Criticisms of sexual images is not criticism of you for
finding them appealing. You probably can’t help that, and you’re allowed to
like what you like. Just be honest about it. If you find images such as those
on Eschergirls sexually appealing, you’re allowed to, as long as you recognized
that they ARE distorted and unrealistic, and that you like them because they’re
sexual. Don’t make excuses (oh, but their feet are shaped perfectly for stilettos;
she’s naked because she’s a nature spirit and they don’t understand clothes; I
just appreciate her beauty). Own your preferences and reasons. Don’t try to
pretend you have other non-sexual reasons when that’s not really true. You don’t
need to be ashamed of your preferences.
BUT.
You can’t JUST do that.
Also be honest about your expectations of the prevalence of
these kinds of images. Criticisms of how common sexualized images are are not
criticisms of you for liking them, but criticisms of your expectation to find
them everywhere. Not even of your expectations, but criticisms of the system we
all live in. Recognize that the system benefits you, but not others. Your
sexual preference does not need to be everywhere. It is not a priority over
anyone else’s or any other kind of preference. If you like drawing those kinds
of images and that’s a priority for you, that’s OK. You can do that. But maybe
you should consider drawing comics where that is the goal, not inserting it into
general-audiences superhero comics. You're preferences are not the default. Claims of harm from those images are not
claims that YOU and your preferences
are harming anyone, but that your expectation and treatment of those images as normal in all contexts is
harmful.
You can like what you like. That’s OK. But when what you
like involves other people, as sexual preferences ALWAYS do, recognize that your
preferences cannot take priority over the other people/genders you’re
projecting your preferences onto. A sexy image is not just a picture; it is a
representation of a category of people, a representation of others shaped to
meet your preferences about them. You can have your preferences, but recognize
that it is often not the preferences of the
people being displayed, people who don’t
have to like your representation of them, even if you're perfectly allowed to have it. And recognize that everyone’s
preferences for their OWN representation DOES take priority over other people’s
preferences for another’s representation. And they DO need place in society to
see themselves portrayed as they see themselves, not primarily as others see
them, from others' points of view.
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