Are you ever reluctant to write evil/insane characters?

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > Are you ever reluctant to write evil/insane characters?

ElTipejoLoco: Feb 27, 2013; Let me fix your avisynth scripts! It'll only take me a couple horus.

I drew a man running and then I felt tired and sweaty so I took a two-hour long shower, after which my fingers were all prune-y so I couldn't hold anything without my fingertips feeling funny, and I believe this is a clear example of a drawing affecting the physical world that makes absolute sense. You know, from a psychological point of view.

Incidentally, maybe people wouldn't think you're posting just for the sake of it if you made a habit of editing your older posts to respond to posts you missed, instead of double and triple posting like a bandit. Hope that helps!

# ¿ Sep 1, 2015 19:59

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# ¿ May 23, 2024 06:55

ElTipejoLoco: Feb 27, 2013; Let me fix your avisynth scripts! It'll only take me a couple horus.

Applewhite posted:

Thanks for the tip. I'm sorry if I do things differently. I know CC has evolved a slightly different posting culture than GBS.

All of the sub-forums are different from one another. It's safe to assume that no one wants you to post the same way anywhere. Which is why the regulars, lurkers, and frequently probated or banned users develop in each. This is subject to change at any time due to mod, rule, or sub-forum changes.

It's also why this thread was re-opened: CC's rules are different from those in GBS. If you had read them, you might've thought twice before closing your own thread.

That aside...

Applewhite posted:

It definitely affected my creative life a lot and I think it has improved my consciousness quite a bit when it comes to producing more generalized content and audience selection.

... It seems kind of unfair of you to pretend that creating a character design is somehow different than writing a character. Are you implying an artist's mindset is different from an author's? That, working under the assumption that an author is affected by their work, an artist who draws a slobbering individual contortion-ed in a straight-jacket, with tears, saliva, and snot dripping from their face, is affected less than an individual trying to write out the contents of said character's thoughts?

Because by claiming that drawing 'cheesecake,' as you've put it, into a character's design prior to implementing it into a choose-your-own-adventure project did not affect beyond a very business-like way, it appears that your claim is "my question only applies to everyone else, but not to me for reasons I will not reveal any time soon." As if by outsourcing the character's personality you've somehow waived any responsibility for their design.

Or were you not afraid that by objectifying a woman via character design you would come off as a misogynist of some caliber?

It might just seem a painfully obvious joke to you, helpfully labeled and packaged as such, and perhaps your desired audience saw it for what you meant it to be. But there's all kinds of humor out there. By picking the one you chose, did you believe that perhaps it wasn't going to become a telling aspect of your personality? That it says something about you what sort of things you feel are fine to make light of? That your joke might not only fall flat and might even outright offend some people?

Do you ever worry that by writing a joke about a group of people you're not a member of you'll become unable to take said group seriously and vice-versa?
_{_{_{Get it, it's your original dumb question given a practical spin.}}}

# ¿ Sep 2, 2015 02:00

ElTipejoLoco: Feb 27, 2013; Let me fix your avisynth scripts! It'll only take me a couple horus.

Applewhite posted:

Ah okay. I apologize for the breach of etiquette. I felt bad enough wasting your time and thought closing the thread would be the most dignified option rather than have the thread drag on in a pointless flamewar.

Rules are kind of important to maintain dignity in most situations. Just own up to the fact that you didn't bother reading them- the consequence of breaking it was handled by a mod, and an unrelated apology (subforum rules are not all exactly about etiquette) is not really necessary.

Applewhite posted:

I can only speak for myself, and can't tell you how you feel, but as a person who both designs characters in a visual medium and "writing" a character are two very different processes for me. My "artist" mindset is different from my "author" mindset.
I certainly didn't mean to imply that an artist is not affected by their work, either. I do think that imagining the image of a subject and "getting inside the head" of a subject would probably affect the creator in different ways.

Well, you have to claim that their affects are different because otherwise you would be admitting that your initial question was pointless once the scope was extended to include people who draw or compose images and music meant to convey evil or insanity.

Applewhite posted:

Even as I intended Space Tits to be an empty vessel avatar for the players, I couldn't keep all my own ideas about her personality and history out of the design.

And why is that? Especially as someone who claims can keep their artistic and authorial mindsets separate, it seems like it would have been a trivial matter to excise your artistic influences for the sake of keeping the character a blank slate. Why did you feel compelled to use the character design as-is? Why not make the players' character a new, more personable one and have 'Space Tits' be a deutaragonist, giving you the freedom to keep intact her 'personality and history'?

Applewhite posted:

ElTipejoLoco posted:
Or were you not afraid that by objectifying a woman via character design you would come off as a misogynist of some caliber?
Yes, but I can't base all my decisions on fear.

Here's the crux of your problem: Fear is not frequently unfounded. Not one person is even entertaining the possibility that you're serious. I hope that was your end goal.

Applewhite posted:

I think jokes are a double edged sword in that regard. Mean jokes can exclude people and make them feel small, but the same mean joke in the right spirit can also be inclusive. It's an old saying "we only tease the ones we love" and I think it's very true. Friends "belittle" each other all the time, dredge up past embarrassments and even make prejudicial comments about race or sex. However, such jokes among friends are intended, not to belittle the person, but belittle the differences they supposedly mock. They break down the barriers between people and encourage a sense of belonging to a larger group that transcends our petty divisions.

I don't think anyone actually appreciates jokes made at their expense. They're just considered socially acceptable compared to the threats of physical harm or sexual assault that are also prevalent in this day and age. Add to that the tendency for Western cultures to teach men to bottle up their emotions, and you'll find that these jeers just go unopposed or are responded with mutual 'platonic negging' in the cases where the victims choose not to voice their discomfort at being the butt of a joke that may or may not even be funny to them. Heck, the whole 'joke at another's expense' tends to be a one-way street in most cases as most people that can dish out jokes can rarely accept being made fun of. It's just thinly veiled bullying in a group under the guise of friendship. And that's terrible.

If you want to be inclusive and friendly, maybe you shouldn't be using a 'double-edged sword' that can just as easily backfire. Let the stand-up comedians juggle with those.
_{_{_{Did I really just type 'platonic negging,' haha wow.}}}

# ¿ Sep 2, 2015 05:32

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > Are you ever reluctant to write evil/insane characters?