Grrl Power #523 – Field flirt
I guess this is flirting, but it’s hard to tell if they’re actually being a little insecure or just circuitous since it can’t happen while she’s his CO. In any case, good job Anvil?
Amaranthine means unfading, ceaseless, or everlasting, but can also mean purpleish, so I’ve decided that Dabbler will henceforth refer to purple haired women as amaranthettes. I am unaware of another word that’s been commonly adopted for that purpose within fiction (since purple hair unfortunately doesn’t exist in nature.) I came across this while searching for a word that meant “constant and oppressive” but couldn’t find what I wanted and this seemed like a word Max might know.
I really really wanted to do a page leading into this one with numerous panels showing the different ways guys look at boobs, or try to not get caught doing it, to show that Max isn’t coming totally out of left field when she gets grouchy any inappropriate attention since it’s something a lot of women have to deal with basically all the time – but 1) it would have required some subtle and difficult angles to draw. I wanted to do it all from a girl’s first person perspective (or even Max’s but it would be hard to tell it was her if it was first person), and as most women are shorter than most men, it would require drawing rather challenging low camera angles of faces. (Note the questionable high angle shot in panel two.) And 2) a lot of these would work far better if they were animated, even if it was just the eyes, and I don’t have time to do that. Besides I’d have to relearn how. The last time I animated something was probably on my Amiga.
So instead, here’s the list I came up with. Feel free to contribute.
- The “Almost Caught” or The Fly Up – This is when a woman looks away, and when she looks back at the guy, she catches his eyes flicking back up to her face (from her chest or her butt.) This would have been one of the ones benefiting from animation to catch the flick of the eyes.
- The “No, I was looking at something behind you, honest” – When you’ve totally busted the guy, and you both know it, but he leans slightly and focuses his eyes past you. “Oh, what’s going on outside of the window? That’s what I was looking at the whole time actually.” Weirdly this actually works some of the time. She turns to look and he gets another look at your boobs. Actually I think women usually know what’s going on but don’t want to be confrontational about it.
- The “What does your shirt say?” – He realizes he’s been caught, but you’re wearing a graphic tee and he doubles down and reads what’s on your shirt, and probably comments on it. “Coca-Cola? I’ve heard of Coke.”
- The “Oh My God” – The poor guy, usually younger, who forgets all decorum and just stares wide eyed, lost in the hypno-cleavage.
- The Dart – You’re having a perfectly normal conversation with a guy, but he has this weird tic. His eyes keep twitching downwar… oh, right, you’re wearing a deep V.
- The Sweep A.K.A The Assessment – This isn’t so much boob centric as much as it’s that full body look over, down then back up.
- The Leer – This is the one that prompts the “My eyes are up here.” The non-stop lock on.
- The “I am a lion and your breasts are gazelles” – Basically the same as The Leer, but more intense and usually from further away.
Double res version will be posted over at Patreon. $1 and up, but feel free to contribute as much as you like.
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Dongs Ahoy!Full frontal and backal. Lots of skin, sex on some or all pages, explicit or otherwise.
This all makes me think of my basic problem. I am average height, but past injuries and age make it painful to carry my head in a forward or upward position. And on my campus, many of the women students are my height or taller — regardless of whether they can see my eyes, my head is chest-focused. I don’t want to look, but it is the part of their bodies that is directly in my face. (Yes, that is also the direction of my gaze with men.) Add in the academic’s common OCD, I look wherever there is movement, which with an animated woman speaker is the area I am consciously trying to avoid looking toward. Oh, and I am trying to read all the shirts with the weird slogans.
Oh I feel so sorry for you. Being medically unable to avoid looking at nubile girls” breasts all day!
*jealous glare*
I know a lot of times girls are wearing witty t-shirts with clever sayings on them (especially when you hang around with nerds a lot). I’ve a few times got accused of boob-staring when I was trying to figure out something like what Chewbacca has to say to Minecraft Steve that’s worthy of putting on a t-shirt. It’s like, “No, I’m a Star wars AND a minecraft fan, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE CROSSOVER POINT IS!!! PLEASE FLATTEN YOUR BOOBS SO I CAN ACTUALLY READ IT!”
*thumbs up for boob-flattening-so-you-can-actually-read-the-teeshirt aesthetic*
Open disclosure: I’m a big ol’ arachnophobe and my buddies know it. I go over to my friend’s house one day and his daughter (who has been told my weakness, and wants to tweak me) is wearing a t-shirt where the entire front is a full-color rendering of a tarantula. After a couple hours of no reaction from me, she whispers something into her father’s ear; he turns to me and says that this daughter wants to know if I have in fact seen what was on her shirt. I tell him that yes, I have noticed that she is wearing a giant spider; but I didn’t think it would be cultured of me to be spending a lot of time staring at his 16-year-old daughter’s chest.
I generally compulsively read all text in my area, so the T-shirts I stare at contain in most cases things like “1990 cheesburgers.” It’s a big pain of mine. The primary reason I don’t suffer too much from it is, because I read fast.
I generally find more movement in the mouth but maybe that’s just my aversion to eye contact chiming in again.
Smooth Hiro, real smooth. Guess you’ll start bucking for a promotion now eh?
If he wants to stop ‘playing the field’ and ‘go steady, with Maxima, someday, then yea. Quite some incentive.
He better not break her heart though!
If he does I will bite his ankle!
I highly doubt he has any ankles left if he breaks her heart.
or that biting his ankle will do anything.
Here is a guy who aught to be checked out for super-powers!
Top of the list is invulnerability or other supernatural defenses. But also check for recently-acquired electrical or flame powers.
Finally examine the plane too, to see if it is actually an illusion-cloaked mini-flying-saucer, complete with inertial dampeners, fire suppressant system’s and/or force fields. The wreckage looked suspiciously unsinged, when compared to the fireball it created when hitting the road!
*picks up magnifier*
This is how people discover they have superpowers. Or the rubber of fixed landing gear clipping a transformer on a telphone pole.
Sometime in the last century, some lazy engineer decided to balance dangerous electrical explody boxes on top of tall skinny sticks so that dogs won’t pee on the boxes, just the bottom of the sticks. And then placed thousands of these stick-bombs next to roadways all around the world where the biggest trucks travel.
Nice to know that society prioritises dogs, like that!
*wags tail in a friendly way*
Could harem not instantly pop in with new clothes ?
Maybe she’s partially tied up with communication relay duty and trying to help the injured kitty.
Harem can teleport back to the base, as that is a familiar place. But she could not then return to this location, as it is not somewhere she knows intimately.
The other trick that she could do is to teleport to anywhere that one of her other bodies could see, regardless of how well she knew the spot. Unfortunately all her bodies are assigned to different teams. So none can be spared just to get clothes. Plus, even if they did, then they could not get back to their own team, for the same reasons.
Dabbler offered Hiro another piece of her outfit to cover up his bits. He refused…
“Women have to put up with that enough…”
Wait, that’s a thing? Women have to “put up” with people looking at them?
When you look at the spectrum of sexual behaviours you do find that women suffer more. From rapes and attempted rapes, through workplace sexual harassment and all the way to verbal and non-verbal harassment, in public.
The latter including wolf-whistles, leering and other behaviours that intimidate or scare women. Of which staring at their breasts, and trying to look down their cleavage, are aspects that will contribute to that, if the women are in situations where that is not welcomed. Such as if alone on public transport or walking home at night.
If a woman is in a bar, and looking for company, she may be hoping for such reactions. If she is doing her shopping or picking up books at the library, such is less likely to be appreciated, and more likely to be found creepy.
Of course men can be subject to comparable behaviours. However, when surveyed about it, far fewer report negative experiences. As these ratios are similar to those of reported crimes, such as rapes, we can see that these fears are justified.
So that’s what Hiro is talking about? He’s talking about rape? Does that mean looking at a woman is rape?
That is not what I said. I laid out my arguments quite plainly. I see no need to rephrase it, just because you choose to misinterpret it.
I appreciate you have an issue with the fact that people can be made to feel uncomfortable with the way that others behave towards them. However if you wish me to respond, I suggest you come up with a counter that actually has relevance to what I stated.
“I laid out my arguments quite plainly.”
Wait, you’re trying to argue with me? I thought you were explaining something to me. No wonder I couldn’t understand what you meant. You were looking for an argument.
Why do you have to turn everything into an argument? I’m starting to think you have a vendetta against me.
“you choose to misinterpret it.”
I don’t know how to interpret you anymore o_O
“I suggest you come up with a counter that actually has relevance to what I stated.”
Actually, I’d feel more comfortable if you didn’t reply to any of my comments anymore. I get the feeling all you wanna do is fight with people on the internet, and I don’t appreciate that.
You’re doing that “choosing to misinterpret it” thing again. Or you are stupid. Just because some one says that they have “laid out their arguments” does not necessarily mean that they are either argumentative or looking for an argument.
And then you roll right into full bore jackass.
Learn 2 English, yo.
Firstly I would like to apologise for giving you the impression that I have a vendetta against you.
I can assure you I do not. Rather I find you interesting. You make thought-provoking comments. Sometimes I agree with them, other times I do not.
It would be a shame not to be permitted to acknowledge the good points you make. Likewise to not be allowed to debate any interesting ideas you have, and explore the interesting places the conversation might go. However if such causes you distress, and you would rather I refrained from that, I can certainly make the effort.
However I choose not to be censored from replying on matters that I consider to be wrong. Even though this may cause you to be unhappy, I do not think it appropriate to allow (for example) misinformation or flawed morality to be stated as fact and left unchallenged.
In this case you couched your comment as a question, but the implication was clear that you felt women were being unreasonable in ‘putting up’ with people looking at them.
In doing so you are failing to appreciate that staring at women’s boobs can make them uncomfortable, and therefore is considered rude. This is disturbing enough that I felt the need to speak up*
In order to explain the reasons why this discomfort is felt, and to show that it is not irrational, I laid out the psychological and sociological reasons underpinning it.
Whilst we use laws to control the most extreme aspects, of anti-social behaviour, such as rape, society does not do the same for the most mild ones. Rather we have social conventions, such as telling people that ‘it is rude to stare at boobs’.
However some people either do not understand this, or choose to ignore it. Whilst normally they can simply be avoided (or ostracised from polite company, as the case may be), such behaviour becomes problematic, in the workplace, where that would not be an option.
As such more progressive countries have enacted sexual harassment laws, which protect people from such behaviours. So whilst you would not be sent to jail for staring at boobs you could loose your job.
I feel these are useful points to air.*
* Especially given that this is a pro-feminist comic and this page is directly concerning this issue. To leave it unchallenged would be to give tacit approval to the implication. Which I have no intentions of doing.
I must reiterate though that it is the comment I had an issue with, rather than yourself. Whilst we do clash on such points, at times, this is because we have conflicting ways of viewing morality. Personally I find that interesting to debate. Plus I would not condemn anyone for having a different world-view to me.
However I also realise that there will be a point of diminishing returns. You hold your convictions just as strongly as I do. So it is appropriate to call a halt to proceedings, if they are unlikely to find areas of common ground.
As such, I think I have aired all the points that I would wish to, on the matter. I must add further apologies for how long the post is. I felt that covering them all, comprehensively, would be less distressing to you than a prolonged debate. For myself too, for that matter. I dislike heated debates, and try to defuse such, rather than provoke them.
Clearly you may wish to respond to the various points I have raised. Which you may do so without the fear that it will provoke me to reply, as I will respect your wishes to not respond further. On this topic. I reserve my rights on future ones, but will try to respect your sensibilities.
Wow Yorp, I am shocked speechless. I appreciate your comments and the feedback you’ve given to this reply. Being a guy whom had been sexually assaulted at work and raped (by an older woman) as a child, I often think about what I shouldn’t do as well. Your choice of argument about mores versus laws is quite interesting and once more, I thank you for this post.
As the counter argument, men have to put up with women or other men looking at them as well. Most women are just more subtle about checking out your assets than most men.
I’d accept your apology, but I’m not sure if I should really trust you. As Mr. Oberon has demonstrated, the comment section for GrrlPower is just a hostile place. It’s almost as bad as the Spinnerette forums. (And they’re mostly RP about things unrelated to the comic, but I digress.)
“In this case you couched your comment as a question, but the implication was clear that you felt women were being unreasonable in ‘putting up’ with people looking at them.”
No, I was asking a simple, direct question. I wanted a woman’s perspective. What I got was snark and ridicule, and this isn’t the first time. Hell, I’ve been called a barbarian and worse for expressing the opinion that billions of people should have a massive conspiracy held against them, but that’s just my opinion.
I’ve recently discovered the term “virtue signaling” before, and that’s what this comes across as.
“this is a pro-feminist comic and this page is directly concerning this issue.”
And here’s the root of the problem. If what you’re saying is true then this will likely be the last comment you see from me. In my experience feminists are hostile, and the last time I tried having a conversation with a few I was literally physically attacked. It was at an indie comic store in Portland, and the attack was caught on camera, with several witnesses.
At first people made excuses for the attack, then they tried to deny it took place (despite the fact it was caught on camera). My girlfriend saw the whole thing, and the only reason I didn’t press charges was because there were no injuries that resulted, and I was moving to Vegas in a few weeks, thus making litigation difficult.
Though I’m sure none of you are to believe any of this, I will assure you (or rather insist) it was a civil conversation until that twig attempted to backhand me, and her hairy friend grabbed me from behind.
So yeah, if that’s what this is about, then I’m not surprised that I’m being called a “full bore jackass” that needs to “learn 2 english, yo.”
“Clearly you may wish to respond to the various points I have raised. Which you may do so without the fear that it will provoke me to reply, as I will respect your wishes to not respond further. On this topic. I reserve my rights on future ones, but will try to respect your sensibilities.”
I simply don’t believe you. Nothing more to it than that. I just don’t believe you.
The reading the shirt thing.
I actually do read the shirts. I can’t help it. Doesn’t matter who it is. If there’s visible writing, I instinctively read it. Obviously I hate billboards when I’m driving.
I’ve been called out by ladies for reading their shirts, but they do seem taken aback when you angrily point out to them that if they don’t want people reading their shirts, they shouldn’t have writing on them!
If I do something inappropriate or rude, intentional or otherwise, I might not advertise it, but I will own up to it. On the other hand, if someone chews me out for something totally normal and innocent, I have a touch of righteous indignation to direct at them.
As far as I’m concerned, getting upset at someone reading the writing on your chest is like them grabbing your hand and then yelling at you for touching…
I can’t say I blame you. I guess I have lucked out in my reading, because that has never happened to me.
Many t-shirts can be read at a glance, so aren’t really a problem. And if they are, well as you say that is the wearer’s issue, not ours. One tip that I can offer though, is one inspired by my driving instructor. He chewed me out for not looking in my wing mirrors enough. Which got me ticked off, because I had been paying meticulous attention to them.
He replied “That is all well and good, but I am training you so that you can pass your test. If your tester does not see you looking, then you will get that marked down as a failed point. You need to draw attention to the fact that you are looking. So rather than just glancing over, you need to turn your head.”
I adapt this principle and move my head from side to side, as I am reading. This avoids giving the impression of staring, and increases the chance that the wearer will realise what I am doing. To cap it off, if the slogan is funny I will be sure to laugh. Again that is less likely to be misinterpreted than a smile alone.
Obviously if a witty one-liner springs to mind, regarding the t-shirt, I will say that. Which usually evokes a laugh, if it is both good enough and they are quick-witted enough to get it.
I don’t though use that as an excuse to get chatting with them. Male or female, some folks can feel unduly awkward in such situations. So I then break eye contact and turn my attention to the scenery or whatever else may be interesting around.
That part of the tactic is crap though. It is better to take to take the chance, having broken the ice with a laugh. Whilst it may result in discomfort, the possibility of striking up a friendship or, more importantly, meeting the love of your life, should not be passed over.
*gloomily looks out the window, at the birds*
Maxima’ combadge is gone! :O
I’m photosensitive. I have to wear sunglasses even on overcast days, as well as in brightly lit rooms, as it tends to seriously hurt my eyes if I don’t.
One of the side-effects of this is that I get stared at a lot. Presumably most people think I’m just a douchebag because sunglasses indoors (because they are actually douchebags, basically). Some people presumably think I’m blind, because they just stare and stare and stare and stare and it doesn’t seem to even register with them that I can see them staring. It is very annoying. They frequently look either pitying or disgusted.
One of the OTHER side-effects is that I can totally stare back, and they totally can’t see it. I’ve got second and third opinions on this matter.
Also I’ve taken to looking with my eyes and not moving my head, so as to further cover where my own eyes wander.
.
Despite all this… the stats show the place I’m most often staring at on a female is… her face. How disappointing, huh?
Thank you for using the word “literally” correctly.
“I came across this while searching for a word that meant “constant and oppressive” but couldn’t find what I wanted and this seemed like a word Max might know.”
Incessant!
adjective
(of something regarded as unpleasant) continuing without pause or interruption.
(Also unabating or ceaseless, but incessant has the most negative connotation.)