Propaganda watch

[BIAD]

....I think that the comic book industry has adapted to appeal to wider audience that includes more minority
characters in order to survive...

Right there is the true reason why the 'Comicgate' and the 'Gamergate' situations arose.
But if you tell the buyer the real reason it might effect ones livelihood and so a supposed
'higher' reason was created.

Of course there are people who can latch onto the idea that comics were catering for a certain
select group and they were catering for a select group, but it had nothing to do with gender or race,
it was to do with their market location.

Girls bought girl's magazines because the contents were for a generic girl to appreciate. The same
went for 'action' comics and boys.
A simple struggling medium used a blown-up outrage-provoking narrative which saw the opportunity
for a power-grab to salve their undeveloped emotions and the comic-industry ran with it.

The same comic-businesses believed that for a short time, it would promote their products in minority
sections, develop their characters to cater for these communities and the die-hard regular readers would
assume it's just part of a changing paradigm and continue to purchase their favourite comics.

What they didn't figure on was that for large sections of their customers, they'd see the 'take-over' and
openly rebel or just move-off to another interest. The indifferent and neutral owners of comic companies
were hoping that the change may initially take-up any shortfall and then quietly move their story-lines back
to near where they were and just encompass a larger 'diverse' readership.

What they also didn't take into consideration was the actual power-grab by certain parties that was based on
a belief and not preference.
.............................................

Peter Parker was a character, he wasn't white or black, gay or straight... he is an imaginary persona that was
used in exciting adventures that offered the grey-areas of decision-making in adulthood that lay ahead for the
young reader. That's it.

If he'd been Peter Parker, the scrounging photographer living hand-to-mouth, getting only part-time employment
from The Daily Bugle and struggling to get Mary-Jane to put-out for him, the bored customers would've moved to
something more interesting and Ditko would've dumped the character.

However, if you're a young person with emotions that don't fit into the accepted norms of Parker, The Reeds and
Bruce Wayne, then melodramatically -you're the outsider with the natural need to be part of a group.
What better way than taking a group, demanding via emotional taboo of certain prejudices and discrimination that
this group conform to your own beliefs without any resistance.
And quickly adding that to resist this change proves you adhere to accepted negative societal norms.

It enforces your own confidence that you're correct and offers a section of villains that you can fight for your 'cause'
with. It ensures that you will be a 'comrade', part of something and as the adult-world awaits, you no longer feel
alone.
Yer' know... the way young people have always felt when they're told to put their toys away and be an adult.

Bolstering ones doubts brings great benefits to a kid who sees the daunting prospect of failing in a world where
you're told you're supposed to succeed in.

Comics never dealt with real life head-on, the world on those pages spoke of heroism, bravery and gaining faith in
oneself through pious actions that helped others. It had nothing to do with immature confusion about a changing
body and adolescent concerns of how the world works.

It's just sad that make-believe has become believe.