Draw Harley Quinn Naked, Killing Herself, To Win DC Artist Contest

[Erttheking]

Also, AFAIK, Harley is crazy. Crazy people often run around naked.

....I?m sorry what? I...what? Where did that come from? Crazy people often run around naked? I...no they don?t! Half of Batman?s rouge gallery are legally insane, and I don?t recall them ever running around naked! I?m sorry man, but that has got to be one of the most massive oversimplifications of insanity that I have ever scene. Insanity is a wide blanket that covers a massive number of cases. Two-Face and the Joker are both insane, but they are inane in completely different ways. Not to mention neither of them have ever run around naked.

I?m sorry, but insane people just don?t do this. As a matter of fact, Harley Quinn never does this. In fact in the cartoon that created her, she has just about every inch of skin covered...80% of the time she?s on screen. It feels OOC. Speaking of OOC, WHY IS HARELY QUINN COMMITTING SUICIDE!? I just...the upbeat and perky Harley Quinn committing suicide? I know there?s a certain tragedy to her character considering her relationship with the Joker being rather abusive, but there?s a jump between that and killing yourself.

So yeah, a couple of reasons why I don?t like this. Is it sexist? I can't honestly say that. Though it does seem very stupid and more than a little tasteless. Also when I read about it I just can't help but ask myself...WHY!?

 

[The Deadpool]

Are you being glib on purpose? Or is that genuine?

I was talking to my boyfriend about this. He pointed something out that someone had pointed out to him.

Why mention her being nude? If she's in the bath, that's expected, right? So why go out of your way to stress it?

They specifically make a point of requesting she be nude. Not just in the bath. Not bathing. Nude. Why? Because stressing that she be naked means the artists stress that she is naked. Her being visibly nude is part of the requirement. DC is going out of their way to ask that her body be exposed. While turning women into bodies to ogle is nothing new, doing it on top of the subject of suicide is profoundly tasteless.

It's not really sexist, but it is objectifying and objectionable. It's also really fucking dumb.

That she is naked is par for course. It doesn't need to be mentioned. They intentionally mention it to emphasize it. They want the nudity highlighted. Requesting it be obvious she is naked and committing suicide is revolting.

"I want to see a girl killing herself in the bath. Make sure she's nude."

I read it. Your boyfriend thinking so doesn't make it true.

It is a description for an art pannel. Details, even unimportant ones, have to be explained.

THIS is a sexist pannel descrition: http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/10/108959/2853752-n33611780323386306242.jpeg

Naked girl bathing? IT IS JUST A DESCRIPTION.

 

[LackofCertainty]

After looking at the actual contest rules, I don't think this is as bad as people are making it out to be. It sounds like they want 3 comical, cartoony suicide attempts, and then to have that contrasted with the final disturbing/realistic one. If people submit their final panel as Harley writhing in naked ecstasy, like some pinup, they've missed the point. Naked is not always sexy. Naked can be vulnerability too, especially in a comic that features costumed super heroes.

Then again, maybe I'm reading too much into it, and they just want some cheesecake?

 

[CriticalMiss]

As I mentioned in the earlier thread on this, I'm more peeved that DC are ok with attempted suicide but strictly against lesbian marriage. Harley is kind of a wacko so it's not hard to imagine her trying to kill herself, but it's also not hard to imagine Batwoman wanting to marry her partner either. But DC are in favour of one but not the other for some reason.

Also context will probably be important since we don't know why she is doing any of this or even if she is in control of the situation. But it could have been handled a lot better, like having contestants draw a different part of the comic. Unless the entire thing is Harley trying to off herself.

 

[evilneko]

Might I mention something that was mentioned in the other thread on this?

DC didn't mention there being water in the tub.

 

[Dryk]

I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that this a test to find an artist who can take that description and still draw a tasteful panel... but I just can't do it.

 

[The Deadpool]

Why mention her nudity?

Why NOT mention it?

Of COURSE it's important. It'sa COMIC. It's one guy (the writer) trying to convey a story visually but having someone ELSE draw it. He has to be specific about his vision. Her being naked is part of the image he wants to convey.

Note that her being naked is given ZERO attention. The expression, he state of mind is given two sentences (over half the paragraph).

Having a naked girl in a bathtub trying to kill herself isn't sexist.

 

[Skeleon]

Weird requirements, to say the least. While the last one is probably the worst, the other three panels are bizarre as well, especially considering how comical their descriptions sound. Failed suicide attempts, quite a laugh, eh.
I'm not familiar with the character, though. Maybe failed suicide attempts are a running gag with her?

 

[The Deadpool]

How do I know this? I stated in plain text "this is not sexist."

And then proceeded to say it's "objectifying."

Just making statements doesn't make it true. A rose by any other name...

 

[The Deadpool]

Weird requirements, to say the least. While the last one is probably the worst, the other three panels are bizarre as well, especially considering how comical their descriptions sound. Failed suicide attempts, quite a laugh, eh.

Actually, if done right, they are quite amusing. Jimmy Palmiotti was involved in Deadpool one of the times he went on an attempted suicide spree, probably where he got the idea from...

 

[The Deadpool]

Objectification means turning something into an object. Sexism means treating a group or person worse than another because of their sex.

Don't even try to save face. You assumed so hard, you genuinely missed the entire discussion.

You are trying to save face by ignoring the discussion:

Why NOT mention her being naked?

If they are turning her into an object why is her STATE OF MIND given half the description and her APPEARANCE given one word?

You can call it "objectifying a woman" instead of sexism if you want to be coy, your argument STILL makes no sense.

 

[The Deadpool]

Objectifying is not the same as sexist. Are you dense or just being willfully ignorant?

You think objectifing a woman isn't sexist? Seriously?

 

[Coreless]

Lol look at all the people trying to make an issue where non exists, the reason they stated she should be naked is because if they didn't they probably draw her clothed and that is not what they are looking for. The have to set perimeters for people to follow so they aren't disqualified and not everyone would automatically assume that being in a bathtub equals nakedness end of story, stop trying to make an issue of everything related to women and showing skin.

 

[bafrali]

Well I would love to believe that this is not a fruit of ill intentions on DC's part but this is a popular female super hero. Of course they have the "sexy" angle in mind. Why would they mention nudity otherwise. See it is all part of their plan to widen the demoghraphic...

I just creeped myself out.

But it maybe too early to judge so we should probably wait for the winner piece. Then we can all confirm what we knew this entire time...or be wrong.

 

[Innegativeion]

BTW if you consider this 'sexualized', ask any paramedic who was called to a real naked female suicide how turned on they were by the dead blue body they found. I think not much.

A: It's not a dead body they're asking for

B: It's a superhero comic, IE 'hollywood corpses', even if she were dead

C: If you think DC comics is not going to pick the artist who draws the most sexually appealing (sexually appealing as according to market research) panel, you're completely kidding yourself.

 

[LackofCertainty]

I noticed a minor inaccuracy in the article. It's annoying the fact-checker/nit picker in me.

Maybe the lighting will fry her, maybe the alligators will wake up and smell the chicken bikini, maybe the whale will chow down.

The contest didn't ask for Harley in a chicken bikini; It asks for Harley in a chicken suit.

... also this is the only time I'll ever get to post a picture of someone in a chicken suit and have it be on topic.

 

[The Deadpool]

Ok.

Ok.

Alright.

Let's take a tally. You ask me, for the third time, about mentioning her naked. This, despite the entire discussion thus far having been me answering that question.

Then you wrongly insist objectification is the same as sexism. Despite having been told otherwise.

Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and call the talk here. I can see you.......... don't take well to reading a debate you are in. Bye.

Again, we see your dodging the question.

Can't objectify something when her feelings and emotions are more important than her appearance. That is the OPPOSITE of being an object.

 

[Coreless]

Lol look at all the people trying to make an issue where non exists, the reason they stated she should be naked is because if they didn't they probably draw her clothed and that is not what they are looking for. The have to set perimeters for people to follow so they aren't disqualified and not everyone would automatically assume that being in a bathtub equals nakedness end of story, stop trying to make an issue of everything related to women and showing skin.

Yes. Of course. People would all draw a woman fully clothed. In the bath.

They would also all draw birds without feathers if you didn't mention them having feathers, right.

-_________-

of course they would especially if its something official and for a contest. Harley Quinn has a specific costume and I would have drawn her with that costume in the bathtub because I really like that costume and what it brings to her character. Sorry but your analogy with feathers is beyond ridiculous, I'm still baffled you even pressed post thinking that was somehow relevant.

 

[The Deadpool]

Objectifying is not the same as sexist. Are you dense or just being willfully ignorant?

You think objectifing a woman isn't sexist? Seriously?

Objectification: turning someone into an object. Sexism: treating an individual or group worse than another because of their sex. I can objectify without being sexist. You can be sexist without objectifying. I objectify men and women I see in porn sometimes.

You can try (amusingly) hard to save face and run around making up definitions all day. It won't distract from the fact that you made an assumption and missed the entire discussion.

Just stop. The mistake is done. The humor has faded.

Here's an exercise for you. Google "objectification of women" and let me know how many articles you find in the first page AREN'T about sexism.

Notice your focus on sexism vs objectification and TOTALLY IGNORING THE DISCUSSION AT HAND.

This is what we call a red herring. Notice also you already dismissed the argument over and STILL posted this, but did not bother to defend your position.

You a simple "I was wrong" isn't much to ask is it?

 

[Hdawger]

Jeez, the amount of sensitivity in this thread is off the charts. Obviously they're doing this to find an artist that can accurately portray the macabre humor of Harley Quinn, and as far as the last panel goes, they want to make sure it is realistic and contrasts with the other three panels. As far as mentioning that she be naked, that doesn't have anything to do with sexualizing the character, it only emphasizes a human's vulnerability at their bleak circumstances (plus most people take baths naked).

Also, I'm not gonna mention names or anything, but the people saying that they mentioned that she be naked when they didn't have to, only to emphasize that they wanted to see her naked, I ask WTF? Some people in the comments are literally reading over this like a bunch of vultures or lawyers nitpicking through every individual word, and if the writer of the description of these panels says one word too many in the description of the panel art that they want, then they must be repugnant pigs.