Comments on: The Non-Diverse Brave New World http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/ Weblog and all original comics. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:37:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Adam http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-61402 Adam Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:09:47 +0000 http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-61402 I'm not gay I’m not gay

]]> By: Joe Louis http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-15041 Joe Louis Wed, 07 Feb 2007 05:48:06 +0000 http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-15041 I have written a <a href="http://freakcomics.com/2007/02/07/non-diverse-fallout/" rel="nofollow">follow up</a> to this article, which clarifies my viewpoints on this matter. I have written a follow up to this article, which clarifies my viewpoints on this matter.

]]> By: Vencire http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-14891 Vencire Mon, 05 Feb 2007 00:06:08 +0000 http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-14891 I think the issue people are taking is the assumption that all "minorities" are created equally. Though there are a good number of, say, people in wheelchairs or gays or midgets, the number of blacks, asians, latinos, etc. are significantly higher to the point where they number in the billions rather than, as in the case of say midgets, the hundreds of millions. It's an order of magnitude thing. Limit it to the US specifically, pretend that 1/2 of the population is white. Split the remaining equally between the commonly used racial groupings (black, asian, latino, etc.) and you still get a need for at least one or two non-white superheroes here and there. People with disabilities or congenital defects are in an incredibly small minority, one never pandered to by politicians. People of different races are considered voting blocs. I think the issue people are taking is the assumption that all “minorities” are created equally. Though there are a good number of, say, people in wheelchairs or gays or midgets, the number of blacks, asians, latinos, etc. are significantly higher to the point where they number in the billions rather than, as in the case of say midgets, the hundreds of millions. It’s an order of magnitude thing. Limit it to the US specifically, pretend that 1/2 of the population is white. Split the remaining equally between the commonly used racial groupings (black, asian, latino, etc.) and you still get a need for at least one or two non-white superheroes here and there. People with disabilities or congenital defects are in an incredibly small minority, one never pandered to by politicians. People of different races are considered voting blocs.

]]> By: Evan Waters http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-14693 Evan Waters Fri, 02 Feb 2007 08:54:27 +0000 http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-14693 Look on the bright side of this. This means that none of the minority heroes are sitting around moping in the ruins of civilization. Look on the bright side of this. This means that none of the minority heroes are sitting around moping in the ruins of civilization.

]]> By: Joe Louis http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-14617 Joe Louis Thu, 01 Feb 2007 13:58:05 +0000 http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-14617 For the record, I have no problem with seeing a so-called minority on the cover of a comic or in an ad. I have a problem when people complain that a particular minority is left out of the cover or the advertisement. Adding a character simply to appease a group is nothing more than a marketing ploy. The only reason a comic book company should have a gay character, or a black character or a woman character is because it's <strong>realistic</strong>. It makes sense to have these types of characters because in real life these types of characters would exist. What is unrealistic is to expect a representative of each minority to appear in every advertisement or comic book cover. If that last statement is true, then why complain about any comic book cover or ad when there are plenty of comic book covers and ads that feature particular minorities that were left out of other covers. If DC <strong>only</strong> included straight white males on the covers of their comic books and never deviated from this formula, I could see a basis for an argument... but they don't. For the record, I have no problem with seeing a so-called minority on the cover of a comic or in an ad. I have a problem when people complain that a particular minority is left out of the cover or the advertisement.

Adding a character simply to appease a group is nothing more than a marketing ploy. The only reason a comic book company should have a gay character, or a black character or a woman character is because it’s realistic. It makes sense to have these types of characters because in real life these types of characters would exist.
What is unrealistic is to expect a representative of each minority to appear in every advertisement or comic book cover.
If that last statement is true, then why complain about any comic book cover or ad when there are plenty of comic book covers and ads that feature particular minorities that were left out of other covers. If DC only included straight white males on the covers of their comic books and never deviated from this formula, I could see a basis for an argument… but they don’t.

]]> By: Joe Louis http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-14616 Joe Louis Thu, 01 Feb 2007 13:50:08 +0000 http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-14616 You're welcome... although I wasn't comparing being black, a woman, or gay to being mentally retarded or handicapped. .. or a child or a baby or old. I was just pointing out that I don't see any of those particular "minorities" in the ad. You’re welcome… although I wasn’t comparing being black, a woman, or gay to being mentally retarded or handicapped. .. or a child or a baby or old. I was just pointing out that I don’t see any of those particular “minorities” in the ad.

]]> By: Tefnut http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-14605 Tefnut Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:26:37 +0000 http://freakcomics.com/2007/01/29/the-non-diverse-brave-new-world/#comment-14605 <i>Where are all the mentally handicapped people? Where are all the people in wheelchairs?</i> Thank you for comparing being a woman or a person of color to being physically or mentally disabled. I think the comparison is quite apt, but probably not for the reasons you do. Let's see: having a person in a wheelchair serve as a superhero is somewhat problematic (though not impossible: Oracle, anyone?), same with being blind (still possible - Daredevil, anyone?), for the obvious physical reasons. Mentally disabled - same thing. It's harder to chase villains when your legs don't work, and hard to fly after a nuclear missile when you can't see it. Being a person of color or a woman makes it difficult to be a superhero because....em....well..... I dunno. Maybe we trip over our boobs or something? Where are all the mentally handicapped people? Where are all the people in wheelchairs?

Thank you for comparing being a woman or a person of color to being physically or mentally disabled. I think the comparison is quite apt, but probably not for the reasons you do.

Let’s see: having a person in a wheelchair serve as a superhero is somewhat problematic (though not impossible: Oracle, anyone?), same with being blind (still possible - Daredevil, anyone?), for the obvious physical reasons. Mentally disabled - same thing. It’s harder to chase villains when your legs don’t work, and hard to fly after a nuclear missile when you can’t see it.

Being a person of color or a woman makes it difficult to be a superhero because….em….well….. I dunno. Maybe we trip over our boobs or something?

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