Rawhide Kid is gay???? - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Drbio · 12-09-2002, 03:28 PM

Click here for the low down

This is nuts. You all know I am as tolerant as most folks, but I just don't like this. Issues involving sexuality in childrens comic books are bad form IMHO.

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

Rhylan · 12-09-2002, 03:45 PM

What a dumb idea.. just more stuff from the controversy factory.

veruca salt · 12-09-2002, 05:07 PM

Sounds hilarious, and it's easy enough to not buy them for your kids if you find it
to be inapropriate.

Drbio · 12-09-2002, 10:00 PM

Not bashing any class of persons here. I just don't think young children need to read comics of a sexual nature.

southern_sweets · 12-09-2002, 10:02 PM

I not exactly a comic book kind of person. So, just how is this topic even brought up. Is the guy just drawn to look gay or is it in the story. I'm confused!

MavKikiNYC · 12-09-2002, 10:55 PM

Rawhide

<< Although shy with girls, the original Rawhide Kid was not intended to be gay. The new version uses double entendres and euphemisms to reveal his homosexuality without saying anything explicitly. Based on a blurb on Marvel's Web site, the tone may be campy. In a bubble in the first edition of the series, Rawhide Kid comments about the Lone Ranger: "I think that mask and the powder blue outfit are fantastic. I can certainly see why the Indian follows him around." >>

...

<< Although many readers will accept the new sexuality of the Marvel hero, Reinert expects possible negative responses from people who don't accept homosexuality and readers who do not want to see a change in their beloved character. >>

THE STORY: Get ready to slap leather! That loveable red-headed scamp is back! And no one handles a hot rod like the Rawhide Kid!

Sounds more controversial in concept than execution. In fact, that kind of double entendre and euphemism is and always has been sprinkled liberally (of course) throughout scripts for mainstream programs like "The Simpsons" and "Malcolm in the Middle". My guess is that it goes right over most kids' heads until they have enough context to understand the references--at which point, arguably, they're old enough to be exposed to it.

Comic books like 'Archie', 'Bunny', 'Wonder Woman','Spiderman', 'Superman' have all addressed sexuality (albeit heterosexuality) to some degree, insomuch as they depict normal socio-romantic relationships between males and females. This shift in sensibility for 'Rawhide' appears to seek to extend that depiction to male-male relationships.

Ultimately it is the parents' responsibility to determine what kind of subject matter their children are exposed to, as well as responsbility for fostering tolerance and acceptance.

I think I might be more concerned about the violence content of a lot of comics (or objectifcation of women, or gender role stereotyping), before I'd be upset over a campy comic that probably won't appeal to many kids in the first place, and that contains references that most younger readers likely wouldn't begin to get.

veruca salt · 12-10-2002, 05:17 PM

<< Not bashing any class of persons here. I just don't think young children need to read comics of a sexual nature. >>

And i understand that totally (and agree with you) all I'm saying is that it sounds hilarious to me, I might enjoy reading it, but like you said children don't need to read anything hetro/homosexual at a young age.
What age is the comic aimed at? I know there are a lot of adult comics, teen and childrens comics. There all pretty different, no?
There is some questionable material that I wouldn't want young children reading in other comics, like gratuitous violence...and have you seen how some of those women are drawn (if that's not exposing children to material of a sexual nature, i don't know what is!!)???

edit:
I really should've read MavKikis' post before i responded to you Doc, I may not have ranted on so much.
So yeah, I basically agree with everything he said, he just expressed it much better [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

Hoopsmeister · 12-10-2002, 07:47 PM

<< What age is the comic aimed at? >>

I really doubt it is aimed at 'young kids'. Marvel's bread and butter is high school and college kids, and I assume they think that somewhere in there is an audience for campy gay cowboys. If they were going for a younger audience they'd do something flashier and simpler than trying to resurrect a worn-out Western comic.

MFFL · 12-10-2002, 09:32 PM

<< children don't need to read anything hetro/homosexual at a young age.
What age is the comic aimed at? I know there are a lot of adult comics, teen and childrens comics. There all pretty different, no?
There is some questionable material that I wouldn't want young children reading in other comics, like gratuitous violence...and have you seen how some of those women are drawn (if that's not exposing children to material of a sexual nature, i don't know what is!!)??? >>

The new Rawhide Kid is part of Marvel's Max line. The Max line targets older readers and has a parental warning on it similiar to a rated "R" movie. I shelf my Max comics on a higher shelf and do not allow anyone under 18 to view or buy them.

veruca salt · 12-11-2002, 04:06 AM

see, look at that, MFFL practices safe comic selling [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

MavKikiNYC · 12-11-2002, 08:57 AM

<< see, look at that, MFFL practices safe comic selling [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] >>

Wrapped in plastic.....