Spider-Woman's Big Ass is a Big Deal!

[Lizzie Poppet]

130. "Why do female superheroes have to be put in porn poses?"

Because it sells comic books. Years ago, the editor of Heavy Metal responded to a letter criticizing the magazine's virtually softcore presentation by saying* rather bluntly, "Why all the buns and jugs? Buns and jugs sell magazines, pal...so buns and jugs it is." Can't say I like (or even respect) that attitude, but it's how the comic publishing industry works.

Comics (at least in the superhero genre) tend to be exaggerations, caricatures. Their portrayals are unrealistic not just in the action itself, but in physiques, poses...pretty much everything. An old "how to draw comics" book by Stan Lee has a section depicting an action scene with realistic posing and one with comic-style posing...and the realistic one looks lifeless in comparison to the comic one, with it's absurdly exaggerated depiction of a body in motion. There are reams of academic studies and articles on various aspects of the whole superhero genre, and this exaggeration of multiple aspects is a dominant topic. The sexual attractiveness of superheroes is just one aspect that tends to be exaggerated.

That sexual attractiveness is displayed more prominently in female characters because the comic audience was traditionally overwhelmingly male. Women (and gay men) were not the demographic that paid the bills. The comic audience has changed, but the industry has been slow to catch up. Thus we get female superheroes in "fuck me" poses, wearing outfits that would make a stripper blush.

*I'm probably paraphrasing slightly, as this was years ago and I'm working from memory...but you get the gist.