temped, but is selling out one way or another worse than simply, say, doing what David Cheung did and drawing guro porn, is he being honest about himself or not and is that okay. Is this related to the subject of crossing the line in the sense that he's justified in crossing it in such a fashion assuming there ever was a line to begin with... I'm not him. So I can't answer that question.However, if what he is doing is something he disagrees with and hates, and promotes such a negative attitude towards others does that mean that I or anyone else doesn't have the right to respond to it? Of course they do, and that is something that is done with every artist and writer out there that is needed. The ability to accept criticism and that someone doesn't agree with what is being said because they have the right to voice it.
In Cheung's case, this doesn't make any sense what so ever because he was so worried about it before, and it seems like he doesn't like others (or his fans anyway) reviewing his comic so perhaps he doesn't allow others to promote their freedom of expression in that sense. But this isn't just related to him. This is related to all artists, writers, or anyone who makes anything. Because they are afraid what people will talk about or say to them and they don't want that to happen to protect themselves because of that. Things should be judged by their worth and nobody likes everything everyone does anyway. I don't really like superhero comics, but other people love them, that being said does that make my opinion worth less? Well, it might depending on the audience and how much weight one person's voice carries (which is a lot it seems to some people). However getting people to gang up, or refusing to let others speak their mind because they think they have crossed the line, or they just disagree is not the way that it should be approached. Because they might have something important that is said that that person didn't consider before and might consider in the future. So are they afraid of what people will say...? I think that is the answer to my original question. Yes they are. They are afraid what they will be called and they will be framed. Should they be? No of course not. But do they have a right to stop people from having an opinion or speaking clearly as to what is wrong or what they disagree with? No they shouldn't.I could go on about how people should really express themselves while critiquing but that'd be worthless and I shouldn't because I'm a writer and others will say that I'm no better than others are :P So I'll refrain from that. That and I feel like I'm really rambling now and all. I don't know if I solved everything that has to be said about the line yet... but I guess I'll see in the future. Thanks for reading!
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