Have I got your attention yet?
If the point of the Comics Code was to keep the youngins from seeing evil and sin as interpreted in the 1950s, you can bet sex and cursing was on that list. At the end we’ll get into everything wrong with the Code but I’m betting General Standards part c is going to be the funny one just based on what’s in comics today. I mean, I haven’t read it yet because it’s more fun to review it live but just by skimming it I have a feeling this is going to be good for a laugh or two before we’re done.
No, it’s not just sex. Other categories are going to be popping up as well.
All elements or techniques not specifically mentioned herein, but which are contrary to the spirit and intent of the Code, and are considered violations of good taste or decency, shall be prohibited.
But I do know the headlines that draw the crowds. 😀 This is actually going to be a series of topics so let’s do each section one at a time.
Dialogue:
- Profanity, obscenity, smut, vulgarity, or words or symbols which have acquired undesirable meanings are forbidden
- Special precautions to avoid references to physical afflictions or deformities shall be taken.
- Although slang and colloquialisms are acceptable, excessive use should be discouraged and wherever possible good grammar shall be employed.
We’ll get to number two in a moment but let’s focus on the bookends. Whatever happened to comics as a result of the Authority we’re talking comics for kids here. We’re looking at the Code itself, not the implementation. To that end, swearing in a kids comic just isn’t and shouldn’t be done. I do wonder about “words…which have acquired undesirable meaning” and how that affects Dick Grayson or private detectives.
I think the third one offers an out on its demand of good grammar. What if youse is depicitating a character what has poor upbringing and would have bad grammar? You know, henchmen, gangster thugs, sneak thief kids…remember, they’re supposed to put bad behavior in as negative a light as possible. And I have to as if there’s a standard to “excessive use” when it comes to slang words?
It’s number two that I have an actual problem with: “Special precautions to avoid references to physical afflictions or deformities shall be taken.” That does more harm than good. What if you want to write a positive story about people in a wheelchair or with down syndrome or being born without an arm? And if you think the CCA wouldn’t throw a fit over it since it’s a good message for kids, remember that the government, the body the Code was created to keep them from controlling comic content, once went to Marvel about doing an anti-drug story in a Spider-Man comic (the one where Harry overdoses), and the Authority wouldn’t approve it.
Religion:
- Ridicule or attack on any religious or racial group is never permissible.
Considering the depiction of black characters even around this time, that last part is almost hilarious. And seeing how people of faith are depicted lately the middle is just depressing.
Costume:
- Nudity in any form is prohibited, as is indecent or undue exposure.
- Suggestive and salacious illustration or suggestive posture is unacceptable.
- All characters shall be depicted in dress reasonably acceptable to society.
- Females shall be drawn realistically without exaggeration of any physical qualities.
NOTE: It should be recognized that all prohibitions dealing with costume, dialogue, or artwork applies as specifically to the cover of a comic magazine as they do to the contents.
That notation comes from Lambiek Comic History, where I’m getting this section from. And if you look at many comics today (imagine a book written by Scott Lodbell and drawn by Ed Benes and Rob Liefeld because I’m sure if it hasn’t been made it will and will insult any female who makes the mistake of reading it) you would think the real reason the major comic companies cut ties with the Code was to ignore this entire section. Every one of these has been violated in the 2000s. Now, some of you may like that but I again remind you that this was intended to make comics friendly to young readers, which you may not care about but is how the Code and it’s failings should be examined with in mind. I suppose “undue exposure” may not include a woman in bed but drawing women suggestively and putting them in as sexy an outfit as possible is the norm or slowly becoming it. The current Ms. Marvel is lucky to be wearing anything and they’ve had a Muslim superhero dress with very little clothing, at least by Muslim standards, before (I think one of the mutant characters dresses in so little clothing the Muslim community would have disowned her immediately, but I don’t think comic writers know about any religion, much less Islam). She’s not even the first teenage girl Muslim character.
This last one has the big one, the depiction of sex and marriage in comics. We’ll take this one individually partly because there are a lot of division and partly because it’s either funny or sad.
Marriage and Sex:
- Divorce shall not be treated humorously nor shall be represented as desirable.
This would kill so many late 90s sitcoms. (Nowadays they don’t even bother getting married TO be divorced.) I suppose DC doesn’t have to worry about that. They just reboot the entire universe and made every marriage never happen no matter how old the characters. (Jay Garrick and Alan Scott come to mind.) Marvel just breaks out the devil to retcon the marriage out of existence.
- Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at nor portrayed. Violent love scenes as well as sexual abnormalities are unacceptable.
We get hinted (or outright stated) but portrayed is thankfully still reserved for porn. Although this would mean no Fifty Shades Of Grey comic adaptation. And some of you now rethought dropping the Code, didn’t you?
- Respect for parents, the moral code, and for honorable behavior shall be fostered. A sympathetic understanding of the problems of love is not a license for moral distortion.
I will give comics credit. While the writers use parents as someone to kill off because heaven forbid a person become a superhero out of an honest desire to help others, the characters usually have a respect for parents unless said parents are evil.
- The treatment of love-romance stories shall emphasize the value of the home and the sanctity of marriage.
I haven’t read a lot of romance comics but from what I’ve seen few of them ended in marriage, just in getting the boyfriend (because it’s always from the woman’s perspective–as written by men) at the end. It’s not quite a “happily ever after” story, just a current victory in finding that right man.
- Passion or romantic interest shall never be treated in such a way as to stimulate the lower and baser emotions.
What? Seriously, what is this saying? If it’s romantic, I’m guessing BDSM isn’t happening unless it’s Tarot, Witch Of The Black Rose.
- Seduction and rape shall never be shown or suggested.
Another good reason to bring the Code back. Well, I’ll give you seduction but rape is so poorly used as a plot device it should go away until writers learn how to use rape or intended rape in a story correctly.
- Sex perversion or any inference to same is strictly forbidden.
Again, they thought all comics were for kids and nobody in their right mind wants that in a kids comic.
This one is only interesting in light of how far today’s comics have gone to ignore this entire section of the Code now that they’ve dropped it. Now, with Starfire 52, cheesecake art, and the Hawkeye Initiative (which works to combat the oversexualized depiction of female character, especially superheroines), it’s like they’re ultimate proof that comics are no longer for kids…as performed by people who don’t understand what “mature” actually means.
Next month we’ll look at the next part of the code, which covers advertisements. I’m assuming this one is just going to be dumb.
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