Karen Healey (M.A. University of Canterbury, New Zealand) and Terry D. Johnson (M.S. Department of Bioengineering, UC Berkeley) have recently written a paper examining the comparative body mass indexes of real people versus those seen in the marvel comics. A quick look at their chart shows how far out of whack women are being portrayed, but it's really worth it to read through their whole paper. (Special thanks to a certain you-know-who-you-are for pointing this out to me.)
4 comments:
I wonder how this would have come out in the 1970s marvel comics...
"Marvel Women Not Real Humans; Made of Ink"
Fortunately, the unnatural physiques found in Marvel comics are countered by the more realistic proportions from D.C. and other publishers. The many impressionable young women reading superhero comics have much better models for appropriate body-image in Supergirl, Catwoman and, obviously, Power Girl.
;)
Male physiques, of course, all conform to the statistical norms of the United States.
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