Covers which only show a "sexy" woman -- why its stupid
May 9, 2018 3:30:47 GMT -5
Post by edmonddantes on May 9, 2018 3:30:47 GMT -5
So, there's a trend that's been going on for awhile now across just about every medium.
In video games, especially digital-only releases (like the King's Bounty games--not the original MS-DOS one, there's a newer series--as well as stuff like Akane the Kunoichi which even has an HG101 article ), but also manga and anime where even physical releases often have covers that do nothing more than show a bland picture of some girl just standing there.... and I've lately seen novels doing this too though I'm sure this has been happening since at least the days of pulps...
And here's my thing: It's stupid.
The logic behind it is that having a sexy character sells the work.
That logic is stupid beyond all belief.
ONE: there was actually a study into whether or not sex really does sell. The finding was that if anything, it has the opposite effect , that people are more likely to not only not buy the product but actually to view it in a negative light. Which makes sense--by using sex as a selling point you're essentially saying you think the consumer is an idiot who thinks only with their balls, but at the same time you're also saying there's nothing about your product that's worthwhile beyond getting jollies off... which when the product is something you can't actually have sex with, is kind of a stupid thing to promise.
TWO: But here's where I really facepalm. Fact is, ANYTHING--even sex--loses its value if its overdone. Like the HG101 article I linked to in the first paragraph stated, big boobs are supposedly a way to get attention... but if every game does that, then how the hell does it even work? How many pairs of boobs can you see before they all start looking samey and generic? Even when I was in my mid-teens, it didn't take long before I thought all anime women looked the same and actually started to hate it a little.
And if sex never gets old--okay, explain the existence of viagra then.
Good cover art, I would think, tells you something about the work itself. Take the cover to F-Zero on SNES: You look at it, and it tells you that this is a racing game that takes place in the far future. Good call. Or the 1980s Raymond Bayless covers of Lovecraft books such as this one. Lovecraft's books kinda gravitate between being horror and being more like just really weird fantasy so his covers adequately conveyed that (lesser publishers like Del Rey often use art that completely misses the point).
One thing I just found which I like is this: the original Doom's cover right next to Doom 2016's. Now, while Doom 2016 isn't a sexy woman, its just as boring and represents another stupid trend--it just shows some dude standing there like he's waiting for the photoshoot to be over. The older cover actually shows SOMETHING HAPPENING.
It's kinda sad, really, that cover art is often the place where artists and publishers cheap out and just half-ass it, like the artistic version of a dump stat. We need more good cover art. And no I don't think the prevalence of digital sales in any way changes this.
YOu guys have any thoughts?
In video games, especially digital-only releases (like the King's Bounty games--not the original MS-DOS one, there's a newer series--as well as stuff like Akane the Kunoichi which even has an HG101 article ), but also manga and anime where even physical releases often have covers that do nothing more than show a bland picture of some girl just standing there.... and I've lately seen novels doing this too though I'm sure this has been happening since at least the days of pulps...
And here's my thing: It's stupid.
The logic behind it is that having a sexy character sells the work.
That logic is stupid beyond all belief.
ONE: there was actually a study into whether or not sex really does sell. The finding was that if anything, it has the opposite effect , that people are more likely to not only not buy the product but actually to view it in a negative light. Which makes sense--by using sex as a selling point you're essentially saying you think the consumer is an idiot who thinks only with their balls, but at the same time you're also saying there's nothing about your product that's worthwhile beyond getting jollies off... which when the product is something you can't actually have sex with, is kind of a stupid thing to promise.
TWO: But here's where I really facepalm. Fact is, ANYTHING--even sex--loses its value if its overdone. Like the HG101 article I linked to in the first paragraph stated, big boobs are supposedly a way to get attention... but if every game does that, then how the hell does it even work? How many pairs of boobs can you see before they all start looking samey and generic? Even when I was in my mid-teens, it didn't take long before I thought all anime women looked the same and actually started to hate it a little.
And if sex never gets old--okay, explain the existence of viagra then.
Good cover art, I would think, tells you something about the work itself. Take the cover to F-Zero on SNES: You look at it, and it tells you that this is a racing game that takes place in the far future. Good call. Or the 1980s Raymond Bayless covers of Lovecraft books such as this one. Lovecraft's books kinda gravitate between being horror and being more like just really weird fantasy so his covers adequately conveyed that (lesser publishers like Del Rey often use art that completely misses the point).
One thing I just found which I like is this: the original Doom's cover right next to Doom 2016's. Now, while Doom 2016 isn't a sexy woman, its just as boring and represents another stupid trend--it just shows some dude standing there like he's waiting for the photoshoot to be over. The older cover actually shows SOMETHING HAPPENING.
It's kinda sad, really, that cover art is often the place where artists and publishers cheap out and just half-ass it, like the artistic version of a dump stat. We need more good cover art. And no I don't think the prevalence of digital sales in any way changes this.
YOu guys have any thoughts?