In the past week or so we’ve seen Toon-a-MILFs.  We’ve observed Frank Miller seemingly becoming Dave Sim before our eyes (Val D’Orazio has a good play-by-play on that).  We’ve had previews of covers for all-ages comics featuring tentacle porn.  And of course we’ve been subjected to the infamous “comiquette” of MJ Watson looking as though she’s just waiting to be, um, MILFed by lonely fanboys, copious discussion of which has made it as far as the NY Post and Toronto Star, and which is still going strong in the cultural and feminist blogosphere (more about that later). Is it any wonder that this spring a young (and not-so-young) woman’s fancy turns to enraged frustration?

Sure, on the face of it, the subject matter of these fascinating and insightful discussions isn’t as life-and-death urgent as any number of real life atrocities happening to women around the world.  (No culture warriors actually make that claim, by the way, contrary to implications by “concern trolls” that their priorities are skewed, as if one cannot simultaneously fight against sexism in both geopolitical and cultural venues.)  But it’s reflective of an attitude by half the population towards the other half that may finally, bit by bit, be going the way of the dinosaur, and it’s worth examining.

It’s been my empirical experience that cultural leaps forward often come from a situation where it’s “darkest before the dawn.”  Sometimes the most egregious and outlandish examples of pop culture sexism occur at the point at which women are making significant strides in convincing the media corporations (now, with actual women employees!) to move beyond the boys’ club mentality.  But this same point harbors much danger, like a wounded animal, as many men act from a misplaced sense of pride or fear and dig in their heels more stubbornly than before. (more…)