Why is this Western-specific?: Most Common Superpower

@USAF 713

Basically... the idea here is that "the Western superhero genre enforces superheroes having a heroic build, which for females includes large breasts".

So it's like... why do you object to this trope being about a specific genre, when the entire point of the trope to begin with is to catalogue a pattern found in that specific genre?

edited 13th Sep '11 6:27:06 PM by Jeysie

And for some reason the only bit that's enforced for the Western Superheroine version of Heroic Build is chest size. Small and wiry with a large rack, tall and muscular with a large rack, medium height and very curvy with a large rack, it's the one enforced commonality in builds. As long as the character is over 18.

The description does need a rewrite, though.

Heroic Build though imo is open to spoofs and references in other series. Its popular with the Ultimate Hero types like the Memetic Sex God Jecht◊ from Final Fantasy X.

He is called "the body of a bronzed god". in disidia by penelo

edited 13th Sep '11 6:46:57 PM by Raso

In general though, spoofs and jokes about this build without being about Western Style superheroes tend to fall under Gag Boobs. Because it's comedy centred on breasts. Examples from other media mocking Western Style Superheroines chests is fair game.

Didn't we figure this out already? Seems to be 1 person's opinion versus recent consensus, and is therefore a non-issue. Can we be done with this?

Unless there are new issues, which I'm not hearing: this was just settled after lengthy debate, and re-opening the matter so quickly just because one or two people are unhappy with the consensus is inappropriate.

We already beat this one into the ground.

I still think the description needs a rewrite, but we can take that to Trope Talk.

That's not really what trope talk is for. Tweaks maybe, but not a full definition rewrite.

It started somewhere in the late 60s...I think when Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby and Joe Kubert started becoming popular for drawing bolder, more dynamic superhero art, but really kicked into overdrive at some point in the 70s, or as comics fans would call it, the Bronze Age (you could even go about a year further, in 1969, when Vampirella first appeared. This, in general, was when comics began to bet more risque, and when female superheroines (usually Distaff Counterparts of established male heroes) really took off. I'm not sure precisely where the trend started, but at some point Sex Sells really hit a high point in the comic industry, and the easiest way to ensure a character is sexy iwas to make her buxom and show lots of skin.

Also, it's like I mentioned before: for a long while, teen heroines averted this trope, because they were supposed to look younger. For example, compare Shadowcat and Jubilee in their first appearances to most of the adult X-Women at the time. (Both have undergone heaps of Fail Polish since then, though.) And speaking of Fail Polish, i think that—combined with the rise of the Ascended Fanboy—has a lot to do with why superheroines became more and more sexualized over the years. Remember, the 90s (also known as the Dark Age of comics) was when people thought Invisible Woman could get away with a costume like this one◊.

Anyway, as for why it's exclusively focused on boobs...well, it's the most universal way to make a character sexy. Some guys may like certain body shapes, certain facial features, etc, but like I said, surest way to make a female character "impressive" is to give her a huge rack. Even in Japan, where more slender and petite women are celebrated, they occasonally dip into the other end of the pool—particularly when a woman is supposed to be "mature" Faye Valentine◊ for example. I think a lot of it is because, in American comics, we like to assume that a superheroine could be a Sex Goddess if she ever really, truly, actually wanted to.

edited 13th Sep '11 10:51:35 PM by KingZeal

"i think that—combined with the rise of the Ascended Fanboy—has a lot to do with why superheroines became more and more sexualized over the years"

That's Promoted Fanboy. Ascended is for In-Universe characters.

So the current definition is definitely staying and I'm not sure simply tweaking the trope description calls for a trs thread, least not this one. I'm gonna call for a lock.