DC Comics Wants You To Draw Naked Female Suicide

[major_chaos]

Spoiler: New 52 Harley Quinn

You know I actually like the face and hair but christ that outfit is just... lazy for lack of a better word. What is it with new 52 turning characters I like into sex props?

OT: I'm not even going to argue about whether or not this contest is sexist, simply because I find it much easier to attack on two other levels:
1. Its a horrible idea, and the timing could not possibly be worse. Seriously, who did no one think this was a bad idea? are DC, MS, and EA all hiring their PR people from the same place? and is that place secretly dedicated to bringing down big corporations? Come to think of it, that would make an interesting comic.
2. Should I interpret this as meaning they want to kill off Harley Quinn? Wouldn't that just be the rotten chery on top of the shit sundae that is most of new52.

 

[Tony2077]

i haven't been that interested in comics and this doesn't help

 

[The Funslinger]

But hey, if they think it's an equality issue, then maybe people should draw sexy naked Batman killing himself, and send those in too.

Calling it, I bet that's already somewhere on the internet.

 

[Ryan Minns]

Sorry since I did just get off work but where in the article it mentions sexualising suicide? I see many people have mentioned it but I can't see any part where they're asking to sexualise it?

 

[Callate]

Y'know, I could see most of those images being done in a way that was kind of slapstick and perhaps even funny. Harley's insane, and certainly some of the things that have done with her teeter right on the edge between funny and horrific. Suicide isn't exactly out of character, bad timing or no.

But, "naked"...? They really could have avoided whole worlds of hurt if they had left out that one single word. Suddenly it looks like they're sexualizing suicide, and encouraging artists to submit something that would almost certainly never make it past DC's editors if it was submitted in an actual comic. (And let me be clear, when I say "looks like", I'm not suggesting that anyone who thinks that's what they're proposing is wrong!)

Have DC's PR staff been having a cultural exchange with Microsoft, or something?

 

[DaWaffledude]

... This is just a really weird dream, isn't it? It's the only explanation I can find.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

I don't see how this can be that much different from, say, bunny suicide comics.

I can't get angry at DC Comics because I love bunny suicide and other similar comics.

 

[wulf3n]

Ah, self-righteous indignation how I've missed you. It's interesting how people talk about DC, it appears as though they [escapists] believe DC considers them to be the target audience.

I'm curious how many offended people here actually buy the comic series in question?

 

[vun]

I don't know what to say about this, it's just baffling on so many levels.

Not sure if what they're trying to do can be done tastefully at all, but if it can; this is not the way to do it.

 

[wulf3n]

Given the folks I've seen around here so far, the average Escapist user actually IS the target audience. Namely young adults interested in fiction.

Perhaps, I'm still curious as to how many have actually invested money in the series.

 

[faefrost]

Given the folks I've seen around here so far, the average Escapist user actually IS the target audience. Namely young adults interested in fiction.

Perhaps, I'm still curious as to how many have actually invested money in the series.

I'm going to guess not many. The June issue of Suicide Squad (the book series in question with Harley Quinn) sold 23,537 copies total, just to give a feel for how many are buying this stuff. It is likely that each half hour animated appearence of Harley in her classic cartoon form has made more money than the total combined of any of her post revision comic appearances.

 

[Doclector]

You do know, DC comics, that when you do this kind of shit, it's the entire nerd community that gets flak, right? You know what kind of picture you're painting here? Because I'll tell you, in a language that you understand, seeming as common sense and basic morals are apparently beyond you.

It's the kind of picture that completely locks out that new promising bunch of customers you might have had now that nerd culture isn't so frowned upon. But of course, you seem to be looking to make sure it is frowned upon again, you colossal fucking idiots.

 

[Paradoxrifts]

I'm just here to report the news; I have no words that can describe what I feel at hearing this. How about you, Escapists?

My late uncle committed suicide and it left a hole in my extended family and relatives which could only be described as a missing limb, and I still think you're being overly sensitive about this. The truth so far as I know of it, is that suicide is a despicably selfish thing to do. Convincing arguments can be made for voluntary euthanasia in the face of insurmountable and crippling medical conditions that rob people both of quality of life and human dignity, but otherwise in the vast majority of cases suicide is the last act of a coward. Nobody has nor will they ever commit suicide because Harley Quinn was drawn naked in a bathtub trying to kill herself with the back room stock of a white goods store. That is not why suicides occur, and censoring fictional depictions of suicide is not how you prevent them from happening in the first place.

The contest certainly is tasteless and stupid, but ultimately it is tasteless, stupid and harmless.

 

[Verlander]

Your title...isn't misleading. I'd sort of assumed it would have been.

*sigh*

This. I came here just to see what the actual truth was and how much of a twist OP had put on it. Not sure how to feel about this.

Me too. I'm not outraged; I'm far too busy wondering what the eff is the deal with this.

I disagree, the title is totally misleading. It's not what the brief asks for at all.

It asks for four different pictures of a specific character, one of which has her potentially contemplating suicide in a very specific way (toaster in the bathtub, a common suicide used in comedies). However tasteful that you may or may not think that it is, it's definitely in fitting with the character.

HAD they said: "We want you to draw a naked woman committing suicide. Doesn't matter who she is, or how she does it, just make sure she's naked and dead" then it would be a totally different issue. They don't.

http://www.dccomics.com/node/305151

 

[Yuuki]

Can people please stop losing their shit over this? If Harley Quinn has a problem with herself being portrayed naked in a bathtub about to commit suicide, then she can take DC to court and matters can be swiftly settled over there.

It's pretty fucking demeaning how everyone seems to be deciding everything FOR Harley and not even asking for her opinion on this. What if she doesn't mind? How do you know? Why can't this be left up to her?

It's almost as if she doesn't exist.

 

[VaporWare]

I don't have much coherent to say to this, on account of it's already a bit tetchy, but I do feel compelled to point out that this is probably a pretty straightforward communications gaffe. The offending panel description is so absurdly out of tune with the obvious dark humor of the rest, and goes too far with the concept of killing the character. Words like 'inevitable' should have been avoided, because it obviously isn't: This is for an Issue #0 for what will, presumably, be a series revolving around the title character.

Who is apparently going to be failing at suicide, presumably as a result of Arkham City Spoilers or something there related to. Reasons, I'm sure.

You could probably fix the offending paragraph by changing the description of her expression from resignation to exasperation. "If this doesn't work, I have no idea what will, because seriously, I've tried everything already. Yes, even the sleeping pills. I was up for a week."

As for the nudity/sexualization...let me put on my spin doctor hat and deliver a homily about failing to die being like rebirth from a blazing electric bathtub womb. Full of blenders and smelling suspiciously of toast.

Edit: Wait, no, could do away with the nudity entirely with the power of a turn-of-the-century style candy striped bathing suit. Keeping the birth metaphor though.

...I really, really want this to not be as awful as it looks.

Spoiler

[http://tinypic.com?ref=xfw5dd]