Karen Healey is one of my favorite comics critics. She reads with a discerning Feminist eye and writes hard-hitting articles about sexist slip-ups in the superhero genre. She’s gained her reputation for having uncompromising standards, with targets that range from usual suspects Greg Land and Frank Miller to lauded writers Joss Whedon and Gail Simone. No one gets a pass in this column.
But up until now, she’s focused on superheroes. She is a superhero fan, after all. The entire mission of the hosting website is to bring awareness to the female superhero-reading community. So why is Karen reviewing a book that is dedicated “to every man who’s ever given a stripper a dollar”?
Because the publisher sent it to her.
It seems they thought a free handout would give them a pass.
Update: Kevin finds more to this.
October 5th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Actually, I think the mentality is that making people aware that the book exists is the first battle. A review that trashes it isn’t a bad thing because if someone finds out about it from a bad review, that’s preferable to that person not knowing the book exists.
October 5th, 2006 at 5:28 pm
Lyle — I’ve heard that reasoning, but it seems awfully flawed to me.
October 6th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
I’ve heard theories about the “new wave” of ads before. The idea is that people are too used to positive, “hip” ads or ironic ads, so being bizzare or controversial is the new way to slip under the radar. These ads compete for cherished mental space in your head, not necessarily a positive first image. Marketing firms want people talking about the stupid/weird/nonsensical ad and post about it on their blog and host it on You Tube and…etc. So maybe the next time you’re in the store you’ll just REMEMBER their brand over their competitors.
“to every man who’s ever given a stripper a dollar”
I clicked on the link to the blog, and I have to say Karen’s response to that line of the book was fantastic.
October 9th, 2006 at 12:45 am
It may seem counter-intuitive, but bad reviews can work.
Back in the 80′s, religious nitwit Bob Larson reviewed some truly lame and barely known heavy metal album and described how violent, overly-sexual, depraved, and generally spawned from Satan it was. The band was excited to then watch their sales go way up. Way, way up. Other bands saw this and sent their albums in to be shredded on the air, and they benefitted from the bad reviews just the same. Bad press isn’t as good as good press, but it can still get results. It spawns curiousity to see if the thing is really as bad as described.
I see in the comments section that Healey specifically avoided giving the publisher any quotes that might look good on the cover or in solicitations. Sounds like she was ready for their any marketing tricks.