Wherein I Rant About the Taboo Against Being Attracted to Drawings
Okay! Teh ranting time! Yes.
I got into this mid rant with a friend on MSN last night and thought that I would leave her alone and just post it here =p So here goes.
Hvae you ever noticed this MASSIVE taboo against thinking that animated characters are attractive in Western cultures? It kind of bothers me. Like, I can go on and on about how cute a given animated character is and it`s a totally valid observation. Or about how gross and ugly one is, and that`s alo valid. BUT if I start going off about how HOTT an animated character is, be it anime or Disney animation, people either get real quiet and stare at me sideways, or right out say "But he`s ANIMATED."
Well, god, sorry. I`ll declare it right now. ANIMATED MEN CAN BE AND OFTEN ARE HOTT. Now that we got THAT out of the way, I`ll put in an observation of my own, that you may or may not agree with. ANIMATED MEN ARE, GENERALLY, HOTTER THAN REAL ME BECAUSE THEY ARE DRAWN TO BE PERFECT. I have seen few non-animated men who can compare to animated men in the HOTTness field. And I don`t think there is anything wierd, unnatural, or unhealthy about this. My younger sister, who is a pop culture loving type of girl, admits that at least computer animated guys are HOTTer than real men, becuase they are built to be PERFECT.
I do not think there is anything odd, unnatural, or unhealthy about finding animated men or women attractive.
There is this taboo we have against it, and it`s a fairly new one, at that. In the 40s, when betty Boop was a popular cartoon charatcer, she was a MAJOR sex symbol. Sometime between the forties and now, The freedom for someone to say "Betty Boop was HOTT" has been taken away, and I really don`t know for what reason.
I am entirely sure that even though you aren`t "supposed" to find animated people attractive, Hollywood knows that we still do. Why else do they design beautiful people for thier heroes and heroines in Disney movies? Why else do their heroines wear skimpy clothes and thier heroes have totally irresitable personalities? Ever watch Anatasia? Watch the way Dimitri`s hair moves, and the bishounen way he tucks it behind his ear. They KNOW they are attractive people, and, even if they won`t admit it, the viewers will be attracted to them.
The eastern cultures CERTAINLY don`t have this wierd taboo with finding animated characters HOTT, you can buy hentai comics in vending machines there. But Westerners HAVE it! And it is freaking ANNOYING.
I, frankly, am tired of the sideways stares when I say that I think an animated man is HOTT. Because they are. I can`t help some idiots who think that its perverted to find these men attractive.
Oh, another little annoyance. I could SOO get away with saying "Wow, Yui is SO pretty in that outfit!" when watching Fushigi Yuugi, but I couldn`t get away with "Look, Suboshi changed his outfit! Isn`t it HOTT?" You can never comment safely on a member of the opposite sex. This just goes to show that this is a taboo, and not rational reasoning.
The final point I have is more of a humorous one. People`s reactions to the knowledge that hentai exists are either "UGH!!! BUT THEY`RE CARTOONS!" or "Who freaking cares? They`re cartoons." Both of these comments I find utterly hilarious. Two totally different reactions for the same reason. And in response to the nudity in anime, they either get really indignant or pretend not to notice. I remember the first time I saw nudity in anime, I was horrified. Honestly, it grows on you, I don`t flinch now. There`s a difference between porn and situational nudity. I just find it funny to watch people`s reactions. Oh, and to hear them talk about how the Sailor Senshi are "naked" in Japan when they transform. They get this wierd, violated expression on their faces. I laugh so hard at that. That is SO not nudity, there are just a few more lines than in the IDIOTIC, heavily censored dub. (Haruka and Michiru cousins. *guffaw*) Just watched people`s faces when they find out some stuff about the Japanese Sailor Moon. It`s absolutely hilarious. Or they might get all indignant.
Oh, and on a related note, I read something in Miss Manners (Who can go to hell) where she said "I find it disgusting when an adult watches an animated movie." Yeah, Miss Manners? Go to hell. Who EVER made this funny idea that animation was only for children!? Thank you, Japan, for proving to us that there is some sanity left in the world. I love it when people do this funny face when you tell then that anime is crude, perverted, bloody, and violent. They launch into this tirade about curruption of children. And then go and watch American advertsing with their kids. People are hilarious.
So, more or less, this is all to say three things. One: Where the crap did we get this taboo and what did we do to deserve it? Two: I think animated people are damned HOTT, so piss off! Three: North Americans are hilarious about their taboo, so bait em as much as you can.
Oh, and Four: Miss Manners is a loser.
