Hard Rock Atsali 2014-01-31

[WoodGracie]

I have been following Atsali's story line and have begun to care for this character as I have all the others you have shared with us. I have no problem with her boobs. It is because she is 15 (in siren years or not, the story states that she is 15 and that implies she is 15 in human years). I can appreciate what you are doing as far as empowering her by showing her new found sense of comfort/ownership in her body, something I have always admired about your characters and why I enjoy reading your work so much. However, I am feeling protective of your character, as I would hope any adult female, sister and mother would, by looking at it as putting her on display and in so doing unintentionally objectifying her as this culture does, you even allude to it with Katherine's comment that the world is just not ready for her awesome innocence... you can't tell me there aren't people out there who are following your work and appreciating how you draw women on a very different level than where your intent is, even some of the comments on here mention taking a cold shower, or jumping out in the snow...Just sayin'. I meant no offense to you or how you handle your characters, I guess I just don't trust that all that are looking at your work regarding Atsali are looking at it the same way you do. I hope you understand where I am coming from...how do any other women out there or your wife feel about this? am I totally out in left field on this???

Since you've asked how other women feel about this...and since I'm not only a woman, but a large-breasted woman...

You're not totally out in left field on this (given that other readers have posted similar concerns since Atsali went through her overnight puberty), but you are getting concerned over something that cannot be controlled. He's posted images of Atsali as a young girl and even of Castela, and those "pinups" didn't receive the kind of "this seems inappropriate" feedback that the Atsali pinups are getting now. However, by your arguement, there could be pedophiles enjoying his art in a way other than Paul intended, so maybe he shouldn't put those pictures up either. I think you shouldn't concern yourself with what people might be doing as a result of seeing Paul's art.

I also don't think it would be fair (to Paul or the readers) to say that he can't do pinups of a character that has become so loved so quickly simply because she has large breasts and also happens to be 15. Yes, American culture (and possibly other cultures) tends to breed this idea that "big breasts = sexual being," so it's probably safe to assume that some people "enjoy" these drawings far more than they should given the character's age...but part of what Paul is doing with this storyline and these pinup pieces is trying to combat that unfair assumption. Breasts are just another bodily feature, and shouldn't automatically cause a woman to be judged as "sexual" (or worse, "slutty"). A person can be wholesome and innocent no matter what size her rack happens to be, so why can't that wholesome individual have pinups/portraits posted online? Why does posting that woman or girl's image automatically have to be "suggestive"? Why can't we embrace the idea that "suggestive" has more to do with the body language and less with the body's shape?

Unfortunately, you're right...there will probably always be creeps and deviants perusing images posted online, but we, the rest of society, should take steps to retrain our reactions and thought processes so we can appreciate work like what Paul is sharing. We're not the ones who are getting off looking at a 15 year old, so why should we feel that it's "wrong" to look at an image of her having fun when all we're doing is being amused (at her love of rock 'n roll) and appreciative (of Paul's art)? We shouldn't let the ugly people of the world negatively impact our ability to enjoy life...nor should we allow those people's behavior patterns to lead us to pass similar judgement on people who aren't actually being "inappropriate" (and by that I'm referring both to Paul, who is doing nothing wrong with these pinups, and the girls and women out there who are automatically objectified due to their body shape and clothing choices). It's sweet that you feel protective of her (a testament to Paul's writing abilities), but there's a point where being protective isn't helpful. Hiding a teen away because her body might produce arousal in others isn't the solution.

So yeah...my two cents as a female reader.

Thank you for your input and for letting me know that I wasn't entirely wrong...I guess that I was projecting and you are right that I can't control how people will look at these images and I should just enjoy the ride that Paul is taking us on. Thank you for reminding me to just chill!

I do want to clarify that I was not meaning to sound judgmental toward Paul or any women or to the commenters on here. If I did I apologize.

I have two teenaged boys and have struggled to be sure they do not objectify women and hope that they continue to grow into caring, compassionate young men that treat everyone with mutual respect. My 17 yo has a talented and brilliant girlfriend that is well endowed, I know that what he sees is more than just the physical aspect of her, because I know him, but I also know her mother well and know that she has struggled with how she looks and being taken seriously. She is very shy because of it all. I just wish there was a way to stop the way this culture perceives women and girls as nothing more than T&A so we would never have to have this conversation again. I really do appreciate that Paul is doing his part and applaud him for it.

[illiad]

'hiding away' is not the answer... there is a big ugly world out there, so the soonest they learn about it, and how to avoid the 'traps', the better they will become stronger in character, unlike some petty people reported in the papers.. 'shocks' are needed, so you realise your stupid problems are tiny in comparison!!!

I have many good friends from Europe, and there are plenty of topless Mediterranean beaches, but to the locals, they are about as boring as yesterdays news!!
- It is only foreigners who are stupidly obsessed by it...

[Mark N]

'hiding away' is not the answer... there is a big ugly world out there, so the soonest they learn about it, and how to avoid the 'traps', the better they will become stronger in character, unlike some petty people reported in the papers.. 'shocks' are needed, so you realise your stupid problems are tiny in comparison!!!

I have many good friends from Europe, and there are plenty of topless Mediterranean beaches, but to the locals, they are about as boring as yesterdays news!!
- It is only foreigners who are stupidly obsessed by it...

That is why blocking the problem from sight will always fail. The more taboo something is made to be, the more people will want it and usualy not in a good way. Europe has proven this by the nude beaches being family places and not the domain of the perverts only. It just happens to be that the sick minority tend to get all of the press and no one mentions the rest of the happy well adjusted ones (proof that media bias is a bitch).

[Cyberpawz]

Thank you for your input and for letting me know that I wasn't entirely wrong...I guess that I was projecting and you are right that I can't control how people will look at these images and I should just enjoy the ride that Paul is taking us on. Thank you for reminding me to just chill!

I do want to clarify that I was not meaning to sound judgmental toward Paul or any women or to the commenters on here. If I did I apologize.

I have two teenaged boys and have struggled to be sure they do not objectify women and hope that they continue to grow into caring, compassionate young men that treat everyone with mutual respect. My 17 yo has a talented and brilliant girlfriend that is well endowed, I know that what he sees is more than just the physical aspect of her, because I know him, but I also know her mother well and know that she has struggled with how she looks and being taken seriously. She is very shy because of it all. I just wish there was a way to stop the way this culture perceives women and girls as nothing more than T&A so we would never have to have this conversation again. I really do appreciate that Paul is doing his part and applaud him for it.

American culture is another story all together, the problem with today's culture as being the T&A culture as you called it, which is pretty accurate, is also self-created. When you get the president doing a selfie, and the most googled topic is still sex, you need to look at the foundation of it's cause.

Now before anyone gets at me for what I say here, I am going to say up front, I am a feminist at heart, and my wife calls me a equalist, which to her means that if people wanted to be treated equally, that is exactly what I'll do. That being said, what I am about to say will rial people up the wrong way...for that I am sorry, but sometimes the truth hurts.

We have allowed the creation of the culture we are dealing with today, we have allowed the Baby-Boomers to bring up the Gen-Exers in such a way that we as a culture can be told we can do no wrong, that today, everyone wins a trophy, and that if they fail it wasn't their fault. Now with the Gen-Exers having kids, it is harder to raise a child, because of the hyper sexualization of TV, the lack of morals that our "Music Artists" show, and how it's ok to romp in their underwear while "singing" about what they want to do in public, or in a bar, anywhere else, is just fine.

Where George Carlin's 7 dirty words (back in 1970s) has been upgraded to over 2,000 before he died.

There is no more morality, or at least borders in which we know not to do any more, where the difference between porn stars and teenagers on video sites today is one gets paid to spread their legs, the other hopes to get paid a little for doing so, I'll let you figure out which one I am talking about, but lets be honest, if we wanted to clean up everything, the internet, the way our kids were raised, etc... we would have to actually in many cases be parents, be the village, and be the people that interact with others in the neighborhood.

The reason we can't let our kids out any more just to play is because we lost that neighborhood mentality, we are stuck connected to our XBox, our PlayStation, or whatever else is there, and instead of knowing our neighbors, we talk to people all over the country through our chat programs and forums.

There isn't much we can do unless we are willing to change ourselves, and our ways of living.

[illiad]

too right, there are too many moaning about women 'being taken advantage of', without thinking that it is the *men* who pay women lots of money to do stuff...
I am still amazed by the american adult market, where it is *profitable* to have a horribly distorted body (lips, two baseballs stuck to the chest, and worse... )

[Cyberpawz]

too right, there are too many moaning about women 'being taken advantage of', without thinking that it is the *men* who pay women lots of money to do stuff...
I am still amazed by the american adult market, where it is *profitable* to have a horribly distorted body (lips, two baseballs stuck to the chest, and worse... )

Then you have women who are also paying women to do a lot of stuff, don't forget some porn stars became producers... that being said, the American Market for porn is starting to be dwarfed (all puns intended) by the international market. The issue comes into play that there is a level of competitiveness inside the porn industry, as well as general female culture. Men aren't the only one attempting to "Keep up with the Joneses." any more.

With modern science and surgeries, that no longer needs to be a problem. Want bigger boobs, go pay for them, want to loose 30 lbs, lypo, perfect lips, surgery or injections, breasts lifts, tummy tucks, removal of ribs for a smaller waist, all possible today... with Playboy, A&F, and other places showing sexy women as what men want, it's no wonder why this is happening.

My wife is a perfect example of this, she is going through Gastric-Bypass because she is obese by medical standards, and with her health issues, that is exactly what I worry about when she looses the weight. She is 5 ft 3, if she looses 100 lbs she will be down to 145 or so... she has already talked about doing a few things to make her look "healthy" bun in reality it's vanity talking.

So the question is, where do we have a say in things or not? She's an adult, I really don't have much say in it, but that case if she was my kid, I probably would put my foot down.