This week, Manstream Comics posted some panels (please note that Manstream links can have icons or pictures which may be considered NSFW) from Fantastic Four #547
The complaint was not about the pencils and the posture (though there is a smaller debate on how she is drawn going on in the comments) but that Storm is upset that someone suggested her hair was not real. Many Manstream readers felt that it was a portrayal of a vain, frivolous woman and not the Storm they knew and loved.
Cheryl Lynn (of Digital Femme fame) had a different interpretation:
She is also a friend, a wife, daughter of an American citizen and a black woman…and I think it’s great when these aspects of who Storm is are shown to readers as well. She is experiencing a very intimate and frustrating moment (one that many black women experience often) with family and friends. Why would the queen or goddess dominate at a moment like that?
I understand that many fans have issues with sexism regarding Storm, and there have been scenes in BP that I haven’t been happy with. However, it often seems as if whenever Storm is behaving in a warm or human manner or is involved with any aspect of African-American culture fans flip out. And I can’t help but wonder if in the same way that many male fans are irritated at having to give up “their” female characters and see them “handed over” to female fans when artists and writers finally portray these characters in decent costumes and have them act like capable human beings…that non-black fans are equally as irritated by seeing black characters like Storm who they consider to be “their” heroes being “handed over” to black fans when artists or writers portray these characters as experiencing moments that are common to black people or participating in African-American culture. It becomes “too black” for them.
Is Storm going to start telling Ben not to “get up in her grille” next?
I certainly don’t want Storm saying outdated corny phrases that no one uses anymore either. And she doesn’t seem like the type to use slang. However, Storm being openly frustrated due to rude comments about her hair isn’t the same thing as adding a “layer of jive” to black characters or a “layer of moron” to female characters. It’s showing a very real common problem that many black women face that gets under our skin. When I read that scene, I immediately recognized that Storm wasn’t being vain or flighty at all, she was a woman who had likely been accused thousands of times of being false or deceitful by wearing a weave and had finally snapped. And I realized that because of my own experiences. And I was grateful to see my own experiences reflected in a comic. To have a scene in a mainstream comic that actually acknowledges the unique experiences of a character who isn’t a white guy? That’s a step forward.
But it also brings up a good question. Should writers give up on showing the cultural experiences of characters who aren’t white American males because those instances might be regarded badly by people who aren’t familiar with the culture in question? I say no, but others might disagree.
This may seem like the laziest column I’ve ever done, but I really can’t top that comment.
June 29th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
In answer to Cheryl’s question, writers of Black characters should be allowed to be true to their creative vision in terms of cultural accuracy. This will help the comic industry overcome two prevaling stereotypes that turns off potential readers:
1. White comic fans can’t accept well rounded characters who don’t look like them.
2. Comics are irrelevent and even hostile to mainstream Black readers and their experiences.
So, McDuffie and Marvel made the right call by keeping the scene in FF #547. That took a lot of guts.
Besides, the scene IS funny.
June 29th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
I met a girl in college once who had the most beautiful, layered blond hair I’ve ever seen. The stupid thing that came out of my mouth was, “Your hair isn’t bleached, is it?”
Any idiot could look at her hair and tell it was natural, and the way I phrased the question didn’t come out right at all. Her reaction was, “I’m so tired of people asking me that,” and she rolled her eyes in frustration. It was obvious that she’d heard that question many, many times before and was sick of hearing it.
That’s why I laughed when I read those panels. I’ve been in Ben’s place. It also made me like Storm more than I ever have before. Seeing an extremely capable woman have a sore spot about something made her feel a lot more human.
June 30th, 2007 at 6:17 am
This is probably a stupid question (what is the saying — there are no stupid questions, only stupid people?) — but is it possible that the uproar isn’t even so much over Storm responding in a way that associated her more with a particular ethnic group, but that it may have been read as more of a gender reaction (oh, here is a woman being ‘vain’ about her appearance)? I bring this up only because Storm has not been a character who has often been portrayed as one who has seemed to put a lot of value on her appearance in the past (not saying that she has never done it … but for the most part it doesn’t seem as though it has been something of major concern to her).
I didn’t even read the particular issue in question, so I’m not commenting from the P.O.V. of someone who saw the representation (and I’m not saying she was vain or the comment indicates she was vain — I’m just asking if it is possible perhaps there was that perception from some of the readers).
June 30th, 2007 at 8:23 am
Skullduggery: That’s certainly the sticking point as far as I’m concerned.
I see where Cheryl’s coming from with her interpretation, but I disagree with her implicit suggestion that Storm has never been depicted in the context of African-American culture (or rather, that fans have never been receptive to such attempts).
The thing is, as far back as I can remember, Storm wasn’t “Americanized” in the sense that her African heritage was left behind (the way, one might argue, Magneto’s ethnic identity has become so muddled and confused). Now, I’ll certainly concede that there’s a lot more to Africa than the tribal-earth-mother-goddess-slaughter-chickens-in-your-name material Claremont used to work with when establishing the character, but I do feel it was an authentic attempt at depicting someone who comes from another culture and isn’t being assimilated/consumed by the WASP world.
McDuffie’s mistake was taking a situation that, as Cheryl says, certainly should resonate with women (and probably would have seemed humorous with, say, Sue or Emma Frost), and grafting it onto a character who’s never been defensive or even concerned about her appearance. Let’s not forget that Storm wore a mohawk and leather for most of the ’80s, just because she felt like it. So it just rings false to me.
June 30th, 2007 at 9:28 am
Diana: I may be wrong (its been years since I read those 80s mohawk issues) but Storm struggled with appearance issues back then too. She didn’t change her appearance because “she felt like it” but rather because she wanted to escape the image that people had developed of her; that of an Earth-goddess who was more than a little wary of having fun.
Now, I’m a man so I don’t really know how true this scene is…but it makes sense to me that a woman who was being accused of basically faking her hair would want to defend herself. Also, I remember more than a few issues where she would be brushing her hair as a form of soothing herself. So I think its also part of the character.
Again…I would have to re-read much of late 80s/early 90s x-men to find the issues with those scenes in them…but I’m pretty sure they are out there.
June 30th, 2007 at 10:38 am
I think the thing that bugs me about this scene is not that Storm reacts that way, because it’s a perfectly natural way for someone to react, but that I have never seen someone accuse a male hero of doing something to keep from going bald, which is probably the closest analogue. “Hey, Tony, did you get plugs? ‘Cause that’s what Reed said …” With women characters, it’s often all about their appearances. That’s the annoying thing. I know it reflects the “real world” (unfortunately), but these days, when men are getting more and more vain, I’d like to see someone suggest that Ben Grimm gets a pedicure and see how he reacts.
June 30th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
That’d be more Johnny’s style, no?
June 30th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Yeah, Johnny’s a total metrosexual.
I was actually thinking the other day that it would be funny if someone found out that Reed is actually 6 inches shorter than he appears. Over the years he’s been gradually making himself taller and nobody noticed.
June 30th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
“Should writers give up on showing the cultural experiences of characters who aren’t white American males because those instances might be regarded badly by people who aren’t familiar with the culture in question? I say no, but others might disagree.”
Actually, the writer, Dwayne McDuffie, is a black American male. That means he may have been more comfortable writing that than, say, I would.
June 30th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Also, I just discovered that that whole scene was based on a real-life situation McDuffie and his wife had with a co-worker a few years ago. Dwayne’s wife, who had waist-length hair at the time, was “Storm”, the coworker was “Ben”, and Dwayne was “T-Challa”.
June 30th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
*sigh* Here we go again.
Many Manstream readers? There were three of us who commented that it read as sexist/vain to us if you count the Manstream operator/admin who posted it initially. There were more black Manstream readers who enjoyed the scene commenting on it.
And if you read, once the extent of the hair invasion issue was explained both of the readers of Manstream changed their view to that it was not that Storm didn’t have a right to be as angry as she did, but that scene did not communicate the background behind her anger to readers who were not in a position to know about it.
I realize what it looks like from the comments visible on the top level but really it is different once you read in depth.
June 30th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Diana — Actually, that’s exactly it. The Manstream Comics post was upset about the gender roles and showing Storm as getting worked up over her appearance, and since it has been pointed out that this the sort of comment Storm probably hears a hundred times a week from various places, like many black women hear snide comments about their hair.
Jkarabella — You mean the later comments which were made after Cheryl Lynn linked the post on an anti-racism community?
June 30th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
“but that scene did not communicate the background behind her anger to readers who were not in a position to know about it.”
There’s only so much that can be communicated. Is a background on women and their feelings about hair really necessary?
If you didn’t understand the background, then “sexist/vain” wasn’t the best conclusion to jump to. A writer can’t explain every motivation behind a character, all he can do is demonstrate it. And if he demonstrates it, then for somebody out there it’s going to be the first time that they see it. The reader does have some responsibility to ask “why did she react that way, is there any possible good reason for it,” before assuming the worst.
The thing that’s weird to me is that people had such a strong reaction to this at all. If a female character is shown worrying about her appearance an inordinate amount of times, that I can understand worrying about. When people get upset the very first time it happens, it seems to me like they’re expecting not just super-human powers, but super-human patience. I *like* seeing Storm have a sore spot about something. She can’t be super calm and capable about everything.
July 1st, 2007 at 6:09 am
CodeGuy: But you’ve just pinpointed the problem - this is the very first time something like this has happened to Storm. It’s not, as you suggest, the first time she’s been shown to have a sore spot - claustrophobia, the burden of leadership, failed relationships, the trauma of her parents’ deaths, the occasional desire to just drop the whole mutant thing and go back to Africa… that’s all been part of her character until now. She’s arguably one of the more consistent characters in “X-Men”.
And even if we’re being charitable, and ignoring certain other icky factors that Hudlin brought to the table, for McDuffie to have Storm “wig out” over such a superficial, trivial thing as some nobody questioning her appearance… it’s just deeply, deeply out of character. And if you take that in conjunction with what Hudlin’s been doing with her over in “Black Panther”, it paints a much uglier picture.
July 1st, 2007 at 6:37 am
Diana– This image seems to suggest that this isn’t the first time it’s happened to Storm. Cheryl Lynn posted it in the link that Lisa posted a few comments up.
http://i15.tinypic.com/6bvil1l.jpg
Her “silent sigh” suggests that it’s a question she’s gotten before, and is more than a little tired of.
And I’d hardly call Ben Grimm a “nobody.” I’ve always figured that the X-Men and FF have had a relationship of mutal respect at the very least, and warm comraderie as well. Someone you respect asking you an irritating question is much worse than some nobody doing it. The person you respect should know better.
Questioning someone’s appearance isn’t always superficial or trivial. That sort of thing is an insult just like calling someone fat or a coward.
I don’t think it’s very out of character at all.
July 1st, 2007 at 7:05 am
CodeGuy:
“Is a background on women and their feelings about hair really necessary?”
Clearly my opinion is: Yes.
Maybe I am strange because I am male and have had my hair groped and fondled by women (envious of it’s curl and softness), but then again none of the people I share a house with got it either so maybe I’m not.
I am however, certainly bothered that everyone is very eager to assume if someone in the audience didn’t get it, clearly it’s their fault.
“A writer can’t explain every motivation behind a character, all he can do is demonstrate it.”
And thus… explain it. Furthermore there is no one saying he has to explain every motivation, just ones that he’s going to spend two pages or more on or be ground breaking character development.
Lisa:
“Jkarabella — You mean the later comments which were made after Cheryl Lynn linked the post on an anti-racism community?”
Well yes, those are the vast majority of the 100+ on there and explains the sudden influx. But before Cheryl linked to it there were just as many reader comments praising the scene as condemning it.
And two readers out of 135 (plus however many watch the RSS) is still not “many”.
July 1st, 2007 at 8:02 am
David: Except that, in this case, Cheryl’s overlooking the obvious in favor of a non-existent subtext that supports her position - simply in terms of panel composition, Storm is quite clearly responding to Kitty going ballistic, not Harmony touching her hair.
Also note that there’s a big difference between Harmony saying she would like her own hair to look like Storm’s, as opposed to, say, asking Storm where she bought the wig.
And Ben isn’t the source of the comments in the McDuffie issue, he’s only the messenger.
July 1st, 2007 at 8:12 am
I’m not so sure that she is “quite clearly” responding solely to Kitty, seeing as there is no indication of that in the panel. Her sigh is in response to the both of them.
And Ben isn’t the source of the comments in the McDuffie issue, he’s only the messenger.
A friend walking up and basically saying “Jamie Q from Accounting said that you’re wearing a wig, is that true?” is just as offensive, if not more so, than Jamie Q saying it to your face.
July 1st, 2007 at 4:50 pm
“McDuffie’s mistake was taking a situation that, as Cheryl says, certainly should resonate with women (and probably would have seemed humorous with, say, Sue or Emma Frost), and grafting it onto a character who’s never been defensive or even concerned about her appearance. Let’s not forget that Storm wore a mohawk and leather for most of the ’80s, just because she felt like it. So it just rings false to me.”
To be fair, I don’t recall Black women back in the 80s wearing mohawks to be rebellious. That’s more of a White punk culture thing.
The issue many are skirting is that Storm’s earlier portrayals were based on IMAGINED Black culture and experience (African or African-American). So, some non-Black fans steeped in Marvel continuity naturally are shocked when they are exposed to real Black culture and experiences…like Storm dealing with the “Is your hair a weave?” question.
I could go on, but comic vet Christopher Priest has already beaten me to the punch:
http://phonogram.us/comics/powerfist.htm
http://phonogram.us/comics/adventures/frames/chips3.htm
July 1st, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Jkarabella — If you would like to split hairs, I’d be happy to.
Checking the dates (it was posted on the 25th, and linked on the 27th), I count 5 comments by 4 people condemning it before Cheryl Lynn showed up (on the 26th). After she made her point, she got some agreement and a second thread was started by a commenter who had much the same point. That’s 6 people commenting before it was linked on the antiracism community, and 4 had immediate reaction that agreed with the original post.
As for the rest of the readers, they were silent and there is no guessing at their thoughts. But of the vocal readers, a 2/3 majority felt that it was not the Storm they loved and with that ratio I would call the majority “Many.”