Strange Grew Up With Me: Sentimentality and masculinity in readers of superhero comics - article ; n°1 ; vol.7, pg 5-27

Éric Maigret

Description

Réseaux. The French journal of communication - Année 1999 - Volume 7 - Numéro 1 - Pages 5-27
Summary: This study concerns the consumption of superhero comics in the USA and in France. Drawing on a series of interviews and letters published in magazines over the past three decades, the article shows that, for a considerable part of its readership, this medium represents more than the transmission of a traditional masculinity; it is a means of learning a new and complex identity. The author concludes that the learning of gender identities cannot be seen as a univocal process of inculcation of predetermined roles.
23 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

Informations

• Publié par: RESEAUX-_THE_FRENCH_JOURNAL_OF_COMMUNICATION
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1999
• Nombre de lectures: 164
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Eric Maigret
Liz Libbrecht
Strange Grew Up With Me: Sentimentality and masculinity in
readers of superhero comics
In: Réseaux, 1999, volume 7 n°1. pp. 5-27.
Abstract
Summary: This study concerns the consumption of superhero comics in the USA and in France. Drawing on a series of
interviews and letters published in magazines over the past three decades, the article shows that, for a considerable part of its
readership, this medium represents more than the transmission of a traditional masculinity; it is a means of learning a new and
complex identity. The author concludes that the learning of gender identities cannot be seen as a univocal process of inculcation
of predetermined roles.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Maigret Eric, Libbrecht Liz. Strange Grew Up With Me: Sentimentality and masculinity in readers of superhero comics. In:
Réseaux, 1999, volume 7 n°1. pp. 5-27.
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/reso_0969-9864_1999_num_7_1_3347STRANGE GREW UP WITH ME
Sentimentality and masculinity in readers
of superhero comics
Eric MAIGRET
Translated by Liz Libbrecht
Summary: This study concerns the consumption of superhero comics in
the USA and in France. Drawing on a series of interviews and letters
published in magazines over the past three decades, the article shows
that, for a considerable part of its readership, this medium represents
more than the transmission of a traditional masculinity; it is a means of
learning a new and complex identity. The author concludes that the of gender identities cannot be seen as a univocal process of
inculcation of predetermined roles. STRANGE GREW UP WITH ME
related to the influence of a sociology of
1 STRANGE roles that prevailed right into the 1970s,
in which gender identities seemed taken
for granted and clearly defined, particulGREW UP WITH
arly those of men.3 Finally, the impact of
currents of thinking such as semiology,
intended to distinguish stereotypes and ME
their conservative function, often sealed
the fate of mass-produced goods. In this
Sentimentality and context, extreme examples of comics
masculinity in readers of with an outrageously masculine content
superhero comics could always be produced as evidence.
Thus, American superhero comics regul
arly served to illuminate both the por
trayal of gender stereotypes and the
process of inculcation of masculine
roles.
Comic books first appeared in the 1930s
and 1940s in the US. They generally Eric MAIGRET
described the adventures of contempor
ary heroes, endowed with a wide variety
of special powers (scientific, magical,
etc), who dispensed justice and righted
Gender identities are, to a great wrongs. These heroes were often
extent, learned through the opposed to 'super -villains'. Superman,
media, with which people have the original and most well-known chara
complex relationships. Yet in this cter, was particularly popular among
domain sociology has clearly put the young readers from 1938 onwards and
emphasis on the shaping and perpetuat inspired the creation of Batman, Flash
ion of predetermined characteristics. and Wonder Woman, among others.
Like television or novelistic para-litera Dozens of publications and characters
ture, comics in their most popular forms were born and from the 1960s hundreds
have mostly been described - when they of new characters appeared. These series
have been studied - as a reservoir of ide had a turbulent history. In the mid-
ologies which, in the minds and behav 1950s they virtually disappeared under
iours of readers inclined to adhere to the combined pressure of moral cam
paigns and competition from popular stereotypes, sanction and portray masc
uline superiority on the one hand and entertainment programmes on televi
female subordination on the other.1 Of sion. In the 1960s they benefited, howe
course this type of scientific attitude has ver, from fashions spawned by that
same medium, and superheroes were been influenced largely by the discredit
surrounding a popular medium that endowed with new appeal when series
critics tend to characterize by its simp such as Batman were broadcast on TV.
licity and univocity - thus reinforcing Extremely popular among the new gen
discredit.2 It is furthermore erations of school children and existing Eric MAIGRET
teenagers to whom the new characters women on the other - vulnerable, sensi
tive and kind or, conversely, dangerous (eg Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four)
appealed strongly, these series invaded because independent, destructive and
castrating. The content of superhero the US comic market which is currently
series has evolved with time, with the dominated by the major publishing comp
anies. Since that period DC Comics inclusion of phenomena such as war,
and Marvel Comics Group have owned drugs and racism, totally overlooked
over 70 per cent of the overall share of until the 1960s. However, their 'liberal
ism' has clearly not involved a particulthe comic market which has a turnover
twice as high as that of the European arly novel treatment of the question of
market (Pasamonik, 1994). The number gender (Glicksohn, 1974; Williams,
of regular comic readers in the US is 1986) nor of the phenomena mentioned
estimated at one million and occasional above. For the semiologist, the portrayal
readers at about five million. Ten per of traditional gender stereotypes is only
cent of all US junior school pupils are a facet of the structurally conservative
regular readers (Parsons, 1991). The nature of most popular products.
spread of this success throughout most Although these products may have a
Western countries was gradual. In divergent and sometimes original con
France, Superman was sold from 1939 tent, they all share the characteristic of
until it was banned in 1941 by the thinking in terms of schémas and avoid
German occupiers. After the war US ing any form of nuance (Eco, 1993).
Superheroes legitimise the dominant comics in general had great difficulty
moving into the French market because social system by living in it; they solve
of a law (supported by the Communist problems purely by means of individual
Party and the Mouvement Républicain physical intervention (Dorfman, 1983).
Populaire) censuring violence in publica Their adventures represent a new
tions intended for young readers. It was mythology - in the strong, religious,
sense of the term - for their fascinated only in the mid 60s that superhero
comics reappeared on sale. By the end of readers and readily reproduce the se
the decade this medium had become gmented gender roles that prevail in the
content.5 highly successful with the translation of
the new series. A large number of magaz In our view, the shortcoming of these dif
ines were on sale of which the most ferent studies lies not in the fact that they
popular, Strange,4 had a circulation of provide a list of stereotypes effectively
between 80,000 and 100,000 copies - a present in the series in question, nor that
considerable number, even though it they analyse all the ideological conse
was lower than in the US. quences of the use of these stereotypes; it
From the outset these series served as is their method. It is in the object itself
indisputable proof of the fundamentally that the keys for its understanding by the
conservative nature of the mass media, readers have been located, while its
particularly as far as sexual ideologies reception and all the factors contributing
were concerned. In the prototype series, to the production of the content have
Superman, many authors have high been overlooked. From this point of view
lighted the distribution of features it is easy to highlight the generally con
between the hero on the one hand - servative nature of the selected narratives
strong, rational and protective - and - especially when their stigmatization STRANGE GREW UP WITH ME
makes in-depth reading unlikely - and to series? I have tried to answer this ques
overlook other narratives which could tion not only through semi-structured
contradict it or minimize the variety of the interviews with about 20 readers of all
messages.6 Yet these messages are abun ages but also by reading letters to
dant and contradictory because of their superhero magazines in France and the
extreme variety - sometimes even within US - without necessarily trying to grasp
a single series - and pressure from con the (male) readership of these magaz
straints, both organizational (those of the ines, which is neither constant nor lim
comics industry) and external (political ited and needs to be redefined each
and moral pressure). They also depend on time. I have chosen here to focus not on
the recruitment of authors and their dis the fringe of irregular readers whose
positions, and on perceived reader expec interest is short-lived, nor on the fans
tations - and hence their demography characterized by an immense personal
and social structure. The variety of mes investment, who create magazines
sages must, moreover, be set against dif devoted to their favourite series, but on
fering reader interpretations in order to a core of readers distinguished by a few
determine what these series represent specific features, particularly a suffi
socially,