New TCG wallpaper is putrid, but in a sexy way
by Samuel Axon 
Apr 16th 2008 at 11:00AM
Blizzard has released a new wallpaper featuring exquisite artwork from the "Mias the Putrid" card from the WoW TCG. The work is just as fantastic as it was with previous TCG-themed work -- maybe even better. Well, nothing is gonna beat the Stefen Colbear thing, but still. It's fabulous.
I say it's "putrid, but in a sexy way" with tongue in cheek, of course. This evil Mias lady is half-naked. She's in chain-slave-bondage. Oh, and ... I'm not one of those guys who has all the cup sizes memorized, but I'm pretty sure that proportionally this is on the higher end. No, I'm not gushing; I actually have a point! WoW Insider has talked about sexism in WoW before, but usually we've focused on the actions and words of some male players, and not so much on things like the art style of the game or the TCG. I'm not making a judgment here; I'm just pondering.
See, when I saw this new image, I thought of a conversation I had with a friend of mine a couple weeks ago. She long since quit WoW, but she said that as a female gamer it's always a little frustrating when many of the female characters are half-naked elf-slaves with huge breasts. What a standard! But then, doesn't WoW's art style exaggerate the male characters' muscles and such, too? Ah, well. It's food for thought. Type up your two cents if you want. Or just download the wallpaper.
I say it's "putrid, but in a sexy way" with tongue in cheek, of course. This evil Mias lady is half-naked. She's in chain-slave-bondage. Oh, and ... I'm not one of those guys who has all the cup sizes memorized, but I'm pretty sure that proportionally this is on the higher end. No, I'm not gushing; I actually have a point! WoW Insider has talked about sexism in WoW before, but usually we've focused on the actions and words of some male players, and not so much on things like the art style of the game or the TCG. I'm not making a judgment here; I'm just pondering.
See, when I saw this new image, I thought of a conversation I had with a friend of mine a couple weeks ago. She long since quit WoW, but she said that as a female gamer it's always a little frustrating when many of the female characters are half-naked elf-slaves with huge breasts. What a standard! But then, doesn't WoW's art style exaggerate the male characters' muscles and such, too? Ah, well. It's food for thought. Type up your two cents if you want. Or just download the wallpaper.
Filed under: News items, Fan art, WoW TCG
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
A Female Gamer Apr 16th 2008 11:06AM
>But then, doesn't WoW's art style exaggerate the male characters' muscles and such, too?
Yes, but the fundamental difference tends to be:
- Male Exaggerated Features: Symbols of fitness, power, etc.
- Female Exaggerated Features: Symbols of Objectification
innajunglestylee Apr 16th 2008 11:19AM
In before 13 year old internet f-wads call you names.
TobiasX Apr 16th 2008 11:37AM
Isn't that just society being sexist and stupid though?
Thought humanity was over this by now -.-
Naix Apr 16th 2008 11:38AM
"- Female Exaggerated Features: Symbols of Objectification"
You could say the same for the male features are symbols of objectification as well because fitness and power come off very sexy to the female gender. Fundamentally speaking.
Just because a woman has been blessed does not mean there is no more to her than what she has been blessed with.
Blizzard molded its characters after because it's pretend land and not real.
Arturis Apr 16th 2008 12:50PM
I find it interesting that Blizzard releases a new wallpaper and the Sexism in Fantasy Art argument flares up, but a post not more then 7 posts prior is about an amateur artist created a "Bad Girls of Warcraft" set of pin-up art ( http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/15/the-bad-girls-and-good-girls-of-warcraft/ ) and the topic isn't even hinted at by either original post or comments.
Not that I am saying that either place is more or less valid, but speaking as a fellow not-yet-professional artist (I'm working on that as fast as I can, guys, I promise) I just find the contrast fascinating. Draw your own conclusions on that.
Yes, I'm going to burn in Pun Hell, I know. I couldn't pass that one up.
MightyIdle Apr 16th 2008 2:09PM
Let's have Blizz make a MMO where the men and women all look like their real life counterparts and let's see how many games they'd sell.
The men can all have couch dweller, beer drinking pot bellies or pale and pasty emaciated mama's basement dwelling physiques. The women can sag in just the right places with bon bon munching hips.
The sexism argument is pointless in a fantasy based game. The men want their heroines to be fit and pleasing to the eye. They want the characters they play to be buff. I doubt the ladies want to play a characture of Rosie O'Donnell, either. And if they wanted to see a 'real' male physique, they can scope out their husbands in the shower every morning. There's a reason why sex stops after a few years of marriage and people pay to see boobies online.
It's kinda along the lines of why you never see normal looking people in the movies or in print. People are attracted to beautiful and sexy.
Taxis Apr 16th 2008 2:32PM
Because females don't objectify muscles at all, and all males think skinny women with huge breasts are attractive?
MightyIdle Apr 16th 2008 2:38PM
Men and women are certainly wired differently. I'm not personally a guy who falls for the first skinny thing that walks by. Sure, I'll look but I'm wise enough to know it's what's under the hood, so to speak, that is important.
It's a good thing that a few of us actually grow up and realize that brains and personality are a lot more fun to be around than a trophy body.
Throck Apr 16th 2008 2:49PM
Exactly right, Naix. By A Female Gamer's use of the loaded word "Objectification" in relation to female images, he/she/it implies that such representations are inherently negative. After all, who wants to be merely objectified? And the words "fitness" and "power" in relation to male images suggest positiveness. After all, who would reject being fit and powerful? I contend that both categories of images are objectificational and that they also both indicate fitness and power. A Female Gamer's phrasing simply shows bias for male images and against female images in WoW's art.
Narlic Apr 16th 2008 1:56PM
To quote, "they're real. They're not mine, but they're real."
vildand Apr 16th 2008 11:11AM
Aren't these controversies getting rather old? I mean really, instead of talking what is right or wrong you should be teaching people how to laugh at everything about themselves and still feel awesome.
All those self-saved high-moral bastards who run around preaching their insanities are themselves guilty of being intolerant to intolerance.
The art is awesome, and let's leave it at that.
Milktub Apr 16th 2008 11:30AM
Pick your battles, maybe. Turn a blind eye? Nope. Where would our discussion of race be if the dominant portrayal of African-Americans was still the "tarbaby/porchmonkey" art style that was THE art image until just about 60 years ago?
MightyIdle Apr 16th 2008 2:27PM
It's really two completely different issues. Comparing the horrors of the African-American plight to this issue really isn't fair. Battling racism is the noblest of causes but fighting over a silly issue like this is rather petty. I"m not entirely convinced this can even be included under the blanket of sexism when taken with the other really serious issues women have faced. The glass ceiling and the right to vote vs. males ogling fake female figures in a FANTASY video game?
It's a given fact that most males are libido driven and really appreciate the female form. It makes sense to market to that. It's also a fact that will never change no matter how many times you cry sexism. You might brow beat males into hiding it better, but I don't think that'll happen because there are way too many willing female accomplices posting their boobs on myspace now days.
Gessilea Apr 16th 2008 11:13AM
While it would be great to see a wider variety of body-types in the game, I've resigned myself to the fact that the half-naked, big boobed female will remain a part of fantasy games for the foreseeable future. At this point, what I'm interested in is seeing a little more quid-pro-quo. Case in point, the holiday clothing this past year. The outfit for the ladies? Certainly drool-worthy. The outfit for the men? Knee pants? Hang on a minute here! Sure, the male avatars are beefy, but how come they don't get shown off more?
MightyIdle Apr 16th 2008 2:12PM
Because you're greatly outnumbered. 8)
Badger Apr 16th 2008 11:20AM
You just *had* to bring up that bullshit discussion about 'sexism' again, didn't you ...
peaglemancer Apr 16th 2008 11:21AM
Anyone know if there is anyway of replacing the default loading screens with images like this? I only ask as the loading screens look horribly pixelated at high resolutions.
Dakira Apr 16th 2008 11:26AM
Blood Elf Jock-Strap FTW...
On a more serious note art (I use the term loosely to include, pictures, movies, theater, video games etc.) has and will objectify something, isn't that the point of it?
If you don't like the art don't buy it, look at it and play it, but that doesn't give anyone the power to enforce there views of morality and taste on anyone else.
Also when it comes to Fantasy art, one has to remember its is fantasy and no in any way shape or form meant to represent reality!
Milktub Apr 16th 2008 11:27AM
Yes, but the fundamental difference tends to be:
- Male Exaggerated Features: Symbols of fitness, power, etc.
- Female Exaggerated Features: Symbols of Objectification
That's the kicker there. Yes, the artwork for males is unreasonably buff. Yes, that may cause some body image issues for young man. But it's an image of power, domination and strength. The female artwork is grace, beauty ... basically, "eye candy."
And anyone who calls discussions of sexism "bullsh**" should really stop listening to their grandfather about how the world is run.
Dakira Apr 16th 2008 11:32AM
Agree...
But I think the discussion should really be about art... after all are the Mona Lisa or the Sculpture of David cause to break out an argument of sexism?
I guess in 200 years folks might look back on the "art" of Warcraft and feel about it as many historians do about the "classics".