Comments on: Ask John: Is Moe Sexist? http://www.animenation.net/blog/2008/06/17/ask-john-is-moe-sexist/ Anime News & More! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:35:56 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: A Shoujo Protagonist Moment of Epiphany | Anime Blog Online http://www.animenation.net/blog/2008/06/17/ask-john-is-moe-sexist/comment-page-1/#comment-3359 A Shoujo Protagonist Moment of Epiphany | Anime Blog Online Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:47:13 +0000 http://www.animenation.net/blog/?p=12913#comment-3359 [...] does not define a woman, in fact, it’s often said to be a feminist portrayal of women. It’s but icing on the cake, supposed to be found on top of the qualities [...] [...] does not define a woman, in fact, it’s often said to be a feminist portrayal of women. It’s but icing on the cake, supposed to be found on top of the qualities [...]

]]> By: The Scrumptious Anime Blog | A Shoujo Protagonist Moment of Epiphany http://www.animenation.net/blog/2008/06/17/ask-john-is-moe-sexist/comment-page-1/#comment-3357 The Scrumptious Anime Blog | A Shoujo Protagonist Moment of Epiphany Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:03:37 +0000 http://www.animenation.net/blog/?p=12913#comment-3357 [...] does not define a woman, in fact, it’s often said to be a feminist portrayal of women. It’s but icing on the cake, supposed to be found on top of the qualities [...] [...] does not define a woman, in fact, it’s often said to be a feminist portrayal of women. It’s but icing on the cake, supposed to be found on top of the qualities [...]

]]> By: crilix http://www.animenation.net/blog/2008/06/17/ask-john-is-moe-sexist/comment-page-1/#comment-490 crilix Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:40:50 +0000 http://www.animenation.net/blog/?p=12913#comment-490 The answer to that question is: fiction has been losing the reputation of a "responsible" entertainment form ever since people started practicing the concept of free speech with it. Whether ideas and content introduced are progressive or conservative or degressive doesn't matter; moe fuels media that is in line with free speech. To draw lines with gangster rap and racism is a bit of a stretch when talking moe though... The answer to that question is: fiction has been losing the reputation of a “responsible” entertainment form ever since people started practicing the concept of free speech with it. Whether ideas and content introduced are progressive or conservative or degressive doesn’t matter; moe fuels media that is in line with free speech.

To draw lines with gangster rap and racism is a bit of a stretch when talking moe though…

]]> By: seanny http://www.animenation.net/blog/2008/06/17/ask-john-is-moe-sexist/comment-page-1/#comment-457 seanny Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:37:23 +0000 http://www.animenation.net/blog/?p=12913#comment-457 Is gangster rap racist? Does it promote unhealthy stereotypes of black male machoism? Does money rap glamorize materialistic status symbols such as tire rims? Obviously the answer is "yes and that's the whole point too" In essence, asking if moe is "sexist" calls into question what level of responsibility art/entertainment has in forwarding 'progressive' world views like gender equality. I think when it comes to niche, nerdy categories like moe, my answer is "not a lot". Moe is not so much a 'genre' as it is a category of aesthetics that reduces and simplifies characterizations to recognizable fetish objects, personality traits and archetypes. By its very nature, it's not often going to have the sophisticated, realistic character portraits required to overcome stereotyping. Moe instead operates through simplicity... its idealized worldview and "pure" characterizations make much of its appeal. Asking if moe promotes sexism kinda misses the point. I imagine it promotes sexism as much as Grand Theft Auto 4 promotes crime and Dance Dance Revolution promotes real dancing. Is gangster rap racist? Does it promote unhealthy stereotypes of black male machoism? Does money rap glamorize materialistic status symbols such as tire rims? Obviously the answer is “yes and that’s the whole point too”

In essence, asking if moe is “sexist” calls into question what level of responsibility art/entertainment has in forwarding ‘progressive’ world views like gender equality. I think when it comes to niche, nerdy categories like moe, my answer is “not a lot”.

Moe is not so much a ‘genre’ as it is a category of aesthetics that reduces and simplifies characterizations to recognizable fetish objects, personality traits and archetypes. By its very nature, it’s not often going to have the sophisticated, realistic character portraits required to overcome stereotyping. Moe instead operates through simplicity… its idealized worldview and “pure” characterizations make much of its appeal.

Asking if moe promotes sexism kinda misses the point. I imagine it promotes sexism as much as Grand Theft Auto 4 promotes crime and Dance Dance Revolution promotes real dancing.

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